Album Snow and Winter Shots
- Thread starter Yvonne
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After our fabulous hiking trip at Maroon Bells in September, one of our sons decided to move to Crested Butte. (COVID silver lining - when you work remotely, you can pick up and move anywhere that has internet...) So we went to visit and had a fantastic time. Gorgeous in winter!
The gorgeous views started even before we arrived in Crested Butte. On our connecting flight from Denver to Gunnison, I made sure to have a window seat and was thrilled to see Crested Butte and nearby mountains from above.
We also saw the Black Canyon of the Gunnison from above but will have to save explorations there for another time.
Our first afternoon in CB was sunny and beautiful.
That night, it started snowing and kept snowing the whole next day. So much snow! Avalanche risk was high, so we had to be careful about where we went. We had a great day snowshoeing out Brush Creek Road.
Where's the line between earth and sky?
The sun tried to shine.
No risk of a speeding ticket.
The next day we awoke to a gorgeous bluebird day.
We loved x-country skiing the CB nordic trails.
Late in the day, the blue hour was upon us.
Our final day was another gorgeous one full of sunshine and blue skies. (Badly needed for this Michigander who gets so tired of dreary clouds in winter.) We skied on the unplowed road along Slate River in the Oh-Be-Joyful area. Gotta love that name. Yes, we were joyful!
The woods were beautiful.
The open spaces were beautiful.
I loved the aspen trees. After all, it was seeing the aspens at peak golden color that drew us to this area a few months ago. We had no idea that our son would move there and we'd be drawn there again this winter.
Aspens to the left of me, aspens to the right...
I am not high-tech at all, but when I learned about the PeakFinder app this summer, it was love at first sight.
Looking back later in the day
One more view of beautiful Mt. Crested Butte. We will be back!
The gorgeous views started even before we arrived in Crested Butte. On our connecting flight from Denver to Gunnison, I made sure to have a window seat and was thrilled to see Crested Butte and nearby mountains from above.
We also saw the Black Canyon of the Gunnison from above but will have to save explorations there for another time.
Our first afternoon in CB was sunny and beautiful.
That night, it started snowing and kept snowing the whole next day. So much snow! Avalanche risk was high, so we had to be careful about where we went. We had a great day snowshoeing out Brush Creek Road.
Where's the line between earth and sky?
The sun tried to shine.
No risk of a speeding ticket.
The next day we awoke to a gorgeous bluebird day.
We loved x-country skiing the CB nordic trails.
Late in the day, the blue hour was upon us.
Our final day was another gorgeous one full of sunshine and blue skies. (Badly needed for this Michigander who gets so tired of dreary clouds in winter.) We skied on the unplowed road along Slate River in the Oh-Be-Joyful area. Gotta love that name. Yes, we were joyful!
The woods were beautiful.
The open spaces were beautiful.
I loved the aspen trees. After all, it was seeing the aspens at peak golden color that drew us to this area a few months ago. We had no idea that our son would move there and we'd be drawn there again this winter.
Aspens to the left of me, aspens to the right...
I am not high-tech at all, but when I learned about the PeakFinder app this summer, it was love at first sight.
Looking back later in the day
One more view of beautiful Mt. Crested Butte. We will be back!
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I have not had the right timing or time available for even the frontside backcountry this year, but plenty of snow in the foothills.
Last night was a short jaunt making some fresh tracks with new snowshoes that I got at Costco- originally for the kids, but the binding is kind to my trailrunner shod feet, and being longer they are good when you get lots of fluff.
Last night was a short jaunt making some fresh tracks with new snowshoes that I got at Costco- originally for the kids, but the binding is kind to my trailrunner shod feet, and being longer they are good when you get lots of fluff.
Outdoors24
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We went to Bryce Canyon a few weeks ago. It was my first time there during winter. Next time I go I will bring my snowshoes.
shredhiker
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John Morrow
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Snow finally piling up in the Central Cascades>
breaking trail, finding relative safety in trees by John Morrow, on Flickr
finding a open line by John Morrow, on Flickr
coverage thins, Jake navigating an emerging buried crust by John Morrow, on Flickr
breaking trail, finding relative safety in trees by John Morrow, on Flickr
coverage thins, Jake navigating an emerging buried crust by John Morrow, on Flickr
John Morrow
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Western PA over the holidays:
Just a dusting
South Fork Mill Creek by John Morrow, on Flickr
Frosty departure! by John Morrow, on Flickr
Just a dusting
South Fork Mill Creek by John Morrow, on FlickrFrosty departure! by John Morrow, on Flickr
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Love seeing those backcountry tele turns! I just started tele skiing last season. Just wish we could get snow like that here this season. Next storm should help, but we won't get multiple feet like you guys.Snow finally piling up in the Central Cascades>
finding a open line by John Morrow, on Flickr
SteveR
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- Sep 22, 2016
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Agree, nice to see those turns! On Sunday, a refresh in the foothills gave good conditions for a backcountry trail tour on xc skis.
Downhill fatbike tracks on the initial climb up an old gas well access road.
Moderate trailbreaking for the next while.
Being solo on this afternoon, I was actually a bit relieved to encounter another lone skier breaking trail in the other direction for the second half of the loop.
Downhill fatbike tracks on the initial climb up an old gas well access road.
