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About Christy & Ted
- Colorado 13er & 14er Ski Descents

Home
The Latest
Categories
About Christy & Ted
- Colorado 13er & 14er Ski Descents

On Foot

Toubkal

April 2, 2020

13ers & 14ers, Peakbagging, Travel & Destinations

After three days of skiing in the High Atlas, it was time to climb...

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Tour du Mont Blanc

September 24, 2019

On Foot, Running, Travel & Destinations

Thoughts and photos from a four day Tour du Mont Blanc trailrunning trip around...

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Vestal Basin, Whitehead Trail, Weminuche

September 3, 2019

13ers & 14ers, On Foot, Peakbagging, Running, San Juans, Uncategorized

A couple of days of hiking and running adventures in the northern Weminuche Wilderness,...

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White Dome and Peak One

August 23, 2019

13ers & 14ers, Camp/Backpack, On Foot, Peakbagging, San Juans, Uncategorized

A post from our recent trip to the Weminuche, to climb White Dome, Peak...

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Hut Run Hut 2019

August 7, 2019

Hut Trips, Running, Travel & Destinations

The summer trail running season is upon us and our Hut Run Hut trips...

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Macey Lakes

July 31, 2019

13ers & 14ers, Camp/Backpack, Peakbagging, Sangres

Exploring the valleys and summits of the Sangre de Cristos, this time up to...

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Jemez Mountain 50k

June 3, 2019

Races, Running, Ultras

Some thoughts on the Jemez Mountain 50k trail race in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

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Otztal Traverse

April 22, 2019

Backcountry Skiing, Hut Trips, Peakbagging, Skiing, Travel & Destinations

A six-day hut and ski traverse through the Otztal region of the Tyrloean Alps.

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@tedmahon on Instagram

tedmahon

Mountain traveller 🏔🏃🏽‍♂️⛷🚴‍♂️⛺️ | Aspen, CO

Old Man of the Mountain, definitely one of my fave

Old Man of the Mountain, definitely one of my faves. And Handies Peak behind, also high on the list. #sanjuans #peakbagging #13ers #wildflowers #lakecity #alwaysgo

Starting the #14er season off with a favorite 🏔

Starting the #14er season off with a favorite 🏔😀🙏

Getting to that happy place.

Getting to that happy place.

Still going. #backcountryskiing #secondseason #ear

Still going. #backcountryskiing #secondseason #earnyourturns #alwaysgo ⛷ @aspenchristy

Sometimes it’s hard not to stare.

Sometimes it’s hard not to stare.

It’s easy to hang up the gear and call it a seas

It’s easy to hang up the gear and call it a season once it gets warm, but if you’re willing to stick with it and put in the effort, you might be rewarded. ⛷ @steepskiing @aspenchristy 🏔 deep in the elks @kaestleski #forskiers #tx93 #backcountryskiing #skimountaineering #13ers #alwaysgo #secondseason

It’s best to take the long view on things these

It’s best to take the long view on things these days.

On the day after Easter Sunday 🐣 20 years ago,

On the day after Easter Sunday 🐣 20 years ago, I went skiing ⛷ with a girl I had met. We went to Quandary Peak, it was her first time trying to ski a #14er.
🏔
She was on old tele’s, in a somewhat mismatched outfit, with a borrowed beacon and one of those old Lifelink shovels. And I don’t mention those details as if I was some master of the backcountry at the time either. We were both rookies to varying degrees and had a lot to learn.
🏔
It’s hard to believe what that first ski day would eventually lead to, for Christy, for me, and especially for the two of us as a couple. My how time flies.
🏔
While we have time to reflect on things, I think it’s important to acknowledge the partners in life that help make things possible. And one thing I’ve learned is that when you find a good one, hang on to them!! 👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻
🏔
Cheers to 20 more years of skiing peaks @aspenchristy!

Sometimes the the destination doesn’t really mat

Sometimes the the destination doesn’t really matter. #alwaysgo

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Mike Kelly on Bard Peak
Ted on Bard Peak
Ted on Bard Peak
Mike Kelly on Bard Peak
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@aspenchristy on Instagram

aspenchristy

Mountain Adventurer. Ski Mountaineer. Art Connoisseur. Environmental Steward. Nature Lover. Birder.

