Crested Butte Backcountry Report | January 2016
(Last Updated On: January 13, 2016)
After the big storms of Christmas, backcountry skiers throughout Colorado seemed to play it smart, and (knocks on wood) we haven’t had any major avalanche incidents. Then again, maybe the dragon got poked a few times, but preferred to slumber. In any case, let’s all hope that the year doesn’t take a turn for the worse, and we all stay safe out there.
As is so often the case, the Crested Butte backcountry received a lot more snow the first week of January than the areas close to town and the ski area. In fact, it was about a foot of cold smoke that fell with very little wind- in other words excellent conditions were the norm for the past week.
I spent a couple days skiing the upper Slate river valley (Share the Slate!) with a couple of different “Ben’s”. Day 1:
The area we were skiing in has several steep rolls in the 45+ degree range. They were sloughing pretty hard for anyone wondering.
The next day we explored an area that I have looked at for years, but normally avoid since it’s a sunny aspect. The cold temperatures we’ve been having, combined with new snow, made it seem like a good choice to do something different. It didn’t disappoint. Cinnamon:
Next, it was time to cross the valley for a more traditional run. Also good.
Then a bit more snow came in, and ruined all our light. The skiing didn’t suffer too much.
Much like last week, the forecasters said we’d be high and dry for a while, but instead it looks like we might get another series of storms that add up to great conditions. Here’s hoping for a refresh starting tomorrow.
Frank Konsella
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