East Partner’s Southwest Couloir: A (Fun) Gore Slog

Ben and I had stumbled upon the SW Couloir route on East Partner while searching around the internet. The Gores are one of those ranges with a ton of great lines and not a ton of advertisement, but we were fortunate enough to find some brief, but sufficient enough info on this gem. One of the nicest aspects of skiing in the Gores, which also could serve as one of the biggest deterrents, is the options you have once you haul up in to these deep drainages. Read more…

Mont Blanc North Face Ski Descent

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In early-April my Dad, my cousin, and I were fortunate enough to spend two spectacular days on Western Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc. Both days came at the beginning an eleven day ski trip we took to France/Switzerland. Though we headed to Chamonix with no particular agenda in mind, I think we were all hoping weather and conditions would align for us to spend a few days high on Europe’s “White Mountain”. Keep reading…

Traversing Trail Ridge

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Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park is the highest continuous paved road in the United States, with more than 10+ miles lying above 11,000 feet. Contrary to popular belief, the entire road is actually always “open”. You just can’t bring your car with you from October through June. With the absence of a motorized vehicle and the addition of snowshoes, even an easy peak, one just a half mile off of the road like “Trail Ridge”, becomes quite a feat. Keep reading…

Mount Toll – Was it worth it?

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I’ve been meaning to ski Mount Toll’s classic South Face for years now. Toll can be easily previewed from a number of vantage points around Boulder and the Front Range, as well as its neighbors, which saves the aspiring skier a lot of gas money on wasted reconnaissance. Ron Haddad’s “Front Range Descents” includes a number of routes from the Mitchel/Blue Lakes region and Toll seems to get the most raving reviews. Keep reading…