Who doesn’t love this view?

Quite the climb.

Sonya smiles.

She rides pretty good too, especially through the fields of wildflowers.

Sonya, admiring the views.

Avery

No pics of the descent, since we were enjoying it so much we didn’t stop for pictures. But it was a great ride on a great trail with a great friend

March is one of my favorite months. The days get longer, the snow stays good and often is quite stable… it’s the time for long tours and big lines.

March
March opened up with a bang with a long tour beginning at Mt. Emmons, and then skiing Scarps and Peeler.

I was able to tick a few more lines off of my wish list, like the East Face of Gothic

and Teocalli.

I checked out a couple more new lines (new to me anyway). The first set were off of Mt. Emmons- Coon Basin and Climax chutes.

Another new line for me was the S-tube

Which was followed the next day with a super fun ski on nearby Hancock.

Two days later, we learned of the tragic incident on Mt. Curie, where our friend Jack Hannan died in an avalanche.

Jack’s death had a huge impact on both Frank and I. Personally, I couldn’t stop thinking about him or his lovely wife Laura. I still think about them both on a daily basis. But, we must find the strength to move on. Still, every time I venture into the mountains, I feel Jack’s spirit is with me.

April
My first fourteener of the season (also my first since 2008) was the mighty Crestone Needle.

After skiing the Needle I was ecstatic. I was back in the 14er skiing game with only 8 left to ski. Could it be done this season? Only time would tell… The next fourteener I skied was Little Bear

followed up a couple of weeks later by nearby Ellingwood and Blanca.

But, the climax of my fourteener season was skiing the much-anticipated, gnarly Capitol.

After skiing Capitol, I felt on top of the world! Perhaps I could finish my 14ers this year! I had only 4 left- Pyramid, Pikes Peak, El Diente, and Mt. Wilson.

Shortly after, I had a failed attempt, but great skiing, on El Diente.

After coming down from the mountain, I shortly learned that Christy Mahon had just skied Capitol herself, becoming the first woman to ski all of Colorado’s 14ers. I was disappointed, but I kept on going. Pyramid was my next attempt, and poor weather shut us out.

After that, it became obvious I was not going to finish my 14ers this season. Pyramid was nearing the end of it’s season – at least, if I wanted any decent skiing on it. I tried to go back for the next week, but kept getting shut out by really high winds in the forecast. I was feeling down, and having trouble focusing on my real goals. Being turned around on my last two attempts on top of Christy finishing her 14ers combined with being frustrated with the weather forecasts put me in a funk. I needed to get out of that funk and remember why I started the project in the first place. I started it because I loved skiing, I loved ski mountaineering, and I loved being out in the mountains. I convinced Jarrett to join me on an outing to El Nacho to regain my sanity.

El Nacho turned out to be a great day and was just what I needed. I was now rejuvenated and ready to try a more difficult line. So, Frank and I tried for the Spider Face. However, this line was a lot icier than anticipated. We didn’t feel comfortable climbing it without ropes, and so we turned around.

Three days later, we headed out to ski a fun line on White Rock, where Frank proposed to me! The views were amazing, and skiing was fantastic. Couldn’t have asked for a better day!

On Memorial Day weekend we headed back to attempt El Diente once again, along with it’s neighboring Mt. Wilson. Success!

June & July
After skiing Mt. Wilson and El Diente, I had only two fourteeners remaining- Pyramid and Pikes Peak. Pyramid was “done” for the season and, although I could have skied Pikes, I am saving it for last. So, my 14er skiing season was officially done at the end of May. But, I certainly wasn’t done skiing. I took the opportunity to check another couple off my wish list, like Ice Mountain

and Grizzly.

The night before we skied Grizzly, it dumped snow.

and that snow kept the skiing good for the next few days. Not able to find anyone wanting to join me, I headed out for a solo outing on our local mountain called Baldy.

Baldy Ski 15June2010 from 14erskiers on Vimeo.

Frank and I went back the next day to another part of Baldy to lay these tracks.

Then, I hit up one of my favorite fourteeners, La Plata, for the second time.

