We're getting our first snowfall here in the Northeast and it's not even Halloween yet! The snow already has me excited about skiing- I'm looking to try my hand at AT skiing this season. I've skied and snowboarded in the past, but want to go out of bounds. Just thought I'd post if and see if anyone had any tours, specifically in NY, they would recommend for a relative beginner or if anyone could recommend some clubs that might have beginner friendly outings.

Its Snowing in New Mexico Too!!


Here are some suggestions for sites, books and clubs.



Try Telemark Talk, there's way more skiers there than here on Summitpost: you just have to register as a member to post, just like here. Lots of Backcountry, "Slack"country, and Frontcountry skiers from all over are on there. Good Luck and Pray for Snow!!
http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=1

At the bottom I gave you the link to the AMC for ski trip info. Someone there knows someone that knows someone probably...





http://www.amc-ny.org/recreational-activities/skiing

Much of the off-piste skiing in the East is trails. Even if you're skiing slides in the Daks or ravines on Washington, you'll need to ski trails to get there. It's a whole 'nother skill set, and can be pretty fun in it's own right.

There's lots of skiing in VT, but I'm not familiar with it. I do know the High Peaks, which is a great place to start.

First thing I'd do is rent a setup. It will run about $50 a day, but since a new AT setup is $1500 or more, it's a cheap way to find what you like. Most places will put rental fees towards a setup if you buy from them.

I'd start at the Mountaineer - rent a setup, and try some of the rolling sections of the JackRabbit XC trail. Just a morning will probably get you familiar with the basic operation of the AT gear, and trail skiing.

After the JR, there are a bunch of classic trails. The big ones are Avalanche Pass, Wright Peak, and Marcy. Either of the first two would be great to jump on after you feel good on the JackRabbit.

Next up - slides. There are plenty, but in general require some Avy skills. The ADK ski festival is a great place to learn about them.

I agree with the trails for access presenting a challenge. It gets tracked out by snowshoes and after a thaw freeze it gets a bit tricky. If you feel comfortable skiing at whiteface, say upper skyward and empire if it's open, then you are ready to get to Wright peak and Marcy. Goodmans book is what I started with, and once you're out there, the possibilities are endless. Depends on your comfort range. Another great site would be adkhighpeaks.com