2.12.2011

With a week of warmer weather and a settling snow pack I spent the time skinning, and getting sunburn in the mountains around Telluride.  Starting early on saturday with bacon and coffee I met Brian C. and Dustin H. with intentions of skiing the Silver chute off Silver Mt.  Skinning up the north side of Lena basin I had my doubts of getting around the south side of the peak due to the quickly warming sun.  Summiting Silver I decided to ski back into Lena basin in the cold north facing powder, Brian and Dustin continuing on making the exposed and scary traverse to the entrance of the Silver.  Back in the Bear Creek basin I met up with Jim C on his way to ski the north side of K 12, I joined in.

After a short but steep skin we were looking at soft creamy snow back to valley below.  Not wanting skiing to go buy to fast we stacked tight turns from just under the summit to the bench below.  Wanting a few more turns and time left in the day we put our skins on and made the move to ski the Bear Face off Little Wasatch.

2.13.2011

Sunday blessed us with another beautiful day, warm, sunny, and a dinner party up at the Alta Lakes Observatory.  Skiing over to the house with Chason and Emily we empty our packs of the nights dinner and drink and started up to the Birthday chute above the house.  Having tried to ski the Birthday four time earlier this season and being turned back for one reason or another I was hoping this would be the day we would be able to gain the ridge and put turns down the Birthday Chute.

Great snow all the way back to the house was only to be out done by Annie P’s amazing dinner in one of my favorite places in the San Juans.

2.14.2011

It’s always a treat run into friends from out of town when you don’t expect to.  Late sunday I met up with two friends from Durango, Parke and Ryan and made plans to ski the classic Telluride tour, Trout Lake to Ophir.  With plans set and the Ski Patrol rookie party in full swing the only thing left to do was grab one more beer before heading home.  Breakfast at the Butcher and Baker and it was off to Ophir to drop a car and on to the skin track.

In, what seemed like no time at all we were standing on the ridge looking down towards Ophir embracing the wind and excited to ski.

Great skiing with great friends in one of the most amazing places, I love my life…

Josh Williams entering the Graveyard

click the link to view slideshow

http://vimeo.com/18367226

The Wire and Silver Chute mid summer

Scoping lines is a year long activity.  For one reason or another skiing always seems to occupy the mind no matter what the season.   Watching the mountains change throughout the season has become a favorite past time. This post contains just a few photos taken in the back yard of Telluride during different times of the year.

The Wire in the Fall

Palmyra and Silver Mountain

From the first snow of the fall throughout the hot summer days there is much to learn from watching the mountains transform through-out the seasons. Some lines that never looked possible gleam with possibility, and others continually expo their cruxes which might never be challenged by skiers.

The Wire and Silver Chute mid winter

Sneffels in early spring

Different times and different angles shed light on different possibilities.

Sneffels and yankee boy basin in early summer

Keeping your eyes on the lines until that moment when the snowpack, weather, and right friends all line-up. It may be a year or many years in some cases before your standing on top of that line that you’ve been looking at, but when you do it all seems to make sense.

Entrance to the 'Super Sic' couloir

The moment of truth.