TBT: Red Mountain 3 Ski (18 March 2016)
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This post is part of a Throwback Thursday series featuring trip reports that we haven’t had a chance to write about until now! Look for them at least every other Thursday!
Red Mountain Pass is one of the hot spots of backcountry skiing in the San Juans, and Red Mountain 3 is one of the more traveled peaks in this area. So, one fine March day, Frank and I went to go check it out!
“Red 3” is one of several peaks that sit on the east side of Red Mountain Pass. With a meager elevation of just under 13,000 feet, this peak still stands with grandeur, just south of its sisters Red #2 and Red #1.
Navigation from the summit of Red Mountain Pass to the summit of Red Mountain 3 can be a little tricky as there are terrain trap areas that should be avoided. But once above treeline, the route becomes simpler. Frank bootpacking.
Me.
The final push to the summit held the most beautiful scenery. Frank surrounded by the majestic San Juans.
Lots of eye candy from the summit.
We then dropped in on the opposite side for some decent turns. Frank.
Me.
After our descent, we had to skin traverse back to our parking area, and we were joined by some people that we met while skiing that day.
All in all, it was a fun day. Though this is a Throwback report, conditions in the San Juans sound like they are off the hook right now. Their snowpack was not impacted by the fog and temperatures that caused the surface hoar layer that is wreaking havoc on the pack throughput the rest of the state. So, if you’re looking to get out and get after it, you may want to venture to the majestic San Juans!
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