Davenport's Blanca and Shavano reports are in...

On Shavano's summit, late in the day. They finished the ski by headlamp...

-15 degrees. Skiing great powder on Blanca Peak

5,300 vertical feet and almost 10 miles -- long enough that by the end, the sun was setting.

For the full report, and tons of great photos, visit www.skithe14ers.com

Davenport has one 14er left to ski!

Aspen skier Chris Davenport now only has Longs Peak left in his quest to ski all 54 peaks over 14,000 feet in Colorado in one 12-month period.
Over the past few days he dropped Mount Shavano and Blanca Peak.
He may tackle Longs later this week.
Backcountry ski authority Lou Dawson said on his blog "Longs is tough to find in shape for skiing, but Davenport has a knack for getting these things done and frequently doing so in amazingly good conditions."

More info at www.skithe14ers.com. Chris hasn't posted photos from his latest skis yet, but tune back in.

(photo from aroundcolorado.com)

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Welcome to American Airlines National Park (formerly known as Rocky Mountain). Could it happen? It already is, although the names aren't changing. The National Park Service is increasingly looking to outside private sources in an effort to help maintain parks, the agency's new director said recently.
Here's the AP story:
“We’re much more business savvy than we used to be,” Mary Bomar, a career employee who became director in October, said in one of her first interviews as head of the agency. A federal Government Accountability Office report last year said the park service is increasingly cutting back on visitor services, education programs and protections for natural and cultural resources because funding has failed to keep pace with rising operating costs. And the agency’s budget has remained tight in recent years as federal dollars have been scarce. The agency also has a years-long maintenance backlog that has been estimated to cost billions of dollars. Bomar said the park service admits it has challenges, including the rising operating budgets, shrinking staff, aging facilities and a diminished visitor experience due to these problems. Parks have also lost some of their relevancy and connections to younger generations, she said. Bomar said philanthropy will be a big part of a plan to revitalize and restore parks for the agency’s 100th anniversary in 2016, announced this year as an effort called the “centennial challenge.”The agency wants to “look at projects where we could match and leverage funding,” she said. “Why not?” The agency is currently bringing in around 12 percent of its budget from outside sources, while a decade ago almost 100 percentof the budget was federally appropriated. Officers have been holding meetings with private interests, increasing awareness about the agency’s fundraising efforts.Much of the private support for national parks is contributed through the National Park Foundation, chartered by Congress in1967. In past years, companies such as American Airlines Inc., Discovery Communications Inc., Eastman Kodak Co., Ford Motor Co., and Time magazine have each donated millions to parks. Some critics have been concerned that increased federal dollars could cross a line. In 2004, the agency proposed letting some employees solicit donations, accepting alcohol and tobacco company donations for the first time and giving donors the right to put their names on rooms, benches and bricks.T hose proposals were scuttled last year after criticism, and Bomar said she has no plans to revisit the issue. As part of the centennial challenge, the parks plan several “signature projects,” including a new visitor center at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and restoration of Ellis Island in New York Harbor. The Park Service has acknowledged that the aging Ellis Island complex has been neglected over the years, and the agency hopes to use some private dollars in an effort to restore the historic immigrant gateway. Bomar said she has no plans to re-open the Statue of Liberty’scrown, however, which has been closed to visitors since the Sept. 11 attacks. She was less forthcoming about other park policies, saying it would be “inappropriate to discuss” the issue of snowmobiles inYellowstone National Park. A temporary plan caps the number of snowmobiles entering Yellowstone at 720 a day, and allows 140 snowmobiles a day to enter Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Parkway,which connects the two parks. Critics say the vehicles contribute to noise and air pollution in the parks. Late last year, the agency issued a draft statement to statesand other government agencies proposing to maintain the current plan. A final decision is expected by next winter. “There is no decision made” on the snowmobile issue, Bomar said.

Study: helmet won't help skier vs. tree. But wear one anyway

The AP ran a story today detailing how ski helmets won't necessarily protect skiers during fatal accidents because most deaths (68%) are caused by a high-speed impact with a fixed object (usually a tree), resulting in chest and torso injuries.
Ski accident expert Jasper Shealy told the AP "Frankly, you're going to need more than a helmet to prevent that fatality."

True. But that doesn't mean a helmet is a bad idea. Beyond fatalities, there are all sorts of non-lethal ways you can bump your head on the slopes. A good, stiff tree branch to the noggin won't send you to the hospital, but it could send you home with a serious lump. Same is true with a ski or pole.

A few weeks ago I hit myself in the back of the head with my ski during an unplanned tumble (sorry, no video) and was fine because I had my helmet on. I often emerge from a tree skiing run with scrapes on my helmet, but none on my head.

Plus, helmets are warm.
There's no reason not to have one, even if it won't help in event of that final battle with Mr. Spruce.

By the way, for all you social trend watchers out there who have noted that people didn't used to wear helmets for anything, and they now show up in all kinds of athletic pursuits, I ask you, what is the next activity where helmets will become chic?

My wife says the downhill portion of the Pikes Peak Ascent.

At Wolf Creek, 48 inches over the weekend.

Seriously, any more snow at Wolf Creek and skiers will have to be dive certified to buy a lift ticket. Makes my 22-inch day at Beaver Creek seem like a dusting.

Barr Trail report: snowy, but packed.

