Sweet Missouri

My buddy Brian said he was going to attempt Missouri Mountain so I decided to join him along with another fellow named Don. Dalton and I had climbed Belford and Oxford last year and I remember it as a very enjoyable hike (photo 1). I wanted to camp, but I was at work Friday until 7:30 PM, so instead I left house at 3:30 AM. As we started up the steep switchbacks at the beginning of the trail the other Don was moving slow, so he sent us on ahead.

We were making good progress, but kept an eye on the approaching weather. Brian decided to turn around at 13,000 due to building clouds. I have many other goals this year, so I wanted to punch this ticket. I pressed on. The snow field just below the ridge caused me to put on the crampons. I was worried about my tiring quads, but it turned out to be quite a fun snow climb. Once on the ridge the trail was an alternate of bare and snow sections (photo 2), so I finally had to remove the crampons. At the crux just before the summit I wishing I had them on again. You must traverse a very steep snow slope below some pinnacles. To elevate the challenge, now there was thunder rolling along the next ridge.

I touched the top (photo 3) and got the hell off there. Oops! I forgot to mark the way point so back up I went. The clouds were rolling in fast. I contemplated a plunge step or glissade down the first couloir. I remembered from the guide book that the couloirs are easier farther down. So I crossed the crux again and found glissade trails down the next couloir. I really wanted off the ridge so I decided to go down (photo 4).

The glissade was by far one of the most fun in my experience. Although I didn't want to risk too much speed I still got up to 10mph according to the GPS. The snow was just soft enough to counteract the steepness. Once down the long couloir, there were two other chances for shorter glissades (last photo).

The walk back down the trail was sublime. It was raining, but I was waterproof. The wetness really brought out the colors of the rocks, shrubs, quakies, and pines. Seeing silouhettes of climbers on Belford was dramatic with the low hanging clouds.

Sweet misery. Brian and I grabbed some lunch at Doc Holiday's in Leadville before heading our separate ways.

Parry Peak Descent

I was trying to decide whether to try Quandary or Parry Peak. The book says that Quandary is in shape until early June, Parry until mid June. After the great descent of Eva last year, Parry was chosen.

This time I made it all the way to the reservoir in my Dodge pickup. The open field to south of the dam is fairly steep, but gives way to a long and slowly ascending meadow deep into the valley. I crossed a couple of snowfields on the way up that required some deliberate stepping.

Three other skiers were making their way to Parry as well. I followed the skiers up the east most couloir as seen in photo 2. They were kicking steps in their AT boots, but I donned my crampons since I was in my mountaineering boots. The snow was good for kicking steps. I decided to leave my board at the saddle because a full descent was getting a bit dicey this late in the year. I did head up unencumbered and bag the peak. At this point I noticed two other skiers making their way up the slope. A final talley for the day was 3 telly, 1 AT, and me the lone splitboard.

The descent from the saddle was fairly steep at about 35 degrees with a narrow neck just below the ridge (photo 3). Once past the narrows, the middle section was superb riding. The bottom got slushy and flat as is the pattern. I made it most of the way across the flats saving me a bit of hike out. The skiers made it all the way across the flats, but I had to hike to the next drop off. This left one last piece of descent down to Fall River Reservoir. This section was steep and sticky with many obstacles (photo 4). I even lost my ice axe somehow and had to hike back up to find it lying in the narrow snow section in the middle of the photo.

I don't think this descent is going to last past next week so do it or don't. You can see most of the line in photo 5. The descent starts right of center in the photo on the prominent snow finger. It continues directly toward you in the photo thru the valley.

The descent ends just above the reservoir. It was a nice hike back along the foot trail next to the Fall River Reservoir shore. I made it back to the truck to find many vehicles where there was only three when I left! An old timer from Wyoming commented that his van and my truck were the only two American vehicles there. All in all it was an awesome day and I was very happy with the performance of my new BCA backpack.

Gray's Anatomy

Or "The Best Laid Plans of Kelso and Grays"

I missed all of May and the season is running out. I was trying to decide between Kelso Mountain and Parry Peak, but chose Kelso because of the short hike. So I set out to make a snowboard descent of Kelso Mountain as described in Front Range Descents. The road to the Gray's parking lot was clear. I was a little unsure about parking in private property, so I continued up. The face of Kelso looked a little barren anyway... it is a May recommendation.

