Route: Southeast Face to Angel Snowfield

Team: Ted (solo)

I camped in the back of the truck at the Angel of Shavano Trailhead. Struggling to get up and moving is standard fare on a solo morning for me. I snoozed a good hour and a half away, but oh well. It looked so dark and cold out when the alarm went off.

Eventually I got moving and began up the summer route. The trail was dry, so I started in sneakers and stashed them on the trail when I reached the snow and switched to ski boots. I skinned up to the Angel snowfield, which I was happy to see filled in. Snow cover from the Angel to the summit was pretty lean but continuous, and considering the dry conditions I observed for the past two years (it was almost totally bare), the conditions were fine with me.

From the summit, I connected patchy snow to the Angel and then skied it to its end, dropping well below the summer trail I climbed that morning. I figured I could find my way back to the trail lower down. In hindsight, the extra turns weren’t worth the trip out.

After an hour of traversing unsupportive, isothermic snow in dark timber full of deadfall, I gave up and headed downhill. Eventually, I met up with the Colorado Trail, which led me back to the truck. However, I had forgotten about my shoes, so I still had to find the Angel Trail and hike back to my sneakers. It’s always a good idea to carry everything and not leave stashed gear around a mountain. I was granted about twenty minutes to dwell on the whole idea- as I walked back up to get them.

Later in the week, I would ski Oxford and Belford with Lou and Louie Dawson.