- Date: April 14, 2023
- Distance: approx. 6 mi round trip
- Elevation gain: 4000′
- Trailhead: South Mount Elbert
The first winter I moved to Leadville (2019-20) Matt White and I were one another’s main ski partners, logging many early mornings on Chicago ridge near Ski Cooper and exploring Leadville east. That was my first winter backcountry skiing, and Matt and I learned a lot together. After a few winter’s away, Matt moved back to the area and we are both excited to be skiing together again! We’ve spent quite a few ski days together this season: a few moonlight skis, some resort days at A-basin and Copper Mountain, and some incredible powder tours on Chicago ridge.
With the snowpack stabilizing, Matt and I headed out for our first objective ski of the spring. Living in Leadville, the box couloirs on Mount Elbert stand out as a visible and accessible ski line on Colorado’s tallest peak. Several years ago, Mark and I attempted to ski this line, but after summiting, decided to ski a south facing line instead because of a wind loading concern in the box couloirs themselves.
Although we were not without wind this time around, we found much more favorable and safe conditions and despite intermittent snow, were able to ski the box couloirs.
Since Matt and I had both been to the top of Elbert previously, we opted not to summit and instead focus on the ski. A hard overnight freeze allowed us to hike on the frozen snow surface in our sneakers up to 11,700′ before switching to skins and skis. As we climbed up above tree line, we were greeted by gusty, intermittent snowfall on the wind scoured south ridge. Our line came in and out of view as we climbed higher, and soon enough we were above it, taking some shelter in a small outcropping as we transitioned.
We skied one turn at a time over the roll into the Box couloirs, assessing snow conditions before we opened it up. A break in the weather provided great visibility as we skied down, and the just warming spring snow made for perfect, grippy conditions.
We stopped to admire our line at the bottom of the basin before transitioning for a short skin back up to the ridge. We were able to ski down and out most of the way to the car at the South Mount Elbert trailhead, save for a little distance on the dirt road. Every time I have been at the base of Elbert in the spring I have encountered terrible collapsing snow conditions, and this time was no exception. Especially in the aspen groves at lower elevations, the slush was reliably but unpredictably breaking underneath our skis. A tip dive can easily trap a ski in feet of heavy, wet snow.
Back at the car, we were excited to have kicked off our spring ski season with a line we had been looking at for such a long time.