But, that fourteener took it out of me since it required quite a bit of walking for just a bit of skiing. I decided to put the skis away until the 4th of July, where they were brought out again for a fantastic ski on Treasury.

And that is where my ski season ends, for the moment. 104 days of skiing has passed by in a heartbeat. With the summer heat being extra hot this last week, I’ve been wishing for it to be winter again. If I have it my way, I’ll be back on the two planks again soon

I have never done a season in review post before. I never really felt the need. But, this season was full of story after story – from healing from last year’s ACL surgery, hosting several women to Crested Butte to my 14er project and other goals. To top it off, this season was my first season to top 100 fantastic days of skiing. I’ve been close to 100 before, but have never actually been able to top it in a season. This year was the year

I set out this season with some huge goals, most of which I was not able to fully accomplish. I was hoping to ski 120 days this year, but my knee and work prevented that from happening (although I will be fairly close!). I was also hoping to finish my 14ers this year, but was unable to finish my 9 remaining peaks. I was unable to hit Pyramid in good conditions, and then the line melted out as I sat around waiting for a week-long round of 50mph winds to settle. This left me with 2 14ers left to ski- Pyramid and Pikes, which I am saving for last. Though I didn’t accomplish all of my goals for the season, it was still a season to remember and I am happy with what I did accomplish. So, to honor and reflect upon the stories of this season, I’ve decided to do this season in review. By no means does this account for every ski day or every ski tour, but focuses on the highlights. I hope you enjoy.

Early Season
My season started off back in October, skiing at Loveland shortly after they opened. After not having been on snow since February due to tearing my ACL, I had anguished over actually getting on skis again. But, when I strapped those planks back on, I was ecstatic, despite being terrified of other skiers on the slope.

I enjoyed some early season skiing at Wolf Creek.

My knee didn’t feel right, so I took my time to get into the backcountry. The last thing I wanted to do was to re-injure my knee on some obstacle not fully covered with the early season conditions. But, skinning felt good on my knee, as I found when I began skinning at the resort in November.

December
December marked my first backcountry trip, to Redwell Basin off of Red Lady. I felt like a whole new person.

December also marked my first real pow day.

The next day, Frank caught my snowmobile on fire.

January
In January, I enjoyed a few more days of pow on Schuykill Ridge,

skied the Spoon on Gothic

and the Spoon on Carbon.
.

I finally got in a nice long tour when we headed out to Queen Basin.

I also had one of my best days ever skiing Crested Butte ski area when they opened the steeps after several storms had left them blanketed with fresh snow.

And I finished the month by skiing my first steep backcountry line- Wolverine on Mt. Emmons.

February
February was a busy month, starting out with a trip to Silverton

where we explored some of the fantastic backcountry the area has to offer.

I hosted an all-girls skiing get-together here in CB- one day skiing the resort, and the other day skiing backcountry on the glades on Red Lady.

My best powder day of the year, and one of my best powder days of all-time was in February.

Then, Frank and I went on a road trip to Montana and Canada. Our first stop was Bridger, MT.

Second stop was Whitefish, MT.

We loved the backcountry in Fernie.

And we had a blast skiing in-bounds and out-of-bounds at Kicking Horse.

That was followed up by a tour on Roger’s Pass

and then another in-bounds day at Revelstoke.

Then, we headed over to Nelson by ferry

to experience a stellar day at Whitewater.

We ended our road trip at Rossland, skiing at Red Mountain.

We returned back to Crested Butte on the first day of March. With 59 days of skiing under my belt, and my season half done, I was ready for more. I yearned for the long tours and big lines of spring. And spring was just around the corner. Part II will focus on this remaining part of the season. More to come

The video presented at the park’s Visitor’s Center is well worth the watch. The video of course explains the formation of the canyon, which was caused by an uplift, erosion of the higher sediments, deposition of volcanic rock through eruptions, and then the final erosional stage with carved the current canyon. The video states that the water carves only the equivalent of the width of a strand of hair away from the canyon’s rocks every year.

The video also explains the history of the canyon from an explorer’s point of view.

