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.

Mountaineering Goals 2009

I'm putting it out there for all to see. That way there will be motivation for me to complete my goal. Here are my mountaineering goals for 2009:

Mount Whitney -- I plan to climb the highest peak in the lower 48 with Brian, John, and Miles sometime in July. I hope to take the Class 3 route.

Ellingwood Ridge on La Plata -- After Dalton and I turned back half way in, I must return to conquer it.

Mount Sneffels, Southwest Ridge -- Close to my western slope roots and a Class 3 climb, I will knock this one off some time while visiting family in Grand Junction.

Capitol Peak -- The test piece for knife edges could be my first Elk summit.

Little Bear-Blanca Traverse -- One of the top four 14er traverses. 5.0-5.2 free solo climbing, yeah I think I'm ready.

Crestone Peak -- The Needle is my personal favorite so far, so I want to return to the Sangres. I can knock out a few extra 14ers here too: Humboldt, Challenger, and Kit Carson.

And for extra credit: Long's Peak Keiner's Route. I will take a guided trip with CMS.

For inspiration I've included a few photos from last year's Kokopelli Trip and a few links to some awesome climbing:

http://www.mensjournal.com/the-real-spidey

http://www.summitpost.org/list/310714/colorado-s-most-arduous-mountains-routes-and-rocks.html

http://www.climbclips.com/mediadetails.php?key=dfa173acc06aeffcdce7&title=Simply+Read+5.13d+-+Rifle%2C+Colorado

http://www.climbing.com/exclusive/features/cragofthefuture/

http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/North_America/United_States/Colorado/Western_Slope/The_Fortress_of_Solitude/

Spring To Do List

I pared down the extensive list of trails in the book Colorado's Indian Peaks by Gerry Roach to just those snow climbs that have the right mix of fun and challenge. With spring approaching, let's hope the snow consolidates soon so we can get to it:

Juliet on Mount Neva- I Class 2, Moderate Snow : Fourth of July Trailhead 7.8 miles
Southeast Face on Mount Toll - I Class 2, Moderate Snow : Mitchell Lake Trailhead 6.4 miles
Queens Way on Apache Peak - I Class 2, Moderate Snow : Long Lake Trailhead 9.0 miles
Southeast Slopes on James Peak - I Class 2, Easy Snow : St Mary's Glacier Trailhead 7.0 miles
Shooting Star on James Peak - II Class 2, Steep Snow : St Mary's Glacier 7.6 miles
North Star on North Arapahoe Peak- II Class 3, Steep Snow : Fourth of July Trailhead 7.8 miles
Snow Lion on Jasper Peak - II Class 3, Steep Snow : Fourth of July Trailhead 9.6 miles
Hopi Glacier on "Hopi"- III Class 3, Steep Snow : Monarch Late Trailhead 18.4 miles
Ooh La La Express on "Ooh La La" - II Class 3, Steep Snow : Middle St Vrain Trailhead 20.4 miles
Fair Glacier on Apache Peak - III Class 3, Steep Snow : Long Lake Trailhead 20.5 miles (Finest)

I know these pics have no snow. Get over it.

Ski Powderhorn - Ski Loveland

Matt and I took a trip to Powderhorn on January 4, 2009. I had not skied Powderhorn for over 10 years and hadn't skied period for about as long. The new shaped skis made it easy to transition back from my snowboard. Things haven't changed much at Powderhorn in the past 10 years. I showed Matt all the nice jumps on Dude, Lower Dude (photo 1), and Snowcloud. Photo 2 is from the top of Wonderbump.

The binding on my rental skis broke on the first run. I had to walk down to midway and catch a ride down to the lodge to rent another set. I'm used to Copper Mountains high-speed lifts and long runs. The slow lifts and short runs of Powderhorn have at best a nostalgic quality. Not having to fight I-70 traffic makes Powderhorn great on the other hand.

On January 24th I took my first trip to Loveland. The slog up I-70 was a brutal 2 hours from Aurora. It was a windy snowy day, but lots of powder. I like the way the mountain is laid out: it is easy to move from one end to the other. Again, the lifts are not high speed and the runs seem short. To avoid the slow ride on lift 2, take lift 1 first then hop on 2 at midway.

