Mt Washington Backcountry Ski Festival

Home
United States
North Conway, NH
Mt Washington Backcountry Ski Festival

Backcountry ski festival for skiers & riders. North Conway, NH Have an adventure in the White Mountains while you learn new skills during full-day courses!

Whether you're an alpine skier looking to make the transition into the backcountry or a seasoned ski mountaineer, the Mt Washington Backcountry Ski Festival has a variety of options throughout the weekend. Our experienced guides will be leading skiers in sessions geared for different interests and skill levels, such as Intro to Backcountry Skiing; Steep and Deep Ski Techniques; Avalanche Awareness

; and Huntington Ravine Gully Skiing. Festival participants can also ski on their own, enjoying beautiful terrain and free gear demos. Join us for the Après Ski Party for presentations from backcountry ski pros, a raffle & auction, and beer tasting!

03/02/2026

What an incredible weekend. We’re beyond grateful for the support and energy that made it all happen. 🎿❄️

First and foremost, a special thank you to our host Ledge Brewing. Your space, hospitality, and support created the perfect home for Ski Fest. From the evening programs to gathering with our community, you made it all possible. We are forever grateful.

Please take a moment to support the amazing companies and organizations that showed up in a big way for our community.

Presenting Sponsor
The North Face — your continued support over the years has been unmatched and we couldn’t do this without you.

Contributing Sponsors
These brands helped raise $1,600 for Protect Our Winters 🙌
· Leki
· FolkRM
· CalTopo
· Lucy Hardware
· Uphill New England

Organizations that came out
Thank you for sharing information, opportunities, and passion with everyone:
· Wildly Responsible NH
· Hilary McCloy Performance Physical Therapy
· Savage Gear
· Inclusive Ski Touring
· Harvard Mountaineering Club

Presenters Who Made the Evening Unforgettable
· Appalachian Mountain Club
· Protect Our Winters (especially Blake Keogh!)
· Featured presenter Ryan DeLena for sharing his powerful story and film.

Community Partners
· White Mountain Ski Co. — thank you for fueling us with coffee each morning and taking care of rental needs. A true community asset.
· Synnott Mountain Guides — your guides are the reason participants return year after year.
· Carrabassett Valley Academy — thank you for supporting our youth program and inspiring the next generation of backcountry skiers.

We, the Ski Fest team, cannot speak highly enough about all of you.

Most importantly — thank you to our community who joined courses, came out to the evening events, and brought the stoke — Your support means everything to us. 🤍🎿
.ski.outdoor .mtn .hardware

02/21/2026

Just about a week away from our Saturday evening event! 🎿🍻
And it’s all happening at in Intervale, NH on 2/28/26

This year, we’re proud to support Protect Our Winters (POW). POW ambassador will be giving a presentation about the impactful work they do and how it directly affects our mountain community. Throughout the evening, we’ll be raising funds for this incredible nonprofit.

🎟 Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the event, with 100% of proceeds going directly to POW. We’ve lined up some amazing prizes — backpacks, ski poles, uphill passes, and more!

We can’t thank our contributing sponsors enough for helping make this such a special night:
The North Face, LEKI, FolkRM, CalTopo, POW, Uphill New England, and others.

To top it off, every dollar raised will be matched up to $1,000 thanks to an additional donation supporting this event.

Please come out, support a great cause, and stay to enjoy our feature presenter for the evening, Ryan DeLena . It’s going to be a fantastic night!

🕓 Social gathering begins at 4:00 PM
🎤 Evening presentations begin at 6:30 PM

See you there! ❄️

ski.outdoor mtn

02/19/2026

🎿 More Spots Just Opened for Ski Fest!

With all the excitement around Ski Fest, and more snow on the way! We’ve added a few more course spots — and they won’t last long.

