Backcountry skiers no longer have to hide from ski patrol

Backcountry skiers, like those killed in Sunday’s avalanche at Stevens Pass, used to be the outlaws of ski resorts, cutting through fences and ducking from the ski patrol to get to virgin snow and deep powder.

But today, backcountry skiing is mainstream. It’s one of the fastest-growing segments of the sport.

So what has changed in the last decade to fuel this boom in back country skiing?

Backcountry skiers now have free reign to to go past the warning signs or cut under the ropes without fear the Ski Patrol will be in hot pursuit to bust them.

One of the main reasons is that ski resorts have opened up these back country areas that used to be off-limits. They did so after a group of skiers from Wyoming complained the resorts had no right to restrict their access to public land. So resorts on public land now just post warnings and let the skiers go at their own risk.

Another factor is new gear. To get to some of the best back country, these skiers often have to hike from chair lifts. Modern boots and skis are lighter. It’s less work to get to these areas today.

And then there’s the technology. There are more tools for sale today to make surviving the back country more likely. Many skiers carry avalanche beacons, lightweight probes, and specialty shovels. There are even backpacks with air bags to help you ride out an avalanche.

Elyse Saugstad used one of these backpacks to survive Sunday’s avalanche at Stevens Pass. The packs are more common in Europe, but they are gaining in popularity in the United States.

“It’s getting more and more common as more and more evidence demonstrates how successful they are,” said Peter Drake at Pro Ski Service in Seattle. The basic airbag backpacks start at $700, but Drake said they do work. “$750 for a backpack is a lot cheaper than hospital bills or anything else or death.”

Keeping your head above the snow is key to surviving an avalanche. The experts say you can only survive under the snow for about 15 minutes. That’s how long it takes for the snow in front of your face to become saturated with carbon dioxide from your breathing. You develop an ice mask around your face and suffocate.

Companies now sell products called Avalungs. They claim you can breathe for more than an hour under the snow with them. Drake showed me a couple of them. They use a breathing tube that’s hidden in the straps of a backpack.

“It pulls air in from a vent in one side of the pack and blows Carbon Dioxide out on a vent on the other side of the backpack,” he said. “There’s actually a lot of air mixed in with the snow, but you don’t have access to it if you’re just breathing through your mouth.” Avalungs start at about $125.

But you could spend thousands of dollars on safety gear and still not survive an avalanche. The gear won’t matter if you’re bashed against trees or rocks as you roll down the mountain or if the avalanche carries you off a cliff.

Avalanche experts worry that more people are going to get into trouble as more of them test their skills by seeking the fresh powder that only the backcountry can satisfy.