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Tabeguache was my 50th snowboard descent and final snowboard descent in the Sawatch Range.
On the approach...thinking we've definitely had better weather...but the forecast said winds were going to become calm by nightfall. The NWS had also just issued a Winter Storm Watch effective later the next morning, our intended summit day. Hmm. Can we beat the storm?
Stoic Io at basecamp. We found a sheltered pocket of trees a little above 11,000' that provided not only protection from the stiff breeze, but also clear running water (the old snow was pretty scummy to melt for water). Scattered snow showers spit flakes on us throughout the evening.
The next morning....indeed the winds had calmed...but the snow was definitely coming down at this point. Hmm. Its warm, with no wind, and the potential for a few inches of fresh? Might as well keep going.
Althought the summit was socked in, visibility was still good enough at treeline to pick the proper line out of the network of gullies and couloirs, and up we went.
Visibility came and went, but mostly went. Snow was definitely piling up. Some places had loaded to thigh deep, but only a few inches had fallen so far.
Couloir Dogs
Tom just a hundred yards or so from topping out after seemingly endless climb through a gray-white abyss.
Almost on the summit ridge...
Top Dogs on the summit ridge.
Finally just a few feet from the summit!
Myself, Io and Hank on the summit. Hank later chewed the summit stick down to snowline. Hank really likes sticks.
Warm, windless, snowy summit
Picking through talus. We did get a summit descent, and a continuous descent too, all the way to the valley floor, about 3,000' vert. Our boards took a bit of a beating by rocks hidden by the half foot of fresh.
Back at the ranch, looks like about 4-5" fell even down here while we were gone.
And then the long slog out...Tired, happy and successful.
Speaking of Antero...This is a shot of our route on Tabeguache taken from near the summit of Antero on May 20, 2007. Coverage at that time was remarkable, definitely better than what we had last weekend.
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
”How many miles did you have to hike up Browns before you could skin?”
Quite aways, 3.5 miles or so. Snowline was high, we didn't put the splits to work until 10,500', and even that didn't help the postholing much. We still wound up plowing a cement trench through the rotten snowpack for the last bit of the approach. Made it to within about a quarter of a mile of the lake which was close enough. Get well quick and We'll keep an eye out for you guys in the Elks for sure!
Way to get er done Erik and Tom. Marc and I were on top of Antero about 10 days ago looking at those lines and planned to ski Tab the same day you did but I caught a cold and it was dumping so we hit the resort. How many miles did you have to hike up Browns before you could skin? Maybe we'll cross paths in the Elks if you're headed there in the next few weeks.
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