The sport of freeskiing has been steadily moving into the backcountry in recent years and this winter the SSWSC freeski program introduced an innovative program, Backcountry Education, to provide the appropriate education to accompany the growing interest in accessing the backcountry. Designed and led by Steamboat local Lucas Mouttet, a certified instructor with over ten years of backcountry education experience, the program combined fundamental AIARE 1 avalanche certification and wilderness first aid education in the classroom and training in the field with sessions at Howelsen and the region’s backcountry where students applied the lessons while developing fitness and expertise. The success of the program has led to plans for a level 2 backcountry program and additional backcountry education opportunities in the 2021-22 season. As more and more athletes venture into the backcountry, we are proud to offer the education and training to allow them to pursue the sport safely. He no doubt will have learned from these experiences; look for him to come out stronger in the next season.