👉 Sign up now at skimtwashington.com

Available Courses:

• Intro to Backcountry – Space available Saturday and Sunday
• New Horizons (Intermediate) – We added a couple of spots for both Saturday and Sunday
• Avalanche Awareness and Rescue- Space on Saturday. Perfect course if you are a beginner and not yet ready to commit to a Level 1 Avalanche course
• Summit Pursuits (Advanced) – One spot just opened for Sunday

🔥 Special Opportunity:
David Goodman’s Saturday course is officially SOLD OUT — but he still wants to ski on Sunday. If we get at least 4 interested skiers, he’ll run this incredible course for a second day. This is a rare chance to ski with a legend. 📩 Interested? Contact us directly at [email protected]

Don’t miss out. See you at the Festival! ❄️

02/15/2026

We’re beyond excited to welcome The North Face back as our Presenting Sponsor for this year’s Ski Fest! 🙌

They’ve supported us since the very beginning, and we truly couldn’t be more grateful. The North Face is so much more than a clothing and equipment company — their commitment to the outdoor community runs deep. From sustainable product innovation, to representing a diverse team of athletes, to their Explore Fund that works with communities to increase access to the outdoors, they continuously show what meaningful impact looks like.

Here at Ski Fest, their support has helped us sponsor inclusive programs and courses that serve our diverse local community. Our founder, Mark Synnott has been a TNF athlete for many years and can personally attest to their genuine dedication to helping people get outside and explore.

Expanding our backcountry community and getting more folks outdoors is what Ski Fest is all about — and we truly can’t imagine a better partner to help make that happen.

Thank you, TNF! 🤍🏔️

02/10/2026

🎿 Course Update:

Most courses are sold out, but we expanded a few to create some more spots available.

-Intro to Backcountry has 3 spots on Saturday and 2 on Sunday

-David Goodman’s course on Saturday still has 2 spots. This is an incredible opportunity to ski with a New England backcountry ski legend

-We just added an Avalanche Awareness and Rescue course on Saturday. If you want to dive deeper into understanding the avalanche report, terrain assessment, and decision making this is great course to expand your skill set.

to sign up visit: www.skimtwashington.com

Cancellations do happen, and we also maintain waitlists—so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re interested.
📧 [email protected]

2026 Festival Dates: Feb. 28-March 1

02/06/2026

Saturday Night at the Festival ⛷️✨
Just 3 weeks away!!

Get ready for an unforgettable evening! This year, we’re proud to welcome Ryan DeLena as he shares his story of skiing every line in the Presidential Range. If you’re a New England backcountry skier, this is a must-see event.

Ryan—longtime supporter of the festival—will give a special presentation followed by a screening of his powerful new film, Ninety-One. The documentary follows his six-year Presidential Ski Project to ski all 91 routes in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, blending intense physical challenge with a deeply personal and vulnerable journey.

📍 Ledge Brewing | Intervale, NH
📅 Saturday, 2/28/26
⏰ Evening social kicks off at 4:00 PM with vendors, great beer, and tacos
🎥 Presentations begin at 6:30 PM

Don’t miss the raffle featuring incredible prizes from our sponsors—all proceeds benefit Protect Our Winters ❄️

🎟️ Free and open to the community
We can’t wait to see you there!

01/18/2026

🎿Ski with a Legend: Festival Course w/ David Goodman🎿

This is your chance to ski alongside the “Godfather of Northeastern backcountry skiing” himself — David Goodman. Join us for an unforgettable day of turns, stories, and hard-earned wisdom in the mountains of the Northeast.

Feb 28-March 1
Sign up at: skimtwashington.com

👤 About David Goodman
Author of the award-winning Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast (aka the Eastern backcountry bible), David is a lifelong skier, mountaineer, journalist, and storyteller. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Outside, Powder, and more. In 2023, he was inducted into the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum Hall of Fame, recognized for inspiring generations to make their own tracks in the winter wilderness.

⛷️ What to Expect
• Guided ski tour on classic CCC-cut down-mountain trails
• Explore iconic routes like Gulf of Slides, John Sherburne, and Doublehead
• Learn the history and backstories behind Eastern skiing classics
• Skill & safety insights: mountain travel, trail skiing techniques, trip planning, gear, snow safety, layering, and decision-making
• Backcountry orientation for newer skiers or those wanting a refresher — plus help building your season “dance card”

Whether you’re a seasoned backcountry skier or stepping deeper into the scene, this course delivers inspiration, practical knowledge, and unforgettable turns.

⚠️ Ability Level
Beginner/Intermediate backcountry skiers & riders, or anyone looking for a fun day! You should be comfortable on Northeast black diamonds, able to ski ungroomed terrain, and prepared for a full 6-hour mountain day with 2–3 miles of uphill travel.

