January 27th - Thunder Lake

A very long day of ski touring to Thunder Lake.

During the winter, it was almost 15 miles and ~2300' elev gain with much of the trail barely broken. No matter, it was an awesome day.

The day started with a small group of us (Wendy, Theresa and Dave). We suited up, skied to Ouzel Falls and then the hard part really began: Skiing where people have not been. The breaking of trail was hard work, but the views of the divide were rewarding to say the least.

After a little hunting around for the trail with our navigation shaman (Dave), we made it to the lake that was surprisingly and pleasantly calm.

Patrol cabin at Thunder Lake

We enjoyed the views, the rich chocolate in celebration of Wendy's birthday and had an awesome ski back.

After 15 miles of skiing, I went to Safeway with seemingly all of Boulder! I was hungry enough where I bought a lasagna. Wendy chastised me and said "What kind of Italian are you?!?!?!"

Good point.


I was a hungry one! :)

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Caffeine and Snickers!

The ultimate thru-hiker food?!?!?

My god...to hell with 25 miles per day. I'm doing 35, 40 or more!

Now, I really have no reason to do high price "energy bars". :)

I should have some t-shirts printed up!

January 19th and 20th - Sangree Hut

I love hut trips.

Hut trips combine many things in life I enjoy: Being outdoors in the fresh air, getting together with friends, enjoying good food and wine and just enjoying the simple pleasure of life. I've always thought of hut trips as dinner party with a ski trip attached.

My friend Judy e-mailed me one day and said there was a last minute invite to a hut. Was I interested? My answer was a resounding YES!


On Friday after work, I drove up to Silverthorne and stayed at Mark and Judy's (shared) vacation condo. After a hearty meal and a movie, we all retired to bed.

Woke up Saturday, had an equally yummy breakfast and drove to the trailhead. The Mag Wag is not the best vehicle in snowy and icy conditions as the fishtailing on I-70 proved. :O

But, we made it to the trailhead. Suited up and enjoyed the falling snow and beautiful terrain of the valley.



True to form, once I was into a groove, I just climbed and climbed and climbed at a steady rate.

Before I knew it, the hut was there. Yahoo!

The usual hut chores were immediately done: Stoke the fire, heat up some hot water, sort the gear and settle into a relaxing afternoon.

As we were getting ready for dinner, I enjoyed the play of light in the mountains.

After a relaxing night, we awoke to another glorious day. The possibilities were endless!

Up to the ridge? Into the valley? Explore the fresh powder? The outdoors beckoned.

We skied up to a ridge and enjoyed the views. Rather than risk an avalanche, enjoying the mountains from the saddle seemed a better (and wiser) idea.



After lunch back the hut, we did another ski. This time into the valley, up another ridge, down into the valley and back up to the hut. Phew! Well worth it with all the pristine views and that wonderful quality of light at dusk.

I had to be in work Monday morning, but rather than slog through Sunday ski traffic on I-70, I opted to have dinner at the hut, then ski out at night.

Another wonderful dinner with good company made the stay more than worth it. The sunset was not too shabby as well.


I reluctantly suited up for the ski out. It was an almost full moon, though, and it was beautiful.

The snow glowed, the night was clear and still, the stars were above.

If I had to leave early, it was good night to do so.


After a two hour drive back to Boulder, I went to bed tired but content. And Monday morning? Two strong cups of coffee, I was able to be semi-awake. :)

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January 12th and 13th- Snowshoeing (Gasp!) and A Long Traverse

Snowshoeing.

It is accessible to anyone. It is a great way to introduce people to winter. It can be fun. It is something I used to do a lot of.

Then I discovered (and became decent at) ski touring. I no longer enjoy snowshoeing as much. Find it a bit clunky, not as elegant and just not as fun. And it is something I try to avoid.

It has even become an inside joke of sorts among some of my friends. We have an ongoing commentary about "snowshoe dates". But I'll save that for another post. :)

Sometimes though, it is difficult to mix snowshoeing and skiiers. In popular areas (such as Brainard Lake Recreation Area), there are snowshower and skier trails ONLY.