Here's the latest trail conditions from Teresa at Barr Camp:

I came up the trail yesterday morning and there was about 3-4 inches of new snow over the ice on the bottom 3 miles. It was actually better footing than it has been due to the cold and the snow adhering to the ice beneath. It had been tracked so it was not too bad. The snow continued to get deeper over the rest of the trail to Barr Camp with some pretty deep areas where there was a lot of post-holing steps!
There were 9 people who went down on snowshoes yesterday around noon, so I am sure it is much more packed and with the cold temps it is probably pretty good. That said, the trees are full of snow and there is powder all over so any wind at all will re-drift the trail and it will be a post-hole trek in those areas.
Above Barr Camp has not seen any traffic since January 1st when 4 snowshoe clad people spent the whole day making the summit and catching the train down. I cannot imagine how deep the snow must be just below timberline, and what the drifting is like above there. The avalanche potential seems high, and the cold temps and wind blowing up there right now make it seem like a good day to be inside by the fire!
The trail conditions change daily if not hourly! When I went down Friday I was able to stay on the crust for the most part. There were some soft areas on the upper end and lots of ice down low. I was actually surprised at how much it had changed by the time I came back up a day and half later.
Quite a winter we are having! We have had about 116 inches of snow here thus far, with about 40 inches on the ground around camp. What a melt out we could have!

Happy trails,
Teresa

Rainy days, no-snow days, always get me down

Here's something to celebrate - we aren't trying to ski in Europe. At many ski resorts across Europe, there's more mud than snow. World Cup race courses are flanked by dead, brown grass. Tourists twirl umbrellas in the streets rather than clump around in ski boots. It's depressing, no?
Here's the AP story:
WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) The telephone hot lines at Europe’s ski resorts have gone cold. Most of those who bother to call are greeted with depressing news of high temperatures and lack of snow. “No winter sports are possible again today,” is the recorded message on the “snow phone” for Oberhof — a top German training area for ski jumping, bobsled and biathlon. “With the current warm climate it’s very clear that things have become completely crazy,” says the Meteo France national weather service recording. “We’re in winter and the temperature in the valleys is the equivalent of the end of March.” Tourism in the Alps is crucial for European economies, with upto 80 million tourists and 160 million ski days in Austria, France, Switzerland and Germany each year. Though a few lucky areas have snow, the situation is bleak for the majority. Much of Europe has seen record-high temperatures in January. In France, it’s been raining at an altitude of 8,200 feet and most ski resorts are below that. Only a few high-altitude stations— such as Tignes, Alpe d’Huez and La Plagne — are escaping the depressing drizzle. Tourist offices say February hotel bookings at French resorts are down, with only 40 percent to 60 percent of rooms reserved so far. The French are booking ski holidays at the last minute. Many are opting instead for sunny destinations such as North Africa or the Antilles. In Chamonix, France, one of the world’s top ski destinations, the temperature this week reached 54 degrees. Only about 60 percent of the resort’s slopes are open. Lean on snow and unable to make more on its World Cup course because of mild temperatures, Chamonix was forced to hand over its races to another French resort, Val d’Isere, which itself lost races earlier in the season. Hotel bookings at Swiss resorts have not been affected because tourists are lured by the sunny weather in the mountains, even if they can’t ski, Swiss Tourism said. In fact, ski resort restaurants, bars and pubs are thriving. The food and dining industry in the ski-rich Graubunden canton enjoyed a 10 percent increase in sales. However, daily lift ticket sales dipped slightly compared to last year. “Tourists are still booking. They trust there will be snow soon,” said Swiss Tourism spokesman Roger Waber. “Of course that could all change. Tourists could start canceling their reservations if there’s still no snow the next two weeks.” Less than 40 percent of slopes were open at the posh resort of Gstaad, Switzerland — known as “The Beverly Hills of the Alps”and a hot spot for celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Roger Moore and Paris Hilton. At Wengen — a World Cup host this week — organizers scrapped a men’s super-combination race Friday after the famous downhill course was damaged by rain. A fragile 2.8-mile white stripe that snakes down the Lauberhorn mountain, the course is flanked by endless blankets of grass and thick green moss on either side. Ski, snowboard and toboggan rentals at the drizzly resort have dropped 25 percent to 30 percent the last couple of weeks, said Markus Zumbuehl, owner of the Alpia Sport shop. “The hotels are full because of the races, but it’s vital for the village that the races go ahead. They’re an important commercial for us,” Zumbuehl said. Some World Cup venues can’t decide where to make snow first. Economic logic says the recreational slopes, but races receive wide television coverage in Europe. Calling off the races can lead to a rash of ski vacation cancellations. Low-altitude Kitzbuehel, Austria, home of the famous Hahnenkamm races, also is suffering. Mountain operators have banned public use of the race slope to preserve the snow there for the Jan. 26-28 races. The event is in danger of being moved to St. Moritz,Switzerland, where colder weather has allowed snowmaking. At Spindleruv Mlyn in the Czech Republic, snow is almost nonexistent.. So Czech adventure outfit Yellow Point earlier this season came up with “No Snow passes” — which it is now optimistically renaming “Apres-Ski Pass” — offering non-winter pursuits such as zorbing (rolling down a slope inside an inflatable balloon) and bridging (crossing a 700-foot rope bridge over the village dam). “There’s no snow,” Yellow Point director Ales Koca said. “Skiing is possible only on three slopes, but it’s not good. So we needed to come up with something else for people to do.” In the Italian Alps, where dandelions were sprouting over the Christmas holiday, resorts are relying on artificial snow. “We had very little snow in early December and since then it hasn’t snowed,” said Gianfranco Talamini, director of a Ski pass office in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a popular ski resort in northeastern Italy. Snowmaking cannons should allow the women’s World Cup events there to go ahead Jan. 19-21. But the freestyle world championships in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, scheduled for January, were postponed until March because there’s no snow.

