The backcountry skiing around Vail has been good lately. Really good. The snowpack finally settled down enough to green light steeper lines, and coverage in the Gores and Holy Cross Wilderness is about as good as it ever gets. After a fun ski of Bald Mountain’s northeast face this past Saturday, Rick and I pored over ideas of what to hit next and ultimately landed on Mt. Powell, the highest peak in the Gore Range. Read more…
In the wake of huge March snow totals and one of the crazier avalanche cycles Colorado has ever seen, a pocket of sustained high-pressure finally wiggled its way over the state this past week. Eager to get the spring ski season kicked off, Brian and I were looking to take advantage of the good weather and settling snowpack. Open to ideas we landed on “Grand Traverse Peak” after learning a friend of ours, Dave Bourassa, had skied it a few days prior. Read more…
Saturday morning I met Brian at Vail Pass after nearly 2 feet of snow had fallen in as many days. With the entire pass being more or less untouched, we decided to make our way to the east side and lap low-hanging fruit runs for several hours. After 3,600 feet of turns we skied back to the car and grilled out as temps dropped and even more snow rolled in. Keep reading…
A few weekends back Rick, Brian and I decided to finally check out “Outpost Peak” (12,362′) on the west side of the Gores. Outpost is a bit of a local’s favorite, with access straight out of town and several ski routes including a generally winter-friendly option in the south ridge. The peak itself is the high point of a north-south ridge line that separates Pitkin and Booth Creek drainages. Keep reading…