Our Book

Front cover art – Brian skiing “Peak N” in the Gore Range in April of 2017.

Brian and I started skiing Colorado’s high peaks in the winter of 2009. Brian’s skiing roots go back to the East Coast where he lived prior to 2006, and mine come from the Vail Valley in the late-80’s where I grew up. In 2011 we started skiing together fairly regularly, racking up ski descents around the state primarily through lots of stubbornness and willingness to put tens of thousands of miles on our cars every year. By 2013, between the two of us we had skied a decent amount of notable lines in all of Colorado’s major ranges. We also both like to write, and so the idea of a guidebook was born.

Two years later, “Climbing and Skiing Colorado’s Mountains: 50 Select Ski Descents” was published on February 18th, 2014 by Falcon Guides. 304 pages in length, the book features an introduction section complete with spring backcountry travel best practices and gear recommendations. The meat of the book consists of route descriptions, maps, and color photos for 56 ski descents on 52 different peaks in all major ranges of Colorado. Each chapter also has a recommendation for the all-important post-climb meal locale.

It’s our hope that the readers of the book will find it informative and inspirational, providing ideas and quality beta for many years of skiing in Colorado’s backcountry. See the book’s tag line, links for purchase, reviews, and more below.  You can also find supplemental trip reports for most of the peaks in the book here at Exploring the Rockies.

1st edition cover art – our friend Elliot Halverson climbing the south face of Teakettle Mountain in the San Juans.

Climbing and Skiing Colorado’s Mountains is a select guidebook to 50 of the most classic, aesthetic, and iconic backcountry ski descents in the state of Colorado. The book provides accurate information to backcountry skiers and snowboarders, including overviews, maps, photos, and route descriptions for each of the selected 50 descents, while at the same time spurring the reader on to investigate peaks and areas outside of those featured in the book. Unlike other guidebooks, Climbing and Skiing Colorado’s Mountains focus on peaks of all elevations located in all ranges throughout the state, including many 13ers and 14ers but also some smaller, more accessible peaks, representing a comprehensive mix of some of the best backcountry skiing Colorado has to offer.

In the winter of 2020, Falcon released a 2nd edition of the book, titled “Climbing and Skiing Colorado’s Mountains: Over 50 Select Ski Descents“. The new edition features 5 new chapters (routes on Bald Mountain, Mt. Powell, Mt. Meeker, Snowdon Peak, and Horn Peak) as well as an updated introduction section, cover art, post-climb meal recommendations, and more.