There goes dad again. Boone Caudill in the aspen trees near his family cabin in Colorado.
Powder was had this past weekend.
We returned last night from a 3-day backcountry skiing cabin trip in the area between here and Crested Butte. Snowpack depth in this region (one of Colorado’s “high snow micro climes”), is averaging about six feet (in sub-alpine zone below timberline).
Our snow is building fast now that winter’s wettest months are upon us. Should be plenty of terrific March and April powder backcountry skiing, along with the May/June spring snow season we long for every year. Photo story below, click images to enlarge.
Our mission this trip: Two men, with 60+ years combined experience in avalanche safety, mentoring four strong and committed teenage skiers with their lives ahead of them. We began each day with weather radio and a group consensus on hazard level, then proceeded to group assessment, then set group goals based on hazard. The boys rated avalanche danger on this trip as Considerable/Extreme. Goal: Remember avy beacons are for finding dead people. With that in mind, find 100% avalanche safe powder then rip it. Aspen glades provided the key. Three days of avalanche safe backcountry powder skiing was the result.
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.