Been a long time since I"ve seen Pikes Peak with so much snow

After the latest storm, the peak is whiter than a rerun of Leave it to Beaver.

Is there a record snowpack? It's hard to know because the snotel automated snowpack recorder near Glen Cove started to malfunction when the last storm hit. Up to that point, it appears that Glen Cove had received 12.7 inches of precipitation from October to January. That's more than double what the peak saw last year.

If this keeps up, it could be an epic backcountry season when snow stabilizes above treeline this spring.

The best ski day of the year

You never know when it's going to happen, but when the ski day of the year presents itself, you better be ready.

Saturday, a snowstorm clobbered Beaver Creek with 22 inches of snow in 24 hours. With snow continuing to fall, my wife and I hopped in our car (fortunately we were staying in Frisco) and zoomed over. We hadn't had a decent powder day all year.

Thousands of other people had the same idea we did. The free parking lots at BC were bulging with cars, and everyone was scrambling to get up to the mountain to revel in this rare dump. We all soon came up against the same problem though. The free shuttles that take people 1.5 miles up to the base area were no where to be seen. Maybe a few too many bus drivers called in a powder day? Who knows? But a line of people 100 yards long piled out of the bus depot. And it grew, and grew, and grew.

Finally, people started walking up the road. We joined them. Hundreds of people, with skis slung over their shoulders, shuffling in stiff boots, and a snake of traffic slowly slithered by on the snow packed road.

It looked like some kind of natural disaster footage, with scores of refugees on foot.

We tried hitching a ride, but apparently the rich of BC don't like mixing with the snowy masses. Or maybe they just were so eager to get on the snow they didn't want to stop.

After about 20 minutes of walking we were picked up by a Texas tourist in a rental Impala who dropped us at the resort.

The skiing wasn't just phenomenal. It was transcendental. It was an accidental Zen celebration of the world's fleeting beauty. Living in the moment. Sweet concrete verb. I felt like a freakin' Jedi flying down through steep bumps pillowed with bottomless powder. The force was strong with this one.

It was one of those days when you have to ski the steeps just to keep your speed up.

Oh, and it was warm -- 22 degrees. Quite a bit warmer than the icebox of the Front Range.

It was so good we decided not to go skiing the next day. It could only pale in comparison.

I hope it's not the best day of the season, but it may be.

(Photo from wolfcreekski.com)

2 feet of snow!?!?!?

(photo courtesy of Wolf Creek ski area)

I'm here in the office, trying to catch up from being gone the first week of Jan. This message from Cat just popped up on my screen, added in present time to an old post:

We live in Pagosa Springs (base of Wolf Creek) and we're getting plenty now :) I'm ready to ski! I'm unsure yet what Wolf Creek's totals are but we have almost 2 feet here and it's still going.

Men in Black - on the slopes??

From the AP:

The two dozen FBI agents who swarmed Park City Mountain Resort weren’t busting anybody Friday. They weren’t even armed - unless you count the sharp ends of ski poles.

With the temperature near zero, agents hit the slopes - some on challenging runs, others on bunny hills - in an unusual drive to publicize the FBI and perhaps attract a few recruits. They got some work to do.

Some skiers thought the whole effort was nutty. Jokes flew about agents skiing on the public dime, but nobody seemed to mind. “This is a first for the bureau,” FBI recruiter Carol Covert (aw, is that really her name?//dena) told agents as they lined up at the base of a chair lift with a new, gleaming 40-foot command truck parked nearby. “So remember, ski and recruit!” she declared. “If this goes well, we’ll do it at other resorts.”

(Please, oh, please, folks, if you see agents in Colorado, drop me or Dave or Deb a line!)

Skiers can be chatty on chair rides, where agents were doing some of the recruiting. Starting salary for an agent: $52,400 plus location pay. Anyone who snapped photos of agents kicking up the 8 inches of fresh powder here could turn in the images for trinkets, including FBI calculators, patches and pins. (Sweet!)

Donde esta la nieve?

It's 8 degrees at the Gazette right now. But the sun has come out. We got maybe 1.5 inches of snow. Sort of disappointing considering I was blogging about feet of snow yesterday. Even the mountains, for now, have been gyped. Breck is reporting 0 inches. Wolf Creek only 6.
But the storm is going to stick around, and may drop a lot more white stuff. We'll see.

In the no-fall zone: Davenport posts latest pics

Aspen skier Chris Davenport, who is three peaks away from skiing all Colorado's 14ers in one year, just posted photos from his latest peaks, Little Bear and Crestone Needle. His party had a very close call in Little Bear's Hour Glass, which is sketchy in the summer, and must be downright terrifying to ski. Here's an excerpt:

Once on the ski route the group skied the firm and slightly crusty descent. Arriving several hundred feet above the hourglass, we all had to make a committing turn around some water ice that bulged in to the line. I went first and stopped to look back and take a photo of Christian. When he made the move however, his heavy pack combined with the fact the he hadn’t snapped his ski mode levers on his boots into place pulled him over backwards and he began to fall. Christian quickly accelerated on his back, all the while trying desperately to self-arrest. When he finally got his skis under him he was out of control and he shot sideways into the rocks, and then spun around back wards, airing ten feet off one cliff and landing hard on another. He then back-flipped twice off of that cliff and finally self-arrested in some softer snow a hundred feet below the hourglass and three hundred feet below us. I was astounded when he put his hand up and shouted to us that he was OK. In fifty peaks on this project that was the first fall and also one of the scariest falls I have ever seen. He came away with a laceration to one finger and some bumps and bruises, but most importantly a very humbling learning experience about control in a no-fall-zone.

