Brittany's Blog

Previously posted on my Thrillhead Blog

Now that the snow has been falling, I’ve been really eager not just for the ski season, but more for the skiing fourteeners season!

At the end of last year I sat down and came up with my goals for next season. Last season I was able to ski 23 fourteeners from the summit, making my total rise up to 30 ski descents. All but 8 of those 23 descents were done in April, May, and June.

I have 24 fourteeners left to ski, so I am now over half done! Unfortunately, I will not be able to ski all of them next season. Last season I tackled many of the easier peaks during the winter- peaks whose routes were not too difficult and whose roads were still accessible in winter. Many of the remaining peaks I have left are either more difficult descents that can only be done in spring conditions when avalanche danger is at an ultimate low or are peaks that are difficult to reach due to winter road closures. Due to this, my goal is to complete descents of 15 to 20 fourteeners this season.

Some of the more difficult peaks I have to tackle include Crestone Needle, Pyramid, Capitol, N. Maroon, S. Maroon, and Little Bear.

Some other peaks will be interesting due to their circumstances. Culebra, for instance, is accessed through private property. In order to ski this peak we have to contact the owners. Rumor has it that we will have to pay $1000 minimum and have a group of at least five in order to ski this peak. The Windom, Sunlight, and Eolus trio will also be interesting because of their location. In order to access these peaks you have to take a train that runs between Durango and Silverton. We’ll have to ask the train to drop us off at a specific point, hike from there, and set up a base camp to tackle to peaks over the next few days. Timing will be key on this because the train doesn’t start running until May. You have to hope that these peaks are still snow-covered and that weather turns out to be good at the beginning of the month in order to get these done.

The list of the fourteeners I still have to do is below. The ones that are starred are of utmost priority. In order to achieve my goal of at least 15 fourteeners this year I must ski all the peaks I have starred and then at least on of the trios mentioned in the list.

March/April
*Culebra
*Missouri
*Harvard
*Kit Carson
Crestone Needle

April/May
*Sneffels
*Wetterhorn

At least one of the following trios:
El Diente
Wilson Peak
Mt. Wilson

Little Bear
Ellingwood
Blanca

If weather looks right, skills good enough (hope to do at least one of these):
Long’s Peak?
N. Maroon?
S. Maroon?

May
*Eolus
*Windom
*Sunlight

May/June
*Pikes Peak
*Holy Cross
*Snowmass

Next season
Capital
Pyramid