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I don't think you're looking for XC. I think you're looking for backcountry touring in mild terrain.

A lot of the answers you're looking for now or will be looking for in the near future will have to do you with your local area and terrain.

To me, XC is more akin to road biking lonely country roads. It's about fitness, endurance...

backcountry touring is more exploring and discovering, but still requires a high level of fitness, if that's what you're after. Trust me, you will be able to get your heart rate up skinning up a mountain!

I'm a casual but very regular distance and trail runner and hiker. Once the snow falls, it's all about the the AT set-up on non-resort days. For me, backcountry isn't about finding the steepest because that involves more risks than I like to take, although it is often about finding the freshest. As you progress as a skier, you might find yourself appreciating that aspect of it more.

Sizable community - again, depends on your area. BUT, backcountry touring is best done with a partner, for many reasons. Get out find some people. They're looking too.

Lastly: you may find some people who say 'don't do backcountry until you're a better resort skier...' ... and it's not without reason that they say that. However, the basic skills of skinning are easy to pick up. You can walk? You can skin. If you choose your terrain wisely and carefully, it is not totally unreasonable to start touring as an intermediate skier. I'm very serious about that though – in the mountains, a wrong turn can put you in a bad place, and skills on skis is that will get you out there.

I haven't read it but maybe take a look at this book in the sidebar?

Anyways, the kind of thing you're asking about doing - 'hut routes' - often require more diverse and technical terrain than standard XC skis are made for.

TL;DR - ski touring is awesome, good luck, don't be stupid.

EDIT: Accidentally a word

In addition to what's already listed (which are great options, I must say)

For breakfast, granola and powdered milk works great (if you like that sort of thing).

Vodka and powdered drink mix like lemonade for sipping after a long day.

For dinners (and lunches as well), I had an ex-girlfriend change my life back in 2008. For overnight or multi-day trips, she taught me to make and dehydrate my own meals. It's really easy and good to know that you are not eating a bunch of preservatives and god knows what else. It's also more cost-effective (like super cheap) than buying Mountain House. I've taken these on backcountry ski and hiking trips and they work really well. You can also use a vacuum sealer and make many ahead of season to freeze so they are ready when you are. I usually have anywhere from four to eight two-person sized meals in the freezer at any one time. Frozen, I've had them stay good for over a year. They are shelf stable, unrefrigerated for like 3 months. No dehydrator? No problem, you can use your oven for drying them.

I'm including links to the two recipe books below to Amazon for convenience but you can buy them many places. I think I got mine at OMC in Portland. The first is focused on one-pot pre-prepared meals that you simply re-hydrate on a camp stove/Jetboil, etc. They require almost zero prep and use a single pot. Very compact and light.

http://www.amazon.com/Backpack-Gourmet-Dehydrate-Healthy-Eating-ebook/dp/B001GIPF6O/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450834460&sr=1-2&keywords=backpack+gourmet
(The portobello curry and Moroccan stew are amazing) I think there is a later edition but this one is less expensive and has served me very well.

http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Food-Cooking-Backpacking-Paddling/dp/0070344361/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450834500&sr=1-1&keywords=trail+food
This book focuses more on bringing dry ingredients to mix in the pot to cook in camp.

Below is the dehydrator I use. I bought four extra trays and added the fruit leather inserts which make dehydrating soups, stews or anything juicier MUCH easier.

http://www.nesco.com/products/Dehydrators/Dehydrators/FD-1010/session_0a694eac1158/

I hope that you find this as amazing as I have! Bon Appétit!

Compeed! It’s a very special bandaid that acts like a second skin but with cushion. You can release the air from the blister and put it over the blister. The bandaid attaches and stays on for a week (even during showers etc) and while your skin is healing you can continue to do stuff. I got everyone hooked on it in my backpacking group. We do these 2 week trecks all across the world and they work amazing. I sometimes use them as a precaution when using certain shoes. The cushion they provide is great.

