We were hoping to get some miles in on a tour that didn’t feel too aggressive considering all the new snow that fell recently. So Sean, Christy, and I put together a pretty fun loop outside of Ashcroft that allowed us to get up high and catch some views, ski a bit, and all while keeping the terrain pretty mellow.
Christy drops in for the third ski of the tour. They’re right in our backyard yet somehow Christy and I had never skied Taylor Peak or Star Peak. It was time. We caught a really good view of the 13,000 foot summits last week on our flight to CB for the Grand Traverse. Armed with a couple of photos and a good idea of the terrain having skied up in...
After an unusually long stretch of high pressure, it finally snowed. And with the arrival of the storm that broke the six-week sunny pattern, we headed up to a favorite spot.
Cresting Mace Saddle, the high point of the loop around Mace Peak. A week of sun and warm temps crusted up the powder in the backcountry, so we thought a different type of ski tour was in order. We grabbed the light skis and made a loop around nearby Mace Peak. (more…)
Starting the new year off right. If snowfall is any measure, it was an outstanding holiday season here in Aspen. Nearly four feet of snow fell over the two week period, and the skiing was incredible. (more…)
We escaped the holiday season craziness in Aspen and headed up to Tagert Hut for Christmas Eve, up in Pearl Basin above Ashcroft.
A ski tour beforehand isn’t required, but it makes the tree cutting day even more fun. Here’s how you do it– (more…)
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...
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...
Skiing the Pearl Couloir on Cathedral Peak.
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
