It’s been a great season so far, but I have to admit that I am excited for the second half of the season to start up. The things I dream about all summer long, the lines I want to ski- none of those have happened yet. Those goals require the more solid snowpack that springtime brings to Colorado.
We’ll be getting back into the alpine down in the Sangres this weekend on Culebra peak, one of the last 10 fourteeners that I need to finish them all. Overall, it isn’t the most interesting mountain, but I must admit that I am really really excited to ski it. At the very least it will be good to get out of town for the weekend.
We’ve got a really strong group going, which led me to ponder some things. First, who will be the next ski mountaineer to finish skiing the 14ers after Dawson and Davenport? My money will be on Ted Mahon, who is heading to Culebra with me and has only 4 to go, with Pyramid in the bag already. Sean Crossen has been so very very close for a long time, but he still needs Capital and should probably clean up a few other peaks to be on par with D+D. Chris Webster is also sitting at 50, but he needs both Pyramid and Capital, which will alway prove difficult though he has been within a few hundred vertical feet of each already. Jason Ivanic could always choose to upgrade a few of his questionable descents and finish on the same level as D+D as well. Meanwhile I’ve also heard rumors of some low-profile folks in Steamboat and Boulder that aren’t far away either.
I’m cautiously optimistic about my own chances as well, to get my last 10 peaks this season. The snowpack is generally very deep, with the notable exception of Long’s peak which currently has no snow to speak of at all. Outside of the daunting challenge of Capital, the rest of the peaks on my list seem pretty friendly and ready to be skied this spring.
Here’s looking forward to an epic spring of big descents!!!
