Backcountry Skiing

Stephen Waltcher and Sean Petersen are among a small group of backcountry skiers who every couple of years take a journey through the Boulder-White Clouds. “We go in on one side and come out on the north end. It’s just this wonderful journey where we go out for eight to ten days, and rely on each other and our skills to travel in the mountains and stay out of avalanches…You come out and you are different. It’s a refuge from all the craziness going on in the world,” describes Waltcher.

Seven years ago, Waltcher began skiing in the Boulder-White Clouds because the area offered wilderness and a diversity of mountain ranges without a metropolitan area in close proximity. He enjoys being able to pull off the road, put on his skis and walk around in the fresh air, untracked snow and quiet of the mountains, away from the mechanized world.

Petersen who has been backcountry skiing in the Boulder-White Clouds for about 30 years enjoys the challenge of backcountry skiing because he skis something different every time. After Petersen graduated from high school, he no longer received a student discount on a season pass at Sun Valley Resort. “I’ve been in the backcountry ever since,” said Petersen. “My pass is right here on my legs. It doesn’t cost me anything. Everyday I go in the backcountry, it’s a new, unique experience. The snow is different. The places I go are different. Everything is unique.”