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The latest trend in New England ski resorts is — skipping them altogether? Indeed, it seems like more New Englanders than ever are grabbing their skis and heading to the backcountry.
"It's a perfect storm of things coming together that have raised interest in backcountry skiing this year," said Kurt Niiler, author of "Presidential Skiing: A Guide To Backcountry Skiing In New Hampshire's Presidential Range." Niiler thinks skiers are foregoing chairlifts this season thanks to the availability of backcountry gear, which is lighter and stronger than ever before, as well as the fluid and often frustrating ways the resorts have felt with the Covid-19 pandemic.