Get Some Skin in the Game, Ski Uphill!

By Skip Holmes

It’s 5:30am and you could be waiting for the lifts to start at 8am in order to get first tracks on Whiteface after an overnight dump of fresh powder. Or, you could already be at the base of the mountain clicking into your bindings at 6am, and then turning on your headlamp to begin an upward trek to the top of the mountain, and then ski down before the lifts are even open!

Uphill skiing has been around for a long time as a backcountry ski touring sport. I recall having a pair of Trucker skis from an outfit in Colorado, which I used to explore the Adirondack backcountry, and even used at a couple small downhill areas. They had metal edges, heavy leather boots, and a set of ‘skins’ that were attached to the bottom of the skis when the ascent was too steep for kick wax.

In recent years the snow conditions have become more variable and the season has shrunk due to a changing climate. For those of us who want to get our fitness outside in all the seasons, skinning has become the go to way to continue our aerobic workouts, and get a reward of skiing downhill after a long climb up.

You could attempt to use your typical downhill ski equipment but the climb in those heavy downhill boots would be really cumbersome. If you are in Lake Placid, the go-to shop for real uphill skiing gear would be High Peaks Cyclery and the guy to talk to is Brian Delaney, who is a knowledgeable expert.

The skis are clearly different from your typical downhill style. They are lighter, more flexible, and may have a carbon tip with some titanium running the length of them. The skis come in two widths, depending on groomed or powder conditions. The boots are lighter, less stiff and attach to bindings that incorporate a heel release feature, which allows your uphill climb to be significantly easier. Some have a pivoting toe piece to prevent early toe release. Ski poles are adjustable in length and some have breakaway straps as well.

The skins that attach to the bottom of your skis can be made from several materials. Nylon, mohair or a mix of nylon and mohair. They all have adhesive on the side that attaches to your skis and the other side provides the grip that keeps you from sliding backwards. They have fasteners that attach to the tip and tail of your skis. After reaching the end of the climb you take the skins off, place the glue sides together, roll them up and stow them in your pack. In very steep conditions it may also be necessary to have a set of ski crampons that attach to your skis to prevent sliding backwards on steep icy conditions.

Now that you understand that this gear is different than what you’ve used for your downhill ski days, there is additional equipment to bring on the skinning adventure. A small backpack with some essentials is necessary. You will want to bring some dry clothing to change into when you have completed the skin up. It will be even colder at elevation and you will have likely given up copious amounts of sweat to get up there. You need dry clothing to keep you warm on the way down. A puffy coat may be a necessary piece of gear along with a piece of reflective gear so that others can see you as it may still be early light conditions. Some snacks, water, your helmet, goggles, and a headlamp for the pre sunrise trip up the mountain. Oh, and an extra set of batteries for the headlamp, just like when you go hiking in the High Peaks in the winter. Even one of my very experienced Adirondack 46ers friends forgot to bring extra batteries on the first uphill ski and ended up in the predawn darkness.

This equipment list will allow you to skin up those downhill ski areas that currently allow uphill skiers. To learn more, go to ski area websites and look for ‘uphill skiing.’ It is showing up at more resorts the East Coast. Out West, many ski areas have been offering this option for years and it is catching on here in the East.

Currently the only ski areas allowing uphill skiing in New York are Whiteface in the Adirondacks and Windham in the Catskills. There is even a Facebook page called Whiteface Uphill for those who are curious. If you ramble over to Vermont you will find a number of ski areas that allow uphill skiing including Mount Snow, Stratton, Magic, Bromley, Pico and Killington among others. In Massachusetts, Jiminy Peak is also allowing it. Each mountain has a specific set of rules that you must abide by. A headlamp is mandatory, some have very specific times with early morning starts prior to lifts operating. Specific uphill routes are described daily and wandering off route can get you kicked off the mountain. Some require an extra daily ticket while others allow the use of your downhill season pass.

For those who are even more adventurous there is backcountry skinning to remote locations to experience real winter wilderness. With sufficient snow you can ski into the backcountry of the Adirondacks and then even ski up Mount Marcy where there is a specific trail dedicated for backcountry skiers. Trips like this require even more gear in order to be properly prepared to spend the night in adverse weather conditions. There are slides in the High Peaks that backcountry skiers have done and you need to be prepared for the possibility of avalanches when snow conditions present this type of hazard. This type of uphill skiing requires not only superb skiing skills, but also experience with backcountry winter conditions, and extreme weather that can change rapidly.

So why would you want to skin up a mountain at a downhill ski area? Well after years of taking the same set of runs down the mountain it might get a little stale. Or are you losing some of that three-season fitness you acquired by biking, hiking, running, paddling or swimming? You start-out in the dark and climb up the mountain on your skis with climbing skins attached to the bottom of your skis. When you reach the top or whatever point you have decided will be your destination you tuck into the trees, change into a dry top, don your helmet, have a snack and a drink. Then, watch the sunrise as you and your friends prepare to make a downhill run that you totally earned. No electricity required; another way to lower your carbon footprint.

You can go uphill skiing before going to work, and it certainly beats riding a trainer in the basement or running on a treadmill, to keep your fitness. And then there is the magic of floating down the mountain making fresh tracks on the same skis that you used to skin up!

Skip Holmes (serottaskip@gmail.com) of Delmar teaches sustainable building design at RPI and provides training programs for the Urban Green Council of NYC. He is a member of MHCC and CBRC. He can be found road and gravel bike riding, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, or Nordic and backcountry skiing.