100 Classic Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes in Washington [Paperback]

Rainer Burgdorfer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

More than 100 routes & tours for intermediate to advanced alpine & Nordic skiers. Includes maps, access, elevations, duration & much more!

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Burgdorfer has]done his homework. His book is full of tips on how to get the most out of backcountry ski and snowboard routes.(Eastside Journal (Bellevue, WA)) -- (Eastside Journal - Bellevue, WA)

About the Author

A longtime backcountry skiing and safety instructor, Rainer Burgdorfer has been exploring the slopes, faces, and valleys of the Cascades on skis and on foot for over 30 years. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: The Mountaineers Books; 2 edition (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898866618
• ISBN-13: 978-0898866612
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Skiing > Cross-Country
  • #4 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Snowboarding
  • #6 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Nature Travel > Adventure > Skiing

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars By far, the best backcountry ski/board guide available in WA, March 6, 2003

By 

Eric Franklin (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Classic Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes in Washington (Paperback)

Reading the other reviews of this book, I felt that people were ganging up on the author and that I just needed to chime in with my two cents worth. I believe this book to be far and away the best backcountry skiing/snowboarding guide available for Washington. These are the epic routes and memorable peaks that are the stuff of touring legend. I have found the route descriptions to be highly accurate and the maps to be fine for the purposes of illustration. After all, you should really have a full USGS or at least Green Trails map when you go into these areas anyways. The only thing I wish had a bit more consideration are snowboard specific hazards such as long flat or uphill areas along the descent. These add drastically to estimated times, especially when postholing is involved. That, however, is my minor quibble. I've made several of the trips in this book and loved them all (even last weekend when I broke my splitboard out by the Sulphide Glacier). Hardly a weekend passes where I do not have this book out planning my next escapades with my climbing partner. An admirable job on highly variable subject matter. Now, if I can just find a book that accurately predicts what the snowpack will look like for a given day...

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of a Review of 100 Classic Tours..., January 14, 2001

By 

Rainer Burgdorfer (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Classic Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes in Washington (Paperback)

Everybody is a critic, including some twelve year olds.Talk about a scathing review, this kid really let me have it. However... * If you want to ride Tomyhoi in winter, get a snowmobile, or take a week off and make sure your life insurance is paid up. This is not a winter tour. As an aside, most of Washington's mountains are not accessible in winter. Blame God, USFS, or NPS. * I am not a self-proclaimed guru. Some publicist wrote that. I have a job. I try to get out and ride or ski. That's it. * The Publisher did the maps. My contribution was the relevant information, not the format. I'm sure the Publisher would be happy to create maps just for you if you would guarantee payment! *The avalanche zone indicator debate is obviously alive and well. I'm personally against showing the "danger zones" but Publisher insisted on it. And, if you read the book, you'll discover that you and I agree on this point also. *Photograph selection and captions, indeed the entire content of The Book is subject to the discretion of the Publisher. Gary Brill had agreed to provide images for this book but did not deliver by the Publisher's deadline. I had a contractual obligation to deliver and I did. Fourteen out of seventyfive aerial shots doesn't seem excessive, especially if they offer information not otherwise possible. *It is not muddled thinking to encourage dog owners to consider the consequences of taking their dog in the woods and show an image of a Husky inside the Stevens Pass Ski Area boundary. Personally, I enjoy outings with dogs. *My route times don't seem underestimated. Camp Muir is easily reached in under four hours by fit climbers, in good conditions, carrying a daypack. An hour for lunch and a nap, and an hour for a leisurely descent makes for a reasonable day. * Finally, my first guidebook was published in 1986, not two decades ago. It was intended as a year-around guidebook, not a winter guide. The current guidebook is a similar effort, with an added emphasis on snowboarding. Further comments or questions can be addressed to me at [e-mail]. Happy Trails! Rainer Burgdorfer

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The book for backcountry skiing in Washington, April 23, 2005

By 

avid skier (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Classic Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes in Washington (Paperback)

This is the best book for backcountry skiing in Washington State. As noted by other reviewers, some of the tours are best done in the spring and summer---they are great when done it the right season. This is all covered by the authors and useful mileages are provided. Skiers and snowboarders looking for adventures in Washington State won't be disappointed by Burgdorfers suggestions---some of them are tough, but usually worth the suffering.