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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    CO
    Posts
    5,017

    Cool Photo TR: Engelmann Peak (13,362') 2.23.07

    Late last night I got the itch to do a solo dawn patrol and went to bed having no idea of where I would go in a few hours. I set the alarm for 3:00am, threw the gear in the truck, packed my work clothes, and went to sleep wondering where to go.




    Those few hours ticked away rather quickly and before I knew it that hateful sound was buzzing in my ear. "MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH MEH!!!!". Damn I hate that alarm. I've had the same alarm clock for 12 or so years now and every time it rings the first thoughts that come into my mind are those of throwing it against the wall and replacing it. Wake-up calls are supposed to be soothing, not obnoxious. Well, this morning I ripped the clock out of the wall and tossed it across the room and into the closet. Quick shower, pot of coffee, ski clothes, fill up water bottles, fire up the truck, head out.


    Solo dawn patrols are rehab for the overworked and overstressed. They are like one long intense meditation which soothes the soul and rejuvenates the mind. Skinning in the nighttime darkness brings the mind to a sharp focus and blocks out all worries and stressors in life.


    I left my house to some of the thickest fog I've ever seen and began thinking about where I wanted to go. With time constraints and an important meeting at 10am, I decided to stay close to the Front Range and headed up to the Ruby Creek TH just south of Jones Pass. I've always wanted to climb and ski Engelmann Peak, as it is the prominent peak to the south you see from Berthoud Pass.



    Shortly after 4:30am I was parked at the gate and getting ready for the skin up. I had an odd feeling in my stomach that I had forgotten something and sure enough when I stripped my pack clean my gloves were missing . I then realized that I had left them in Vicious' truck last weekend. So, with a little improvisation I managed to rig up a makeshift glove using my work socks and some duct tape. I call 'em the Hanes Pro-Model. Dexterous as fuck! Hey, it was better than bare skin!


    I was on the trail and truckin' up the Ruby Creek drainage just a little after 5:00am. The air was dead silent as I pushed the lungs and moved fast to warm my hands and body up. Tired of the light coming from the headlamp, I turned it off and worked my way up the rest of the way under the stars and moonlight.



    I found the intended line up the west face of Engelmann and began the slog up. The snow was firm and solid from wind blast, but would make for some nice spring-like skiing on the way down. After a while my hands got toasty and I shedded the 100% cotton gloves. Just as I crested the lower saddle to the summit the sun began to rise and the transition began.


    Looking west towards Woods Mountain and Jones Pass:





    Looking towards Bard, Parnassus, and Robeson:







    Citadel in the morning glow:






    Not paying any attention to my pace I had made the summit in 1:45 and had plenty of time to spare before heading down. The views from Engelmann are great. Some different perspectives of the Berthoud Pass area:






    Summit shot (check the glove steeze):





    Engelmann north couloir not quite ready:






    Stanley slide path:







    Some other large paths along US40:








    Looking towards Jones Pass and the Citadel:














    East side of the northern Gore Range:






    Looking north:






    The winds began to pick up so after some breakfast I peeled the skins off and headed down. The snow wasn't all that great, but manageable. Got in a nice 3K of vert all the way back to the truck. The snow down lower was nice recycled pow.


    More glove steeze about halfway down:





    Sastrugi!!




    The snow got pretty good around here:






    These gloves are totally multifunctional. Not only are they high performance ski gloves, but also serve as excellent work socks!



  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Alpental
    Posts
    6,565
    Nice work mang.

    If you come down with that case of athlete's hand....

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Sandy UT
    Posts
    3,405
    Crisp* pictures mang!




















    Thats all I could think of when looking at your pics CRISP
    Points on their own sitting way up high

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Bellevue
    Posts
    86
    Sweet TR

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    crown of the continent
    Posts
    13,947
    Those sunrise/Citadel shots are $$$$$$$$$.

    Good improv work too. Just glad you didn't have to use your gloves as socks!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Flavor Country
    Posts
    2,975
    Nice shots, and gloves. Capilene is for hippies anyway, cotton is king.
    Last edited by Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo; 02-23-2007 at 03:35 PM.
    "They don't think it be like it is, but it do."

