To contact the Alliance for media inquiries, please email granitebackcountry@gmail.com
CONCORD MONITOR | December 16, 2023
Then there is the surprising boom in back-country skiing, where snowboarders and skiers depend on their legs rather than machinery to get uphill. In the past decade this hike-up-and-ski-down practice has grown from a niche pastime to become a big part of ski equipment sales. Various groups have been forced to keep runs trimmed on otherwise unused slopes, and the Granite Backcountry Alliance lists a dozen places in New Hampshire where backcountry skiing is allowed.
NEW ENGLAND SKI JOURNAL | December 11, 2023
You have to see it to believe it. That’s how the unlikely alliance between a snowmobile club and backcountry earn-your-turners came together in Brownfield, Maine, where — together — they are breathing new life into a lost ski area and creating shared human-powered and motorized winter recreational opportunities that are accessible for families. The partnership between the Burnt Meadow Sno Club and Granite Backcountry Alliance coalesced this past summer at the site of the former Burnt Meadow Mountain Zodiac Skiway in Brownfield, located near the Maine-New Hampshire border. The small ski area — one lift, four trails and 700 feet of vertical — operated between 1971 and 1982 before several bad snow years and nearby competition forced its closure.
CONWAY DAILY SUN | November 18, 2023
BROWNFIELD, Maine — Snowmobilers and backcountry skiers working together? Now who would have thunk it? Two local former ski areas — Burnt Meadow Zodiac Skiway in the foothills of western Maine and Page Hill Ski Slope in Tamworth — will see new life this winter (snow gods willing), thanks to the sweat equity and enthusiasm of the non-profit Granite Backcountry Alliance backcountry ski organization and willing partners. They will add to GBA’s so-called “Graniteland” of 13 managed gladed areas and three reclaimed trails created in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. These are pristine backcountry trails where uphill ski enthusiasts can strap skins over their skis to climb up, then schuss down some powdery white heaven without having to rely on a lift.
WORCESTER TELEGRAM & GAZETTE | March 22, 2023
Let the spring skiing festival season begin. Kicking off the traditionally zany and celebratory wind-down time for the New England skiing and snowboarding season is the perennially inventive Wild Corn jamboree that kicks off March 31 at King Pine ski area in Madison, New Hampshire, and runs until April 2. Wild Corn ticket revenues support the Granite Backcountry Alliance, a nonprofit organization working in New Hampshire and western Maine to clear gladed areas for Alpine touring with volunteer labor and in cooperation with federal, state and local government authorities.
CONWAY DAILY SUN | AUGUST 23, 2022
PINKHAM NOTCH — Camp Dodge Regional Trails Training Center was the setting last Friday for U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster (D-Hopkinton) to speak with regional outdoor leaders about the increases in popularity of outdoor recreation and the demands put on the resources of the White Mountain National Forest during the pandemic era the past few years. Kuster, who represents the 2nd Congressional District, which now includes Jackson, Sandwich and Albany in addition to all of Coos County, was joined at the forum by Susan Arnold, interim president and CEO of the Appalachian Mountain Club; Amanda Peterson, AMC trail programs operations manager; Sarah Hankens, technical and public service staff officer, WMNF; Phil Bryce, director of the.H. Division of Parks and Recreation; Jessyca Keeler, president of Ski NH; J.D. Crichton, general manager of Wildcat Mountain; Brandon Swartz, general manager of Attitash Mountain; Tyler Ray, founder of the Granite Backcountry Alliance; Ellen Chandler, executive director of Jackson Ski Touring Foundation; and Ed Butler, former Democratic state rep and co-owner of the Notchland Inn in Hart’s Location.
