An Aspen Times article reports that Chris Davenport’s fourteener skiing project is off to a slow start. (He’s trying to be the first guy to ski them all in one season.) Chris was planning on hitting it fairly hard starting January one, but most of Colorado has been stormy, while the southern part of the state has remained quite dry. Many of Colorado’s 54 fourteeners are no doubt skiable at this time, but the big lines may not be safe — and since Chris is all about big lines, I can see why he’s biding his time. Nonetheless, many of us wish he’d get off the ski lifts and start climbing!
Jackson Hole isn’t the only place with parking problems on the “pass.” In Colorado, Loveland Pass is seeing huge crowds, including night time mobs enjoying the full moon and partying down. Problem is, Loveland is used by hazmat trucks that aren’t allowed in the I70 Eisenhower tunnel, and the backcountry raver’s parking is narrowing the road, thus making it hard for the trucks to negotiate. It all came to a head last Saturday night when the state patrol tried to get things in order. I laughed out loud at this quote in the Summit Daily News, from a State Patrol captain: “The last thing in the world we’d want is a truck of jet fuel running over some snowboarder crossing the road.” Sounds like the trucks might not have been the only things full of jet fuel.
And lastly, Ski Press News reports that a new ski resort will be built in Siberia. I’ve got my tickets already, how about you? It’s unknown how much backcountry skiing will be accessed by the ski lifts, but one can surmise from the resort drawing below. Possible backcountry routes added by yours truly.
Siberia Yurmanka Mountain ski resort, opening is planned for November 2006. Although it looks suspiciously like an aspen leaf, we are certain this is unintentional. Or is it?
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