I enjoyed the runs on lift 1 most (photo 3), but it is a lot less crowded on lifts 4&8 (photo 4). The wind chill above treeline was brutal. The shortcut under I-70 back to the lodge is quirky and cool.

Der Freischutz Scramble

It's a beautiful January day with temperatures in the mid-sixties so back to the Flatirons I go for a climb. Don't tell the rest of the country about the great weather we have in Colorado.

This time I picked a climb called Free Shot which makes Gerry Roach's list of "classic" scrambles. From the NCAR trailhead you head up the Mallory Cave trail past two large boulders called the Square and Babyhorn. To your right is Der Zerkle and to the left is Dinosaur Rock.

I knew I was not quite up to Der Freischutz, but Dinosaur Rock beckoned. The face is a 5.4 climb, but I skirted around keeping the climbing easier (photo 2). I wanted to get a view of Der Freischutz. Check out the top photo.

Backtracking to the trail I found the base of DerF and the start of the East Face (N39 58.400 W105 17.299). This is 5.0 territory but doesn't the rock look inviting (photo 3)? I reached the ridge top and the route wasn't immediately evident. I back tracked a bit, but the downclimb wasn't appealing. Being my first time on this rock I wasn't sure I could escape the top, but I proceeded up. It turns out the downclimb is easier a bit higher up.

As the shot of adreneline coursed my body I decided to continue to Mallory Cave rather than continue up Free Shot which was now in view. There were many kids on the Class 3 approach to Mallory Cave so I back tracked and found a piece of crack and ledge to climb on upper Der Freischutz above Free Shot. It was a little snowy but I managed to shinny up.

At the top I discovered some climbers tackling the backside of DerF. The downclimb from the peak was challenging but quite fun. I had to duck under and through some boulders to make my way down to the trail.

I will be back in order to properly climb Free Shot (photo 4) and the South Face of Der Freischutz. I'm learning that making my own route can be just as rewarding. On the way back to NCAR, the deer herd in the large park has grown to about 15+ now. I even spotted 3 deer in the park far below the NCAR trail. Everyone was enjoying the fine January day in the Flatirons.

Flatirons - Angel's Way

With Michelle out of town and high winds in the mountains, I decided to take a shot at climbing Angel's Way a rock ridge in Boulder's Flatirons. Angel's Way is a mostly Class 4 climb with spots of 5.0. Dalton didn't want to go, so I decided to take a look at it as a free solo.

I trust my discretion and skills, but can't take responsibility for yours. Therefore, I am not recommending this climb without a rope. 5.0 is still 5.0, so act accordingly. Especially in December when you can encounter snow and ice. The route is only open from 7/31 to 2/1.

It has taken me a couple of trips to identify exactly which ridge in Skunk Canyon is Angel's Way. Roach says it is 100 feet west of Satan's Slab and it is. Reading about it and being there are two different things for me. Here's the coordinates: N 39 58.700 W 105 17.333, Elevation 6479.

The climb starts out at 5.0 on small holds. There is a headwall with some buckets you can see in photo 2. The ridge above is Class 4 and about 1,000 feet long. The intensity of this climb without a rope was at my limits.

I tried to continue my day with a climb of Green Mountain, but the snow covered rocks made it no fun. I fell once on my shoulder which gave me a month long bruise. So I turned around and descended the gully. On my return to NCAR there was a nice heard of deer grazing in the broad field which lifted my spirits a bit.

Hunt 2008

For me, opening day of hunting season is like Christmas morning for a child. This year my co-worker and friend Yan went along for his first hunt (photo 1).

Day one: Dave and Justin hiked to the bowl. Yan and I watched the bowl briefly then hiked above Dalton's rock. We crossed the thick oak brush into the upper parks and heard a couple of shots. This area has a lot of bear shit and sign, but we didn't see a bear. From the upper parks we hiked down to the Well's Gulch road making for a long day.