For a day so cold the snow squeaks, a favorite poem

Pine tree tops

In the blue night
frost haze, the sky glows
with the moon
pine tree tops
bend snow-blue, fade
into sky, frost, starlight.
The creak of boots.
Rabbit tracks, deer tracks,
what do we know.

-Gary Snyder

Walk atop the snow

If you've been itching to try snowshoes, you're in luck. Gazette writer Deb Acord, who loves to 'shoe, will be out this weekend testing a couple of styles for a story to appear in next Friday's Out There section. And there are a handful of clinics coming up where you can try shoes at no, or minimal, cost.

++ The third annual Grand Lake Snowshoe Festival will feature a 7K race, celebrity snowshoe races, children’s races and a technique tour led by snowshoe racer Tom Sobal. Events start today at the Hospitality Haus in Grand Lake and continue through Monday. The competitive race starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, and there's a 7K fun run starting at 9:35 a.m. Warm up with some chili 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The cele race starts at 1 p.m., and the kids events at 2 p.m. The technique tour also begins at 2, and there's a seminar with Ryan Gray on mountain climbing in Turkey at 3. At 4 p.m. there's a seminar with Earl Clark and Richard Over on the 10th Mountain Division and World War II. There's an awards ceremony at 5 p.m., and a concert and dance at 7.

Stay over, or get up there Sunday for an 11 a.m. seminar with Stacy Fowler on fitness, and another snowshoe technique tour with Tom Sobal at noon - or catch the U.S. Forest Service film on “American Wilderness, American Values.” From 1 to 3:30 p.m. there's an antique snowshoe tour and sleigh rides at Winding River Resort.

On Monday there are snowshoe tours at Grand Lake Touuring Center.

++ On Jan. 20 head to Winter Fest at Rocky Mountain National Park. You can try snowshoeing, or attend a clinic on avalanche awareness, backcountry skiing or winter camping. Visit REI for details.

++ If you'll be busy skiing 'til later in the month, plan to attend a "Snowshoe Essentials" clinic at our local REI at 7 p.m. Jan. 25. Staffers will help you choose the right gear, teach basic techniques, and talk about great local trails. The local store is at 1376 E. Woodmen Road.

++ Want to take the kiddies on the trail? REI in Denver will hold a clinic, "Snowshoeing with your Baby or Toddler," at 7 p.m. Jan. 22. The Denver store is at 1416 Platte St.

With 12 days left, skier Chris Davenport has two 14ers to go

I got this note Wedneday from world-class skier Chris Davenport who is trying to ski all Colorado's 54 14,000-foot peaks in one 12-month period. He now has only two left. We'll have more on this soon...

This is just a quick update to let you know I have skied peaks 50 and 51 of my project yesterday and today. Yesterday we skied Little Bear Peak via the Southwest Face to West Ridge and today we skied the fantastic Crestone Needle via the steep and hairy South Couloir. Snow conditions were firm and slippery on Little Bear and soft on the Needle. I'm exhausted at a hotel in Westcliff and will drive home to Aspen tomorrow to write my trip reports and post photos. A big storm is headed our way and I have eleven more days to complete my final three peaks, shavano, Longs, and Blanca (which is totally wind hammered and dry)Stay Tuned for some eye candy!Chris

The next storm: feet not inches

I was catskiing at Monarch Wednesday, and all the guides could talk about was the impending storm, set to move in late tonight.
"Our weather folks say if could be the storm of the century," one of the guides told me. "They say it will be measured in feet, not inches."
OK, sure, we've had plenty of dire warnings of snow over the past few years that haven't materialized, but this year the storm always seems to exceeded the hype.
So... what are your plans for the weekend? If they include skiing, it might be a good idea to start them Friday. Or, dare I say, tonight? Get to a shelter near a ski hill, preferably one with a hot tub, and wait for the snow to pile up. It's supposed to hit most parts of the state.
If we do get two feet in Colorado Springs, (which is a little more than called for) I'm skiing The Incline. And the elk herd that has moved from Black Forest to Falcon will probably be grazing at my corner grocery.

A snowball's chance...

I can't believe my colleagues didn't get this in today's paper, what with all the talk of snow fatigue and such. (OK, OK, I SEE IT NOW, INSIDE METRO. ALL IS WELL WITH THE WORLD. BUT IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:)

There are numerous accounts of people from the East Coast buying snow on ebay, including this story about Colorado snowballs headed to Connecticut:

ILFORD, Conn. (AP) _ Chris Hansen's three daughters wanted snow for Christmas.

They're about to get it - all the way from Colorado.

With winter a no-show so far in Connecticut, Hansen found a way to fulfill his girls' wishes. The Milford man was the top bidder on eBay for three big plastic bags of snow from Colorado, an area of the country that got more than its share this winter. Mary Walker, of Loveland, Colo., offered an "Original Colorado Snow Auction'' on the Internet site and said that Hansen's bid of more than $40 was the winner.

"We're trying very hard to find a way to ship it so that it arrives as snow,'' Walker said. "None of the shippers will guarantee it, but there is a good chance if (the snow) is packed in dry ice.''

Hansen bought enough snow for each of his daughters to make a snowball. He said he responded to Walker's ad because it was quirky and because she was trying to raise money to buy a snow blower.

"I'm sure we'll eventually get snow of our own in Milford,'' he said. "But it was all in the Christmas spirit. The lady really needed a snow blower, and my kids learned that you can have fun and help somebody. A little silliness is a good thing."

