January 31, 2008 - Backcountry Shots, More Snow in Steamboat
January is almost over and I have been in Denver for a couple of days. I drove down here to drop off my friend Chad who was here to ski for a week, but wrenched his knee and had to leave early. It was a bummer that he got hurt, but we sure had fun while he was here.
We started with some backcountry from the Clark Peak Yurt. Avy conditions didn’t appeal to me, but we did manage to get in some really nice untracked powder shots in the trees.
It was Chad’s first BC trip. He climbed with snowshoes and his snowboard strapped to his back. He wasn’t too enthusiastic about the effort it all required compared to telemarking. However, once we were going down, he ruled the trees on his giant powder board. I was jealous.
The camera failed while we were riding in Steamboat on Monday, so I don’t have any photos. It was windy and conditions were choppy, but we explored some of the Steamboat Pirate Map stashes to see what we could find. We eventually found a place I had never been before. It was filled with great snow and awesome tree skiing. It reminded me of Andy’s Aspens, a run we did earlier this year with Steamboat Powdercats.
Chad tweaked his knee shortly afterward, and we went right to the Gondola Pub and Grill for some medicine. The next morning, Chad’s knee was shot and he decided reluctantly to head back to Portland 4 days early.
Steamboat reported 8 inches last night. More is on the way. Can’t wait to get back!
January 26, 2008 - Ode to the Sun!
Yesterday in the lift line I heard another local explain to a woman who was visiting from out of state that we hadn’t really seen the sun for more than a few hours for one day a week since ski season started. Yesterday was our weekly reminder of what that wonderful ball of light really looks like.
We started the morning cold and snowy and by almost 10 am, the skies opened up and we had ourselves a blue bird day. It was a wonderous site, especially because I was in the backcountry with friends and as my friend broke trail, the flakes of snow were glistening all around us. I didn’t have my camera with me, so you’ll just have to trust me that the sky was the most amazing cobalt blue against a crystal laden white ground. One of those moments that is etched in your mind as a memory from the ‘08 ski season.
Clint is out of town with a buddy on a backcountry hut trip, so I have been holding down the fort and the house for the weekend. We had a last minute cancellation by our weekend guests and then suprisingly enough, no one took us up on our last minute opening, and so the house has been rather quiet. That break will serve us well, since we are booked for nearly all of February. Those folks are lucky because we have an incredibly deep base laid down for their arrival, so no risk of twigs or trees or grass sticking up out of the snow.
More snow is in the forecast today, but I’ll believe it when I see it, since I am a firm believer in the “Out the Window Forecast”, so much so that I don’t watch the weather or follow it online. After ten years in this valley I know well enough when the snow is coming. The snow is coming when you look out your window and its already here.
January 23, 2008 - Beautiful Powder Days Continue in Steamboat
We had a weather miracle here in Steamboat last night. Despite radar and forecasts calling for only flurries, we ended up getting 10 inches of fresh. Its bluebird out there right now, and I can only imagine what a great day it must be to spend on the mountain. Sadly, work calls, so I am in my office only able to fantasize about the champagne powder that skiers must be enjoying today. Steamboat Powdercats is probably incredible today!
Last night, when is started to really dump, I looked at the radar. Here is what I saw:
Outside, it looked like this:
Today it looks like this:
So I guess we have to conclude from this that Steamboat Champagne Powder is so light that it cannot be seen on radar or detected by the forecasters. I love this town!
January 20, 2008 - Too Much of a Good Thing?
You probably know this already, but its been snowing endlessly here in Steamboat. 253 inches so far. That’s a lot of snow.
Emily and I went out yesterday to hit one of our favorite secret backcountry powder stashes. Its a place reliable for good snow regardless of wind events, sun events, temperature events, or anything else that might screw up the snow on other aspects. This day was no different. We found awesome snow.
But we also found ourselves facing a problem that we had been warned about earlier this week. Too much snow. Bottomless, it seems, can be a bad thing if you aren’t on steep enough terrain. Over and over, we looked for shots that would provide enough gravitational pull to make the snow work.
We found some short shots that were fun, but nothing that would allow us to connect more than maybe 3 turns before we found ourselves stopped in the snow up to our waists. So, we ended up breaking trail all day in deep snow, skiing around in circles, and eventually, after a lot of optimism and energy, turning around and heading home before it got dark, tired but happy to have had a great day of ski touring.
When we finally got back inbounds, it was way past 4PM. We were at the top of Pony and it had been closed for almost an hour. The resort was completely deserted. So, we took our time skiing down, enjoying some rare solitude in an area that is usually swarming with people.