CONWAY DAILY SUN | March 25, 2022
MADISON — Granite Backcountry Alliance will host its sixth annual Wild Corn Backcountry Shindig next weekend on Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2, at King Pine Ski Area in Madison, New Hampshire. Hyperlite Mountain Gear is the weekend event’s title sponsor
CONWAY DAILY SUN | February 21, 2022
Come Feb. 24-27, the White Mountains will celebrate the growth in the sport with the Mount Washington Backcountry Ski Festival, with perhaps as many as 1,000 attendees expected. Presented by the North Face, and departing daily for routes throughout the White Mountains after morning get-togethers at Ledge Brewing Co. in Intervale (aka “Ledge Camp” for the event), in addition to the daytime skiing events, the festival will feature nighttime non-ski events at such venues as Theater in the Wood Feb. 24 and 26 as well as the regular Ski the Whites’ Ski Under the Lights weekly Friday night uphill lighted series Feb. 25 at Black Mountain in Jackson (see schedule below).
UNION LEADER | October 28, 2021
Thanks to the Granite Backcountry Alliance — a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing, improving and maintaining a network of glades in New Hampshire and western Maine — this human-powered, backcountry experience has become increasingly accessible for recreationists of all ages.
WCVB | October 20, 2021
HAVERVILL, N.H. — A New Hampshire man is converting his family's land into a backcountry skiing destination with the help of local organizations and volunteers.
CONWAY DAILY SUN | December 9, 2020
Get ready for a big winter season, with people affected by the pandemic flocking to ski, snowshoe and snowmobile in the White Mountains, much as they did hiking and biking this summer.
UNION LEADER | December 9, 2020
Winter recreation industry leaders said Wednesday they’re prepared to safely manage the growing numbers of residents and tourists eager to ski, snowmobile, snow tube or hike and escape indoor isolation during the COVID-19 surge.
CONWAY DAILY SUN | December 3, 2020
In a sport conducive to social distancing, Granite Backcountry Alliance is preparing for a surge of skiers in the glades. Anticipating an increase in backcountry skiing interest similar to that seen in hiking and mountain biking around the valley this summer and fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-profit is taking part in a national education effort to school newcomers to the pristine pursuit.
NEW YORK TIMES | November 27, 2020
Backcountry skiing and snowboarding have exploded into the mainstream this year. As ski resorts are limiting access because of the coronavirus pandemic, skiers are looking for alternative ways to recreate while staying physically distanced. The backcountry boom is also being driven by a new generation of Alpine touring skis and snowboards that make it easier for newcomers to transition from skiing and riding at resorts to the backcountry. REI reports that sales of backcountry ski equipment have tripled since last fall (you can rent it too).
CONWAY DAILY SUN | November 27, 2020
First, the good news: North Conway was named by readers of USA Today as the “No. 1 Ski Town in North America” (and the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation was ranked fifth in a list of the top 10 cross-country ski resorts).
OUTSIDE MAGAZINE | November 26, 2020
After a challenging summer and fall, we're all wondering what the ski season has in store. Don't worry: resorts are working hard to open and ensure a safe experience for everyone, and there are plenty of other ways to delight in the white stuff. Here's the lowdown.
GOOD TO-GO BLOG | November 13, 2020
We pulled into the parking lot for Black Mountain of Maine (BMOM) early on a Saturday morning in October. It was cold and wet—you know, good ol' New England weather. In typical fashion, Tyler Ray, Granite Backcountry Alliance Founder and aptly titled “Granite Chief,” had more energy than any human should at this hour, and was busy getting the “quarry dogs” primed for the day ahead. It was a big crowd on this day, the largest of the 2020 Glade Tour. Loppers, saws and hard hats were divvied up, and, before long, we were hiking up one of BMOM’s ski trails and into the clouds... literally.
CONWAY DAILY SUN | September 23, 2020
Backyard Concept LLC, the region’s first outdoor recreation advocacy firm based in North Conway, has announced the addition of attorney Sarah B. Davidson to the staff to provide professional services to the business and outdoor recreation sector of the regional economy.
BACKCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | May 19, 2020
A long time ago I learned that not every day is your best day when backcountry skiing. That couldn’t be truer than on Mt. Washington, the jewel of New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, which is infamously home to some of the world’s worst weather. It also is home to some of the best high-alpine skiing on the East Coast and the reason I chose to move to North Conway in 2014. The unprecedented accessibility to steep skiing in remote glacial cirques around the “Prezzies” is my first choice when dialing up a tour plan. But when inhospitable weather moves in or avalanche risk becomes a nonstarter, there’s been limited opportunities to stretch the legs in less exposed tree-skiing terrain. Until now. Say hello to the East Coast craft glading movement.
CONCORD MONITOR | March 5, 2020
Imagine you had looked forward for months and months to an August getaway in the sun with some serious beach time involved. Weather had been perfect up to the moment you arrived. Then it started snowing. I’ll bet you’d be more than a little grumpy about it. That’s exactly how it feels to winter lovers when it rains in February or March in ski country.
POWDER MAGAZINE | March 4, 2020
I dig my ski edges into wind-scoured layers of snow frozen to the granite dome of South Baldface in New Hampshire. Straight ahead, about 10 miles northwest, a gray shroud wraps Mount Washington’s 6,288-foot peak. The summit cap trails into a glacial cirque on the leeward side, filling the valley below with a witch’s cauldron of clouds. It’s February 16. Up there, temps hover in the low single digits, and winds blow up to 84 mph.
NEW HAMPSHIRE MAGAZINE (December 2019)
2019 “IT” List: In spite of the incursions of climate change and the prospect of clogged Interstates on snow days, New Hampshire’s official sport (skiing, duh) is alive and well, but like any living thing, it evolves over time. Skiing has increasingly expanded beyond the developed slopes and into the surrounding wilderness, producing new business models as it grows.
LEWISTON-SUN JOURNAL (December 6, 2019)
As another season of winter recreation gets underway, this community has a new attraction for those who seek the backcountry ski scene. An eight-mile traverse has been created between Rumford Whitecap and Black mountains. Named Black & White Glades, it caters to those who enjoy alpine skiing through trees or on a defined woods trail.
NEW HAMPSHIRE MAGAZINE | November 7, 2020
When his children are in the ski programs at Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, season pass holder Paul DegliAngeli uses the precious time to hit the slopes. But he doesn’t make a straight line to the high-speed quad or any lift for that matter. He starts skinning up.
SKI MAGAZINE (November 2019)
In the woods, a summertime crew of 50-odd skiers is handling pole saws and loppers, carefully cutting down trees and smoothing out underbrush for the next season. This isn’t some rogue operation of yahoos defacing northern New England’s dense forests. This is a sanctioned effort of backcountry skiers clearing ski trails for the Granite Backcountry Alliance, a non-profit that’s trying to build backcountry access and a community that goes along with it in the Northeast.
UNION LEADER (November 14, 2019)
Being prepared for a variety of outdoor fun — and for any kind of weather — is the best bet for having a good winter, said skiing aficionado Tyler Ray. “The key to a good ski season in New England is a full winter quiver of all the tools, with the continuum swinging from backcountry to resort to Nordic to snowshoes to fat bike to ice skates and finally ice fishing,” he said. “If you play the conditions, you’ll enjoy your time outside.”
UNION LEADER (October 19, 2019)
A party feel floated around the Cooley-Jericho Community Forest on a Saturday morning in late September, despite the hard day’s work ahead. The crowd wore sturdy boots instead of dancing shoes, backpacks instead of ballgowns, and carried loppers and pole saws instead of cocktails. But the stoke was real — as was the sense of community.
NH BAR ASSOCIATION NEWS (October, 2019)
After 15 years of practicing business law, Tyler Ray has come up with a strategy to combine his professional and personal aspirations — and help struggling rural communities in New Hampshire’s North Country in the process.
CONWAY DAILY SUN (July 30, 2019)
Granite Backcountry Alliance announced changes to its board of directors last week as Tyler Ray stepped down as president of alliance and his new company, Backyard Concept, took over day-to-day operations for the non-profit backcountry skiing organization.
CONWAY DAILY SUN (July 24, 2019)
Business attorney and Granite Backcountry Alliance founder Tyler Ray has opened his own legal, consulting and advocacy business, Backyard Concept LLC, focusing on the emerging outdoor recreation sector of the economy.