The world has changed a lot since 2018 when we wer

The world has changed a lot since 2018 when we were last able to run the Lake City 50. The benefits include thinking more about social, environmental, and health issues rather than race times and personal performance. But sure was nice to get to @lakecityco and the Divide this weekend with @kfranzmann and @AllenHadley for the ‘filet mignon’ of the course! Thanks @tedmahon for the handmade race awards- everyone was a winner! ⭐️ And the active recovery ride up Slumgullion and Spring Creek Pass didn’t disappoint! #lakecity21.5 #newgoals #trailrunning #continentaldividetrail #lakesancristobal #slumgullionpass #springcreekpass #icanseeformiles #lettheoutsidein #alwaysgo

The nights you don’t want to end...#colorado #co

The nights you don’t want to end...#colorado #colubinecorner #summerseason #cyclingthroughlife #lettheoutsidein 🌱🚲🏔🙏☀️

Grateful to have the freedom to explore this amazi

Grateful to have the freedom to explore this amazing land of ours! 🏔 ⭐️ Thank you to all the people who have served and continue to serve our country. A little sad to see the snow quickly disappearing from the high country but looking forward to a little ☀️ 🦶 🏕 🙏
📷 @tedmahon #lettheoutsidein #forskiers #tx93

May 16, 2010, the alarm goes off at 10:45 pm. I’

May 16, 2010, the alarm goes off at 10:45 pm. I’m used to early alarm clocks but this felt different. Maybe its because I was up against the biggest challenge I had faced yet. It was the third time I was going for Capitol Peak that spring. I had tried not to let it be my last 14er, but it just turned out that way.
We met our friend Joey and Fred at the Snowmass Creek Trailhead at midnight. We followed the confusing route in the dark up to Moon Lake and made it through the notch between West Snowmass Creek and Pierre Lakes Basin just as the sun was lighting the sky with pastels. It was 6 or 7 hours just to get to the bottom of the peak. Now it was time to climb.
We traveled under the Knife Edge to the hidden couloir that leads to Capitol’s Southeast Face. We booted the ridge to the summit, enjoyed summit cookies (Joey had a cheeseburger), and tried to take it all in. All I had to do was ski down safely and I would complete a project which had taken six years.
I didn’t initially set out to become the first woman to ski all 54 Colorado 14ers. I just responded to the challenges of the mountains and went out to meet them most weekends during the winter and spring months. They had taught me so much about myself, as well as about the struggle of life itself. The adventure pushed me to understand how much potential we all have within us. It had fine-tuned my skills and determination, allowed me to explore my native backyard of Colorado, and shown me what living is really about.
So as I carefully picked my way down the steep face and traversed back to the couloir, memories of all the peaks flooded my mind like a film reel. I was filled with so much happiness.

Some say the key to success in life is picking your partners, I cannot end this story without thanking all the people who supported me during this project, but I want to especially thank my best friend and adventure partner. Ted’s gentle confidence, incredible photo documentation, and a particular gift of traveling through the mountains opened up an incredible opportunity for me to realize my own potential, and for that, I am forever grateful. #skithe14ers #capitolpeak #maroonbellssnowmasswildernes

Pyramid Peak had been in my mind for years. The Ea

Pyramid Peak had been in my mind for years. The East Face, or “Landry Line” as it’s known, is considered by many to be to the longest, most sustained steep line in all of Colorado. I had viewed it from far for years and seen it up close during summer climbs. I had wondered what it would be like to ski, or if I even had what it would take to ski it.

Looking back, I am especially grateful for the friends that supported this effort. Aware of the possibility of my finishing, a few key partners made themselves available to help in any way. After a bunch of phone calls, I had a team.

Early in the morning, we rode bikes up the dry road to the East Maroon Trailhead and hiked to the base of the route. We put on our ski boots, climbed up the apron, and then started the long 4,000 ft boot up the Landry Line.

