Backcountry Skiing

Info, conditions and gear related to skiing or riding Colorado Peaks, including the 14ers!
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
Post Reply
mountainman713
Posts: 15
Joined: 7/10/2016
Trip Reports (0)
 

Backcountry Skiing

Post by mountainman713 »

This has not been a good start to winter so far but I have an itch to get out and ride. Its been a few weeks since I've been out because I went backcountry skiing on Loveland pass a few weeks ago and really messed up my snowboard on a few rocks (About $120 fix).

Anyone been up on Berthoud Pass recently?
What about the Loveland pass area? Herman Gulch?
Any other recommendations on places to ride with a good snow pack?
User avatar
lodgling
Posts: 537
Joined: 6/21/2005
14ers: 58  58  2 
13ers: 18 1
Trip Reports (12)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by lodgling »

Canada
User avatar
SkaredShtles
Posts: 2432
Joined: 5/20/2013
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by SkaredShtles »

Jackson Hole or Big Sky.
User avatar
SchralpTheGnar
Posts: 1890
Joined: 2/26/2008
14ers: 51  49  1 
13ers: 38 30
Trip Reports (22)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by SchralpTheGnar »

Berthoud has been real good, as has butler gulch, Loveland pass and the Herman/dry gulch areas. Go get after it!
User avatar
SolarAlex
Posts: 529
Joined: 8/15/2011
14ers: 35  13  5 
13ers: 92 23 5
Trip Reports (21)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by SolarAlex »

bring your board to wilderness sports in dillon next time, we'll tune it better and for less $

that said, if you're skiing BC right now, you should expect some repairs! Learn how to p-tex, it will save you some money in the long run
Vincit Qui Patitur
User avatar
Cruiser
Posts: 1993
Joined: 11/24/2005
14ers: 50 
Trip Reports (6)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by Cruiser »

SchralpTheGnar wrote:Berthoud has been real good, as has butler gulch, Loveland pass and the Herman/dry gulch areas. Go get after it!
Faceshots aplenty!
Where ever you are... There you are.
Jgknudtsen7
Posts: 19
Joined: 11/16/2017
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by Jgknudtsen7 »

Heard great things about Berthoud but have not skied it yet, Loveland pass is skiing better with due to a couple small storms. I Skied the Professor recently and its in pretty good shape as well but in general everything is still extremely low tide up there.
User avatar
Liquid Shadow
Posts: 262
Joined: 8/9/2011
14ers: 58  1  3 
13ers: 68 3 2
Trip Reports (4)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by Liquid Shadow »

Anybody been up St. Mary's Glacier recently? Wondering if the skiing will be good there.
-OwenZ
User avatar
SchralpTheGnar
Posts: 1890
Joined: 2/26/2008
14ers: 51  49  1 
13ers: 38 30
Trip Reports (22)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by SchralpTheGnar »

So steep and so deep
User avatar
AlexeyD
Posts: 1286
Joined: 10/28/2013
14ers: 44  4  2 
Trip Reports (3)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by AlexeyD »

Liquid Shadow wrote:Anybody been up St. Mary's Glacier recently? Wondering if the skiing will be good there.
Skied it this Saturday. About as bony and hard packed as it gets (there is legit water ice about halfway up, thankfully avoidable with care), but hey, better than walking down!
User avatar
brech
Posts: 61
Joined: 8/9/2009
14ers: 36  4  1 
13ers: 22 4 1
Trip Reports (5)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by brech »

I was in Dry Gulch on Sunday, skinned up to 12,200 below Hagar. Coverage is consistent below treeline, the willows are not covered and require some negotiations. Stream crossings are manageable, snow bridges are small and there is a bit of open water. Above treeline it was pretty sparse except in gullies. It was quite wind hammered and a bit of a bumpy ride, did find some decent snow down a SE aspect coming down to the river again skiing snow and willows.
I was in Mayflower Gulch a couple of weeks ago and the snow was deeper then even found some powder in the trees. Saw some tracks down the couloir on Hagar, actually given the CAIC report and what I saw things looked pretty stable, with just my dog and I we weren't going to do this. Heard some blasting from Loveland ski area.
My advice - take old skis and keep your tips up in the woods.
https://youtu.be/PBIzQKkxWfE
mountainman713
Posts: 15
Joined: 7/10/2016
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Backcountry Skiing

Post by mountainman713 »

Thanks for the info.

I went up to Berthoud Pass on Sunday and skied the west side of the pass. The conditions were pretty good in areas but it's still low tide up there. You don't have to hike up far to get some good snow; especially in the trees immediately west of the parking lot.

Things are really supposed to start to change later this week and in the coming weeks. If everything goes as planned, there will be 2-4 inches of snow on Thursday (12/14) and heavy snow on Saturday (12/16) with 10-12 inches including locally higher amounts. We will be seeing constantly cold temperatures with measurable snow going into next week too.

Forecast for one of the peaks on Berthoud Pass is listed below:
https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks ... casts/4081

Later this week Avy danger is going to increase, so be careful out there.
Post Reply