In much of Colorado, we’re currently sitting high and dry, without much snow in the forecast. Northern Colorado is close to average, but central and southern Colorado are anywhere from 30-70% of average. Across the rest of North America, some areas are already having a year to remember, while other areas are just as dry as we are here in Crested Butte. So, what’s a backcountry skier supposed to do when there is no snow?
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2007-08 remains my favorite season of all time, with local backcountry areas like Schofield Pass and Irwin racking up gigantic totals of roughly 900″ for the year.
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Dimitrov begins Skiing the Balkins with some critical background information – most of which is present in just about any backcountry skiing guidebook. But, a couple of things stood out as I read through his introduction. First he says, “One very important point to understand for avalanche forecasting in our mountains is that there is practically no official bulletin available” (p. 19). That’s right, there’s no Bulgaria Avalanche Information Center or something like that. He recommends checking the bulletins at nearby ski areas, the Mountain Rescue Service, or the Bulgarian Extreme & Free Skiing Association.
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At 6:30 am I awoke with a start. It was Sunday, and I had all the best intentions of milking some sleep into the late morning hours to help rid the virus that had been infesting my body over the course of the week. But, upon gazing out the window, the world was covered in white. An unpredicted snow storm had engulfed our region, leaving 4 inches of fresh out our front door, and hopefully more in the backcountry. Ullr had finally delivered us a surprise, and it was time to head out to reap the rewards.
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The typical scenario: a group of snowmobilers are highmarking in questionable conditions, one gets stuck, another goes to help, the avalanche occurs, and no one has any gear. It happens over and over. The good news, I think, is that snowmobilers as a rule are more prepared today than they were at the turn of the century.
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We are revisiting this post to remind backcountry enthusiasts that dangerous conditions can lurk in the backcountry, even early season. This year’s storms have dropped bits of snow that have stuck around on north-facing aspects that will likely create similar problems in the snowpack as we encountered in this report below. Be aware, be safe, and have fun in your backcountry travels this winter!
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The story and the video behind the book Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Routes: Colorado. Learn more and order the book directly from the authors today!
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Yep, we’ve been hinting at it for a long time. We have been writing a guidebook. After 2 seasons of research, and one year of a lot of writing and editing, Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes: Colorado, published by Mountaineers Books, is finally done!
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The next line, which I’d skied before, looked wind affected. We kept moving down the ridge until we found a spot that looked perfect as far as the snow conditions. We weren’t sure if it would go, but we decided to give it a try.
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