StraightChuter.com - Backcountry Skiing & Beyond » colorado http://straightchuter.com Backcountry Skiing & Beyond by Andrew McLean Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:42:59 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Silverton Mini TR http://straightchuter.com/2011/01/silverton-mini-tr/ http://straightchuter.com/2011/01/silverton-mini-tr/#comments Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:00:42 +0000 Andrew http://straightchuter.com/?p=4478 Silverton, CO was great as always, and it was fun to see some friends, do some skiing and enjoy the fantastic mountains.  The first day we skied a very aesthetic little couloir known as “Crown Royal” as I think it goes off of Crown Peak.  Conditions were mixed, but the chute was a 5-star beauty with some wild little rock fins standing out like Easter Island figure-heads.

Josh getting ready to BASE jump the first mini tower. This did not end well.

Dos Glickster doing what needs to be done.

Onna celebrating after surviving her forth day of backcountry skiing. Onna, Josh, Lorne.

Winter is primetime for potatoe planting in the San Juans.

Sunday was was even more fun as conditions were perfect for some kite assisted backcountry skiing. I’ve been into kiting since 2000, but have never really mastered it in the backcountry like Lorne Glick has.  As a sport, it combines a huge number of skills (skiing, kiting, touring, avalanche awareness, etc.), any one of which could be a lifetime study by itself.  I’ve had my bell wrung a few too many times when I got accidentally lifted, spun around and slammed into the ground, so I am still fairly conservative and tentative about where and when I go.  Lorne has done it enough that he can set and retrieve his kite in about the same time it takes to transition to/from skinning, which means he’s able to efficiently combine it with touring.  Plus, he’s got excellent kite handling skills.  We covered about 14 miles on Sunday (see GPS track below), although Lorne has notched up some 30-40 mile days in the past, which is a butt-load of mountain mileage for a day no matter how you look at it.

LG connecting to a higher power - his Manta 2 10m.

The Battleship slide path - the stuff avalanche nightmares are made of.

Ye olde tiny hamlet of Silverton.

Lorne contemplating a descent into Cement.

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]]> http://straightchuter.com/2011/01/silverton-mini-tr/feed/ 10 Crested Beauties http://straightchuter.com/2008/07/crested-beauties/ http://straightchuter.com/2008/07/crested-beauties/#comments Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:22:54 +0000 Andrew http://www.straightchuter.com/?p=384 Polly has been trying to get me to go to Crested Butte, Colorado for the last couple of years under the pretense that “it has beautiful wildflowers.”  I’d hardly walk outside the front door to look at wildflowers, let alone drive for eight hours,  but after three years, I caved in, and am happy I did.  What she should have said was “Crested Butte has killer mountain biking and excellent Mountain Unicycling and, unlike Utah in the summer, it is nice and cool.”

We camped out with Than & Kristy Acuff, and although there were afternoon thundershowers almost every day, we were able to get in some excellent rides, including Deadman’s Gulch, Doctor’s Park, Snodgrass and the 401 trail.  Having ridden a few of the classics, I understand why Crested Butte produces speedsters like Dave Penny and Ethan Passant – the hills are tough, high and steep.  Coming from the land of machine-cut, carefully graded mountain-bike trails (Park City), the CB trails were a full-on challenge.

The aptly named "Julie Andrew's Meadow." I was tempted to burst into a round of "The Hills are alive with the sounds of music" but restrained myself.
The aptly named “Julie Andrew’s Meadow.” I was tempted to burst into a round of “The Hills are alive with the sounds of music” but restrained myself.
The infamous Crested Butte wildflowers. Note the venomous insect looking at the viewfinder's juglar vein. Avoid at all costs.
The infamous Crested Butte wildflowers. Note the venomous insect looking at the viewfinder’s jugular vein. Avoid at all costs.
Than Acuff and Andy Southwick on the lookout near Cement Mountain.
Than Acuff and Andy Southwick on the lookout near Cement Mountain.
There's no shortage of rocks on the Deadman's & Doctor's Park trails.
There’s no shortage of rocks on the Deadman’s & Doctor’s Park trails.
Crested Butte - where the rubber meets the wildflower.
Crested Butte – where the rubber meets the wildflower.

Perhaps my favorite ride of the weekend was a trip down the 401 Trail with Tom Moyer on our Mountain Unicycles (aka “Muni’s”).  I got into Muni riding a few years ago and it instantly became my favorite summer activity as it is excellent training for skiing.  Muni riding requires a calm upper body and focus, just like skiing, plus, it makes moderate trails seem challenging.  Here’s a little YouTube video of our descent, set to Deadbolt’s classic “Patches” soundtracks.  (note: Muni riders are NOT into clowns!)

 

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]]> http://straightchuter.com/2008/07/crested-beauties/feed/ 4 Back From Crested Butte – Trip Report to Follow http://straightchuter.com/2008/07/back-from-crested-butte-trip-report-to-follow/ http://straightchuter.com/2008/07/back-from-crested-butte-trip-report-to-follow/#comments Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:00:24 +0000 Andrew http://www.straightchuter.com/?p=375 We got back late Monday night from a fun wildflower-crushing trip to Crested Butte.  Trip report to follow later today and eventually a little mini unicycle movie.

The mountain biking in Crested Butte lived up to its reputation!
The mountain biking in Crested Butte lived up to its reputation!
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