Moderate trailbreaking for the next while.
Being solo on this afternoon, I was actually a bit relieved to encounter another lone skier breaking trail in the other direction for the second half of the loop.
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Nice shots. The city shot is awesome.
John Morrow
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Hi Jackson,
I began teleing many years ago with fishscale touring gear as a means to get out in the winter. I've never alpine skied. I am learning alpine turns on my tele gear because it is so stout now (Scarpa T2 boots). Tele does tire me out more and more as the vertical I am capable of covering in a day tour gets less and less!
If you have an established alpine ski background and get off of the groomed then you will transition to tele quite quickly. Easy to resort to a parallel turn when you get out of balance and need to recover.
MLK weekend:
East Face Diamond Head by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jake drops into East Face by John Morrow, on Flickr
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I only took one alpine lesson and skied just two days on alpine bindings before I switched fully to tele last year. Was interested in it because, like you, I started on fish scale bc xc skis (which I don't spend enough time on nowadays).Hi Jackson,
I began teleing many years ago with fishscale touring gear as a means to get out in the winter. I've never alpine skied. I am learning alpine turns on my tele gear because it is so stout now (Scarpa T2 boots). Tele does tire me out more and more as the vertical I am capable of covering in a day tour gets less and less!
If you have an established alpine ski background and get off of the groomed then you will transition to tele quite quickly. Easy to resort to a parallel turn when you get out of balance and need to recover.
MLK weekend:
East Face Diamond Head by John Morrow, on Flickr
Jake drops into East Face by John Morrow, on Flickr
I've kind of learned both tele and alpine at the same time, focusing more on tele of course. I can ungracefully but successfully alpine turn when I need to, but it's tele otherwise! The burly boots and NTN bindings I'm on really help. I've not spent much time at all in powder, so I'm actually more comfortable doing it on groomers, haha. I'd like to get into the backcountry but know I need to learn some avalanche safety and get some more gear before I do.
Fantastic looking skiing in those photos!
John Morrow
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Wow, Jackson, I am giving you a bow of respect for going the hard route! But you'll be a very graceful tele skier that way (if you aren't already), as opposed to switching from alpine or AT. I never put the time in on groomed but I see it as such a great way to get into the rapid transition rhythm from dropping the knee and unweighting out and into the next turn. I am a telemark textbook of poor habits. They have names:
Q-Tip: when you're out of balance and somehow your pole handle comes up like your sticking it in your ear
Warrior Three: the stance, before the impending face plant, when you fail to weight and edge the inside ski. It floats then the shovel gets caught on soft snow and your leg and ski gets tossed behind you. Extra points for riding it out and somehow recovering
Row the dingy: double poling because you're totally out of balance and don't want to go down in the transition.
Ski the monorail (ski): You initiate with the outside ski only and the inside ski tip comes into your heal on the outside ski vs. keeping the skis parallel. Etc etc
Skied leather boots (no buckles) and 205cm Karhus for years. My friends who have gone NTN are displaying incredibly rapid and powerful transitions. I'm on overused 12 year old BD Drifts/BD O-1 cable bindings (hinge is loose)/T2 Eco boots. It is life decision time: $1500 on a tech toe NTN set up or go A/T (aging telemarker). I keep dragging feet (metaphorically). Tele anything is extra pounds of gear weight on the uphill and thigh burning on the down. A/T would probably give me an extra 1K vertical strength each day and I am in my latter 50s. But I find much joy in tele, and of course it sparks endless discussion on the descents! I haven't ridden a lift since 2013, so I know my gear choices are for touring emphasis whether AT or tele. If I can only stay in condition for a couple 3K vertical days a week over the next 5 to 7 years it will be worth the NTN investment. Of course 4K climbing/day would be better! In the Cascades the first 1000vert is almost always a road, heavy trees, and/or crud snow. The "crud zone" we call it. Snomo assist eliminates that altogether. That's not my thing, nor could I afford it.
John
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Had me laughing out loud with your descriptions of those habits. Have done all of those before also. I definitely have a lot of room for improvement but hope to have some grace by the end of this season. Ha.
It's not cheap, but the Meidjo 3.0 is a tele binding that has the option for a lockable heel for a little extra. Gives you the option to either tele or alpine down once you're at the top, but I guess you may as well get a standard AT binding at that point to save the weight. The Lynx looks like a great one too. I'm on Outlaws, a little heavier and burlier but with a free pivot mode still.
Kullaberg63
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@Jackson Me too. Skied all my life - now I got the idea to learn Telemark.
I still remember that day at Hemsedal, Norway in 1986 seeing two lads in wool and cotton with mile long wooden skis and lurks dropping the moguls like a sped up silent movie. Incredible.
Got a pair of first gen Terminators and some Volkl Snow Rangers on eBay for $150 total. Ready to roll!
Here's first attempt skinning up at the local hill and patiently swinging down:
I still remember that day at Hemsedal, Norway in 1986 seeing two lads in wool and cotton with mile long wooden skis and lurks dropping the moguls like a sped up silent movie. Incredible.
Got a pair of first gen Terminators and some Volkl Snow Rangers on eBay for $150 total. Ready to roll!
Here's first attempt skinning up at the local hill and patiently swinging down:
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