Snowshoes and Skinning

I have had two experiences trying to combine touring and snowshoeing and both were unmitigated disasters. On the first my wife took a wrong turn while descending, I was skiing and just out of ear shot. She ended up breaking trail on a steep side hill right above an open creek. That she was carrying our one year old daughter in a backpack at the time only served to increase the stress level. The second time I was touring with a new partner. He was on snowshoes and had a snowboard for the descent. On the climb I was so much faster that I was actually climbing, skinning back down to him and then reclimbing. This was because the snow was soft and he sank and I floated. He was so worked from the trip up that he suffered as much on the descent as he had on the climb. I didn't think he would ever come out with me again.

Your plan sounds a bit more workable in that you plan to snowshoe while she snowshoes, but I still see pit falls. Does you wife ski at all? You might have more fun if you rented some AT gear for her and both learned touring together. There are plenty of places where you could ski a steeper pitch and she a flatter one and meet at the bottom. At least then you could skin together.

Your plan sounds a bit more workable in that you plan to snowshoe while she snowshoes, but I still see pit falls.  Does you wife ski at all?  You might have more fun if you rented some AT gear for her and both learned touring together.  There are plenty of places where you could ski a steeper pitch and she a flatter one and meet at the bottom.  At least then you could skin together.

I'm kinda liking the idea of both of us taking ski touring lessons together. I think I'll talk to her about it. She might be a little concerned since she's not a very advanced alpine skier (easy blues) but I don't think that matters so much, does it?

I'm kinda liking the idea of both of us taking ski touring lessons together. I think I'll talk to her about it. She might be a little concerned since she's not a very advanced alpine skier (easy blues) but I don't think that matters so much, does it?

Take an Avy 1 together instead -- you can both snowshoe for the field days, then work on touring together from there.

We did a trip a few years ago with 2 skiers and 3 snowshoers, all pretty strong with positive attitudes. Snow conditions were bottomless mush (this was in May) making it tough going for the skiers and almost impossible for the snowshoers. The snowshoers were actually plunging up to their hips at times. The skiers spent a lot of time waiting for the snowshoers (hours) particularly on the downhill. Snowshoes are fine for relatively firm snow but they really suck in soft snow.

On the other hand, for a low intermediate skier like your wife, skiing downhill through tight trees and hard frozen snow could be very low on the fun factor. Snowshoes can be much more comfortable in such conditions.

Bottom line, I recommend that you and your wife travel via the same method, probably snowshoes to begin with Hopefully, that will be a positive experience. Ideally, she'll start to appreciate the advantages of skis and want to learn how to ski better. It's always best if she's self motivated rather than you pushing her into something that she's not interested in. At least that's my experience based on 20 years of marriage.

i'm a little surprised no one mentioned that the idea of going off alone (ie splitting up) in the backcountry seems like a bit of a safety issue

no one's on the other end of the transceiver if either of you meet up with an avalanche

I'm kinda liking the idea of both of us taking ski touring lessons together. I think I'll talk to her about it. She might be a little concerned since she's not a very advanced alpine skier (easy blues) but I don't think that matters so much, does it?

I have been getting my wife and daughter started on touring in the spring when the snow is firm and easier to ski than our variable chowder. During the winter we ski inbounds where learning is faster. You might try something like Skyline Ridge on the North side of Stevens Pass as a place to start. There is a cat track up to the cell towers, so you can skin the road and she could take either the pretty mellow face or the road on the way down.