BOSTON CHRONICLE (July 15, 2019)
Backcountrty Summertime Skiing: trip to the White Mountains is not complete without hitting the slopes for some summer skiing
UNION LEADER (February 28, 2019)
Winter Notes: Back country offers skiing alternatives
GATHERED in the library at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Cardigan Lodge is a group of fledgling backcountry skiers. We range from 20-somethings to 50-somethings, from relatively cautious skiers to those comfortable on the steepest slopes. What we share is a desire to get off-piste and into the woods — and a common need for knowledge.
NORTHERN WOODLANDS (January 25, 2019)
Backcountry Zones: Where Skis Meet Trees
But a new wave of backcountry skiers is coming out of the shadows to work with the US Forest Service, municipalities, states, land trusts, and private landowners to create ski runs that are fast and fun but also fit within forest management plans. They are looking to build community and collaboration, to return to skiing’s roots while forging a new backcountry path.
CALEDONIAN RECORD (January 19, 2019)
Backcountry Skiing Gets Boost, Collaboration In North Country
Going back to the region’s ski roots. That’s what a new nonprofit and groups of North Country residents and volunteers are doing as they revive the ski hills that once saw flocks of skiers a half century and longer ago, and are now experiencing a resurgence as residents and visitors seek a form of recreation that offers a sense of community and doesn’t break the bank.
SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS (December 7, 2018)
A Lifetime of Loving Land
When I first met Dick Ware in 1996 as a newly arrived Forest Society land agent, he proudly produced the thank-you card the Forest Society had sent to his mother and him in 1929, acknowledging their one-dollar donation to help conserve the once threatened Franconia Notch. The card confirmed that their contribution had “bought” them one tree in this now-protected, iconic part of New Hampshire. Dick would go on to live a long life “buying” many more trees in many other special places in the White Mountains.
AMC MAGAZINE (November 29, 2018)
Where to Glade Ski In New Hampshire
A frigid northwest wind greets me as I near the summit of North Doublehead Mountain in Jackson, N.H. The temperature is hovering in the mid-20s, but the fierce gusts make it feel much colder and will keep me from lingering too long at the top. No sweat, I think. I’m not here for a picnic. I’m here to ski.
CONWAY DAILY SUN (November 23, 2018)
Granite Backcountry Alliance film fest draws 350
BARTLETT — More than 350 people thronged to the Theater in the Wood in Intervale last Saturday night for the Granite Backcountry Alliance’s third annual Film Festival, which followed a work day on the nearby Maple Villa Trail off Route 16-A behind the New England Inn.
GOOD TO-GO (October 31, 2018)
Glades for the Backcountry
Intervale - Our winters have earned a reputation for brutally harsh weather and variable conditions, to say the least. Travel away and you'll hear folks refer to it as "the ice coast". To New Englanders, we shrug it off and take it in stride, because we know this is a special place.
CONWAY DAILY SUN (April 25, 2018)
The New Ski Mountain
This weekend brought sun, blue sky and the first real spring temperatures since sometime in February. After a month and two weeks of snow, it felt like a final reprieve — the yoke of winter has snapped, and we might finally move forward now...
CONWAY DAILY SUN (April 13, 2018)
Land Trust Joins Backcountry Ski Project
The Upper Saco Valley Land Trust and Granite Backcountry Alliance this week announced a partnership to purchase 48 acres of land on East Branch Road that will provide guaranteed, ongoing public access to the White Mountain National Forest on the northwest side of Bartlett Mountain in Bartlett....
SKIESSENTIALS.COM (April 8, 2018)
New Hampshire Group Gets Approval to Create 1,000+ Acres of Glades
Turning the proverbial page to another topic, we caught word this week that a group called the Granite Backcountry Alliance has just received permission to develop and maintain over 1,000 acres of glades in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. It’s a pretty big success for the group, although they’d likely readily admit that their work is just getting started.