I decided to go ahead and descend Grays. What the heck, my first 14er descent. The hike in was enjoyable despite the added weight of my Viole Mountain Gun snowboard. I forgot my sun glasses and left my ice axe and crampons in the car to save weight. Mistake. I talked with a couple of guys who were coming down with their skis on their back. Apparently the head wall was very hard packed and steep.

I ascended the Gray's trail with a slight shortcut that everyone was taking. I made it to about 13k and decided it was the best chance for the descent. I stashed the board and continued to the summit hoping the snow would soften. At least I would bag Gray's for the second time.

I was worried the snow was too hard packed and that there was no visible turns. I seen another skier making the descent so I decided to give it a try. Even though it was very hard packed you can make turns. The snow conditions made executing jump turns critical. The hike and the hard edge taxed my quads to the max. I fell once and slid for about a 100 yards. It made me kick myself for not bringing the ax.

I would advise descending right in order to follow the entire valley back to the parking lot. I hiked the trail not wanting to push my luck; I don't think it would have worked for my board. My legs cramped after a bit of hiking, but a short break and some cookies allowed a recovery.

I renew my promise not to leave the truck again without my ice axe. I believe crampons should always be in the pack too, be damned the extra weight. I think a glissade would be more fun than a ski or snowboard descent on Gray's for this June.

Waikiki 2009

Before my company was sold we had a sabbatical program which would give you six weeks off after six years of service. I had planned to use mine to go to Nepal for a climb. After the sale, the new owners simply paid out the sabbatical as cash. Michelle and I decided to use the cash to go to Hawaii. Neither of us had been, and although Nepal would have been more of an adventure it was a great vacation.

We spent three days on Oahu, three on Kaui, and four on Maui. I will write a post for each island. Today Oahu.

We arrived late on Saturday, checked in and got two upgrades by luck. Our room was on the 17th floor with an ocean view at Ohana East in Waikiki. We had a late dinner and brew at the pizza joint adjacent to the hotel.

On Sunday Michelle and I went our separate ways. She had always wanted to swim with the dolphins, but I had no interest in such things. Instead I made my way to Diamond Head for a hike. Diamond Head is a short hike with some steep sections at the end. There are a boat-load of tourists who take part, so beware. I was surprised that they had not improved the upper portion where you have to climb through a gun turret. No big deal for me, but difficult for some larger folks. The views from the top are well worth the trip. Nice views of Honolulu and the other islands like Maui in the distance.

I spent the afternoon at Waikiki Beach. Waikiki is very crowded and the water is full of long board surfers. Even though the beach is small and crowded it is beautiful.

That evening we took part in Germaine's Luau. The Mai Tai's were the best I had all week. The pork was delicious and the show was pretty good. I didn't know what to expect in a Luau, but it sure wasn't what we got. Nothing bad, but it is simply a bunch of picnic tables and buffet style serving. Our host who traveled with us on the bus was very entertaining and made the experience way fun.

On Monday we took a beach day. We spent a bit of time just hanging out on the beach. I snuck a few Big Swell IPAs in my bag. Big Swell is truly a Hawaiian IPA. Nice and bitter, but mellow like the islands. We rented a water tricycle and peddled our paddle tires around the bay.
We had dinner and drinks at the famous Duke's Waikiki. We got lucky and found a table overlooking the beach. A fun place and the food was okay.

Splitboard

After over a year of shopping, I finally bought a splitboard. I got a Viole Mountain Gun off of Craigslist. Before I took it backcountry, I decided to try it out at the resort first so that I could work out the kinks in a controlled environment.

To cap off the ski season, I offered to buy a lift ticket for anyone in my family who wanted to go up with me. I thought I would get one or two takers, but it turns out that seven people signed up! Becka, Dustin, Larry, Lexi, Kirstie, Matt, and Dalton all went with me to Powderhorn on March 21, 2009. Larry rented a suite at the base of the lift and the entire family showed up for a great weekend.

