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Arapaho Lakes tour

A nice day out with the typical first outing minor mishaps - frozen hydration hose, cold fingers, forgotten equipment - but a nice taste of cold air, wind, new snow, and a good group. Didn't make it up to Arapaho Lakes - that will wait for a day with less wind and more fitness.


Matt on the dreaded bridge traverse

Out in the sun (of which there was not much) on the south facing traverse on the Forest Lakes trail


Matt trying to follow the vicious skin track set by John. Up and up towards Arapaho Lakes...

Rose navigates the heavy snow with determination



Telemark poetry in action...

December 3 and we make our first tele outing of the season on a stellar tour up to Arapahoe Lakes from the East Portal TH. Steve-O and John joined Chainsaw breaking trail under splitter skies and minimal wind in the trees. I managed to remember a few things from last season but the rust was plentiful! We're aiming for 12+ bc outings this season so strap 'em on and join us!

Early morning chill as we head for sunlight

Steve forges ahead on the traverse up towards Forest Lakes

Spindrift in the sun but we were pretty sheltered in the trees. Breaking trail earned us some solitude and fresh tracks on the descent.

Chainsaw leads Steve-O up the steep hump to treeline near Arapahoe Lakes...need to get heel lifts!

Turns officially earned, now time to drop in...

Banzaii! Chainsaw digs deep to avoid pitching into the tree well. Thick heavy snow and some tight trees made crankin' my 191s around a bit of a struggle but everyone avoided eating bark so we'll call it a win

Big dreams!

http://www.elkmountaintraverse.org/index.html

Fruita came up there in early April and it was all biking after that but now reports arise that the white stuff is coming once again! This here is Berthoud Pass on 9/23/06...2 feet! Holy crap! Time to break those sticks out again and get 'em waxed up. We're upping the ante and getting Loveland passes this season + a couple new pieces of gear to make backcountry excursions better and looking to go after it hard this year!

Caribou!

Chainsaw starts heads up under beautiful skies. Snow was super-firm styrofoam but tough not to smile on days like these...

And up...

Break time!

Sheltered from the wind, well some of the wind, we take a breather on top.

Caribou townsite across the valley as we prepare for a VERY firm downhill...gorgeous! May head back up there next weekend in search of freshies if'n you're interested...

Double-blacks as far as they eye can see? No problem, my health insurance is current...

Chainsaw busts thru ORCS!

Chainsaw holding onto the sign for dear life before the terrors of Mirkwood!

I survived!

Sunday we hit out for Old Monarch Pass, a mere stone's throw from the resort boundary but worlds away in terms of untracked snow, silence and solitude. Whiteout conditions on the drive up there but quickly clearing to nothing short of beautiful. Tele rule #110, always head up!

How high did YOU get?

Chainsaw tops out in the furious winds!

We found this sweet stash of untouched freshies on the way back down, and had to lap it twice! First real powder tele for Chainsaw and Highroller led to perma-grin...and the beer and pizza waiting at the TH didn't hurt either.

Chainsaw pulls around the corner yesterday as we top out on Old Monarch Pass in complete solitude...nice!

...and I think I'll wreck right here.

Sweet sweet powder coming down from Old Monarch!

I'm fine. Nothing to see here. Post snow-mole Highroller shakes it off.

St. Mary's Glacier outing Sunday under bluebird skies and warm temps. McMuffin in the belly and hot chocolate in the pack Chainsaw is rarin' to go!

Chainsaw pops out of the trees at the foot of the glacier. More like 20 minutes then the 45 I disremember from previous outings...maybe the skins speed things up or we're finding our altitude legs? Windless in the trees but blowing steady above the lake.

Hump time...as Highroller takes the lead up St. Mary's Glacier.

Chainsaw gets a dermal abrasion treatment as we take the scouring wind and sugar-like spindrift right in the face...brrrrrring it on.

Gorgeous day in the mountains!

Ladies first, as we forgot an avy poodle...

Finally at the top (of the glacier) with James Peak in the background we could turn our backs to the wind, strip the skins, and flail our way down!

Chainsaw carved turns like a trooper!

Carving the solid styrofoam. Beautiful day but some tough firm snow with ripples and wavelets.

Highroller coming in hot!

Some steeper terrain we'll save for spring corn season, plus a few more months of learning couldn't hurt either...

What goes up...

Chainsaw framed by St. Mary's Lake on lap two. Awesome outing!

Possible side trip, accent of Fox Mtn which I've always wanted to climb and never seem to have gotten around to. Probably not a good ski descent on this one...

Saturday's destination! Probably won't be looking quite like this summer shot but Chainsaw and I are hoping for some decent turns for a lap or two...

Wednesday Night racing!

How best to commemorate your 2 month tele anniversary? Why dropping in on the local Dual Giant Slalom race of course. Took a sweet practice run during which I snapped my carbon pole in twain and wrapped my shinbone around a gate. Now I'm warmed up...then nothing like standing in a precarious starting shack for the first time ever next to a guy wearing a chin bar, shin guards and the worst looking lycra suit ever made...let's do this! Goggles left on top of the helmet, since, did I mention, it's dark, I carefully surveyed the course below me, sussing out that I probably had to pass the 1st gate on the right side, right in all those deep ruts. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and before I know it (but apparently exactly 29.54 seconds later) I'm crossing the line, no missed gates, no falls. Wow, frighteningly fun. Second run I shaved 2 seconds off so there's probably some room for improvement, but fun, fun, fun. As the only tele'er droppin' knee (there was some sad sack of crap doing alpine turns)I probably won too! I'd post a pic but I was going so fast they all look like a red smear...like the Flash baby!

The Worm has turned!

Have been steadily upping the ante at Eldora, working on all the tips instructor Brad gave us after our Xmas lesson, and working into harder runs, faster speeds and smoother turns and things look like they are starting to pay off. We're on about Day 15 and Chainsaw has been exhibiting some definite flow the last two outings, smooth rounded turns and more speed! Highroller has been trying out turns off piste when possible and we're both super-psyched after our first backcountry excursion last weekend so things are looking up. I spent last night poring over Indian Peaks Descents for some spring route ideas and we're tweaking our touring gear set up/packs, etc. in eager anticipation! Now it gets fun!!

Skinning up across a log bridge over Forest Lakes(?) outlet creek

Ok we've gotten new tips for the skins, we're completely ignoring the raging whiteout going on at East Portal and we're heading up! Highroller and Chainsaw enjoyed great snow, some sun! and relative solitude on our first real backcountry tele jaunt. Perfect tools for the job and a beautiful day!

Nice conditions once we hit the trees! And the skins (and handwarmers!) worked great.