Day two: We decided to go up the Delta Airport Road. Steve and Yan went over to the Dough Spoons. Dave, Justin, and I went up to Alkalai Basin. Just as we approached the end of the road Dave spotted a group of cows. We each took two shots. We then spotted a few does lower down. There was a nice two-point with long tines so Dave dropped him. As Dave dressed out the deer, I hiked up to see if we were successful in our cow shots. I found one dead cow and started dressing it out. We found no others, so I decided to continue my hunt toward the upper park. By staying high I came out above the parks, so I watched for awhile (photo 2).

Day three: Ron showed up and he wanted to hike up to Indian Point. Yan and I decided to watch the bowl all morning. After no luck in the morning, I sent Yan up the ridge to Dalton's Rock and I hiked through the lower parks hoping to spook something. No luck this day, no sightings. (photo 3)

Day four: Yan and I hiked to the top again. We seen a bull high above the parks with 600 yards of oak brush separating us. I convinced Yan to take a long shot. He got settled and took aim, but the shot was too long. The bull didn't flinch. We decided to try and get closer. Climbing the boulders provided a quiet way to approach him. I made my way to the top of the boulders and tried crossing over to where the bull was located. Yan radioed and said he was lost, so I called of my hunt and returned to try and find him. Yan made his way to Dalton's Rock and saved himself. As long as you can get back on the ridge, you are fairly safe (photo 4).

Day five: Ron wanted to go over to the cabin, so we headed that direction. Yan went home. I hiked from the cabin over to the fence. I seen many deer but no elk. Can you spot the deer in photo 5? There were a few elk tracks which I followed until the snow covered them. This is a very nice hike through meadows and I would like to do it again. Just down from the road I spotted a nice three point buck. From the road I was to hike down to the stock pond. I met a few other hunters who were stalking a nice big buck. Once back at my atv, a guy said he knew where a bull elk was. From his directions I hiked down the hill on the other side of the stock pond from where we used to camp. As I approached the meadow I couldn't scope the bull. Then I heard a giant crash and I found that I was on same the ridge with the bull. I had my chance, but forgot the fundamentals. Always go slow, stop and look in EVERY direction. Had I looked to my left at the right moment maybe I would have spotted the bull sleeping. After following his tracks to a ridge I searched for him on the next. Turns out he was three ridges over and no time to shoot. With the snow I decided to follow his tracks. There was some blood in the tracks but not much. A couple of times I spooked him again, but never saw him. I called off the hunt as the sun was waning and it was a long hike back up to the road. My GPS shows that he took me on a three mile hike.

Day six: With the snow still fresh enough, we decided to go back up Dirty George Creek. I was to hike from Bull and Brown over to Point Camp. Steve would hunt Point Camp. As I ascended the hill I came upon six beds and many elk tracks. I tracked the elk in the exact opposite direction from where I was supposed to be heading, but never caught them. After an hour of tracking I called it off and started toward Point Camp. I came upon more tracks and spotted four cows heading down. They were moving like they were spooked. I followed the cows all the way back to the road. I crossed the road and followed them all the way down to private ground and called off the hunt. Dave picked me up and we went back to get Steve who was hiking from Point Camp to Bull and Brown. We had fun doing doughnuts in the snow.

As we returned to get Steve's ATV, we spotted many deer. I spotted a nice buck near the lake, but wasn't sure he had antlers. We went up and got the ATV and returned to see he was still there. Now he was lying down facing us. Steve couldn't spot him so gave me the go ahead. I dropped the three-point buck with a pretty nice 300 yard shot. We got the ATV down close so we didn't have to drag him too far.

Day seven: Rather than hunt the bowl and commit the whole day to a drag, we decided to pick up camp. Steve, Dave, and I were heading to Phoenix for the weekend for NASCAR. We got camp picked up, cut up some meat, then napped in prep for an all night drive to Arizona.

