Spring was on its way, allowing the snow pack to consolidate as warming temperatures allowed for melt/freeze cycles here in Summit County. With a bluebird day in the forecast, Lexie Anderson and I ventured outside of Arapahoe Basin’s inbound terrain in hopes of descending the Shit for Brains couloir. We planned to ascend a western ridge south of Grizzly Peak and traverse Black Mountain to reach the line from above.Read More »Shit For Brains Couloir
Another season of snowboarding and splitboarding was making its transformation into the phase Colorado backcountry enthusiasts love, spring. With a (mostly) stable snowpack, longer days, and warmer temperatures, spring gives us the opportunity to pursue bigger lines that we may have avoided during the the mid-winter. This particular spring was blessed with an abundance of upslope snow storms, which filled in areas that may have previously been unrideable.
With some camping in mind, Pat “Perry” Johnson and I chose a zone not too far from home that holds access to some great terrain. Camping above treeline and having the ability to explore some new surroundings with little to no approach is always a real treat. After a bit of discourse we decided to venture above Wheeler Lakes Trail and find a spot well above treeline under Traver Peak.Read More »Mosquito Range Splitboard Camping Trip
The beginning of February brought us some really good powder here in Summit County. Just as things were shaping up to be a promising month for snow, a trend of warm weather began and persisted for a period that had everyone dreaming of more pow days. The mild temperatures were a nice break from the ice climbing and avalanche safety level 2 classes I took at CMC Breckenridge. During the avalanche level 2 class we performed snow profiles all around Summit County and things were looking quite stable. Thanks Dan Moroz for such a great class!
Pat “Perry” Johnson and I decided to take advantage of the relatively stable conditions and go after a bigger line. After some thought we decided to climb Peak One from Mt. Royal and tentatively descend the eastern ridge, leaving us some room to judge the conditions once onsite and maybe take a different line. We skinned up to the top of Mt. Royal and transitioned to crampons at the start of the ridge to the summit of Peak One.Read More »Peak One
Pat “Perry” Johnson and I ventured into a new zone in the Front Range with relatively low expectations. Our 7:20 AM trail start was greeted with a frigid 2 degree temperature that kept us in our puffies and insulated gloves well into the approach. After making our way off the well traveled road and towards our objective we were greeted with warming temperatures and sunny skies.Read More »Front Range Splitboarding 12/6/15
With snow accumulating in the high alpine, Pat “Perry” Johnson and Jon Creasy planned a camping trip into a part of the Front Range not too far from Breckenridge. Since I haven’t camped in winter weather in a while, I decided to take the opportunity to brush up on my skills and get out there with them. We reached the trailhead and started the skin to our destination. This consisted of pretty good snow but did have a lot of rocks and melted out areas to avoid.Read More »Front Range Camping Trip