Have to admit, this one looks pretty sick!

I’ve been following along a bit with the reports of flooding and general destruction in the northeast from hurricane Irene. (My folks still live in New England, they finally got power back yesterday.) It’s hard to think of skiing in August when the rain is pounding down on the payment, and the rivers and brooks are spilling over their banks flooding everything in sight. BUT, for skiers in New England, at least the backcountry ones, there is an up-side to all the water and it’s all the new slide paths that have formed in the mountains as a result of all the run-off.

New slide paths all over the Adirondacks.

I’ve mostly just read reports of new slide paths in the Adirondack region in New York, on mountains like Wright, Trap Dike, Haystack, Wolfjaws, etc…, but I’m sure there are more throughout the other states in the northeast as well. I’m sure many of the locals are chomping at the bit and just waiting for the snow fly and be deep enough to go investigate these new lines and try to grab the first decent. I have to say though, some look pretty darn gnarly.

Growing up as an east coast skier, it’s hard to really think of and get stoked on backcountry skiing in the east after having lived here in Wyoming for nearly 20 years, but after seeing these images, some of these slide paths actually look like they would be fun to ski. There are a few more and larger images over at Adirondack Backcountry Skiing, so be sure to check them out.