It was a huge effort but we made it to the summit. The recent snow on the upper slope had sloughed off, and left a rough, semi-frozen bed surface for us to descend on– it was pretty gripping. It was hard not to feel the pull of the cliffs below. But once we made it off the extremely steep upper face, the conditions improved and the skiing was fun.
With Pyramid skied I only had one peak to go. But because of a slow-moving storm moving through the Rockies, it would be 8 days before I would be able to attempt my final 14er, Capitol. 📷 @tedmahon #skithe14ers #backcountryskiing #pyramid #colorado #14er #maroonbellswilderness #forskiers #lettheoutsidein #onemore

It was 5 pm on the summit of Mt. Wilson and out of

It was 5 pm on the summit of Mt. Wilson and out of nowhere, there was momentum. After Pikes Peaks on Sunday, I had finagled a rare mid-week day off from work at the museum and we had headed back down to the San Juans for another go at Wilson and El Diente. I had tried these two peaks in April but turned back in unstable snow and high winds. This day was better. The new snow was deep and with just the two of us breaking trail up the snowy north sides of these two difficult peaks, it was long and hard going up, but the skiing was awesome on the way down.
We hit El Diente first, where the steep traverse across the north side was more fun than scary. Next, we headed to Mt. Wilson and after a loose, mixed climb to the top, we saw that there was barely enough snow on the SE face to ski right from the summit. We made our way down and around into Slate Creek and eventually climbed back up to ski into Navajo Basin. The sun was setting as we crested Rock of Ages Saddle for the second time that day and once again we finished in the dark.
There would be no time to celebrate. We got straight in the truck and headed back to Aspen for work at 9 am the next day. However, we were so exhausted that we only made it to Montrose where we got a hotel. The next morning we woke at 5 am to make the rest of the drive. Back at work that day, I really didn’t get that much done. My mind was already planning for the next peak even though I hadn’t been home to unpack my backpack. My next day off was Saturday and I needed to start preparing for skiing Pyramid. Just two more to go...📷 @tedmahon
#skithe14ers #10yearsago #2010 #backcountryskiing #mtwilson #eldiente #forskiers #kaestleski #lettheoutsidein #sanjuans

Crazy to think that this year marks 10 years since

Crazy to think that this year marks 10 years since finishing skiing all of Colorado's 14ers! The last two weeks of the project made for a whirlwind adventure and one of the hardest pushes of my life. In this time of reflection, I thought it might be fun to share the story.
As of the beginning of May 2010, I only had five peaks left to ski -- Pikes Peak, Mount Wilson, El Diente, Pyramid, and Capitol. After skiing five 14ers earlier in the winter, I was setback by two failed attempts on Capitol, warm temps, dust storms, and a recurring respiratory issue, I came to terms with not finishing that season, or maybe even ever. I was crushed. We went ahead and made other spring plans, and Ted took off for the desert.

Then suddenly at the end of April, the temps dropped and it started snowing again -dropping more than two feet of new snow ALL over the state. It was GAME ON, I was rested, ready, and determined! I called Ted in the desert and begged him to come home to join me for the last five peaks.
The first peak to hit was Pikes Peak - usually an unconventional but easy 14er with a drive to the top, ski down, and then a climb back up. However, the road was still closed so we would have to skin 8 miles from Crags Campground trailhead to the summit at 14,110 ft. After an awesome ski down the classic Y Couloir to a wrecked car at the "Bottomless Pit", we took off our skis, hiked back up to the summit, and then skied back down to the Crags TH. It was a long effort on what is usually a short day, but l had to ski the classic line! One down, just four more easy ones to go...😂 #skithe14ers #backcountryskiing #skicolorado #forskiers #springskiing #pikespeak #colorado14ers #lettheoutsidein #nevergiveup #alwaysgo

Every summit is within reach if you just keep clim

Every summit is within reach if you just keep climbing! Happy birthday to this one who just keeps reaching higher! #keepingitclosetohome #lettheoutsidein #backcountryskiing #adventureswithelsie #forskiers #birthdaysummits

Nature gives us so much. It has the power to heal,

Nature gives us so much. It has the power to heal, to inspire, and to give us hope. Today, and every day, let’s commit to taking care of the 🌍 and each other! Resolve to do something good for the planet and take action on climate! #acesearthday #earthday2020 #earthdayeveryday #lovetheearth #saveourplanet #actonclimate #lettheoutsidein 🌍❄️💙📷 @tedmahon

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