My splitboard is stiffer and longer than my old snowboard. It took some getting used to but I like it. It rides fine on the hard pack and slush... now I just need to get it into the backcountry powder. I need to adjust the back foot pin so that it is easy to put on and off. I also haven't tried out the skins yet.

Vail

Every native Coloradoan should at least ski Vail and Aspen, right? With this in mind, I was excited to ski the famous back bowls of Vail, so I headed straight there from the Rivah and Northwoods lifts. I got a nice todo list of the best runs: Genghis Kahn, Champagne Glade, Little Ollie, etc. My first run was the Head Wall in the Sun Up Bowl and my first taste of powder over ice. It looked good on the way up, but it was hard to edge on the steeps. I endoed on the first run of the day.

I then took the Jade Glade to tick off the first todo. It was more fun than the Head Wall and would be a blast if there was deep powder. From there I headed to the Blue Sky Basin to stay ahead of the crowds. I headed down the Champagne Glade for an awesome run through the trees. It was powder with no ice and very few people. I just had to do it again even though there was much area to explore (photos 2).

Little Ollie (far ridge photo 1) came next and it was another fun ride through the trees on more mogul terrain. Then Resolution and Hornsilver from Pete's Express but nothing special here. I wanted to take Lover's Leap but the lift line was getting long so I headed back to the bowls.

I took Ghengis Kahn and it was again a bit icy underneath but fun. I then cruised over to Gorky Park where there was absolutely nobody on the slope. I know they were all avoiding the ice, but it was cool to have the whole bowl to myself. The lines at the main lift were long here too, but the singles line was fast enough that I braved my way back to get in Lover's Leap (snow field photo 3). I did it and it was the awesome steeps I was looking for.

It was getting on 2pm and I wanted to head back to the front side to finish out the day. I meant to take Whiskey Jack to Sourdough but got distracted and went too far on the ridge so I cut through the trees. It was not much fun but was an adventure that reminded me of the days of going off trail at Powderhorn in my youth.

I stopped for a beer at the Two Elks Lodge to rest my legs. The didn't have anything hoppy on tap, so I ordered a Shock Top and they hit me for $7.50. After the break I took the Northwoods lift, down Whistle Pig, and up the Wildwood lift into the Game Creek bowl. I had a focus on the Haro trail, but it was actually named Faro (photo 4). This little bowl is mostly blue and mostly forgettable. I took the Lost Boy trail on my way to the final goal: the Gondola. Lost Boy afforded great views and easy slopes.

I made it to the Gondola just before 4pm for a beautiful fast ride up the mountain. I ended the day with a descent of Columbine (photo 4) and International. I've looked at this run for over a decade from highway I-70 and finally seen it from the other side.

My cell phone caught a good pic so I included the third photo... my artistic contribution to this post. If and when I make it back to Vail I would like to explore the Sun Down Bowl next time. I would like to try Divide and Encore on the Skyline Express lift too. They both look to have some great black diamond runs. Otherwise I will leave this resort and the high ticket price to the tourists (last photo).

The Royal Arch in February

Mom came to town and I convinced her to take a little hike in the Flatirons. In the guide book the trail to the Royal Arch is only 3.5 miles long, which seems simple enough. I failed to remember the altitude gain on this trail. It turned out to be quite a hike, but mom was a trooper and made it all the way.

Coming from Moab, she wasn't too impressed with our arch. She didn't even classify it as an arch; she thinks it is two rocks leaning together. Oh well, we finished the day with some lunch at the Walnut Brewery.

Arapahoe Basin

After fighting I-70 the day before, I decided to leave the house at 6 am instead of 7. This put me up at A-Basin a little bit too early. Luckily they opened the lifts at 8:30. To start the day I took the Pallavicini Lift to Pali Face. This run has some nice steep bumps. I missed the Radical and Standard runs, but had fun on Powderkeg, Wildcat, and South-Chute. Photos 1 and 2 give you a view of the upper front side of the mountain.

A-Basin causes you to do a bit of hiking everywhere. If you just ride the Montezuma Lift you are forced to hike a couple hundred yards to reach the Zuma Cornice and the double black runs off the backside. A better strategy is to alternate from front to back. Ride the Lenawee Lift which will get you higher and you can avoid removing your skis to get to the Zuma Cornice (photo 3 with Keystone and Breckenridge in the distance). Then ride the Zuma Lift and take Falcon or the Half Moon Glades.

