Backcountry skiing means different things to different people. For some it means climbing hundreds of feet up beautiful peaks on pristine slopes in search of powder turns, which requires advanced ski technique, avalanche risk assessment training and avalanche rescue equipment in order to be safe. Th at’s known as ski mountaineering. It’s mountain climbing on skis. For others, backcountry skiing means traveling on much more gradual slopes on trails that serve as easy hikes in the summer. It’s less about “making turns,” more about getting in a good workout in fantastic scenery. That’s known as ski touring. It’s basically hiking on skis. Here’s a short list of options for cross-country skiers (and snowshoers) where you can go for a nice tour and be safe. Some of these present virtually no avalanche risk. Others should be safe except on days when the Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s daily report deems the snow conditions to be at high or extreme risk for that area. You can get that information from their website, and they also have an app. Three more suggestions: Don’t try to use cross-country skis designed for cross-country ski areas on these trails. Buy or rent skis designed for ski touring that have steel edges. Get more detailed information from a trail app or a stop at the local U.S. Forest Service ranger station before trying these routes. Lastly, if you’re a first-timer, go with someone who has some backcountry expertise. The Mayflower Gulch backcountry ski trail, six miles south of Copper Mountain, takes skiers and snowshoers two miles into an alpine amphitheater crowned with jagged pinnacles. (John Meyer/The Denver Post) Vail Pass: The Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area has more than 119 miles of motorized and non-motorized winter trails and is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. There is a fee ($10 for a day pass, $65 for a season pass), which they use to provide some trail grooming and ranger staffing. Start by paying your fee at the Vail Pass rest area kiosk and grab a trail map. The best option for inexperienced backcountry skiers and snowshoers is to ski from there to Shrine Pass — 2.35 miles with an elevation gain of a little over 500 feet. There are two trail options for doing that, shown on the map. One is a dirt road (labeled Shrine Pass Road on the map) to Red Cliff that is closed to cars in the winter. You’ll be sharing that road with snowmobilers, but the trail is pretty gradual and plenty wide. There’s also a parallel non-motorized trail (Shrine Pass Ski Trail on the map), although that one can require breaking trail if there has been recent snowfall. From Shrine Pass, you can continue on the road toward Red Cliff until you feel like turning around, or you can divert south toward the Shrine Ridge. Don’t try to climb the ridge, though, because it does have some avalanche potential. Mayflower Gulch: This is a beautiful 2-mile tour into an alpine amphitheater topped with a jagged ridge. The trailhead is six miles south of Copper Mountain on Colorado Highway 91. Watch for a parking lot on the east side of the road. The trail climbs 800 feet, so don’t try this one until you’re comfortable building up little speed on the descent (there is a short section that is a little too steep to be called gradual). It is a heavily used trail, so the track is usually well-packed unless there has been recent snowfall. The west side of Rabbit Ears Pass offers exquisite backcountry skiing and snowshoeing with lots of snow and plenty of trails. (John Meyer/The Denver Post) Rabbit Ears Pass: This is a delight for backcountry touring. One of the beauties of Rabbit Ears is that skiers and snowshoers have the west side of the pass to themselves, while the east side is set aside for snowmobilers. There are several marked ski trails on both sides of U.S. 40 (north and south of the road). Keep in mind that they get a lot of snow up there, so there’s a good chance you will have to break trail. It’s a good idea to use a trail app on your phone to keep track of your location, too, especially if you haven’t been up there before. Boreas Pass: This might be the best trail to try backcountry touring for the first time. First of all, you won’t get lost because you will be following one trail, an 19th-century railroad line built during the mining heyday of Breckenridge. It’s also a very gradual ascent/descent, because it had to be to accommodate the steam locomotives that connected Breckenridge to Denver in those days. You can still see a restored water tank built by the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railway. This tour is suitable for families with young children, but it’s also a great trail for those who want a really good workout because the pass is 10 miles uphill from the trailhead, if you’re up for going that far. The trailhead is located 2.5 miles up Boreas Pass Road from Main Street in Breckenridge. The Boreas Pass ski tour east of Breckenridge offers gorgeous views of Bald Mountain, a 13,700-foot peak that is distinctive for miles around. (John Meyer/The Denver Post) Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Adventurist, to get outdoors news sent straight to your inbox. ...read more read less