Alpine start for our annual Mt. Sopris attack.
Waking up at 3:00 am is rarely easy. But the groaning rollover ends when you notice the temp is below freezing and large Mt. Sopris is gleaming white in the moonlight right outside your bedroom window. Get out there and it might be one of those perfect spring days. I’ve enjoyed fabulous ones. This weekend added another. The lack of dust on our local peaks is making backcountry skiing on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies the best in years. With our thin snowpack, it won’t last long. This weekend we climbed Mt. Sopris and everything — weather, views, snowpack, friends — made it one of those memorial spring days of WildSnow backcountry skiing.
Local skimo champ, Pete Gaston with his friend Jordan cruising up the saddle below the peak. ‘Cruising’ has another definition for these guys.
Bill Shepherd celebrating his 70th birthday WildSnow style.
Recap of WildSnow.com posts from week of April 6 thru April 10:
Quarry Saw — UpSki Carbon Fiber Snow Saw
Cycles of the Storm Days — Glacier Camp Alaska
Glacier Bay — Skiing The Weather Window
2 ‘Accident’ Book Reviews — And 10 Essentials
Atomic Backland Ski Touring Boots — Review
The day inspired Lou to work on his online Colorado ski touring guidebook, Sopris Chapter. Not sure if or when he’ll ever get that thing done, but slow progress is being made.
WildSnow Girl, Lisa Dawson, is the luckiest girl in the world. Also known as Mrs. WildSnow.com, she tests whatever gear she wants. She gives the WildSnow family of websites the feminine voice.