I had the most fun on Schauffler and Groswald. These runs are very steep but open allowing you to choose your line. At the bottom I had fun on Eureka: a short run through the trees. The Torreys and Grays runs look a lot longer on the map than I found them to be. I was hoping for more tree skiing. Maybe I missed something.

Later in the day I took Exhibition which is a great mogul run right under the lift. I was a bit tired so didn't display my best exhibition to the folks on the lift. I ended the day with a nice little blue find called North-Fork. It makes a nice combo with the TB Glade which offers easy tree skiing.

I like A-Basin for its easy access. You can park right on the slope and have a BBQ. Of course you must arrive early to get a spot in the "Early Riser" lot. The snow was mostly very packed which was the only downside for the day. I guess I could have crossed the highway and gone off-piste. Check out the nice carvings in the last photo.

Breckenridge

Why write about ski areas? Mainly for my own beta in case I go back. If you find it interesting great. I will return to the back country for some snow climbs and descents within a month.

Traffic was brutal again on I70. I parked in free lot and rode the new Gondola up. There were long lift lines everwhere. I kept going up trying to get away from the crowds, but even Imperial was crowded. I rode the Imperial Express Lift three times and enjoyed the above tree line skiing. From the last ride up I took the Magic Carpet Ride run. It was steep and powdery and highly recommended. Below the carpet ride there is some fun tree skiing on the Independance Chair, but way too many blue runs.

It took some time to work my way to Peak 9. Chair C seemed hopeful as a black, but the run was closed for racers. The blues were way to easy so I made my way to Chair E. Finally I found some steeps with trees. I decided to ski here for awhile and really had fun. My 153 K2 Apaches were awesome in the turns.

At 2:30 I decided to check out Peak 10. The blacks here were quite easy. The burn was fun bumps in trees. I was too late to hit the double blacks off to the right on Peak 10.

Overall the mountain is too much a resort... not for locals. Plus the price of $92 per day is too expensive. The long lift lines and two bus transfers to get back to free lot compounded the problems here. Oh well, it was worth a shot. Where next? A-Basin or Winter Park.

Eldora Mountain Resort

At the base of the Indian Peaks is a quiet little resort called Eldora. It may be the closest resort to my house not counting Echo Mountain. It reminds me alot of my home resort Powderhorn. You can still see the signs of days gone by here. From the top of the Corona lift you get a nice view of, what is it, Parry Peak (photo 1)?

Glade skiing is the point here. This is a great area to learn the art of tree skiing. This place has more tree charm than most. For an introduction, start between the runs on Challenge lift like Powderhorn and Jolly Jug, then progress to the Jolly Jug glades (photo 2). From there go to the Bryan Glades (photo 3). The Bryan Glades were at the limits of my abilities/fun. The trees are a little tighter at top, then the run drops into a creek bed. I lost a ski trying to make a tight turn; my sign that this was my match. I know many are more advanced and can handle the Placer Glades, the Salto, and the Moose Glades. I hope to join you next time. For a mid-forties, mid-skilled skier I like the change of pace that the glades allow. I move slow, make some jump turns, snow plow a bit, then gain just a little speed when I can find a run out.

This is a good resort if you like groomed expert runs. Corona, Cascade, and Challenge are all easy black diamonds. The damn mule shoe was no fun: hard ass pack bordering on icy. Maybe the easterners are used to hard pack, but coming from Loveland; I didn't enjoy it. The one good bump run is called Psycopath (photo at bottom.)

The blue groomers are non-descript other than to say I don't completely understand the categorization. Some such as Powderhorn seem as hard as the blacks, and some blacks such as Klondike seem like they should be blue.

I-70 may be a bitch, but there was a wreck on US 36 which cost me 40 minutes. I would like to return to Eldora, but is it an easier commute than the corridor resorts? The jury is out. Next up: Breckenridge. Later in the season: A-Basin. Maybe Monarch if M want to take a soak at the Princeton Hot Springs.