Route: Cristo Couloir

Team: Ted, Sean Shean

Spring is here. The lifts just closed, and without any big, far-away adventure planned, I was hoping to get a short list of 14ers skied before the snow melted. I’d be psyched if it’s anything like last spring (14 peaks skied).

I opted to start with a Quandary East Ridge/Cristo Couloir warm-up. Technically dull and with great road access, it’s a classic ski for many and an easy day trip from Aspen. I have more Quandary ski days than any other peak except for our local Castle Peak, and Sean had never skied here.

The route is a well-traveled trail all through the winter, and with parking around 11,000 feet, it’s more-or-less like a skin-up Aspen Mountain in terms of vertical gain. For dog lovers out there, you’ll be pleased to know that a dog who will volunteer to be your companion for the whole day is often included on a trip to Quandary. He’ll even follow you down the steep couloir and then happily leave you to be looked after by someone else. His name is Horton, some call him “Quandary Dog” and he lives near the trailhead, or so I’m told.

Horton has joined me on several trips here. Part nuisance, part cute yellow lab; I’ve heard he has over 100 summits of Quandary Peak. That’s an impressive number if true—more summits than most people will ever reach. Skiing with him can be a challenge, though. When he wasn’t stepping on the tails of Sean’s skis, he was trying his best to do so. Eventually, the three of us made it down the south-facing Cristo Couloir and all the way back to the truck.

It was an awesome day. We said goodbye to Horton, whom I would see again next year upon returning with Chris Davenport, and Sean and I headed home. Later in the spring, we would team up for some more cool ski descents, but for now, I was gearing up for some solo days, starting with Yale later this week.