(photo courtesy of Hollynorth.com)

Home, home on the arsenal

From the AP

Bison, once a key part of the plains ecosystem, may make a comeback at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, a Superfund site being transformed into a national wildlife refuge.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said today it plans to let loose 15 bison on about 1,400 acres of the 17,000-acre site to see how they do. Fish and Wildlife will release a bison management plan and sponsor a public meeting Feb. 10 at the arsenal.

The arsenal is about 10 miles northeast of downtown Denver. The Army manufactured chemical weapons at the 27-square-mile site during World War II and the 1950s. Shell Oil produced pesticides and other chemicals there until 1982.

The animals would come from the National Bison Range in northwestern Montana, and be released in March or April.

Strong, specially made fences first would be put up to keep the animals on the arsenal and out of nearby subdivisions. The site is home to about 330 wildlife species, including deer and bald eagles.

(Photo courtesy of Colorado Division of Wildlife)

A quick getaway

This is just a reminder to myself, two days back into the grind, that I DID get away for four days last week. How quickly pleasure can fade!

This is Crested Butte, from outside the Camp 4 Coffee window. I only grabbed water. My son devoured a chocolate doughnut and my mom later said the muffin was worth a walk in the cold!

The snow was good - and probably is great right now. Where are you headed Saturday or Sunday?

Footage from the huge avalanche on Pikes Peak

At the following link, you'll see Jamie Pierce, head guide of Pikes Peak Alpine School, walking along the cut road crews made through a massive avalanche that crossed the Pikes Peak Highway January 6. Notice all the pieces of trees in the snow.
Sorry it's sideways, lesson learned.

Click below to view a 9 second clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGMEmP_Klxc

Hey, did I tell you we're experimenting with video

I know, I know, big deal. Everyone from frat boys at strip clubs to Shiites at Saddam's execution are posting video to the Web these days, but give us a break, we move slow. I had to figure out how to hold a camera while wearing a green eyeshade.
But anyway. Here's video I compiled in November for a story that ultimately got canned. We hope to make short video a regular part of the Out There reporting package.

To view my sweet, sweet footage, click here

A moment of silence

For the ramen noodle guy. Yes, the man who invented the ramen noodle, without which many of us would die in the wilderness, died last week. Momofuku Ando was 96. He lived near Osaka, and in his lifetime, built a business around the fried and dried noodles. His company, Nissin Foods, was known for Cup Noodles, that reached 25 billion in sales last year. Check out this fitting tribute to Ando and raise a cup (of noodles) in his memory.

Wind and snow keep avy danger high

Avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE right now for most of the state, including Pikes Peak, which means human-triggered slides are possible.

Above is a photo (courtesy the CAIC) from the Dec. 31 slide that caught a father and son from Monument. Notice their tracks going in from above. For a full accident report, with map, click here.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reports since Saturday, several rider-triggered avalanches were triggered. Most were shallow, in the recent wind loading. There were several reported from the Berthoud Pass area, including one on a SE aspect in Current Creek triggered remotely from 200-400 yards away. Monday morning, a snowboarder triggered an avalanche in the East Vail Chutes (N-NE aspect). The slab broke well above the 'boarder.

But they also say some avalanches are breaking deep in old layers, with a fracture line several feet deep and up to 1,000 feet across.

The weather seems poised to deliver even more snow. The Avy Center says in today's forecast: "Soak up the sun and enjoy this lull in winter weather before another major winter storm rolls in Thursday/ Friday. Models are not in total agreement at this time, but they currently advertise a prolonged weather event with substantial accumulation in all mountain areas. Very cold to downright frigid temperatures will follow. Maybe we can say goodbye to the pine beetle."

Sparkle is dead. Long live Sparkle!

We didn't see it coming this morning when I dropped off Sparkle, the alley cat who has been my constant companion for four years, at the vet. She was alert. Content. She was just supposed to get an infected wound cleaned and be home for dinner. At 1 p.m. the vet called. A small puncture wound in her abdomen from a dog attack last Monday had gone unnoticed and grown into a massive, system-wide infection. It would be possible to try to save her, the vet said over the phone as Sparks was on the operating table, but success was unlikely. She recommended putting the cat to sleep. Since ol' Sparks was already asleep, we decided that would be the most humane thing to do.
Sparkle, or Fuzz, as she was known to friends, was a great cat, fond of spectator gardening, absorbing the news in the Gazette through osmosis every morning on the kitchen table, sunning on the front porch, sleeping under the covers and leftover cereal milk.
She was tough and tender at the same time.
She was buried at sundown Monday in our east garden.
We'll miss her.

My five favorite hikes in the region

As requested at a party I went to last night, here are my five favorite hikes in the region, in no particular order. By the way, this is for hiking, not biking.

1. Mount Rosa, both the long and the short way.

2.Aiken Canyon Preserve

3. Pikes Peak via Gillette

4. Deadman's Kenyon Loop

5. Waldo Canyon/Williams Canyon via the Bail Trail

The best dog booties? Let us know...

I know a lot of dogs that have three dog booties, because inevitably, when they are frolicking in the deep snow, a bootie pops off and gets lost.
A few years ago I would have said, "So what? Dog don't need booties."

But now that I have two short-haired dogs that love cross country skiing but get very cold feet I feel differently.

I have other friends with rugged, mountain dogs that get snowballs in the fur between their pads.

Bottom line: under certain conditions, dogs need booties. Even the dogs at the Iditarod use them.

But which are the best?

There are several designs from the very simple (home-made with duct tape) to the very elaborate (nicer than my boots.)

I would think a less expensive model is better, since some will inevitably get lost, but which kind stays on the best?

Give us your suggestions below.

