Category Archives: Backcountry Skiing

Calling It a Season on Grays

      2 Comments on Calling It a Season on Grays

It’s been a long ski season. A decent one though all things considered, featuring a bit of a roller coaster in terms of snowpack totals and capped off by a temperamental, dusty spring. Some good days were had, but these days I seem to find myself looking forward to the green valleys, raging creeks and dry trails of summer earlier and earlier. I’ve also always been a fan of defined endings to seasons and activities, as there’s simply too much to do in the Colorado outdoors to risk getting burned out on any one thing. So with all that being said, for me at least, it felt like the right time to take the planks out for one final ski and call it a season. Keep reading…

A Few Good Days in April

      No Comments on A Few Good Days in April

It’s no secret that this year’s spring season has been a temperamental one in terms of weather, snowpack, and ski conditions for just about every skier in the state who doesn’t enjoy absolute freedom of schedule. The high country has been continuously raked by winds and dust storms throughout most of April and into May. Our snowpack ended up being nothing to write home about (slightly below average and with some aspects and ski lines never really coming into condition). Keep reading…

Turning the Corner

      1 Comment on Turning the Corner

On the last full day of winter Rick, Zach, and I decided to take advantage of the sunny weather forecast and go for a summit in the northern-Gore. We settled on “Northwest Corner” peak (12,663 ft), one of the highpoints along the serrated ridge extending from “East Corner” up to Meridian Peak on the north side of the Piney River Valley. Keep reading…

January in the Gore: Upper-Piney Creek and “Peak D”

With an unusually long period of relative stability persisting in the backcountry around Vail, Dave Bourassa and I decided to head out for a late-January tour in the upper-Piney Creek area. With no particular plan in mind we skinned up to the base of the Piney Bristle summit block, skied down into upper-Piney, climbed and skied a neat line off “Peak D” and then ascended back up to Dave’s sled at sunset. Read more…