PS: They used to sell it at Walgreens in the States but removed it from the shelves and replaced it with their own brand. I cannot vouch for the US copy of it, i haven’t used it. But you can still buy compeed on amazon and if you in Europe you can get it in most drugstores and pharmacies.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07GTC8LZG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1550476136&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=compeed&psc=1

"The Avalanche Handbook" is a good, thick reference though drier then Trempers "Staying Alive."

Tremper has a new book that I haven't read.

"Snow Sense" is a classic but short.

I just recommended this book on another thread and it is really great and covers lots of emergency shelter style stuff. Written by two NOLS instructors one of whom happens to be a brilliant cartoonist. They have other books on avalanches and telemark skiing too.

Some good blogs are http://wildsnow.com, http://bedrockandparadox.com/, http://straightchuter.com/, http://forrestmccarthy.blogspot.com/.

I am going to be that guy that reminds you about avalanche safety. As someone just getting into backcountry myself I have been trying to get educated and perhaps some of my research might help you.

• Avalanche Essentials by Bruce Tremper is a great book IMO.
  
• I also recommend Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills.
  
• My friends and I plan on taking Level 1 avalanche courses before going anywhere with avalanche danger, and are looking for classes early in the season.

Make an effort to get to know the people in your class, find people that have the same interests as you in the backcountry. Get their emails or whatever before the class is over so you can ski with them!

Do the reading and the homework they want you to, participate when they ask questions - normal classroom stuff. Make sure you're wearing warm and comfortable clothes when you're outdoors so you can focus on what they're teaching rather than staying warm.

Then, just supplement the material they provide. Get some books like Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain and Snow Sense, go through some youtube channels [1] [2], there's even an avalanche podcast (Slide) now.

The best tape is Leukotape. Works best combined with tincture of benzoin.

I always keep both in my medical kit, and you can apply it preventatively before you tour too.

That said, the best option is to figure out how to avoid the heel lift that’s causing blisters. Different foot beds, pushing the tongue down before lacing, and playing with how tight you keep your buckles while skinning are a few things you can try.

I had severe/repeated blisters in a pair of ski boots once that was completely resolved by switching from the stock liners to Intuition Pro Tour liners, so that’s another option. Really depends on the situation.

http://www.amazon.ca/Backcountry-avalanche-awareness-James-Jamieson/dp/0968585612

This is the book they gave us at the AST 1 course, maybe check it out for a quick overview of avalanche safety and rescue... good luck and stay safe.

> Convertible mittens

Those are not warm. I find convertible mitten to be the worst of both worlds - the warmth of a glove, the dexterity of a mitten. If I'm not doing any rope work, I find that I can do most things in a mitten without removing it.

If you have the money, go with the the OR Alti Mitt. When it's super cold, it's what I wear. I can remove skins without taking them off, too. Alternatively, a shell like this or even this, with these as liners is as warm, but more durable, but bulkier, and heavier.

I have an 15 year old pair of OR mitten shells with a $20 pair of ragwool mittens as liners that I use and abuse all winter long. (I save the fancy, down-lined Alti mitt for the worst fo the worst, - Denali, Alaska Range in March, etc.)

Wither either approach, make sure you have them sufficiently large. Your hands will stay warmer with more airspace to circulate, particularly if also using a chemical hand heater. Which is also more convenient in a larger mitt because you can move them around.

Do not try wear a glove liner as the primary source of insulation. If you find that you occasionally need to remove a mitt and need something on your hand, wear a very light liner glove such as these under the mitt. I've even experimented with wearing a latex or nitrile glove. It doesn't insulate and feels a bit weird, but if the concern is wind when you have your mitts off, they work well.

Finally, look at your poles. Are they conducting heat away? I've never bothered with poles, but I've wrapped areas of my mountaineering axes with insulating tape to reduce conductive heat loss. Also, use good wrist straps will touring. If you're gripping onto the poles, you reduce blood flow. If you can have a nice, light grip assisted by wrist straps (I prefer the rubber ones to nylon), your hands will remain noticeably warmer.

