Back by popular demand — the 2nd Annual Backcountry Base Camp (BBC) will return to the Brighton Backcountry in Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon on Friday, January 28th — one day prior to the four-day Winter Market tradeshow held in Salt Lake City’s Salt Palace Convention Center from January 29th through February 1st.

“We received a tremendous amount of positive feedback regarding last year’s first-ever Backcountry Base Camp. Both the location and format were well received and the OR team is excited to bring this event back for Winter Market 2005,” commented Peter Devin, Outdoor Retailer’s Group Show Director.

“There’s always room for improvement, so we’re striving to make BBC even more educational, user friendly and fun for everyone who comes out to Brighton,” added Devin.

The Backcountry Base Camp was created for retailers to further develop their skills and knowledge of the backcountry. The annual pre-show event gives attendees the chance to test the most innovative products from Winter Market exhibitors including telemark skis, Nordic skis, transceivers, snowshoes, split boards, poles, packs, goggles, sleds and MORE in the challenging backcountry environment they were designed for. Backcountry Base Camp also gives retailers the unique first-time opportunity to demo the latest backcountry gear prior to making their purchasing decisions at the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow.

Open to all Outdoor Retailer Winter Market attendees, with enhanced services available to pre-qualified retailers, the Backcountry Base Camp will feature an entire day of clinics, demos, guide-led tours and hands-on product testing on Brighton’s Mount Millicent and into the nearby backcountry terrain of Big Cottonwood Canyon. Brighton’s Wasatch Mountain Club will act as Camp II for BBC’s slope-side educational center for clinics and seminars. Many aspects of the BBC are still being finalized, but a preview of Backcountry Base Camp activities include:

  • Avalanche Awareness Clinics
  • Backcountry Ski Tours with Exum Utah Mountain Adventures
  • Backcountry Snowshoe Tours
  • Base Camp Demo Area
  • Beacon Search/Testing Area
  • Nordic Facility
  • Snowshoe Testing Area
  • Women-Specific Tele Clinics — sponsored by Karhu
  • Base Camp Bash – end of day festivities