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Great wilderness areas for backcountry skiing PEMIGEWASSET WILDERNESS, NEW HAMPSHIRE – At 45,818 acres, this is the largest federal wilderness area in the Northeast. It is one of the few places in New England where multiday ski trips can be undertaken without crossing roads. Highlights include gaining access to high-mountain ponds that are rarely visited in winter, spectacular views of the massive White Mountains, and a sense of isolation that is unusual in this heavily traveled region. One of my favorite day trips follows the Wilderness Trail as it runs alongside the gurgling Pemigewasset River. For experienced backcountry travelers, the 20-mile Pemi Traverse is an enduring – and beautiful – skiing journey. BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA WILDERNESS, MINNESOTA – When the last paddlers drift away from northern Minnesota’s endless expanse of lakes known as the Boundary Waters, intrepid skiers glide in to take their place. Skiers can travel across the frozen lakes in this 810,000-acre wilderness, enjoying uninterrupted views to the horizon. Another option is the 28.8-kilometer Banadad Trail (banadad. org), three-fourths of which is within the wilderness area. The trail is groomed—which is unusual in wilderness—and it makes for fast and pleasant travel, especially when snow conditions are challenging. Several yurts and lodges lie on short spurs off the Banadad, so skiers can set out for several days carrying only day packs. The Banadad is part of Minnesota’s 200-kilometer Gunflint cross-country ski trail network, which offers many days and styles of skiing. ALPINE LAKES WILDERNESS, WASHINGTON – Just a 45-minute drive from Seattle, this 392,000-acre wilderness beckons to skiers with its soaring crags, copious snowfall, and, of course, alpine lakes. The ski tour into Colchuck Lake, outside Leavenworth, is a classic. (It’s a three-hour drive to the trailhead from Seattle.) This beautiful lake, dwarfed by the towering rock flanks of Dragontail Peak, is also the gateway to the aptly named Enchantment Peaks. For more of a mountaineering experience, ski up the Colchuck Glacier to Colchuck Peak and enjoy 2,500 vertical feet of beautiful skiing. Lacing turns down through the rock spires “is reminiscent of skiing in Europe,” says local author Andy Dappen. © Barbara Young, courtesy of the Banadad Trail Association TWIN PEAKS WILDERNESS, UTAH – Shoehorned into the heart of Utah’s bustling ski country just above Salt Lake City is this serene 11,396-acre wilderness. It boasts the epic powder and stunning views that draw throngs to ski the Wasatch, sans the buzz of lifts, helicopters, and people. One of my favorite tours is just across the street from the Alta Ski Area, from where I’ve skied up over Cardiff Pass and Cardiac Ridge, dropping into Mill B South Fork, a broad river drainage flanked by stunning views of Dromedary and Sundial Peaks and Mt. Superior. I love the sensation of skiing away from the crowds and vanishing into the solitude of the wilderness. JOHN MUIR WILDERNESS, CALIFORNIA – The serrated skyline of the Sierra Crest is the backdrop for skiers in this 651,992-acre wilderness. Named for the wilderness advocate and founder of the Sierra Club, this dramatic landscape ranges from 4,000foot alpine meadows to peaks over 13,000 feet. The easiest entry is from Highway 395 near Tom’s Place, where you can ski on a road groomed by Rock Creek Lodge (rockcreeklodge.com) to Mosquito Flat. From there, it is about a mile to Mack Lake, which is inside the wilderness. “You are treated to an amazing view of Little Lakes Valley with Bear Creek Spire crowning the Sierra Crest here,” raves Marcus Libkind, a long-time Sierra skier. A solitary skier takes in the silence of New Hampshire’s Pemigewasset Wilderness, while two skiers sample the Banadad Trail in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. 26 1-800-THE-WILD © Brian Mohr/EmberPhoto
© © Bradly J. Boner Skiers and others who enjoy winter recreation love the Jedediah Smith Wilderness on the south slope of the Tetons in Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park. Wildlife found in this wilderness area includes moose and wolverines. JEDEDIAH SMITH WILDERNESS, WYOMING – This 123,451-acre wilderness is home to some of the best and most accessible backcountry skiing in North America. Teton Pass (where you can park) is a mecca for backcountry skiers and riders, and “The Jed” is home to much of the coveted ski terrain. With its legendary champagne powder (totaling 500 inches per year), spectacular views of the Tetons, broad open slopes, and easy access, The Jed is unrivaled. A classic tour is the descent from the summit of Mount Glory into Cold Creek, which lies in the wilderness. © Sue Minter www.wilderness.org THREE SISTERS WILDERNESS, OREGON – The snowcapped Three Sisters (all exceeding 10,000 feet) crown the eastern side of this 286,708-acre wilderness and are among the most prominent volcanoes in the Cascades. The tour on South Sister, which boasts nearly 5,000 vertical feet of skiing, is a local favorite. It is easiest to reach in late spring and offers skiing into the summer. SAWTOOTH WILDERNESS, IDAHO – Hundreds of jagged peaks—42 over 10,000 feet—form the skyline of this aptly named wilderness. Its 217,088 acres feature numerous alpine lakes and remarkable vistas. A yurt just outside the wilderness (sawtoothguides. com) provides a base for multiday ski tours around Williams Peak. David Goodman of Waterbury Center, Vermont, is a contributing writer for Mother Jones and the author of eight books, including three national bestsellers covering topics ranging from politics to skiing. His most recent is Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast: 50 Classic Ski Tours in New England and New York. © Flickr/Olastuen MAROON BELLS-SNOWMASS WILDERNESS, COLORADO – Skiing in this 181,535-acre wilderness just outside Aspen “transports one back to a time when people were just visitors,” says Reid Haughey, president of The Wilderness Land Trust. Numerous ski huts managed by the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association (huts.org) lie just outside the wilderness, and provide the chance to spend many days in the surrounding peaks by skiing from hut to hut. The Lindley Hut is perched at 10,480 feet and lies closest to the wilderness. 27
Page 1 and 2: Migratory birds tell climate change
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents 17 The Final Fron
Page 5 and 6: ENERGY: We secured greater protecti
Page 7 and 8: IDAHO In 2009, climaxing an eight-y
Page 9 and 10: © Erin Paul Donovan Our coalition
Page 11 and 12: Harbingers of Climate Change Acreek
Page 13 and 14: On the highest mountains in the Nor
Page 15 and 16: The Final Frontier By Marilyn Berli
Page 17 and 18: © Patrick J. Endres/AlaskaPhotoGra
Page 19 and 20: © Steven Kazlowski/AlaskaStock.com
Page 21 and 22: Currier’s uncle spent the winter
Page 23 and 24: commitment to conservation was outs
Page 25: © Howie Garber a story: Following
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Page 31 and 32: Getting people out in these spaces
Page 33 and 34: It is now open season on open space
Page 35 and 36: www.wilderness.org Aravaipa Canyon
Page 37 and 38: © Darren Huski www.wilderness.org
Page 39 and 40: © Tom Till www.wilderness.org East
Page 41 and 42: © Sean Babbington Building an Army
Page 43 and 44: © Caara Fritz BEN GREUEL, SIERRA C
Page 45 and 46: Noble Basin, about 40 miles south o
Page 47 and 48: Member Profile Wilderness Investors
Page 49 and 50: © Eric Mohl ten-year Mission 66 pr
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Page 55 and 56: Complex. Because of the primeval na
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Page 59 and 60: © Lynn Donaldson my wilderness has
Page 61 and 62: Conservation Enthusiast CROSSWORD P
Page 63: A Tribute to David Getches David Ge

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