Sparkle the cat, day 7, back to the vet

Twice daily IV's of liquid and force feeding of wet catf ood have drastically improved the energy level of Sparkle the adopted alley cat, who was attacked by a dog last Monday. However, she still won't eat or drink on her own, and more worrisome, a new VERY deep wound that escaped the attention of both me and the vet opened up on her abdomen yesterday. It seems to be infected. Even after repeated flushing it had a fowl smell. So... we return to the vet, hopefully for the last time.
On the "good news" list, Sparkle got out of her ground-floor conversant bed while we were away from home yesterday, climbed a full flight of stairs, and either jumped or clawed her way up onto her favorite sleeping spot on our bed. She wouldn't have been able to do that a few days ago.
Bottom line, her pain seems to be easing but I have a lot of concerns about infection.

Nice day for a ski... unless you have no shoes

My wife and I took our two dogs cross country skiing in Cheyenne Canyon this morning. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and with the recent storms there was plenty of great snow (a rarity on the Front Range.) We were having a ball but the dogs saw it differently. They got cold feet after a few miles and demanded in their own non-verbal way (holding up paws and looking pathetic) that we turn around. Stanley, our pint-sized pup, was lucky enough to get a ride down in the backpack, where he shivered the whole time, but seemed to enjoy the ride.

Avalanche on Berthoud Pass: 7 rescued, highway closed

We have more information on the huge slide on Berthoud Pass. It let loose at 10:30 a.m. on the pass's largest, most infamous slide path, Stanley. Stanley Mountain, where the slide started, is pictured above, with the old Berthoud Ski Area in the foreground. To view Stanley on a map with other regular slide paths in the area, click here.

Seven people were rescued from cars enveloped when the slide crossed the road in two places.

For video, click here.

For the latest from the Gazette, click here.

By the way... was anyone skiing there Saturday? What can you tell us?

Avalanche on Berthoud Pass: 7 rescued, highway closed

We have more information on the huge slide on Berthoud Pass. It let loose at 10:30 a.m. on the pass's largest, most infamous slide path, Stanley. Stanley Mountain, where the slide started, is pictured above, with the old Berthoud Ski Area in the foreground. To view Stanley on a map with other regular slide paths in the area, click here.

Seven people were rescued from cars enveloped when the slide crossed the road in two places.

For video, click here.

For the latest from the Gazette, click here.

Huge avalanche on Berthoud Pass traps at least six, closes highway

DENVER (AP) — Highway officials say a massive avalanche buried several cars and sent others over the edge on U.S. 40 on 11,307-foot-high Berthoud Pass about 60 miles west of Denver.
"Our crews said it was the largest they have ever seen. It took three paths," said Stacey Stegman, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Crews have rescued at least six people, she said. They were probing the area for other survivors.

She said some cars were buried in the snow in an area called Stanley near Berthoud Falls between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m.

Berthoud Pass is the main route to Winter Park, one of Colorado's largest ski areas.


Avalanche danger was CONSIDERABLE. Here's Friday's avalanche forecast for the area from the Colorado Avalanche Informaiton Center:
Snowpack Discussion
7 triggered avalanches reported today, all on N aspects starting near treeline. Six of these were in the new snow, but one broke much deeper as a hard slab. Fracture line was not recorded as visibility was zero. Today we have little wind with this storm. Instabilities are generally confined to the new snow. Beginning on Saturday, West winds will be on the increase which will have an impact on slab formation. Expect an increase in the avalanche danger tomorrow on the east half of the compass aspects, all elevations.

All I really need to know I learned at my bird feeder

It's snowing again, and the bird feeder on my back deck is one of the busiest places in Woodland Park. As I sit at my computer, I can watch the feeder. Here's what I've learned:

+ Down is a great insulator. These finches and chickadees have plumped up to softball size in the snow.

+ Sometimes, you can find treasures in somebody else's castoffs. The most successful birds are the ones who perch on the floor under the feeder, waiting for seeds to rain down on them.

+ The big man doesn't always win. Scrub jays have a hard time perching on the feeder, where their tiniest relatives are at ease.

+ Several small meals are better than one large gorge-fest. (OK, hundreds of small meals.)

+ Black and white is an especially effective outfit in the snow - easy to see, jaunty, even.

Vet puts Sparkle the cat on home I.V.

Sparkle the adopted alley cat who was bitten by a dog Monday is now on an I.V. drip because she is so dehydrated. She has refused to eat or drink all week. This morning she went to the vet and the vet said her wounds looked fairly good. She didn't have any obvious signs of internal injuries, but she was in desperate need of food and water. So, we're doing that now. I even learned how to put the needle in myself so Sparks could come home rather than staying at the vet's office. We've also started force feeding her a liquid cat food.

Immediately, there seemed to be good results. After a 15 minute IV drip and a little food Sparks actually got up and walked around. (This may have been to try to escape further torment.)

She was ably assisted on her jaunt by Stella the greyhound nurse.

View from the Butte

Here's a note from Out There editor Dena Rosenberry:
Greetings from Crested Butte!

Yeah, yeah, snow is on the way, but check twice before heading out, especially if you have designs on coming down this way.
Roads are supposed to be dicey elsewhere and there was some sort of gas line rupture or explosion - we're hearing news of both - down near Gunnison and there's no natural gas right now in Crested Butte nor Mount Crested Butte. That's the word since we left the slopes this afternoon. Few restaurants are open, the hotels aren't prepared and staffers are going a bit nuts trying to accommodate people. It seems most of the hotel heating is electric, so we're not freezing our buns off, but there are some homes and condos without heat tonight.
if you get a chance...

