A few weekends back Rick, Brian and I decided to finally check out “Outpost Peak” (12,362′) on the west side of the Gores. Outpost is a bit of a local’s favorite, with access straight out of town and several ski routes including a generally winter-friendly option in the south ridge. The peak itself is the high point of a north-south ridge line that separates Pitkin and Booth Creek drainages. Keep reading…
After spending the first half of June getting packed up and moved into our place in Eagle Vail, it was finally time to go check out the new backyard. Truth be told I was looking for a big day up high to acclimate and continue training for a pair of upcoming races. A quick glance at the map landed me on local 12er Grouse Mountain south of Beaver Creek in the Holy Cross Wilderness. Keep Reading…
After the end of ski season and a few trail races in June, it was time to switch gears and start focusing on bagging some peaks around the state. As is the case most years, the month of July went by in a flash. Between working, heading to the hills, a road trip to Sante Fe with Anna-Lisa, and starting a few projects on the house, I simply wasn’t able to keep up with writing trip reports. So I figured a quick recap with some of the better photos from the month would be a good way to catch up. Read more…
This past Saturday Brian, Bloomy, and I made the short drive to Summit County with a pair of Gore Range ski lines in our crosshairs. We had a hunch that north and northeast aspects were going to deliver, so we decided to check out two inset couloirs with eastern access points – the Silver Sneak (aka “Elvis Crotch”) on 12er Buffalo Mountain, and a rarely skied line off 13er “Peak N” from Brush Creek. The Sneak wound up being a great warm up for the more challenging day on Sunday, which I’ll get into later. Keep reading…