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    346

    Thumbs up

    iskibc putting down like he always does
    "I have never exploded. But I know what it would be like. Don't ask me how. I just know. I've always just known." -Garth Merenghi

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Bay area, cali
    Posts
    1,895
    haha, great TR. Start calling you macgyver. Love the gloves.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Fallbroke, SD-CA
    Posts
    1,641
    Dave, Save some spots for the spring, mang. I will be there April 9-15 again....

    Nice turn, now I just hope we get some goodies this weekend here in the Sierra...
    "There's a truth that sanity denies...." --Sprung Monkey

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    King Ridge
    Posts
    1,798
    Very cool shots of the pass.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    CO
    Posts
    5,017
    Quote Originally Posted by Bodhi View Post
    Dave, Save some spots for the spring, mang. I will be there April 9-15 again....

    Nice turn, now I just hope we get some goodies this weekend here in the Sierra...


    Sounds good. April is prime-time for good lines here. There will be lot's to do with no shortages of fun lines.

    It looks like you guys just got the goods. Get after it and send some of that our way.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Purcell Sud
    Posts
    396
    Love the sunrise shots!

    Nice work

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Eagle, CO
    Posts
    2,271
    Sweet dude! Can you get me a pro-deal on those gloves....in cacky color of possible

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    The Ranch
    Posts
    3,792
    D, Is this Englemann in the background here? Do you start up Ruby Creek at the turnoff for Jones Pass?


  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    SLC
    Posts
    3,203
    Yeah buddy. Love the gloves steeze. On one epic powder day at Alta, I realized one of my already malfunctioning boot tongues had fallen out before I threw them in the care. Ended up stuffing a bandana down there for the day. I had some of the best face shots of my life, and the worst shin bang to go along with it--but it was well worth it.
    The Griz

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Rosebud Lake BC
    Posts
    740
    Once again awesome photos. And that's big motivation to get started that early and go to work after. Holy Shit you must get some amazing winds up there, judging on how stripped some aspects are.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Trench-Town U.S.A.
    Posts
    742
    NICE WORK...Your motivation is inspirational!
    "Why do I always get more kisses on powder days?" -my wife

  18. #18
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    3,972
    Dexteriuos, yes! Cotton,

    Nice D. Thanks!

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    berkeley
    Posts
    1,623
    inspiring as always.
    that first shot is captivating.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    CO
    Posts
    5,017
    Quote Originally Posted by Ireallyliketoski View Post
    D, Is this Englemann in the background here? Do you start up Ruby Creek at the turnoff for Jones Pass?


    You got it. Once that front side couloir fills in (if it ever will), you could make a really nice descent all the way down to US40. Park one car at the picnic area off US40 and then use the Ruby Creek approach (much easier than coming up the front side). There are some fun looking lines off Bard and Woods as well. Access is real easy.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Lyon
    Posts
    2,103
    Classic as always. Looks tasty......

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    CO
    Posts
    5,017
    Quote Originally Posted by El Kanone View Post
    Holy Shit you must get some amazing winds up there, judging on how stripped some aspects are.
    That area is notorious for strong winds. Not quite as bad as the Mosquito Range or RMNP, but still pretty brutal. Most of the bigger peaks are best skied either early season (less wind) or late season (less wind, more snow, corn, etc.). Highly unlikely you'll every find pow above treeline on those peaks.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    cb, co
    Posts
    5,035
    Nice. I figure that I have probably driven by Engelmann at least 2,000 times from my stickchasing days at WPK to freeskiing at the Jane after my stickchasing days were done. Always wanted to ski it- it just looks so huge from Berthoud.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Where the Butte is Crested
    Posts
    3,338
    Sweet TR iski! Glad you got out there! I love the glove part! Hehe, that made me laugh

    And I sympathize with the alarm clock part! Mine rang for a half an hour this morning, and I was so tired I just slept right through it!
    -
    14erskiers.com

    "Don't be afraid of the spaces between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so." - Belva Davis

    "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle"--Albert Einstein

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Gaia
    Posts
    1,046
    A+, per usual.

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