On Mount Sopris.
Mount Sopris is the quintessential peak, white capped, riven by couloirs, crowned with twin summits rising 7,000 vertical feet above our quaint village like a Jules Vern fantasy. Less informed locals sometimes think the mountain is a volcano, as from most angles it appears to stand alone, apart from any parent massif. That’s not the case. Sopris is indeed lofty, but just behind the alp are its parental units: 14,000 foot Snowmass and Capitol peaks. The area is big alpine, always good for a special day.
I was going to lead with some ski hero shot, preferably of myself so I could maintain my egomaniac qualifications, but last Friday was Lisa's birthday so here you go. This photo was taken Sunday on top of Baldy, above Four Mile Park. The low, timber covered mountain on the left is Williams Peak, kind of a mini Wasatch what with all the open aspen trees and consistently good powder once the base builds up. To the right is massive Mount Sopris. Since it's the western buttress of the Elk Mountains, east side of Sopris stays wind scoured most of the year. The good winter skiing is over on the left (northerly) side in a series of bowls and drainages that extend for miles. So, that's where we went on Saturday.
Birthday girl on Mount Sopris. In this shot we're on the 'backside' from home, tracks are on a southeast exposure. The first 2,000 vertical feet of this side can make for some terrific skiing, but go too low and you're trapped in convoluted terrain that resembles a corn maze, and eventually places you above some interesting ice climbs in Bulldog Creek. Best, skin and hike back up over Bull Saddle. Cool thing about doing this is that in the Bull saddle area and farther east you'll find a lifetime of timbered powder skiing terrain
Lap 3, this timbered area near Bull Saddle has been tempting me for years. Not a huge amount of vert, but enough to make multiple laps work perfectly.
Somehow we convinced John Gloor to make the long drive down from Aspen. He uses a snowmobile for access like we do, so we were able to do the sled road with two machines, much nicer than being out there with only one snowmobile (in case of mechanical problems).
Lou, Lisa, John Gloor (left to right) at the summit, looking easterly at the 'parental units'
Oh, I almost forgot, happy birthday dear!
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.