While Dallas may rank lower in elevation when compared to its peers, the community consensus ranks it as the most challenging Centennial summit to climb. So in a strange bit of numerical irony, #100 in elevation ranks first in difficulty.
Holy Cross Ridge, one of Colorado’s Centennials, a ski objective that is definitely inspiring.
A grand entrance to a beautiful basin. Well, we’re not sure if Cooper Peak is an official name, but we were told the summit is marked as such on certain old maps of Ashcroft. Cooper Peak, or Unnamed 13,220 ft. as I read it on some maps, is technically part of nearby Star Peak. But unofficial status aside, it was worth every kicked step up to its airy summit. It’s...
Skiing the West Face of Thunder Pyramid was every bit as exciting as I expected it to be. Wow.
Sean, up at Ashcroft. Spring has arrived. The ski areas are calling it a season, the snow has been melting around town, and the backcountry conditions are shaping up at the higher elevations. Aspen had an above average year in terms of snowfall but we saw three dust events, one of which was pretty significant. How that will affect our spring ski season remains to be seen, but it won’t...
Another Elk Mountain Grand Traverse has come and gone. The annual 40 mile ski race from Crested Butte to Aspen has become a rite of spring for Christy and me, we’ve done it 13 of the 17 years it’s been held, the last seven as a couple. We’ve always loved the event and we’ve encouraged anyone who’s curious to check it out. Unfortunately, for the 3rd time in the history...
We began our spring 2014 Centennial Skiers season with Red Mountain.
Along Spruce Creek, on the way to Margy’s Hut. With one week to go before the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse, Christy and I wanted to get in one final long training day. We had a lot of ideas for fun new ways to log some miles, most involving high ridges and/or summits, but as the day approached, the weather once again made the decision for us. We would have to...
Hayden beckons. A real backcountry ski day was long overdue. That’s not to say that training days and races on the rando gear don’t count. It’s just that we really missed being out on a regular backcountry ski day, with the heavy packs, a normal lunch instead of race food, and a real ski objective. (more…)
The weather challenged everyone from the start, pictured here, all the way to the finish. What a day…. As we drove to the start of the race in Snowmass, the storm’s intensity increased. Despite the March 1st date, it was actually raining, so heavily that our windshield wipers were on high as if we were driving through a summer thunder storm. (more…)