{"id":432221,"date":"2018-02-19T23:08:19","date_gmt":"2018-02-20T06:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/?p=432221"},"modified":"2018-02-19T23:08:19","modified_gmt":"2018-02-20T06:08:19","slug":"powder-in-colorado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/powder-in-colorado\/","title":{"rendered":"Powder in Colorado?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s no secret.  Snow has not exactly been prolific in Colorado this winter, and it has been especially rough in the central and southern parts of the state.  Here in Crested Butte, it has largely been the &#8220;unwinter&#8221; &#8211; at least until recently.<\/p>\n<p>Unusually long dry and warm spells in January crushed us, with the end of the month feeling more like spring.  Or was it October.  Honestly it was hard to tell.  Nights where it did not freeze, and we watched our already thin snowpack melt away to nothing.<\/p>\n<p>A day in the backcountry brought us this at lower elevations, in an area that should look like this in May&#8230;.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180204_134639_016_01GrassSkiing.jpg\" width=\"700\" height=\"800\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It was official.  I had given up on winter in Crested Butte.  It was time to head north to where the snowpack was at least a bit closer to normal, though most there would say the winter itself was not.  It was time to go to Steamboat.<\/p>\n<p>The Steamboat backcountry was shaping up decently.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_112215Larry.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!  \" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I found my powder happy face in the Zirkels.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_113203SmileFace.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"731\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!  \" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_133346Larryskin.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!  \" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Dead trees make this place feel otherworldly.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_134834tree.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!  \" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p>But these trees harbor some fantastic skiing.  We found a sweet spot that had been protected from the wind.  Larry.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_142333_035_01Larry.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"633\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!  \" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_142333_061_01Larry.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"601\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!  \" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_142706_022_01Larry.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!  \" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_142013_025_02Larry.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"583\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!  \" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_141606Larry.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_141606Larry-800x602.jpg\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!\" width=\"800\" height=\"602\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-432267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_141606Larry-800x602.jpg 800w, https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_141606Larry-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180206_141606Larry-768x578.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Me.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_120128Brittany.jpg\" width=\"751\" height=\"800\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180206_142528-1-Brittany.jpg\" width=\"454\" height=\"800\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Steamboat, Colorado!\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The next day, we had great conditions at Steamboat ski area, heading into the fun Fish Creek canyon zone.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180207_110132FrostyTrees.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" alt=\"Skiing in Steamboat, CO\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p>While I was gone, it snowed in Crested Butte.  And after a couple more bursts of snow back to back, it finally felt like winter had returned.  We enjoyed a sleeper powder day out on the Slate River Drainage.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/0210181519Brittany.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/0210181519Brittany-800x663.jpg\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Crested Butte, CO.\" width=\"800\" height=\"663\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-432268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/0210181519Brittany-800x663.jpg 800w, https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/0210181519Brittany-300x249.jpg 300w, https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/0210181519Brittany-768x636.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Frank.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180210_143507_016_01Frank.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"596\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Crested Butte, CO.\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180210_143507_085_01frank.jpg\" width=\"721\" height=\"548\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Crested Butte, CO.\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It was good.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/20180210_155910_013_01Frank.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"603\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Crested Butte, CO.\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So good we did another lap.  Me.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/0210181437_Burst13Brittany.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"515\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Crested Butte, CO\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/0210181555_Burst17-Brittany.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Crested Butte, CO\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-content\/gallery\/steamboatcb_feb2018\/0210181559_Burst20Brittany.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"613\" alt=\"Backcountry skiing in Crested Butte, CO\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s good to have winter back!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s no secret.  Snow has not exactly been prolific in Colorado this winter, and it has been especially rough in the central and southern parts of the state.  Here in Crested Butte, it has largely been the &#8220;unwinter&#8221; &#8211; at least until recently.   I had basically given up on winter.  But, after back to back bursts of snow in recent weeks, it&#8217;s game on once again!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":432269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-432221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backcountry-skiing","category-crested-butte"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=432221"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":432270,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/432221\/revisions\/432270"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/432269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=432221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=432221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=432221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}