NorthWest VT - Looking for people to earn turns with

TshirtFiend

New member
I'm looking for people to explore the backcountry trails of northern Vermont with. I'm very experienced with riding in/around resorts, but I'm looking to do some backcountry riding. Sadly, I don't have any friends with the same interest.

I do snowboard (yes, I know this is a skier site, but I haven't found a good snowboard site similar), so that's the major limitation. I don't have a split board, so I'm stuck with snowshoes. As far as experience, the only off piste riding I've ever done is Teardrop, which I did without much trouble.

Hopefully, I'd find some people who are in the same place (location and experiencewise). Alternately, if people have any ideas about websites/groups I could check out, that would be great.

Thanks for any help.
 
first tracks is definitely not a skier site. lots of folks from all equipment backgrounds post to first tracks including boarding. so don't feel limited in that sense though i think most of the regular east coast posters are two plankers.

i find myself in a similar situation often. somewhat limited on what terrain i can tackle since i usually fly solo. i'd suggest posting a gathering on here for someplace interesting but not too technical. no one is going to want to do a long and/or difficult tour with someone they haven't been out there with before. but i'd certainly be down for skinning up the teardrop or something and earning some turns with any one interested. post a specific trip you would be interested in and a date and i am sure you'll get some takers.
 
riverc0il":1j9mokri said:
first tracks is definitely not a skier site. lots of folks from all equipment backgrounds post to first tracks including boarding.

Hear, hear! Don't let the name fool you. A suggestion, though, would be to follow through with riverc0il's advice in the Eastern forum rather than here in the Classified Ads.
 
i find myself in a similar situation often. somewhat limited on what terrain i can tackle since i usually fly solo.

yeah I've got the same problem. I like flying solo, but not smart in the BC. Most of my ski/board friends here in SF don't have the proper equipment, so usually I just hike inbounds at the ski area. I'm starting to meet more people with the same interests though.
 
Alright, that's a good idea. Once the trees get a little more snow, I'll post a meet-up someplace on the East Coast board. Thanks for the info.

Rivercoil- Do you know if any of the organizations like the Green Mountain Club have any backcountry resources? Or any other VT resources?
 
i haven't heard any. AMC might have a tele group probably, since they run the cardigan lodge. not sure how welcoming they would be of a split boarder and AT'er ;) :shock: besides, this is as good a resource as any. i think at least have of the regulars here in the eastern forums are down for earnin' some.
 
AMC runs backcountry ski touring and snowboard specific touring "camps" or clinics. thought about doing them myself. http://www.outdoors.org

i tend to poke around mansfield but i'm eager to explore other areas as well this year. i'll be on splitboard, but my partner also a rider, will be on snowshoes. might be 2 AT skiiers as well.

i plan to be in n VT over new years, and then again on the wknd of 7-8 jan (which is scheduled as a "bc weekend". so, if conditions permit i will def be up for a bc exploring sesh on either weekend. we don't know what we'll hit it depends on how the snow is, so pm me if you want to link up...
 
I'm all about hiking for the fresh pow. I also ride a snowboard and hike with snowshoes. I've done the Teardrop and Big Jay (which sadly is not an option this year). I have a crew I usually ride with, but they're not always available. Anyway, it's nice to make new friends. Plus I promised my mom I wouldn't hike alone...always wise. There are a lot of lines I'm looking to get this season. Let's keep in touch as the snow piles up. Shoot me an email if you want to meet up for lift serve or a drink sometime before the woods are open. I'm in Northwestern VT, too.
 
TshirtFiend":2umrkejl said:
I'm looking for people to explore the backcountry trails of northern Vermont with. I'm very experienced with riding in/around resorts, but I'm looking to do some backcountry riding. Sadly, I don't have any friends with the same interest. Hopefully, I'd find some people who are in the same place (location and experiencewise). Alternately, if people have any ideas about websites/groups I could check out, that would be great. Thanks for any help.
Certainly use the Eastern North America Forum here at First Tracks!! and the other resources suggested in this thread to meet people, but based on your location in Northern Vermont (especially Northwestern Vermont) you should unquestionably check out/subscribe to SkiVT-L if you are looking for websites/groups that deal with backcountry exploration. Here’s the website if you aren’t already familiar with it:

http://www.uvm.edu/skivt-l

SkiVT-L is both an email listserv AND a website, and you can interact in either way if you want. SkiVT-L is run by the University of Vermont, has hundreds of subscribers, and is quite Northwestern Vermont (Burlington and surrounding areas)-centered. These days it feels like there’s at least someone from the list heading out virtually every day (and night) for frontcountry and/or backcountry earned turns, so I think it’s one of the more active Northern Vermont forums for someone that is looking for partners for backcountry riding.

I’ll mention that there are lots of VERY experienced backcountry skiers/riders on SkiVT-L, and many of them are also the most active participants in the list. With that experience CAN come a bit of elitism, but don’t take any crap if anyone tries to give you any. They are actually just joking around and if anything like that happens it is basically that “internet persona” thing going on, where they are actually nice folks in real life, but conversing through the internet doesn’t always convey the subtlety of real face to face interaction. You can learn an incredible amount about backcountry skiing from the people on SkiVT-L, so absorb as much as you can.

Along with myself, Admin, Powderfreak, Marc C, and other folks from the forums here are active with SkiVT-L. The others can give you their thoughts about SkiVT-L as well, but it is the most active place that I’ve encountered for online Burlington/Vermont-based ski gathering. Basically, I’d encourage anyone that is in Northwestern Vermont, but also Vermont and the rest of the Northeast (where many SkiVT-L members come from) to check out SkiVT-L to supplement what they get here at First Tracks and see if it works for them.

J.Spin
 
It's the first time i visit the classified on FTO.com!

You should have posted this on the EC section like others have mentionned.

If you want a good snowboarding ressource, check out http://www.Splitboard.com they have a forum and they are a couple of us from the East Coast out there and it's really easy to find someone in your area to ride with.

I'M always riding and splitboarding / touring around Jay Peak... You can contact me if you want to go for a ride... There is lots of opportunity around Jay and there are lots of areas to explore still!

See you around!


Eric
 
Back
Top