TR - Berthoud... no Butler Gulch, 18" pow + bluebird

February 17, 2007: Butler Gulch, 18" pow + bluebird
Riders: Killclimbz, IridePow

The original plan was to hit Berthoud.
However the pass was closed and after a CDOT employee told us it's going to stay like that for a while we hit Butler Gulch.
Good thing….. Because they did not even start bombing the Stanley chute until 12:30. By then we were already on our twenty third lap.... just kidding.
I guess they have only one howitzer for the front range and that one was busy over at the tunnel/loveland pass??


So while most other people were stuck somewhere in front of the tunnel or waiting for Berthoud to open we enjoyed an awesome time.
Butler Gulch does not really provide the longest verts, however when you lap it enough, you get plenty of good turns in.


Avalanche danger scale was on high, so we stayed on low angle stuff.


Skinning
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q..._SkinTrack.jpg


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...z-Skinning.jpg


The snow was excellent and deep (18" plus) below tree line. Surprisingly soft after those 90mph wind gusts.

Virgin Powder in front of me….. I likey….. I am going to slay this now !!!
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...rginPowder.jpg


Killclimbz enjoying it
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...mbz-Spray1.jpg


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...mbz-Spray2.jpg


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...mbz-Spray3.jpg


IridePow
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...7_IridePow.jpg


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...dePowSpray.jpg


Cody;
Where the heck is my path again? Why can they not just straight line this??!
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q..._Cody_Path.jpg


Lunchbreak
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...Lunchbreak.jpg


Wind battered stuff above tree line
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...veTreeline.jpg


Yes, it was still a little windy above tree line
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...w/12_Windy.jpg


Killclimbz surfing the wave
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...mbzSurfing.jpg


Some turns in the trees
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...14_Treerun.jpg


Also Cody got some face shots…… plenty to be exact!
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ow/15_Cody.jpg


On the "Butler Gulch way out"
Please Forest Service, can you put in a magic carpet here??! ;)
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q.../16_WayOut.jpg

nice!

68

Surfing is right! Excellent!

Thank you, Colorado maggots for proving over and over and over again how much it sucks here. :fm:

Thanks for the great pics and report Iride. I like this pic:

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...mbz-Spray1.jpg


These pics make me wanna go surfing for some reason.

Good stoke.

That rules.

I can't think of a better way to spend a day.

Nice!

Thanks for breaking trail for us ;) Skiing was excellent in there today. Warmish temps, not as much wind as I was expecting, and great snow.

We were on the trail at about 10:30 (waited for traffic to hopefully calm down a bit), but I don't think we saw you guys.

Way to get something really nice despite the highway clusterfuck.

Its been a couple years since I've been up Butler - I've gotta get back soon.

What could have been a crap day, turned out just perfect. It's always good to get out with some of the mags. spthompson where were you???

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IridePow

Also Cody got some face shots…… plenty to be exact!
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ow/15_Cody.jpg

---

this picture is awesome... :D

iride, totally should have gone with you guys today...i-70 was a major clusterfuck. we ended up truning around leaving me blueballing. nice pics.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Duffstuff

We were on the trail at about 10:30 (waited for traffic to hopefully calm down a bit)

---

You might need to rethink your strategy there a little bit...... lately an alpine start was always necessary to not get bogged down on I-70.

However there were suprisingly only a few people back at Butler Gulch.
I would have thought all the Berthoud crowd will be there.... was not the case and freshies were had all day long.

I hope you guys got some good turns in as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TurnEarner

iride, totally should have gone with you guys today...i-70 was a major clusterfuck. we ended up truning around leaving me blueballing. nice pics.

---

Welcome (co-worker) TurnEarner!!!

It looks like my strategy is working.... trying to get all my co-workers hooked to the TGR forum.... so it seems to be almost normal that I spend 3 to 4 hours per day on there. ;)

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ow/15_Cody.jpg

Touring with a demonic wolf is so hot right now.

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...mbzSurfing.jpg

Ahhh SWEET pic - you can really feel the FLOAT!!!

Coming back to Colo in two weeks - should've made the effort this weekend!

thanks, iridepow. been lurking for long enough. it was time to take the plunge into complete and total addictiveness instead of just watching others like a 5 car pile-up on the other side of the freeway. i wanted my first post to be an epic TR, but those will soon come.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TurnEarner

i wanted my first post to be an epic TR, but those will soon come.

---

OK... we will wait (im)paitently for it.

Hahaha, what is up with this pic? G is no bean pole, but he's not represented very well here...
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...z-Skinning.jpg



nice stoke though, way to get after it with less than favorable (road and wind loading) conditions.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rideski

Hahaha, what is up with this pic? G is no bean pole, but he's not represented very well here...

---

That must be the light... I will try to get some more sun light next time.

$$$ :yourock:

looks great. Dig the surfing pic.

Love it.

http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...mbz-Spray1.jpg

Pow sucks.

Touring sucks.

Not sitting in traffic sucks.

Dogs suck.

Winky emoticons suck.

noice. tres tres noice.

:D

I was up there that same day and had some of the best turns I've had this season, as far as powder goes! Way to get after it when most cars were just turning around and heading back to Denver!