The Times has
a piece from the Sunday travel section about how several major areas are taking advantage of the rise in back
country skiing. They’re creating programs that might be called “back-country lite” and offer more terrain (sans lift),
guides excursions into ski area perimeters, and Sno-Cat rides to regions beyond the lift. These extras are, of course,
more expensive, but offer a way to get away from the tedium of groomed slopes.