Crested Butte

Frank and I were looking to ski something in the Crested Butte area. Admittedly, after skiing here for so many years, sometimes it’s hard to find things to ski that keep us interested. But, I suggested Mount Richmond – a peak that I had never skied, and Frank had an idea for a different line on it which would be new to him as well – it seemed like a great option. Mount Richmond lies the shadows of nearby Augusta Mountain and Mineral Point. Seemingly unassuming from afar, Mount Richmond, actually has some fun steep backcountry ski descents!

On the map, Afley Peak stands at 12,646 feet of elevation – a meager summit in a mountain range that boasts several of Colorado’s Centennial Summits. But when one view this peak from their own eyes from a top Scarp Ridge, Afley commands a memorable presence, resembling a peak that belongs in Alaska rather than Colorado, and begging to be skied.

It’s hard to be a skier and be upset when it snows, but sometimes the thought of a nice heavy freeze under clear skies sounds nice. It sure would make it easier to ski bigger lines in the alpine. So it was last weekend when Brittany and I set off to ski something off of “no name” ridge, the long ridge extending East of the Copper Creek drainage above the East river (easily seen from the ski area).

As I write this, we are between storms. Yesterday we woke up to a handful of inches of powder and the snow continued all day long. This afternoon, another burst will bring moisture that will last through Friday. The snow this season has been a welcome change compared to the dry winter of last. Most skiers will say last ski season was downright depressing in our neck of the woods. Admittedly, the season was pretty dire. But, it also had it’s moments.

My jaw dropped in awe of the pure ignorance of these backcountry skiers. I could not believe what they were doing, and that they had also put our group at such huge risk. This group put the College back in College Bowl.

We are lucky in Crested Butte. Most winter recreationists are at least aware of avalanche danger and basic protocol. We are not prone to the inexperienced travelers that you can often see at places like Loveland Pass and parts of Berthoud Pass. And even after spending quite some time skiing on Berthoud, I never saw anything like this.