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Spring came early to New England, just in time for the Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival, deep in the rolling hills of Keene Valley, New York. On March 6-7, 2010, off-piste veterans and newcomers gathered to celebrate backcountry skiing in the High Peaks.

The Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival is unique in that it's small and intimate. Sixty skiers took part in guided tours, alpine and Telemark gear demos, and instructional clinics throughout the weekend. Dinner at the Keene Valley Lodge and a party Saturday night animated tired skiers, especially when ski films The Fine Line and The Freeheel Life flashed onto the big screen. Beer flowed freely as skiers shared stories of turns under blue skies.

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"We want to create a small, high-quality event to get people into backcountry skiing," said Vinnie McClelland, festival founder and manager of The Mountaineer, the outdoor equipment store that hosts the festivities. Small, he explained, does not mean unpopular. "The turn out was really great this year," McClelland said. "We had more people than ever at the demos and dinner, and clinics filled up quicker than ever."

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McClelland and The Mountaineer staff launched the first festival in 2002 to support the Adirondack Ski Touring Council and the New York Ski Education Foundation (NYSEF), which once taught Olympians Billy Demong and Tim Burke. It remains an annual fundraiser for the two organizations.

A mid-February storm left much of the Adirondacks covered with four feet of snow. Though a blessing for conditions, the snowstorm resulted in lingering worry about stability – an avalanche the week prior partially buried two skiers on a popular slide. But festival clinics led by Cloudsplitter Mountain Guides and The Mountaineer staff found excellent and safe snow all weekend. The clinics hit nearby chutes and glades on both Saturday and Sunday. "The conditions were fantastic," said Rachel Wood, a first time festival attendee, who skied Saddleback Mountain on Sunday. "The skiing only got better as the day went on and the snow softened up."

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For those not in the backcountry, numerous demos and introductory clinics were held throughout Saturday at Otis Mountain. The private ski hill and rope tow in nearby Elizabethtown began its partnership with the festival last year, and now opens to the public for this special event.

"We had a gorgeous day, great turnout and lots of kids," said Jeff Allen, owner and operator of Otis Mountain. At just over 100 vertical feet, the slope is ideal for those new to skinning or Telemark skiing. A first-time freeheeler from Ottowa dubbed Otis Mountain "perfect, intimate and very laid back” – just like the Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival itself.

Stay tuned to mountaineer.com next winter for information on the 2011 festival.