Nothing beats taking a class from a professional, and getting days of experience under your belt (ideally with someone who knows what they're doing to guide you)

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But I found this book to be incredibly helpful - it starts from the true beginning and runs the gamut in terms of core knowledge. At the very least, it will give you a good understanding of the kinds of things you should focus on learning in class/when you're out there.

Wawa Ridge at sunshine is common.

Check out Chick Scott's book
http://www.amazon.ca/Summits-Icefields-Alpine-Canadian-Rockies/dp/1926855787/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451494831&sr=1-1&keywords=summits+and+icefields


also this site:
http://backcountryskiingcanada.com/touring-locations

they have a guide book as well.

I don't think there is any good tours off Norquay...but you never know.

Safety gear can be rented at a reasonable price at the University of Calgary Outdoor Center: http://www.ucalgary.ca/outdoorcentre/rental
or at MEC: Mec.ca

Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain is considered a go-to print resource for avy education. http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1594850844

You can read as much as you'd like, but nothing replaces field experience. Get out with some guides, dig some pits, and ask questions. If you plan on spending a good amount of time in the backcountry, look into getting avy certified.

Jared Hargrave's https://smile.amazon.com/Backcountry-Ski-Snowboard-Routes-Utah/dp/1594858314/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=backcountry+skiing+utah&qid=1555543402&s=gateway&sr=8-2 and Tyson Bradley's https://smile.amazon.com/Backcountry-Skiing-Utah-Guide-States/dp/0762787546/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=backcountry+skiing+utah&qid=1555543402&s=gateway&sr=8-1 are both pretty decent. There's also the "Wasatch Tours" volumes, not sure which volume concerns northern Utah but I'm sure that one does.

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Personally I'd start with Hargrave's book. There is also of course McLean's famous "Chuting Gallery" but that concerns almost exclusively Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.

Nothing can replace hands on instruction but I would read Bruce Tremper's "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain" for some baseline knowledge. https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1680511386/ref=sr_1_1

http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1594850844

Get a copy of this, too. :)

2 Hours there's not a ton of choices, there are few more places 2-4 hours away near Bend, but still most of it will have longer approaches, until April-may, that's when those volcanoes become accessible. In Washington 3-4 hours away there's tons Touring at Snoqualmie pass Area, Stevens pass, and some stuff in the Olympics. Here's a book for Oregon and southern Washington:, has most of the Hood routes. This one is forWashington There more Washington books to choice from. Here's one for just Snoqualmie pass which is about 3h without traffic, It's not imprint anymore, only pdf. Here you can find other routes, and people to tour with.

One thing that's worth mentioning is that aspect does not effect risk. Aspect has the potential to effect hazard as illustrated by all the other answers here. Hazard in terms of avalanche terrain is the probability of an avalanche release and expected avalanche size. Risk, is up to you - and how much exposure you have to that hazard depends on your travel plans. If a huge avalanche is very likely to happen, and you are no where near then there's no risk.

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For example, let's say we are at the tail end of a storm cycle with winds out of the south for the whole storm in your terrain. We may assume that the north slopes will be more heavily loaded with the new snow. In the morning, the avalanche advisory states that north facing slopes have high avalanche danger for the day, south facing slopes have moderate avalanche danger. You can mitigate your risk by choosing your travel plans wisely. If you choose to ski north slopes you'll be increasing your risk to the hazard, if you choose to ski south facing slopes you'll reduce your risk. You reduce your risk by limiting, controlling your exposure to the hazard.

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Hazard + exposure = risk.

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If you are taking courses, you should consider getting a jump on the subject with this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Avalanche-Terrain-Tremper/dp/1594850844

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I'll second someone's recommendation for this resource:

https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encylopedia/#aspect