I Heart the Backcountry

Over the years I've been a resort skier. Honing my intermediate tele technique on mostly "packed powder" with an occasional true powder day for good measure.

I'll venture into the backcountry from time to time, usually when I've got a friend to encourage me to go. In most cases that friend has been Matt. We've had great days at Montgomery Bowl and Diamond Peak in the Cameron Pass area, and last spring we had an amazing descent of the east face of Quandary Peak. Matt was on his way to Crested Butte to spend the weekend with his brother and picked me up for some backcountry turns at Monarch Pass on his way.

Matt gearing up at the trailhead.

We decided to ski an area off of Monarch Pass called Snow Stake bowl. It has this name due to a snow measurement stake just up from the trailhead. Matt skis 20 or so backcountry days a year and is a great study in backcountry strength and technique...its always a pleasure.

Matt taking the quad lift to the top of the bowl.

Based on my limited experience, I'd say that the majority of the skiing at snow stake is beginner to intermediate backcountry. Low angle and rolling terrain. The access is immediate after leaving the trailhead and many laps can be done in a day. We showed up at around 1:00 in the afternoon and got in four good laps before calling it a day so that Matt could get to the Butte before dark.

In between turns at Snow Stake.

Drew dropin' the knee...

After a couple of runs on the low angle stuff at the head of the bowl, we headed over to the other side to ski some steeper terrain in the trees. When we got to the top, had a nice view of our tracks from the other side.

Our tracks from the other side of the bowl. Mine are furthest viewers left, not the skin track..the next several sets are ours as well.



Once we got to the top we were intrigued by some steeper terrain on the west side of the pass. We moved in that direction and found a nice shot through the trees just past the cornice in the picture above. Matt is above the cornice for scale. Steep is relative up here...the steepest slope that we measured was 30 degrees.

All and all a great day in the backcountry. Good snow, good weather, good company, and good turns. I was hoping to do a mountain bike race yesterday, but this wound up being a more than adequate substitute. Its got my backcountry juices going...there is a bunch more to explore up there.

Today I think I'll head out for a road ride and then head up to Monarch with Dana and Thomas for a few hours.