Flatirons - Mohling Arete

The weather was warm and sunny on October 25, 2008 in the Boulder area, so Dalton and I took advantage by heading to the Flatirons for a scramble. The goal was to climb Angel's Way, a scramble with a couple of 5.0 cruxes in Skunk Canyon. You can approach Skunk Canyon by parking at NCAR and hiking North on the Mesa Trail about 100 yards past the bottom of the canyon.

Having never hiked in this canyon before, we weren't sure of the exact location of Angel's Way. It turns out that we had hiked past Angel's Way and climbed the Mohling Arete instead. Mohling Arete is described as mostly scrambling punctuated by a 5.5 crux by Gerry Roach.

We started the climb on the North face of the arete using small holds to gain the ridge (photo 1). Once on the ridge the scrambling gets easier, but the prospect of no easy escapes makes the climbing thrilling. After the first pitch you come to a small notch. It won't be the last. We decided to leap across this notch to the other side.

After some more Class 3 climbing (photo 2) you reach another notch. This one will test your route finding skills. Here's the hint: look to the left for a tree. The slings on this tree tell you this is the right way to go. The downclimb is rated 5.4 (photo 3).

We decided to end our climb here since at the time we weren't sure we would get another opportunity to escape. We downclimbed through a lemon squeezer (okay chimney - photo 4) and hiked back to the truck.

The Mohling Arete continues up with a couple more notches and a 5.5 headwall. I would love to return to this rock now that I know it's secrets. But first I think I will tackle Angel's Way. So many rocks and hopefully as many sunny weekends.

Kokopelli Trail: Day 4 - Bitter Creek to Loma

THE LAST DAY OF BIKING
by Don Lyman

'Twas the last day of biking, when all through the desert

Not a creature was stirring, not even a lizard;

The mountain bikes were slung by the RV without care,

In hopes that they held together for the last leg of the dare;

We rode down the cliff side we might end up dead,

While visions of endos danced in our heads;

And Larry on Marin, and I on my Haro,

Rounded the Western Rim for a long honkin' hill,

When on the horizon cut the river grand,

I sprang from the bike to push through the sand.

Through Rabbit Valley we flew like a flash,

Spooked a horse/rider causing a dash.

The slog to the crest with camelback in tow

Gave the luster of mid-day to Salt Creek just below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a place to go swimming, just under the pier,

Larry descended the hill, so lively and quick,

But I crashed in a moment, I made a wrong pick.

We thought of Dad's eagles but only crows came,

And I whistled, and shouted, and called Larry by name;

"Now, Troy Built! now, Lions! now, Mary's and Home!

No Rustlers! no Steve's Loop! no Handcuffs I'm done!

To the top of the ridge! to the top of the hill!

Now coast away! coast away! coast away all!"

On Troy Built he left me, his bike it did fly,

Great views of the river, rock cliffs to the sky,

On to Lions Loop the sprocket heads flew,

With a pack full of Gatorade, and Cliff Bars too.

The double track of Lions, is best going backward

The rocky ascent the other way is awkward.

As I pumped up the hill, my chain jumped a tooth,

I was frustrated, mad, sad and uncouth.

Far down below, a lone tree with two elves at its base,

Sat Steven and Ross, come to size up the race;

A bundle of beers they had flung in a chest,

Liquid courage for peddlers, now not at their best.

Don's eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

He swallowed two Coor's, his nose like a cherry!

His dry little chain was bound up like a knuckle,

Ross had sun tan lotion to lube the debacle;

The cream did the trick: quite clever I say,

And the sojourners moved on to the last leg of the day;

Mary's Loop since the 80's has become quite well-known,

And is traveled by bikers from Tampa to Nome.

I've ridden and blogged it many times my own self,

Suffice it to say, its a fun little shelf;

Like Larry checks me with a twist of his head,

Let's go back to a story of a thing that need said;

On Lions we met two bikers oncoming,

They asked where we came from; then turned with a jerk,

Because Larry said "Moab"; the thought was berserk,

Back to our tale, the final ascent we arose;

We cranked to the top, to his wife gave a whistle,

And down to the truck hand in hand like a missile.

Kokopelli exclaimed, as we drove out of sight,

"Happy Riding to all, and to all a good bike."