Wetterhorn Ski Mission

April 7, 2015April 8, 2015

Colorado, San Juan Mountains, Uncompahgre Wilderness, Wetterhorn Peak, Matterhorn Peak, panorama, sunset — Wetterhorn Sunset Panorama : Prints Available

April sunset behind Wetterhorn Peak (14015 ft / 4272 m), as seen from the summit of Matterhorn Peak in the Uncompahgre Wilderness of Colorado.

Wetterhorn Peak stands above its surrounding basins like an ancient crumbling volcano. Rising to 14,015 feet, the pyramidal fourteener is not only one of the most photogenic mountains in Colorado, but its steep eastern face holds a classic ski descent that I’ve been wanting to snowboard for years. This last weekend I ventured out into the Uncompahgre Wilderness with a friend to hopefully ride and photograph this beautiful mountain. Continue reading “Wetterhorn Ski Mission” →

Occasional Outings

April 2, 2015April 8, 2015

Here’s a couple photos from the few occasions I managed to get outside during the last few weeks.

Southwest Powder Days

March 8, 2015April 8, 2015

Towards the end of February our month-long drought of snow here in southwest Colorado ended with a powerful snowstorm that dropped several feet of powder on the mountains. I suspect that nearly every skier in the entire region dropped what they were doing to get out and enjoy the return of winter! Continue reading “Southwest Powder Days” →

First Day

January 14, 2015April 8, 2015

Today was my first day on the splitboard this season. We are finally back in Colorado after our time abroad and it is great to be home, especially with a bluebird powder day greeting!

Colorado,Red Mountain Pass,San Juan Mountains,skiing — Skier: Don Moden.

Sneffels Ski

May 27, 2014

What better way to cap off a memorable winter season in the San Juans than a spring descent of Mt. Sneffels, the monarch of the Sneffels Range.

My partner for the day was Karl, our new friend from Germany who we randomly met and skied with the previous day. We left the truck at sunrise in order to get up and down the mountain before the hot May sun nuked the snow.

Colorado,Mt. Sneffels,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range, Lavendar Col — Climbing up the Lavendar Col on Mt. Sneffels – May.

Colorado,Mt. Sneffels,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range — Hiking to the summit of Mt. Sneffels (14,150 ft.) – May.

What a glorious day to be up high in the San Juans! There’s no denying by now that Mt. Sneffels has to be one of my favorite peaks in the world.

Colorado,Mt. Sneffels,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range, skiing — Karl Trellinger skis down Mt. Sneffels.

And there’s no better way to enjoy a favorite peak than to ski/snowboard down it!

Still Going

May 27, 2014

At the end of May we’re still enjoying great snow up here in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado! Here’s a few shots from the weekend.

snowboarding,Colorado,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range — Rider: Mikel Goicoechea.

Mikel made the journey down from Boulder and as usual he brought his good snow karma with him. We repeated a big route in the Sneffels Range that Charlie and I rode a few weeks back.

Showers on Saturday night dropped about 7 inches of snow in the high country. Sure, we’ll take some powder turns in late May, why not?

snowboarding, Colorado,Mt. Sneffels,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range — Snowboarder: Mikel Goicoechea. Mt. Sneffels in the background. May.

skiing, Colorado,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range — Skier: Claudia Brauer.

Sliding Around in the Tetons

May 17, 2014May 18, 2014

This last week I was up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming hunting spring snow in the mighty Teton range. Though the weather was a bit more unsettled than we could have hoped for, we still managed to slay two really nice long lines. Here’s a few shots from the trip.

Static Peak,Tetons,Wyoming, skiing — Buck Mountain (11,938 ft.) dominates the scene atop Static Peak.

4+ inches of fresh powder coated this entire cruisey 4,000 vertical foot descent. Spring skiing at its best!

Tetons,The Jaw,Wyoming, skiing — Skinning up towards The Jaw.

With long, tedious approaches and massive vertical rise, spring ski touring in the Tetons is a demanding endeavor.

Grand Teton,Tetons,The Jaw,Wyoming — The Grand Teton (13,770 ft.) as seen from the summit of The Jaw (11,400 ft.).

Wyoming, Yellowstone, Huckleberry Hot Springs — Prints Available

Our last day in Jackson Hole was spent checking out the impressive National Museum of Wildlife Art, followed by soaking our tired legs in some wild hot springs up towards Yellowstone. What a nice way to end the trip!

(Back in May 2009 I spent a week riding a bunch of big lines in the Tetons; see those photos here).

Sunday Cruisin’

May 4, 2014

Spring skiing in the San Juans, Colorado — Skier: Claudia Brauer.

Day 7

May 3, 2014May 3, 2014

Cirque Mountain,Colorado,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range, skiing — Skinning up high in the Sneffels Range – April.

Today marks my (and also Charlie’s) seventh day out splitboarding in a row. This last week since the big dump has been one of the best continuous stretches of snowboarding that I can remember… and it’s not over yet!

Cirque Mountain,Colorado,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range, Teakettle, Potosi Peak, April — Arriving at the summit!

Today we climbed and rode down another big 13er in the neighborhood.

Cirque Mountain,Colorado,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range, snowboarding — Charlie Bartosek riding amongst the giants.

P e r f e c t snow conditions today – old powder in the transition to pure spring corn snow, soft and smooth for high speed carving.

Riding Gilpin

May 2, 2014

Colorado,Gilpin Peak,San Juan Mountains,Sneffels Range, skiing — Skinning towards our destination: Gilpin Peak (13,694 ft.), San Juan Mountains, Colorado.

During yesterday’s splitboard tour, I could see that the big north couloir of Gilpin Peak was in the best shape I’ve ever seen it, full of smooth snow without any chunder. This line has been on my wish list for years, and Charlie, Dan, and I decided to come back today to track it up.