Intro to Backcountry Touring
on Mt. Washington, NH
A fully guided first day beyond the resort. $150, Saturdays and Sundays January to March, no backcountry experience needed.
What the day is
A fully guided introduction to backcountry touring. We climb the Tuckerman Ravine Trail from Pinkham Notch to the Hermit Lake shelters, about 2.4 miles and 2,000 feet, learning skins and transitions, pace, layering and how to read the trail as we go, and we ski or ride the John Sherburne Ski Trail back down as a group. This is not an avalanche course: the route stays out of avalanche terrain, so you do not need a beacon, shovel or probe.
Your $150 covers your guide for the day, a small group with an IST volunteer, and the day on the mountain from start to finish. It does not cover a rental if you need one (from the two shops below), lunch, lodging, or getting yourself to Pinkham Notch. One full scholarship on every Intro to Backcountry day: apply by December 15 and name up to three days that work for you. Apply for a scholarship.
The day, from your start time
- 15 minutes before your start timeCheck in at the fire pit in front of the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, meet your guide and the group, and run a gear check.
- Your start timeSkins on, and onto the trail.
- About the first two hoursUp the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to Hermit Lake: pace, layering and reading the trail along the way.
- At Hermit LakeLunch, transitions, and the plan for the descent.
- The way downThe John Sherburne Ski Trail, as a group, regrouping as we go.
- About five hours after you startedBack at Pinkham.
Most dates start at 10:00am. These four Saturdays start at 11:00am: January 16, January 23, February 6 and March 13. Every date below shows its start.
The Northeast's weather and snow change fast, and your guide adjusts the day to match: shorter laps, a different line, more time on skills like packing, med kits, bootpacking in ski boots or carrying skis on your pack. Snow days are often the best days, and a day runs in most winter weather. We cancel only when safety is significantly compromised, and then you get a full IST credit.
The route, on the map
Our CalTopo map of the day: the Tuckerman Ravine Trail up, the John Sherburne Ski Trail down. Our guides navigate with it on the mountain, and you can follow along on your own phone.
Your prep email brings a CalTopo pro trial code: no credit card, nothing to cancel, and we could not recommend it more.
Pick a date
Booking closes 48 hours before your day. One person per booking. 18 and over.
A copper edge marks the four Saturdays that start at 11:00am. Pick a date and the booking calendar below opens on it.
Two days on Mt. Washington, January 23 and 24
A backcountry weekend: Intro to Backcountry on the Saturday, Intro to Ski / Snowboard Mountaineering on the Sunday.
Book the Saturday and the Sunday as two bookings. Your Intro to Backcountry confirmation email carries a $25 code for the mountaineering day. Lodging options for the weekend, the CoHo Hostel and the Northeast Mountaineering Bunkhouse among them, are on the Lodging page and in your confirmation email.
Our guides plan every day around the group, so here is how cancellations work. 30 days or more before your day: a full refund. 29 days to 72 hours before: an IST credit for the full amount, good for a year on any IST program. Inside 72 hours: no credit or refund. If IST cancels the day, for conditions or any other reason: a full IST credit. A medical emergency inside 72 hours: email info@inclusiveskitouring.org and we will issue an IST credit. Scholarship days follow the scholarship terms. Cancel from the link in your confirmation email.
Gear and rentals
What to bring
- A helmet (required)
- Layers for a cold climb and a windy ridge
- Water and lunch
- A pack that holds it all
- Sunglasses or goggles, gloves
- Your touring setup, yours or rented
The full list is on the packing guide.
Where to rent
You do not need to own touring gear. Both shops give IST participants a discounted rate, and how to get it is in your confirmation email when you sign up. Reserve ahead: both shops run out on good weekends.
Your guides
Stu Hickey
Coming to us from the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Stu began guiding in 2011 as a whitewater guide on the Ocoee River in Tennessee, where he first discovered his passion for making the outdoors more accessible. That passion led him to New England, where he could stay rooted in the Appalachian Mountains, explore all of his outdoor pursuits, and ski daily through the winter months. His guiding has become increasingly education-focused: fly casting and archery for L.L.Bean, swiftwater rescue for whitewater paddlers, and the Backcountry Skiing Program at Carrabassett Valley Academy.
Certifications and credentials
- Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness First Aid
- American Red Cross First Aid, CPR and AED
- AIARE Level 2 Avalanche Training
- Maine Whitewater Guide
- ACA Level 5 Swiftwater Rescue
Mack Connor
Guiding and instructing since 2019, Mack Connor is originally from Cape Cod, MA, and did not have access to mountains growing up. Her passion for outdoor education began at the University of Maine, where she studied Environmental Science and Outdoor Leadership while instructing rock climbing, paddling and mountaineering trips with Maine Bound Adventure Center. After a Master's in Teaching she instructed for Acadia Mountain Guides and broke into ski guiding. In between guiding and outdoor pursuits, Mack teaches science in Bethel.
Certifications and credentials
- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
- AIARE Level 2 Avalanche Training
- Registered Maine Guide
- Paradox Sports Adaptive Climbing Initiative
- WMA Wilderness First Responder
- American Red Cross First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor
- ACA Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue
- NAMI Youth Mental Health First Aider
- M.A.T. in Science Teaching; B.S. Environmental Sciences, minor in Outdoor Leadership
What people said after their day
“Our guide, Stu, was incredibly welcoming and inclusive and did a fantastic job of managing the different experience levels in the group. He gave specific, clear instructions to help us get more comfortable.”
Intro to Backcountry participant, 2026 survey
“I really enjoyed the leave no person behind policy because I'm usually the slowest person. Great meeting new people and talking gear with the guides.”
Intro to Backcountry participant, 2026 survey
Before you book
What if I have never skinned?
That is what the day is for. Your guide shows you how skins go on and come off, how to move on them, and how to pace a long climb, and the group moves together.
How hard is the descent?
The Sherburne is a black diamond ski trail with variable snow, from soft powder to firm wind-affected snow. If you ski or ride black diamonds in control at a resort, you are ready. If blue squares are your comfortable terrain, not yet: we are not downhill instructors, so start with an on-resort day for $25, $10 or free and come back to this one.
What if the weather is bad?
The day runs in most winter weather; that is part of what you learn. If conditions make the route unsafe, your guide calls it and IST issues a full credit.
Where do I stay?
The Northeast Mountaineering Bunkhouse is fourteen minutes from Pinkham Notch and gives IST participants a discount with the code in your prep email. More lodging partners are on the Lodging page.
Can I come alone?
Most people do. The group is small, your guide and an IST volunteer are with you all day, and the no-drop pace means nobody is left behind.
What if I have to cancel?
Our guides plan every day around the group, so here is how cancellations work. 30 days or more before your day: a full refund. 29 days to 72 hours before: an IST credit for the full amount, good for a year on any IST program. Inside 72 hours: no credit or refund. If IST cancels the day, for conditions or any other reason: a full IST credit. A medical emergency inside 72 hours: email info@inclusiveskitouring.org and we will issue an IST credit. Scholarship days follow the scholarship terms. Cancel from the link in your confirmation email.
What happens after I book?
Your confirmation comes from us right away. A week before your day you get the prep email with where to meet, what to bring, the CalTopo route map link and your trial code. Two days before, your guide emails you the plan for the day. Then the day itself, your guide's follow-up email within a day, and the day-after survey.