A clerk at the grocery store said there was an explosion that tore apart part of the highway near Gunnison. I haven't run into anyone with a clear idea what's what. Definitely check reports if you're headed down this way.
We're supposed to drive back to the Springs tomorrow.
Should be fun.

Other than that, the weather has been great. The snow, near as I can tell, has been good so far this season, but not great. There's nothing new, but groomers are doing a good job with what's here and there's still powder to the sides of runs that has been fun - at least for us newbies. But it snowed a bit up on the mountain today - just a bit - and it's supposed to start snowing later tonight, so maybe tomorrow morning will rock.

Later.

Think cross-country and snowshoeing. Here's some great spots

It's rare we have enough snow to do either in Colorado Springs, but now we do.

For skiing try there favorites:

Fox Run Regional Park

Rampart Range Reservoir

The Crags

Upper Gold Camp Road.

Snowshoers, here are some choice trails

Barr Trail (hot drinks at Barr Camp)

Bear Creek Trail

Gray Back Peak (This one's a real treat, and not too difficult)

Snarled city, great ski slopes

Apparently some people are getting sick of this whole snow thing.
I'm walking in to work today and one of my colleagues looks at the snow and says, "It's like when your wife learns a new joke, and you have to hear it over and over again as one by one she tells it to all your friends."

But for skiers there's good news. This storm didn't miss the high country. Summit County is reporting 6 to 8 inches. Monarch has 5. Wolf Creek has 8. For numbers around the state, click here.

And it's still snowing at all of them. Check out the Web cameras:

Breck

Copper

Monarch

A Basin

Tele-quilla shots anyone?

G3, maker of some of the hottest backcountry skis on the market is awarding free skis to the best use of a "south of the boarder moment in the backcountry. To enter, they say, merely enjoy a south-of-the-border inspired celebration during any backcountry trip over the course of the 2006-2007 winter, record the moment on digital video or imagery, and send the documentation to G3. Legitimate venues may include huts, yurts, snowcaves, bivy sacks and 1996 Ford F350 campers. Backcountry Fiesta submissions will be judged by the G3 staff on innovation, creativity and authenticity. One Grand Prize winner will receive a G3 Guide Kit, including a pair of 2008 G3 skis, G3 Targa Ascent bindings, G3 Climbing Skins, G3 AviTech Shovel, G3 Bonesaw and G3 SpeedPro Probe. To enter: send your non-returnable submission along with your name, address, phone, and email address, to G3 Backcountry Fiesta, 200 Donaghy Avenue, North Vancouver BC, V7P 2L7 or email your entry to: fiesta@genuineguidegear.com. All entries become the possession of G3 Genuine Guide Gear, and may be used for future promotional materials. Entries are due on or before Cinco de Mayo (May 5, 2007).

This is so sweet...

I've seen a lot of freaky things in the Red Rocks Ampitheater general admission seats, but never people skiing, as a Denver Post reporter did last week. Rock on...
But can he play Freebird?

Cat recovery, day 3: force feeding

Sorry for the graphic photo. As many Out There readers, and well-wishers know, Sparkle, my adopted alley cat was attacked by a dog Monday. She has a few good gashes that have been stitched up the the vet, but she shows few signs of improving. She refuses to eat or drink. I've had to start force-feeding her water with a syringe. I am also giving her small amounts of milk, just so she has some food. I keep hoping she'll realized I'm squirting her favorite food into her mouth and stop resisting. So far, that hasn't happened.
We go back to the vet tomorrow. Hopefully we'll have good news.

Conditions at ski areas getting thin

The Rocky Mountain News ran a story today about something I've been hearing skiers grumble over all week: no new snow...

"While the metro area and the eastern Plains are trying to get rid of snow, many Colorado ski resorts wish they had more of it as they head into what is typically the driest month of the season.
"It's definitely been busy like there's good snow, but there's not good snow," said Charlie Ellis, acting manager of Second Avenue Sports in Durango. "We have tourists in town from Dallas and Arizona, where they probably should have stayed home or gone to New Mexico." ...
"Said Jeff Hanle, spokesman for Aspen Skiing Co.: "It looks like the whole mountain area (of Colorado) kind of got gypped.""

Maybe all those front-loaders digging out the eastern plains could ship a little to the high country.
The best hope for fixing this situation naturally will likely arrive tomorrow when a storm rolls in.
Aspen is calling for five to nine inches by tomorrow evening.
Summit County is expecting five to 11 inches.
Five inches isn't exactly the Charles Atlas miracle fix to bulk up the state's wimpy snowpack, but it can't hurt. And reports show another chance of snow Sunday.

Forget 2007, it's time to think about 2008

If you want a choice slot in a 10 Mountain Hut, that is.

The lottery for slots in huts starts in a few weeks. Weekends in mid to late Winter fill up first. Want to get in while the getting's good? Visit www.huts.org to find out how to sign up for the lottery.

The above picture is from my latest hut trip at Jackal Hut south of Vail. The below image is from Fowler Hilliard Hut in 2005. Also south of Vail. Notice a pattern? Sweet, sweet powder.

BTW... these great pictures are from 'zette writer Andy Wineke

Serious snow on Pikes Peak

We were curious about conditions on Barr Trail above Barr Camp, so we went to a reliable source: Craig Burbank, a race walker who has reached the summit of Pikes Peak more than 450 times in the past seven years. Burbank is a dedicated walker who isn't usually deterred by a little bad weather. But he went up the mountain on New Year's Eve and only made it to the 11,800-foot level. Burbank says he turned around after encountering long stretches of knee-deep snow. He hasn't given up, though - he plans to try a summit bid this weekend unless another storm moves in.