NEWHAMPSHIRE.COM | UNION LEADER (April 8, 2018)
U.S. Forest Service approves two glade ski zones in White Mountain National Forest
Backcountry skiing enthusiasts have more than spring snow to celebrate this season. The U.S. Forest Service has approved the creation of two glade skiing zones in the White Mountain National Forest. "It's been a long time coming," Granite Backcountry Alliance (GBA) board member Andrew Drummond said Thursday of the decision issued March 30 by Jim Innes, district ranger of the Saco District of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF). Proposed by the GBA in the fall of 2016, the projects will encompass backcountry ski development on a 410-acre zone of Bartlett Mountain in Bartlett, and a 600-acre zone on Baldface Mountain in Chatham, on the border with Maine. They are the first authorized tree skiing zones in the WMNF.
CONWAY DAILY SUN (April 7, 2018)
Riding the movement: Alliance clears way for backcountry skiing
“Skiing in my day was as much hiking as it was going downhill.” Those were the words of late Black Mountain ski school director, 10th Mountain Division World War II veteran and original Eastern Slope Ski Club instructor J. Arthur Doucette in an interview in 1988 about the early days of skiing in the White Mountains in the 1930s. Now, just as it was in Doucette’s time of Civilian Conservation Corps-built trails, the era of “earning your turns” is back, as the backcountry ski movement has taken hold across the country, including in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
BACKCOUNTRY MAGAZINE (April 5, 2018)
WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST APPROVES TWO NEW HAMPSHIRE GLADING PROJECTS
New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) made history on March 30, when they approved two backcountry glading projects within their boundaries. The projects, spearheaded by the nonprofit Granite Backcountry Alliance (GBA), are located on Bartlett Mountain (2,661 ft.), which sits northeast of Intervale, New Hampshire, and Baldface Mountain (3,566 ft.), which lies on the border between New Hampshire and Maine. Combined, the two gladed areas will encompass more than 1,000 acres.
Backcountry skiers given okay to cut trails in White Mountain National Forest
CONCORD MONITOR (April 5, 2018)
The federal government has given the final stamp of approval to back-country skiing on two areas in the White Mountains, completing the transition of what was once a rogue activity into a recognized part of New Hampshire winter recreation.
A Historic Moment For Backcountry Skiing in New Hampshire
POWDER MAGAZINE (April 5, 2018)
In a historic decision, officials within the White Mountain National Forest have approved two projects that will specifically cater to backcountry tree skiing in New Hampshire. The decision, issued this week, addresses the substantial rise in public demand for tree (or glade) skiing and to protect forest resources from unauthorized tree cutting. The projects in question will be located on a 410-acre zone of Bartlett Mountain and a 600-acre area of Baldface Mountain, further illustrating the value of backcountry skiing to local communities.
CONWAY DAILY SUN (April 3, 2018)
2nd annual Wild Corn Shindig comes to Black Mountain April 7
Granite Backcountry Alliance (GBA), a New Hampshire nonprofit organization developing backcountry skiing in New Hampshire and western Maine, will host the second annual Wild Corn Shindig on Saturday, April 7, at Black Mountain in Jackson. All proceeds benefit Granite Backcountry Alliance projects to promote and expand backcountry skiing in the region.
RANDOLPH COMMUNITY FOREST (March 19, 2018)
In the 1989 film Field of Dreams, an Iowa corn farmer’s vision for a baseball diamond in the middle of his corn field is memorialized with the now famous quote “If you build it, they will come”. So to, with the creation of “The Glades” on the Randolph Community Forest...
MT. WASHINGTON VALLEY VIBE (January 15, 2018)
Their vision is big, it’s bold, and it’s just what New Hampshire and Western Maine need. Tyler Ray is the “Granite Chief” of GBA, an organization whose goal is to advance the sport of backcountry skiing in New Hampshire and Western Maine by providing low-impact, human-powered backcountry skiing opportunities to the public through the creation, improvement, and maintenance of ski glades.
