Mount Bohemia Gauging Interest In Dedicated Ski Touring Center

"Bohemia could add a ski touring center with dedicated trails east of middle earth, north of haunted valley, and behind little Boho," Mount Bohemia wrote on Instagram.

The reception to the idea was positive, with several commenters saying they would use the proposed touring center.

Mount Bohemia didn't share further details about the project, presumably waiting for community feedback before committing to the creation of a ski touring center.

It's no surprise that Mount Bohemia skiers and snowboarders were stoked about the proposition. Several outlets have noted backcountry touring's increasing popularity in the past few years. A broader swath of snowsports enthusiasts now enjoy what was once a niche sport.

Said popularity boom facilitated the creation of the Colorado-based Bluebird Backcountry—an uphill-access-only ski resort. However, Bluebird's experiment ultimately didn't work out when the fledgling resort closed last year.

The hybrid model—featuring a lift, helicopter access, and backcountry style, unaltered terrain—lives on at Silverton Mountain, Colorado (Silverton only requires bootpacking—skins aren't necessary). 

And British Columbia's Hankin Evelyn Recreation Area hews closer to Bluebird's vision, continuing to offer cut runs and a warming hut without chairlifts. There, like the standard backcountry, you have to get up to get down.

As skiing continues to evolve, these re-imaginations of the ski resort model could simplify the backcountry skiing equation further, encouraging even more skiers to embrace the uphill.