In 2011 Brian and I attempted to ski Mt. Eva from the Fall River drainage but had to turn back at treeline as gale force winds threatened to blow us into the Troposphere. What we knew at the time was that on good snow years Eva’s southeast face can offer up some excellent skiing, so we kept it in the back of our minds. This past Saturday we finally got around to heading up for a second attempt, and this time we were treated with much better weather and great skiing conditions. Keep reading…
The plan was to hit “Big Bad Wolf” Couloir from Willowbrook based on a brief report mentioned in Stan Wagon’s site from a couple years ago. I hadn’t seen much posted about this line anywhere and was intrigued. I knew the snow conditions would be solid, with moderate/low avy danger due to the recent storms, so another Gore slog was in store. After the Silver 2 weeks ago and CC Rider on C, figured I’d keep the momentum going. What I learned was, in a range full of potential ski lines, Red Peak is near the top of that list with regards to diversity, aesthetics and fantastic consistent skiing. Hugh, Jon and I met around 4:30am in Morrison, made it to Willowbrook TH around 6am and were skinning soon after. The first couple miles flew by and we reached the Gore Range Trail junction, where we continued to follow the summer trail, till it made sense to follow Willow Creek in a more direct line to the base of Big Eyes. We were granted a few solid panos of the Willow/Salmon cirques early on in some open marshlands. After 2.5 hours, we popped out of the trees almost directly at the base of Big Eyes Couloir on EE Red and took a prolonged break. Keep reading…
The CC Rider on Peak C in the Gores had been in the back of Ben’s and my mind for a couple years now, obvious setback being the access. Earlier in the week we decided to send our old friend Elliot a quick text to see what his plans were. Oddly enough, he and his buddy “MVP” (Brian) had 2 sleds and were headed for C. Its not everyday where all you have to do is show up to a TH with 2 sleds at your disposal, so the decision was pretty simple. Read more…
This final week of the 14/15 winter season in Colorado brought record heat, sun, and temps across the Rockies. Combine this with an average to below-average snow pack, and it just felt right to go after one final peak.
I had been itching to take a day off and get up something for the past few weeks. Josh is currently focused on prepping for an expedition up Denali this spring. So, the chance to stretch out the legs up high was a welcome opportunity for him as he was eager to test both his gear and his fitness. With open schedules aligning at the last minute, a 5:00 meeting in Denver saw us happily on our way to the Silver Pick Trailhead just south of Georgetown. Keep reading…