NEW HAMPSHIRE UNION LEADER
There’s a half-inch of fluff on top of slightly crusty corduroy snow as Andrew Drummond and I head up the Lower Black Beauty trail on Black Mountain in Jackson.
NPR - THE EXCHANGE
With the Winter Olympics in full swing, we look at some thrilling winter sports in N.H. An increasing number of people want to get outside in winter, and many say part of the fun of skiing down is climbing up snowy trails and mountains, or even scaling icy cliffs. Have you tried backcountry skiing or ice-climbing? We learn how to safely get started in these growing winter sports, what equipment is needed, and where it can be done.
CONCORD MONITOR
When front-line climate scientists recognized that our weather was changing very quickly, their first prediction was that we would see – among other things – more radical swings in temperature and bigger, wetter storms. January seemed to bear out those predictions.
WILD NORTHEAST
At noon on Saturday, a crowd of skiers gathered at the base of the Mount Washington Auto Road for the start of the first-ever organized alpine ski tour up the historic route. Many were eager to embark on a mellow tour, while others were mentally preparing for a grueling race. They were all there to take part in the M.W. Otto Rhode Memorial Skin and Ski, named for a character of historical significance (or the road itself – no one really knows).
WHITE MOUNTAINS TV
GBA's Granite Chief Tyler Ray talks with White Mountains TV on Sunday, January 21 regarding GBA updates and upcoming events, including M.W. Otto Rhode Memorial Skin & Ski and Wild Corn!
NEW YORK TIMES
On a crisp Vermont morning in early November I met up with about 50 other enthusiastic skiers and snowboarders who were ready for the coming winter season. There was no snow, so skiing was out of the picture and it would have complicated our objective anyway. We were there to help clean up areas of Brandon Gap, a mountainous area in the central Green Mountain National Forest, notable for its designation by the United States Forest Service for backcountry skiing.
CONCORD MONITOR
Early November snowfall has gotten plenty of folks looking forward to zooming down New Hampshire mountains on skis. But a surprising number of them are willing – even eager – to hike uphill in order to do it. “This is the fastest-growing segment of the ski industry,” said Tyler Ray, an attorney who is president of the Granite Backcountry Alliance. “People are chomping at the bit to get into the Whites and areas around the Whites to ski.”
BERLIN DAILY SUN
RANDOLPH — Sixty volunteer members of the Granite Backcountry Alliance turned out to do trail clearing work on Saturday morning, Aug. 26, at the Mount Crescent Trailhead at the top of Randolph Hill Road, and a dozen returned the following day for more work.
STAY WORK PLAY
A crowd of skiers and snowboarders gathers in the parking lot at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. They review their gear and make a plan before heading out on the trail to Hermit Lake Shelter. Everyone seems prepared, but there are no skis. Or snow. Also, it’s June. Instead, this group gathers to perform a labor of love in trail maintenance and glade work with Granite Backcountry Alliance.
MOUNTAIN KHAKIS BLOG
The smell of cider donuts and craft brewed coffee permeated through the cool morning air. The mood was strong – there was work to do. Fifty volunteers and United States Forest Service workers gathered in a small wooded area at the Doublehead Ski Trail in Jackson, New Hamsphire.
MOUNTAIN KHAKIS BLOG
“Hell, Yeah!” time struck at 8am. Over 75 volunteers swarmed the exit of the John Sherburne Ski Trail (the “Sherbie”) in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire intently listening to instruction from US Forest Service and White Mountain National Forest Snow Ranger Helon Hoffer.
FREESKIER MAGAZINE
When it comes to skiing, the mountains of New England are often stuck with negative labels, “Ice Coast” being the most popular. “Backcountry Skiing Haven,” historically, hasn’t been one of them. That label may stick, however, thanks to efforts of groups like the Granite Backcountry Alliance (GBA), which seeks to build a strong foundation of backcountry skiers in New Hampshire and western Maine. Following a similar path as the multiple backcountry skiing advocacy organizations that have formed in neighboring Vermont, GBA has fostered a strong following in just over nine months of existence.
