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How To Plan a Backcountry Ski Trip

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Nov 27, 2025 6:01 AM ET

Planning a ski trip can be an involved process, depending on how far you're hoping to go and what kind of skiing you're looking to do. Adding backcountry skiing into that equation adds a whole other layer of logistics, knowledge, and planning you'll need to do—but can be an amazing way to see a new place and ski somewhere really cool.

Backcountry ski trips can take several forms and can range from simple day trips in a new zone to shelling out for a cat skiing lodge deep in the mountains. There are different levels of logistics and experience needed for different types of trips, so it's important to consider the skills you have, what resources are available to you, and maybe above all, the kind of experience you're looking to have. Whether you're headed to a hut system one state over for a weekend of low-angle pow or flying across the world for a cat skiing trip, here are a few things to get you started in planning a backcountry ski trip.

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1. Do Your Research

The first step to pretty much any ski trip is choosing your destination, and in order to do that, you're probably going to need to do some research. Are you hoping to go on an international ski adventure, a far-flung road trip, or just hop one mountain range over for the weekend? When considering a backcountry trip, it's important to take into account how much beta and information is available about the area you're hoping to ski in.

Have other folks done trip reports? Are there existing GPX files for routes you might want to ski? Is there a local avalanche center? Less information isn't always a bad thing, but it's certainly worth taking into account your own skills and whether or not you'll be able to fill those knowledge gaps on your own.

Second, are you hoping to ski a specific objective/from a particular location like a backcountry yurt? There's a significant difference in trip planning when you're staying in lodging of some kind and taking day tours versus skiing out of a backcountry yurt or winter camping. Determine what kind of trip you want to do can also help you pick a destination.

2. Book Your Travel

This feels like an obvious step, but there are a couple of things to consider outside of just booking a flight or lodging. First, if you're looking to ski out of a backcountry yurt or hut, you often need reservations for these, and they can be tricky to get. Look into the yurt or hut system's reservations way in advance to make sure they're not booked up. Second, if you're driving, look into trailhead parking and if it's okay to leave a vehicle for multiple days.

If you're hoping to use a guide service for your trip, do your research on the different guide outfitters in the area. Read reviews, ask around, and make sure the folks you're following into the backcountry have proper education, experience and knowledge. Guide services can also book out fast, so look into these well in advance.

3. Keep an Eye on Local Conditions

In the months, weeks, and days leading up to your trip, keep an eye on local snow conditions. The closer you get to your trip, the more frequently you should be checking the forecast and avalanche report. If you're not going far from home, odds are you might be able to take your local snowpack knowledge into account a bit more, but even one avalanche forecast zone over can make a difference.

When skiing in a new place, it's always a great idea to dig a pit (or a few!) and get to know the snowpack before stepping into avalanche terrain. The more knowledge of an area's snowpack over a season you can go in with, the more information you'll be able to gather from a snow pit and the more equipped you'll be to make smart decisions.

4. Consider Any Special Equipment You Might Need

If you're planning a backcountry ski trip, odds are you're already a fairly experienced backcountry skier (we'd hope!) and own things like a beacon, probe, shovel, ski touring setup, etc. However, maybe you're doing most of your skiing in ranges that have cell service, so you don't own a satellite communication device. Or perhaps you don't usually need ski crampons in your home range, but they'd be a good idea for this trip. What differs from your normal backcountry day for this trip, and what equipment will be useful not only to help you ski, but in the event of an emergency?

5. Look at Maps

Whether or not you're hoping to ski a specific line or peak, it's a great idea to get a sense of what else is in the area you're going to. Even if you do have a certain objective in mind, it's often smart to go for some recon tours in the days before and get acquainted with the snowpack. You don't have to make any definite decisions, but hop on a 3D mapping app like OnX Backcountry or Gaia GPS and poke around your destination.

Maybe you'll find an objective you didn't even know was there that you'd love to ski, or maybe it'll just get you excited to ski low-angle pow out of your hut. Either way, checking out the area in advance is a great way to plan ahead how you'll use your days.

6. Get in Shape

Again, odds are if you're planning a backcountry ski trip, you're already a frequent or experienced backcountry skier and in pretty good shape. However, maybe this trip has you skiing all your gear into a hut, or you're looking at an objective with more vert than you've done before. Nothing's more of a bummer than getting to the top of a line and being too gassed to have fun skiing down it. So, if you know you have a big trip on the calendar, put in some extra gym time so you're super prepared for the trip and lessen your chances of getting injured in the backcountry.

7. Brush Up on Your Knowledge

It's a good idea to do a little avalanche refresher at the beginning of each ski season anyway, but if you're planning a backcountry-specific trip, it's probably even more important. Depending on the trip you're planning, a simple refresher or day of beacon drills could be perfect. However, especially if you're not using a guide service, traveling to a completely new snowpack, or plan to spend a lot of time in avalanche terrain, taking another avalanche course isn't a bad idea.

If you've got your Level 1, look into your AIARE 2 and avalanche rescue courses. If you've already got an AIARE 2, check out the Pro 1 course. Additionally, it's not a bad call to brush up on or take a first aid course. A Wilderness First Aid certification is a great place to start and can be helpful for minor injuries in the backcountry. Full Wilderness First Responder courses are also great and give you a lot of tools you hope you'll never need, but could save someone if you do.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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