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Backcountry skiing equipment

That all changed when Coffman met her future husband, a devoted backcountry skier.

"I had no idea there was this whole culture of people who went into the backcountry, climbed up mountains and skied down them," the Shaver Lake resident said. "I thought everyone used chair lifts."

No, not everyone. Some folks prefer to earn their turns.

With help from her husband, Randy Coffman, an experienced mountain guide and retired park ranger, Lisa learned how to telemark, the flowing, dropped-knee turning technique that cross-country skiers use to go downhill.

Coffman's skills progressed to the point where she was able to accompany her husband on the High Route, a multi-day journey across the Sierra Nevada through Sequoia National Park.

"Doing the High Route was a real confidence builder," she said. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done and at certain moments the scariest thing I've ever done. No ski hill looked as intimidating after that."

All backcountry skiers -- and especially those who visit open slopes at higher elevations -- must be knowledgeable of avalanches and their potential dangers. They never set out without carrying the three essentials: an avalanche beacon, probe and snow shovel.

Navigation tools such as a topographic map, compass and altimeter are essential to backcountry skiers. So are items such as extra clothing, waterproof matches and an emergency blanket -- just in case you need to make an unplanned bivy. And since there are no ski repair shops in the wilderness, they must carry the means to mend broken equipment.

One piece of gear Coffman never leaves home without is an extra pair of liner gloves, which she wears under waterproof mittens: "For me, and for a lot of women, it's hard to keep our hands warm."

Despite the extra burden, the payoffs of backcountry skiing more than outweigh the hassles or potential risks.

"I love the solitude -- and the fact that you have to earn your turns," Coffman said. "I get as much pleasure and satisfaction going up something as I do skiing down, which to some people is a totally foreign concept."