BACKCOUNTRY MAGAZINE
On Wednesday, May 25, New Hampshire’s Granite Backcountry Alliance (GBA) announced that it received preliminary federal approval to begin planning for two backcountry skiing-specific clearing projects in the White Mountain National Forest—the first of their kind in the history of the WMNF. This milestone comes on the heels of a similar partnership between state and local backcountry communities in the Green Mountain National Forest of Vermont.
New England Ski Industry News
Just months after forming the non-profit organization, the organizers of Granite Backcountry Alliance are moving forward with an ambitious plan to provide new backcountry ski opportunities in the eastern White Mountain region.
WILD SNOW BLOG
Ah, the 1960s, Beatles were together, logging was evil. Or… Ah, the 1930s, when you could log a ski trail in New Hampshire and it was considered public service. Things come full circle (other than the Beatles). Now it is 2017, new generations are realizing that cutting vegetation can be desirable. For example, glading ski runs on forest choked public land. To that end, Granite Backcountry Alliance (GBA) has received preliminary Federal approval for ski glading projects in New Hampshire and Maine.
WHITE MOUNTAINS TV
GBA's Tyler Ray and Andrew Drummond discuss with White Mountains TV their latest creation - WILD CORN BACKCOUNTRY SHINDIG!
CONCORD MONITOR
There was a time in recent human history when outdoor adventures were just that – adventures. If you wanted to set sail for the Caribbean, you had to know the stars and how to spot a change in the weather long before it was upon you. There was no way for a lost hiker to make a phone call. And if you wanted to ski down a mountain, you climbed it first.
BOSTON GLOBE
Some come with pruning shears, others with a chain saw. For generations, men and women have wandered deep into New Hampshire’s mountains during the summer’s sticky heat, far from any hiking path, cutting back a shrub here or trimming a branch there. Working the hillside without any discernible pattern, they are careful not to make too large a mark, nor linger by their handiwork. A few diehards have dabbled in the illicit practice of “taking the chain saw for a walk.”
DOWN EAST MAGAZINE
The wind howled around Owen Cassidy on the Knife Edge of Mount Katahdin. Loose snow swirled around, and he crouched to shield himself from the spindrift. It was last March, and Cassidy and his partner, Forrest Frizzell, were beginning their rappel into a couloir, dangling over a 1,000-foot abyss of ice and rock. Far below, even at the tail end of one of the warmest, driest winters in recent memory, Baxter State Park was blanketed in white.
BACKCOUNTRY MAGAZINE
In recent years, backcountry alliances have gained momentum as a popular vehicle for advocacy in the skiing world. These organizations are effective, central lobbying voices for recreational interests and also serve as a go-between for government agencies and private landholders. In Vermont, one such organization—the Vermont Backcountry Alliance—has taken root, and its next door neighbor, New Hampshire, took note and jumped on the alliance bandwagon.
CONWAY DAILY SUN
CONWAY — The popularity of backcountry skiing has surged in recent years, and more and more people are searching the White Mountains for untracked powder each winter. Now a new group has formed to promote the sport across in New Hampshire and Western Maine.
CONCORD MONITOR
Responding to the booming popularity of backcountry skiing, a nonprofit formed this fall to expand opportunities in the White Mountains and ensure new entrants to the sport can get a safe start. The Granite Backcountry Alliance hopes to persuade officials in the White Mountain National Forest to permit cutting new trails – including some for beginners – in a bureaucratic stretch of woods.
ADVENTURE JOURNAL
There’s skiing in them hills. Though not typically thought of as a hub of backcountry skiing, the East Coast has a long history of off-piste shredding. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was part of Roosevelt’s New Deal, created alpine and nordic skiing trails in New Hampshire and western Maine—most notably Mt. Washington’s Tuckerman Ravine. Those trails have gone unmanaged for decades, though, and have fallen into disrepair. Legal access to much potential backcountry terrain has become impassible, too. But now there’s surging effort to bring a lot more good to the people, with the nonprofit Granite Backcountry Alliance as the centerpiece. Read More.
