Here’s where to get in on the trend, whether you’re a total novice or an expert skinner.

Aspen, Colo.

Skinning is how St. Regis Aspen’s director of sales and marketing, Justin Todd, prefers to commute, so it’s no surprise his hotel has launched official excursions in the up-and-coming sport. “You can connect more with nature,” Todd told Bloomberg of the advantages for uphill skiers, “and you don’t waste time waiting in lines.”

To make the experience more accessible, Todd partnered with Aspen Expeditions Worldwide to create a guided-skinning package called Uphill/Downhill for his guests this winter. Participants get fitted with specialized equipment and then get taken to little-known trails that run along the Snowmass-Aspen ridge and down the backside of Aspen mountain. The reward for their efforts: an après ski stretch class and Altitude Recovery Massage at the on-site Remède Spa. (The whole experience will run you $4,227 for two, including a three-night stay.)

Not staying at the St. Regis? Get a private lesson in uphilling from the experts at Aspen Alpine Guides, who are now offering day-long classes that include crash courses on etiquette and nutrition tips for high-altitude hiking and skiing. It’s the first step toward racing in Aspen’s Summit for Life Uphill Race, which has been catering to local enthusiasts for 11 years running.

Monarch Mountain, Colo.

For uphillers that worry about avalanche risks outside patrolled areas, Monarch is debuting dedicated uphilling lanes that run alongside traditional lifts. That way, skinners can climb up terrain that they know has been deemed safe and ski down with non-touring friends.

The ski area, roughly midway between Aspen and Telluride, is championing regulations to keep skiers in both directions safe, along with a handful of other resorts that include Sunlight, Powderhorn, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, and Steamboat. Among their new rules: Uphillers must stay in designated lanes, stick to the mountain’s operational hours, and have lift tickets for mountain access, like everyone else.

Monarch's stance is cautious but smart. Some mountains limit uphill activity to off-peak hours and off-piste terrain to keep uphill and downhill skiers from colliding unexpectedly; Monarch lets skinners ski during prime (safe) hours and on prime (safe) terrain, as long as they stay within a clearly designated (safe) distance of downhill skiers.

These important safety standards will likely spread across the Rockies as the sport continues to take off.

Dolomites, Italy