Olympic torch to climb Everest

Blind climbers have made it to the top of the planet's highest peak, so have double amputees. So why not the Olympic torch?
That must be the thinking of the Olympic committee for the 2008 games in Beijing. They plan to send the torch up the South Col route.
Here's the story from the BBC.

This is salt in the wounds of the Free Tibet folks, who point out that Everest was part of Tibet until China invaded the country in 1949.

We'll see if the plan hatched in Beijing can stand up to the mountain's unpredictable weather.

Blizzard kept Texans away from slopes

Seriously.
According to the Associated Press, a Methodist youth group from Flower Mound, Texas bound for the ski slopes of Colorado was stranded in the blizzard that clobbered southeastern Colorado last Friday. They had to be rescued by the National Guard when their bus became stuck near Springfield.
This is just one incident that was reported but over the last two weeks or so there must have been thousands like it. People who tried to fly in and couldn't. People who tried to drive and never made it; or people who simply saw what the roads and airports were like and decided to stay home.

I haven't heard how storms effected skier numbers, but anectodally, mountain locals have told me the holiday season didn't seem quite as crazy as usual.

Oh, by the way, if you'd like to make jokes about the church ski group from Texas, do so below.

Sparkle the cat watch: still touch and go

As regular readers know, Sparkle, the adopted alley cat was attacked, probably by a dog, Monday. We found her later, after she had crawled into the house and settled on the couch. She was patched up by the vet and is on pain killers and anti-biotics, but she isn't in the clear. She refuses to eat or drink. She's even passed up favorites such as milk and tuna juice. We may have to start force feeding her tomorrow.
One good sign. Last night she got up briefly and hobbled around. She must have been tired of her bed.
Let's hope she turns the corner today.

Ski mountaineering races come to Colorado

It's been huge in the Alps for years, now Colorado is getting its ski mountaineering groove on with the Cosmic Ski Mountaineering series, five races where competitors race up, then down the mountain. Many include some pretty hairy terrain. For a full schedule, click here.

Watch out for slides on Pikes Peak

This note from Teresa and Neal at Barr Camp came to us late last week, but conditions probably still apply:

It is currently snowing, and we have a new snow depth of 24” with some areas having more.

When walking through the snow off trail, we could hear it collapse with a loud thud, which could indicate an avalanche danger up higher.

We are very concerned about hikers who try to hike up today and over the weekend; it is a historically a busy and popular time on the trail. We would recommend against hiking up at all until it quits snowing.

Breck's gondola opens!

I was at Breckenridge Monday and was one of the first people to ride the new gondola connecting town with Peak 8. It was a nice 10 minute ride. Scenic, quiet, and with none of the crowded yahoo factor that long-time free parking adherents like me have grumbled over for years. Two mittens up!

Avalanche catches local glissaders on Loveland Pass

A story in the Gazette today reported that father and son Stan and Mark Gingrich of Monument were hiking along the Continental Divide when they triggered an avalanche just south of Loveland Pass. The slide, on a western aspect, ran an estimated 500 vertical, feet, and was 300 feet wide with a fracture about 1 to 1.5 feet deep. They were able to rescue themselves. Avalanche danger at the time was moderate with pockets of considerable. These two are astronomically lucky to be alive.

I want to do a little bit of Tuesday-morning avalanche forecasting here. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 and I don't mean to criticize the pair, but I think it is beneficial to look back at incidents to see what can be learned.

I was skiing at A Basin Sunday when the slide happened, less than a mile away. It was a gorgeous, sunny, calm day. My skiing buddy Hunter, who does avalanche safety and ski patrol in Summit County commented as we were driving to the ski area that it was exactly the kind of weather when people die in avalanches. Blue skies inspire false confidence, he said.

When we got to the top of A Basin, we looked out at the alpine bowls of Loveland Pass. It had snowed six inches in the area three days before, and there had been some wind. Not an obvious red flag for avalanches, but we could see two naturally triggered slides that were, at most, 48 hours old. Both had started near protruding cliff bands where the rock had conducted heat down into the snowpack, probably creating an unstable layer of depth hoar deep in the snow.

Anyway, the warning signs were there.

Now, I want to go into some of the decision-making of the men, according to the Gazette article.

First, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, there were naturally triggered slides right next to where they descended.

Second, the two were "experienced backcounty climbers who have ascended 50 of the state’s 54 mountains over 14,000 feet." This is an often cited, but essentially meaningless fact. Avalanche danger is counter intuitive. More time in the backcountry does not make a person less likely to be caught. Some studies suggest the opposite.

Third, the father said he didn't think the danger was significant because the snow had not gone through a "melt and freeze cycle." This is completely erroneous. Freezing and thawing does not necessarily increase or decrease avalanche danger. Other factors, such as the temperature gradient within the snowpack, new snow, and wind events are much more important.

Last, and most important. The two didn't go one at a time. They were both sliding down an open slope together. They were both caught in the same slide and both buried. Even if they had worn proper rescue equipment, which they didn't, they wouldn't have been in a good position with both buried. This is a mistake too many people make. If there is even a chance of a slide, go one at a time.

What can we learn from this? Take an avalanche safety class if you are going to be traveling in the backcountry. It may not save your life, but it probably won't hurt.

Send warm wishes to Sparks

Yesterday my adopted alley cat Sparkle, long-time friend to many an Out There associate, was attacked by a dog and got a pretty good bite. The Vet patched her up last night. She is still unable to walk at this point and turned her nose up at Tuna this morning. We're all pulling for her.

What a way to start the year

Zen, my photo, as requested.