It took many expeditions before Abraham Lincoln Fellows and Will Torrence were able to successfully make their way down this “impenetrable” canyon with the aid of “rubber mattresses”. His success led to the building of the Gunnison Diversion Tunnel, which continues to divert water from the Black Canyon to Montrose, allowing for a wide-range of farming in an otherwise arid area.

The Black Canyon had been previously a National Monument. But, President Bill Clinton established it as a National Park in 1999.

A miniature model showing the Black Canyon National Park. Blue and red markings show scenic overlooks.

The Black Canyon is magnificent.

The canyon sits in the shadow of the West Elks, whose headwaters feed the Gunnison River which carves the canyon.

My mom, enjoying the views.

The striped rock is an igneous intrusion (when volcanic lava or magma seeps through cracks in existing rock), mostly pegmatite.

The Grand Mesa, not too far away.

The West Elks, looking beautiful.

The road to Black Canyon National Park provides one of the best views of the wonderful San Juan mountains.

If you’re in the area, the Black Canyon National Park is worth the visit. There are a lot of various outdoor activities you can enjoy there. But, everyone should at least go to admire the stunning views

I took time to enjoy my ride this week- My latest favorite loop: Go up Prospector, descend Painter Boy to service road, follow service road to top of Peachtree lift where it meets up with West Side, up West Side, descend upper Luge, take service road to top of Lower West Side, descend Lower West side. This loop takes about an hour and a half at a comfortable pace, making it perfect for when I can only get a short ride in for the day.

Anyway, this is not a great TR or anything. I just wanted to share a bit of trail stoke as I felt particularly inspired by the scenery that day. Please excuse the photos as they were “not planned”. I ended up using the camera on my cell phone. Hope you enjoy the pics anyway

Propector starts out in a field of skunk cabbage.

If you like wildflowers, you’ll enjoy yourself here.

The wildflowers are most certainly at their peak.

Lots of Monument flowers here too, and a fantastic Aspen forest.

West Side trail is wonderful.

And it offers inspiring views as well.

(Note: West Side Trail is definitely not one cohesive trail. The part below the service road was built years ago and is definitely better as a descending route and does not make a good ascent route unless you enjoy steep loose switchbacks. The part of West side trail above the service road, above the Peachtree Lift, was built just last year. Although it was probably intended to be an good descending trail, it lacks flow in this direction, and is much better enjoyed as an ascent route.)

Sometimes when I ride West Side I feel like I’m in the Pacific Northwest….

Other than seeing a few people at the top of Prospector getting ready to head down the Woods Trail, I didn’t see a single soul… Just another reason why I love Crested Butte.

Movie of the Month: The Edge of Never

Director: William A. Kerig

Year: 2009

Where can I find it? www.edgeofneverfilm.com/

The Edge of Never has easily become one of my favorite ski films. Although, I suppose “ski film” isn’t exactly the correct classification for this movie. Perhaps the correct classification is “ski documentary”. In Edge of Never, Kerig documents 15-yr old Kye Peterson, being guided by Glen Plake, Mike Hattrup, and Stephane Dan, down the Glacier Rond in Chamonix, the same run his father died on over ten years before.

Kerig tells the story from the beginning, detailing how he called up Glen Plake wanting to make a film about “the heart and soul of skiing”. Kerig wanted to travel to Alaska to do so, but Plake steered him in another direction. Kye Peterson skiing the Glacier Rond was Plake’s idea.

The Edge of Never documents Kye’s travels to Chamonix, and his family’s struggle to let him go there. Only 15 years old, Kye is an excellent skier, but has a lot to learn about the mountains, especially in a place like Chamonix where a skier dies nearly every day. Kye is mentored by Anselme Baud, one of Chamonix’s premier pioneers of ski mountaineering, whose guidebook led Kye’s father around the terrain of Chamonix. But, he is also mentored by the famed Glen Plake and Mike Hattrup, as well as their guide Stephane Dan (called “Fanfan”). Together, they teach Kye how to “read” the mountains and how to make controlled turns in steep, inconsistent snow and terrain. After a ski down the Couloir Poubelle, featured in Greg Stump’s Blizzard of Ahhhs (in which Plake and Hattrup are featured), it is decided that Kye is ready to ski the Glacier Rond.

