Date: April 18, 2021 Distance: 4.8 miles round trip Elevation Gain: 2,600′ Trailhead: Watrous Gulch As the spring snowpack consolidated, Mark and I found our first day to take advantage of it this season. With a fairly restrained time window, we decided to ski something with a short approach that allowed for easy skiing. We decided on Woods peak which sits just North of I-70, not an hour drive from Denver where Mark is currently living. There were several other groups leaving from the trailhead when we parked around 7 am. Different groups were choosing different strategies to navigate the READ MORE
Tag: skiing
Skiing Torrey’s Peak: Emperor Couloir
This was another ski line we were lucky enough to undertake during the initial COVID-19 lock down. Mark, Parker and I skied this line only two days after Mark and I had skied the Dead Dog couloir on the East facing side of Torrey’s peak. Usually a popular peak for spring skiing, we were lucky to be the only party out there for both outings. Emperor couloir is located on the North face of the peak and we now enjoy the pleasure of seeing the line we skied every time we drive by on I-70. Date: April 9, 2020 Distance: READ MORE
Skiing Torrey’s Peak: Dead Dog Couloir
Date: April 7, 2020 Distance: approx. 11 miles round trip Elevation Gain: 4,500 ‘ Trailhead: Bakerville exit Dead Dog Couloir is a prominent feature on the East face of Torrey’s peak. Easy access from I-70 makes this steep aesthetic line a popular ski. Mark and I used the stable spring snow as an opportunity to try it out ourselves. Starting at the Bakersville exit, we hiked up the dirt road, now snowed in, for about three miles before reaching the summer trailhead. We turned off onto the trail and followed the valley up towards Gray’s and Torrey’s peaks. Once we READ MORE
Mt Elbert: hike, ski, slog
Date: April 5, 2020 Distance: approx. 12 miles round trip Elevation Gain: 5,000 ‘ Trailhead: South Mt Elbert Trailhead Mark and I set out to ski the box couloirs on Mt Elbert on April 5th 2020. The springtime snowpack had begun to consolidate and we thought it a good time to try something steeper. We started hiking around 6 am, making our way up the well traveled to trail , only a 30 minute drive from Leadville. To start our hike, we headed up a frozen 4×4 road, that we didn’t want to drive on but were happy to enjoy READ MORE
Skiing Quandary Peak: Everyone’s first 14er
Shortly after lockdown in March 2020, Mark, Matt and I had established ourselves, along with my roommate, as a small bubble in Leadville. We were lucky to be where we were with access to lots of time outside in a relatively rural area. We enjoyed a lot of luxury during this time that other people did not. For that I am extremely humbled. Date: March 16, 2020 Distance: 6 mi roundtrip Elevation Gain: 3400′ Trailhead: Quandary Trailhead On March 16, 2020, Matt Mark and I hiked and skied Quandary Peak. It’s just over three miles from the popular trailhead to READ MORE
No one told me it would be cold here!
Night two for Mark and I sleeping in the snow! Tucked inside our sleeping bags atop our mega sleeping pad (more on this later) inside our tent, Mark and I were certainly protected from the dangers of the cold clear night, but we were not entirely immune to it. At 3 am, we were both too uncomfortable chilly to sleep, so we boiled hot water bottles, added an extra and layer and got a few more hours of slumber before waking to a bitter cold morning. Sleeping at the base of a western facing slope, we were not greeted with READ MORE