January 16, 2008 - 7 inches, Cold, Challenging
I went skiing this morning with our guests Brian and James. Brian is a semi-retired investment dude from Manhattan and his son James is a Vassar senior on the ski team. They are cool and we have sincerely enjoyed the time they have spent here. Its a bit of a change of pace compared to the Denver folks we have had lately. One of the best things about running our guest house has been the people we have met, and this crew has been no exception.
Steamboat reported 7 inches this morning, the first appreciable snow in a few days, so I figured I should hit the slopes to see what I could find. What we found when we got there was, well, best described as “variable.” Emily’s father has been visiting us for a week, and he has been loving it, as you can see below.
The best measure of a skier is whether they can have fun in these types of conditions. The snow today was windpacked dust on crust. I didn’t see 7 inches anywhere. I did see beautifully sculpted snowscapes, wind blown crud, bitter cold temperatures, and all kinds of other stuff that sends the true tourists scampering for the warming hut. The mountain was completely deserted. It might be the most deserted I have ever seen it. James managed to get the best turn of the day on East Face as illustrated below.
It was a great day to test your skills as a skier. And let’s face it, it was long overdue. We’ve been slammed for months with 12 inch powder days and glory turns. Today was a day for the true skier to prove it. And prove it we did!
January 11, 2008 - 31 inches in last 48 hours
It just won’t stop. And we don’t want it to!
January 10, 2008 - The Ultimate Powder Dump
We woke this morning in Steamboat to 15 inches of powder. This alone is enough to make all but the lamest of skiers call in sick. But this dump was different. When I went out to clear the snow from the driveway, it was obvious that we had been blessed with a dump of the lightest, fluffiest snow you can ever hope for.
We headed out with our guests Valerie and John to see what we could find. And find we did:
January 6, 2008 - Better Than Steamboat Powdercats?
Emily and I went out late yesterday to sneak in some skiing since we had about 10 inches of new snow. We started out at the resort, but quickly gave up on that since the lift lines were long and the crowds impossible. It was a rare day when Steamboat felt more like Vail.
Translation: crowded.
Once we gave up on the lifts, we made our way to some of our most secret and most coveted backcountry powder stashes. We did this carefully to make sure nobody saw us and so that nobody could follow us, at least not by sight. As we made our way down to the jewels, we saw another pair of skiers down in the trees. Emily turned and said to me, “Man, its getting crowded out here.”
As we came around the corner to see who was poaching the powder stash, we immediately recognized our two best backcountry ski pals, Mike and Sandy. Turns out they had the same response when they saw us approaching. This is especially funny since we have met at least a dozen times in the same fashion, bumping into one another in the middle of nowhere. I know them well enough to be able to recognize their freshly broken trail when we get started late and end up following them, which happens often.
Once we met up, Mike asked us how our day with Steamboat Powdercats had been. He knew well enough to know that the snow was not perfect that day. We chatted about that, as well as last Sunday when Mike had returned to another one of the great local stashes. He related the snow conditions and how nice they had been, and I complained that he had not called me. We agreed that we should plan soon to head up to Buff Pass and explore some of the beta that the Steamboat Powdercats guides had shared with me while riding on the cat.
Then we all skied. We skied marvelous powder, some of the best powder I have had in a long time. After the first run, Emily turned to me and said, “That was BETTER THAN POWDERCATS!” I immediately disagreed, and reminded her of the run we had done with Steamboat Powdercats called “Andy’s Aspens” which was honestly one of the best tree skiing runs I have ever enjoyed. Two laps later, I was forced to reverse my position. The skiing really WAS better than our day with Steamboat Powdercats. And less expensive. Sorry, Powdercats. I guess we will have to book another day, so that you have another chance. Yeah, that’s it. We need another day with Powdercats. Like soon.
January 1, 2008 - Steamboat Powder Cats
For Christmas, I got Emily (and myself of course) a day on Buff Pass with the Steamboat Powder Cats. For those of you who don’t already know, Steamboat Powder Cats runs a snowcat skiing operation by special permit just outside of Steamboat Springs. Buff Pass is one of the premier backcountry skiing destinations in Colorado, and Steamboat Powder Cats, while not the cheapest way to do it, is the best way to get out and experience skiing in this fantastic terrain.
Overall, we had a very good day on the pass, the first sunny day in over a month. Wind events over the past several days have affected the snow all over Colorado, so the skiing was not as perfect as it could have been. As experienced backcountry skiiers, we were not phased by this. We have skiied much, much worse, and were able to have a great time up on the pass, as you can see from these photos. The guides at Steamboat Powder Cats were awesome and worked very hard to ensure that we skiied the best snow that was available given the patchy conditions.
Thanks Steamboat Power Cats for a great day on Buff Pass. We will be back soon!
