Open Slopes Backcountry Meetup 3/23
Let's walk uphill and then slide downhill
Date and time
Location
Timberline Summit Pass
90255 Government Camp Loop Government Camp, OR 97028 United StatesRefund Policy
About this event
- Event lasts 5 hours
What to Expect:
Open Slopes is proud to announce the first of four backcountry ski meetups this winter! If you're brand new; these meetups are a great opportunity to try out touring for the first time! If you're a pro; come hang out to build community and mentor new folks!
These meetups are casual, peer-led tours in low-consequence terrain, but risks still exist. Participants ski and ride at their own risk.
We will ski up and then down an easy objective, and then hang out afterwards to chat gear, skills, and share snacks!
The purpose of these meetups is to build community. Open Slopes is an organization that helps skiers and boarders from the LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC communities find space on the mountain. These meetups are also designed to be a great first tour, if backcountry skiing is something you've always wanted to try!
Community members will be present to help answer questions about how to put on skins or how to work your bindings- this is a place for learning! (However- it is not a substitute for, nor intended to provide, formal backcountry avalanche training).
Where:
We will do an out-and back of the Alpine Trail from the start at the Summit Ski area to our turn-around point at the Timberline resort boundary. One way, this trail is 1.8 miles long and covers about 1200 feet in elevation change. In-bounds, this would be considered a "Blue" or intermediate run due to one steep pitch and some narrow segments.
Click here for an Interactive Route Map
A Note on Avalanche Safety :
Avalanche Safety Gear is a suggestion, but not requirement, for this meetup.
Avalanche Safety Education is a suggestion, but not requirement, for this meetup.
The Alpine trail is within the Timberline Ski Resort area and is routinely groomed, but it is typically unpatrolled. As it is technically "in-bounds," avalanche rescue equipment is not a requirement for this meetup, but if you have a beacon/shovel/probe and want to practice using them; you are welcome and encouraged to bring them! If you are brand new to avalanche safety- that is OK! This is a space to learn from your peers before you take any kind of formal training.
What to Bring:
- Touring skis or splitboard & skins.
- Helmet, Goggles, Gloves.
- Backpack to store extra layers.
- Please bring enough snacks and water to fuel your outing, plus a snack to share afterwards!
- Safety gear for a ski day: sunscreen, chapstick, moleskin, etc.
Check out this handy guide here for ideas: https://www.newschoolers.com/news/read/Backcountry-Ski-Checklist
Schedule:
7:00 AM Arrive at Summit parking lot for parking (Carpool if you can!) and get ready. Peer mentors will be there if you have questions about how to set up your equipment.
8:00 AM Begin skinning uphill
(est) 10:30 AM: Turnaround time, transition and ski down
Noon: Parking lot hangout and debrief!
Frequently asked questions
Open Slopes enables people of color and queer people to connect and grow in snowsports through community building and mutual aid. Together, we build power through safety, care, and play. We host events like this one, designed to help people access snowsports.
Backcountry skiing refers generally to skiing or snowboarding outside of a resort boundary. Typically, you access this terrain by hiking or "skinning," where you put a special fabric on your skis or splitboard that allows you to walk uphill. Then you turn around and slide back down!
No. You are responsible for bringing your own equipment. If you don't have your own, consider renting from Mountain Shop, PortlandSkiRentals, or Next Adventure!