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  1. #1
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    The Usual February Rally Across the West: 17 Ski Days in 22 of Travel.

    Left Redmond, WA February 8 solo with the sled loaded to the gunwhales with the usual familial debris.

    Rolling across the Cascades, the Columbia valley and up into the Blue Mountains and across the Wallowa/Blue/Elkhorn highlands, the lack of snow was nothing short of stunning. In particular, that high long ridge between Pendleton and La Grande crossing the Blue Mountain Summit and Emigrant Springs was bare, a first in the 13 years I've been doing that traverse.

    Down then across the Snake River 20+ times covering the Idaho moonscape and finally into UT, I stopped to see the meats clan in UT but was met by rain to 9000 in the Wasatch. So I drove on. I imagine Idaho to be similar to parts of Turkey, but with more cows and less goats.

    Next stop in Crested Butte. After blasting across Soldier Summit and that lope along the Bookends finally passing Green River, then Grand Junction to follow the Gunnison up through that beautiful landscape, I was met by Golden Boy and MtnBikerSkierChick over a beer and made plans to ski CB in a light snow with MtnBikerSkierChick since GB had to work. The next day in a few inches of fluff and in storm, MtnBikerSkierChick led my old legs around CB from the Banana to the High Lift and even a lap on the Headwall. Rocks made some of the turns pensive, but overall a great time was had. CB is sweet. Thanks MBSC & GB!

    On to Silverton.

    There, snow cover was thick, but old. I spent a lot of time skiing sweet corn on high angled pitches, hiking up to the RopeDee cirque and getting a few good turns in on old shaded powder. As always, the people there are more abundant and welcoming than anywhere else. Again, a g00gleplax of props and thanks to the Silverton Crew.

    With the family coming into Albuquerque and FZ on the injured list, I headed for Taos that Monday. I took a new route, heading through Chama, NM from Pagosa Springs, CO and got to see some beautiful high desert, rolling hills with pinion scrub and ultimately up onto a high snowy plateau E. of Chama that was cuttingly memorable.

    The transition back to sparse desert was fast, passing the Earthship project and soaring over the Rio Grande before winding up the little canyon to Arroyo Seco and the Snowmansion.

    Taos had decent coverage and good sun the first day, then dumped overnight and into the next day. Skiing in a cold storm has been all too rare this winter and I really enjoyed the few inches of cream among the bumps and in the glades. I scooped up the family at ABQ that Wednesday and we rallied back to the Snowmansion with a late dinner at Sabrosas.

    Next 2 days at Taos were mostly just sun and fun turns with the kids and L, with occasional forays onto the bump runs or into glades. Finally, Friday, they opened the new Kachina lift to the public for the first time, so we went up and made some laps in the high alpine and rocks with soft snow on the edges.

    Hopped back into the car and made for Silverton where the cold made the corn more questionable, so L and the kids did Purg a few days. Spent a day at the hot springs in Ouray too.

    Next, it was the canonical stop in Telluride where an inch of fresh made for some softening and we had a ton of fun in the sun, pounding lots of laps on lift 9 and Revelation. Bitching cold the first day with temps in low teens in town and single digits up high. Whomped me as I had underdressed, so I started to come down with a cold.

    Then back to Silverton, stopping in Ouray for another soak, where it started to snow just a bit, enough to take the kids up for some runs. The wind began to pick up after 1 runs, so 11 year old R decided not to go for another and the other 3 of us went up again. By the time we started up, the wind was blowing a good 50-60 mph, knocking down 13 year old T a few times, but he continued to boot it up the pack. A memorable day if not thigh deep and kind of a capper for the trip.

    Logged around 3700 miles, about the same as driving round trip from Paris to Istanbul.
    Last edited by Buster Highmen; 02-25-2015 at 03:20 PM.
    Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
    >>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    Couloirfornia
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    Nice work.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
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    I didn't take any this time. My wife has a few, but I just didn't feel the love for the camera this time around.
    Merde De Glace On the Freak When Ski
    >>>200 cm Black Bamboo Sidewalled DPS Lotus 120 : Best Skis Ever <<<

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