✨ This is a rare opportunity to learn directly from a true backcountry legend. Spots are limited — don’t miss it. Secure yours today!

photos courtesy of:
bestbackcountryskiing.com
Josh Laskin

01/01/2026

🎉 Happy New Year! 🎿❄️
We’ve been a little quiet… mostly because we’ve been too busy skiing 😄 And wow—this early season has been absolutely incredible.

We’re kicking off the new year with some exciting course offerings:

👉 David Goodman is BACK!
The godfather of New England backcountry skiing returns with guided tours on Saturday & Sunday. Ski a full day with a true legend—this one’s special.

👉 Women’s Advanced (Saturday)
New this year! An advanced, women-only course for those ready to push into steeper terrain and sharpen their skills.

👉 Women’s Intermediate (Sunday)
Perfect for taking the next step—explore new terrain while building confidence and avalanche awareness.

Spots go fast! Check out all our courses and sign up at
🔗 www.skimtwashington.com

Course Dates: Feb. 28-March 1

Questions? Course full? Shoot us a message at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to help.

Here’s to deep turns and big smiles in 2026 🙌⛷️

12/07/2025

🎿 Ski Fest courses are LIVE! 🎿
We’re beyond excited to launch this year’s lineup! Our core classes are officially open, offering something for every skier and rider—whether you’re stepping into the backcountry for the first time or looking to level up your mountain skills. And yes… our 2-day Ski Mountaineering Course is back!

Now available:
▫️ Introduction to Backcountry
▫️ New Horizons (Intermediate)
▫️ Summit Pursuit (Advanced)
▫️ Intro to Ski Mountaineering (skills-based)
▫️ Advanced Ski Mountaineering — 2 Day

We can’t wait to see everyone for another fantastic year at Ski Fest! ⛷️✨
And if you can’t wait until then, our festival partner Synnott Mountain Guides offers private guided days all season long.

More courses will be added soon—stay tuned for updates!
Have questions? Send us a message anytime. We’re here to help! 🤘❄️

12/05/2025

IT'S HAPPENING!!

❄️ Mt. Washington Backcountry Ski Festival ❄️
Feb. 28 – March 1

We apologize for the delay — we’ve been busy behind the scenes getting everything prepped for another incredible festival. ⛷️✨

Course sign-ups will be live soon, so keep an eye out for updates!
The snow has been amazing so far this season, and we’re hoping it keeps coming! ❄️🙌

photo from Josh skiing the upper snowfields this November

02/25/2025

As Sunday evening rolled in and the last group checked out, it was bittersweet to take everything down and clean up. There may have been a tear (or two) shed... though it might have just been pure exhaustion. 😅 A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Ski Fest! We met so many incredible new people and had the chance to catch up with old friends too.

This festival wouldn’t be possible without our amazing sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor: The North Face
Host Guiding Agency: Synnott Mountain Guides
Additional Sponsors: Leki, FolkRM, Ragged Mt Equipment, Savage Gear, Black Mt, Plum, NHPR, POW, CalTopo, White Mountain Ski Company

Special thanks to Inclusive Ski Touring for helping out with one of our courses – they’re doing great things, so be sure to check them out.

Ledge Brewing you have been an incredible host.

A big thank you to Mark Synnott for trusting us to continue this incredible backcountry experience and festival.

We’d also like to recognize our amazing presenters: Ryan Delena, Jamie and Doug Kennard, Blake Keogh, and Mary Rand – this year’s presentations were some of the best we’ve ever had!

Huge thanks to the Mt Washington Avalanche Center for their continued support during our guide meetings, and all that they do in the field to help us all out.

Lastly, a huge thank you to all of you for making this festival so special. We want it to be for YOU, so feel free to share your ideas to help make next year even better.

From Josh and Ailie, we wish you a wonderful finish to your ski/snowboard season and we can’t wait to see you again next year! 🏔️⛷️

.mtn Ragged Mountain Equipment

Address

North Conway, NH

Website

https://www.skimtwashington.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Mt Washington Backcountry Ski Festival posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Mt Washington Backcountry Ski Festival:

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Event/venue in North Conway?