The Glacier Rond segment begins with a surprise visit by Doug Coombs. In the book Edge of Never, Kerig explains that this visit by Coombs was unplanned. But, it’s clear that Coombs wanted to meet Kye. Coombs explains to Kye that he knew his father well, and that they skied many first descents together. But, the visit was short. Kye and Coombs went their separate ways, although the novel explains that Coombs later returned to try to ski the Glacier Rond with Kye, but their group was already experiencing difficulties, and Coombs was discouraged from joining them.

On the arete above Glacier Rond, Kye takes out an aluminum bottle with his father’s ashes. As suggested by Plake the previous night, Kye throws his father’s ashes over the Glacier Rond, and asks for a moment of silence. Kye’s voice is often monotone when speaking of his father, but it is clear that Kye is merely trying to suppress his emotions.

Trevor Peterson, Kye’s father, was a well known extreme skier making his way through the ski industry in the late 1980’s and early 90’s. He died in 1996 while skiing the Glacier Rond solo. Not everything is known about his death, but it is clear that he died in an avalanche, likely triggered by himself, in a section called the Exit Couloir. Trevor was not buried in the avalanche, but died from trauma-related injuries, although it is not clear weather his death was instantaneous.

Kye, Fanfan, Hattrup, and Plake ski the Glacier Rond together. Sunlight is quickly fading on them, as is clear in the movie, so it is obvious that the group was pressed for time. Still, Fanfan took the time to make sure that Kye was attached to a rope through the more dangerous and icy portions of the steep Glacier Rond. The film does not show the group’s descent through the Exit Couloir, largely due to their limits on time and the quickly encroaching nightfall. But, the book also explains that their one remaining cameraman had to head down because his wife was giving birth.

The Edge of Never capture’s Kye’s innocence and naivety in a way that is lovingly funny. Something in you just wants to snatch this kid up and give him a giant hug. But, at the same time, Kye’s Chamonix experience is a coming of age story. Kye clearly transforms from a boy into a man, from a jibber park skier to a ski mountaineer. This would not have been possible if it weren’t for the help of Plake, Hattrup, Anselme, and Fanfan.

One of the most touching scenes of the documentary was a sensitive moment captured between Anselme and Kye. Anselme points to the Gervasutti Couloir and explains that his own son, only 24 years old, was taken down there and killed by a serac before his own eyes the previous spring. “This is a bad story,” says Anselme, “but it is a beautiful life. And anyway the mountain is here. We have to take the best of the mountain and follow life.”

But, the character that stood out the most for me is Glen Plake. In Stump’s movies of the 90’s, Plake appeared as a debaucherous star-crazed adrenaline junkie. But, The Edge of Never makes it clear that Plake was either stereotyped by Stump or has changed. Plake acts as a father to Kye and a mentor to Kerig. The Edge of Never would not exist if it weren’t for Glen Plake.

At the end of the movie, Kerig admits he “got complacent”. He and the film crew were relieved after Kye skied the Glacier Rond both successfully and safely. Afterword, they went out to film Fanfan and two ripping girls (Meg Oster and Kasha Rigby), but tragedy happened. Someone fell deep into a cravasse, resulting in multiple bone fractures and other injuries. His condition was so serious that he had to be rescued via helicopter. Though his injuries were life-threatening, the person indeed made a full recovery. Kerig, however, blamed himself for this misfortune. Still, and interview with the character shows that he believes he himself is to blame.

One of the closing scenes of the documentary shows Kye, 4 years later, shredding in the backcountry, the Tantalus Range. It’s obvious that he has become comfortable in the backcountry, skiing big lines. But, he still likes to throw in his “jibber” tricks every now and then. Kye has grown into a real skier, poised and perfect. Kye also looks just like his father.

Kerig wraps up the point of the movie by stating, “This journey has shown me that it’s not about choosing between a life of passion and the people you love. The real question is whether you have the courage to take complete responsibility for every choice and the faith to fully embrace every moment.” His ending statement is consistent with the theme of The Edge of Never- Ski mountaineers are one big family. Although Kye lost his beloved father, he gained an amazing family.