Early Season Ski on Guanella Pass
Posted by sainteterre on November 7, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Ah. It’s that time of the year here in Colorado where there is just enough snow to tease then coax the snow-deprived into packing their gear up a hill only to destroy the goods in one run. Steven and I, without many 14ers we feel comfortable to climb right now, decided to head out to Guanella Pass to scout out some places for riding this winter. Our goal initially was to just build a big enough jump to goof around on (a birthday tradition of mine with friends since I was in high school), but when we saw the wide open runs we convinced ourselves there was enough snow for a few turns.
Well, we were right–in so far as we took a few turns just to dodge giant granite boulders and saplings. The snow was thick and heavy with a nice crust on top that made turning about as easy as driving a rear-wheeled pickup in mud. I ended up clipping the top of a buried tree, which sent me full lam into a medium sized sapling, resulting in a massive muscle contusion and sprained ankle. Steve took a large rock right to the core of his ski and was barely able to get down the hill due to the drag it caused.
Despite let down expectations of deep turns and big drops, it was still a really fun day with a friend. It definitely whetted our appetites for more backcountry riding. So, as soon as we get that season-opening dump, be sure to check back for another goofy video.
Cheers,
Jason
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Early Season Ski on Guanella Pass
Posted by sainteterre on November 7, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Ah. It’s that time of the year here in Colorado where there is just enough snow to tease then coax the snow-deprived into packing their gear up a hill only to destroy the goods in one run. Steven and I, without many 14ers we feel comfortable to climb right now, decided to head out to Guanella Pass to scout out some places for riding this winter. Our goal initially was to just build a big enough jump to goof around on (a birthday tradition of mine with friends since I was in high school), but when we saw the wide open runs we convinced ourselves there was enough snow for a few turns.
Well, we were right–in so far as we took a few turns just to dodge giant granite boulders and saplings. The snow was thick and heavy with a nice crust on top that made turning about as easy as driving a rear-wheeled pickup in mud. I ended up clipping the top of a buried tree, which sent me full lam into a medium sized sapling, resulting in a massive muscle contusion and sprained ankle. Steve took a large rock right to the core of his ski and was barely able to get down the hill due to the drag it caused.
Despite let down expectations of deep turns and big drops, it was still a really fun day with a friend. It definitely whetted our appetites for more backcountry riding. So, as soon as we get that season-opening dump, be sure to check back for another goofy video.
Cheers,
Jason
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