14er Ski Descents – Castle Peak – April 2, 2011
An awesome early spring ski descent of the East Face of Castle Peak.
Buckskin Benchmark
The view from the top. Spring is here. At least according to the calendar. And though it isn’t a tradition to try to get out on the first day of the new season, with Christy and I both free this past Sunday, we set our sights on an objective we’ve had for some time- Buckskin Benchmark’s Southeast Face. The 13,370 foot summit just north of Buckskin Pass sits between the...
January
Joey, cold smoke. We’re halfway through the season, and despite the fact that every major storm thus far has skirted us to the north or south, the first half of winter, and January in particular, proved to be pretty good for backcountry skiing. With any luck, the second half of winter will be even better. (more…)
Powder and Bighorns
Sean takes it first here. Consider it good advice when up in his neighborhood to at least offer him the first drop. We’ve had a couple of outstanding backcountry ski days around Ashcroft this week, with long powder runs and total solitude. That is unless you consider repeated bighorn sheep encounters as feeling crowded. Some pics: (more…)
A Christmas Day Getaway
Christy prances through the snow. The holiday season is upon us, and if you live and work in a resort town such as Aspen, it’s not quite the vacation you might think. Everything and everyone is maxed out– the mountain is busy, you work everyday, town is packed, you can’t park anywhere or walk into a restaurant without a reservation. Of course the business/ busy-ness is welcome, but by the...
The First Turns
There’s something about making your first turns of the season that’s always special.
Snowmass to East Snowmass, a 3 Pass Loop
The overview, click to enlarge. It was another good one, and not just due to the fact that we had perfect weather, but that we put together a loop of trails and passes we had all seen individually many times before, but had never linked up in this fashion. It came together after Christy, Neal and I were planning a long run together, but being a Saturday in August with...
It’s all downhill from here…
It’s all downhill from here, or at least from a little farther up. Neal climbs up from Taylor Pass. “Thirty-seven.” That was his answer to my question as to when he thought he had reached his top form, and after which he first noticed his speed, stamina and general physical condition begin to deteriorate– in other words, when things started going downhill. I didn’t think it to be an inconsiderate...
Wilderness Rehab
Dirk and Christy on the col after descending the West Ridge of South Maroon Peak. We’re cresting the hump of the summer season, that busy time of the year when the crowds around town and the craziness at work can wear you thin if you’re not careful. So with no big events and an open weekend, we opted for a short backpack/peak climb to get away from it all, if...
Four Passes on the Fourth
Lissa and Ted at the top of Buckskin Pass. On Saturday of July 4th weekend, Lissa, Ted and I hit the Four Pass Loop, one of our favorite long runs through the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness. We started from Maroon Lake and ran the loop counter clockwise, tackling Buckskin Pass first. With the Hardrock 100 only days away, Ted planned to come along for just Buckskin Pass but couldn’t resist tagging...
About Christy & Ted
We met in Aspen in 2000 and have been happily stuck in the rockies ever since, getting out in the mountains every day we can, in every season and by all means possible. Read More