While I will not go on a snowshoe date (I am sure after making this post, I'll eat my words. ;) ) if I can help it, I will go snowshoeing with close friends.

Josh e-mailed me one day and invited me to snowshoe with the family. Not having any concrete plans and wanting to take it easy, I gladly accepted.

I dug the snowshoes out Saturday morning, drove to Casa Zapin ( Schtub Zapin? ) and off we went to Brainard Lake.

Even at a fairly early hour, it was still busy! CU was due back in class the coming week, the day was gorgeous and sunny and it was one of those perfect Colorado winter days we all love.

Avery rode in high fashion in the kiddie carrier. Traveler had a blast romping through the snow. Mom and Dad loved getting outside. And the goofy "Uncle" tagged along.

The little guy started getting very fussy so we turned around. It was only two miles out..but still an enjoyable day.

Afterwards, Avery showed me his new favorite game: Peek-a-boo! It is amazing how much joy and fun can be had playing "Peek-a-boo" with an 18 month old. Every time I see Avery he seems more and more aware. He is no longer a baby but has become a little boy.


On January 13th a small group (ha!) of 13 of us did the Sourdough Traverse.

This ~13 mile traverse is my favorite ski tour. A point to point trip involving a car shuttle. Rolling terrain, steady climbs rewarded with pristine views and yet another day that was a perfect Colorado winter day: Sunny, dry and crisp. It is no wonder I've grown to love winter so much since I've moved to Colorado!

The day started with everyone loading the gear into the Mag Wag (my pickup truck). The amount of skis lined up said it all!


After climbing up the trail, we reached the high point and enjoyed the clearest day I've ever seen in Colorado. We could see well beyond Denver and far into the Plains.



Joining us for this trip was a fellow AT98 alumni: Marc. Marc is now a proud Dad of baby girl. He is also about to move to Virginia. This weekend was his last ski tour for a while. It was so great he could join us for the outing. The Boulder area is a transitional one; where people move in and then move on as life experiences dictate a time for a change. I'm thankful for anytime I can spend with friends and treasure the memories.



There was a very high "woopage" factor on this trip. Gliding down the hills, making turns and coming as close to flying under my own power (with some help from gravity ;D ) as I'll feel.

I love this long ski tours. It feels like a long day hike on skis. The same feeling of joy, contentment and being immersed in nature. Nordic skiing is simple compared to other winter activities. No expensive lifts, you can get by quite well on used equipment and it is about the experience of being outside.


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January 5th and 6th - Exploratory Skiing

I wanted to explore something different on skis. Rather than go to places I know well, I wanted to see something a little off the beaten ski path.

My original plan on January 5th was to go to Mammoth Gulch. I last went there in winter 2002. I don't remember much about the area and I was curious to see if ski skills have improved in six years.

Well, we pulled up to the area to see NO PARKING signs everywhere! A lot different than a few years ago. And what we thought was public parking is apparently off limits, too. (Courtesy of verbal notice from a Gilpin county deputy).

So we made a decision; we did an exploratory tour up Moffat (Rollins Pass) Road.

This road leads to Rollins Pass on the Continental Divide. A popular jeep road partway and a popular mountain bike route for up and over the divide to Winter Park as well.

It also makes for mellow ski tour.

On this trip were the Korslunds. True to their nature, they skiied in and Gretchen was in this way cool kid carrier.



The day was nothing special. Just an enjoyable day out with friends to a place I have not seen before.



After doing this trip, more ideas for future ski tours formed! Woo hoo!


On Sunday January 6th a few of us went to Allens Park and skiied up an old road/ski area.


What a great day! Fresh and deep powder, great scenery and another place I was not overly familiar. The climb was a bit long...but more than made up for with an AWESOME ski down.
Next time I come up here, I hope to pop above treeline and hit the ridge.


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December 29th - January 1st : Skiing in the the New Year

Three days of skiing, one day of moving, and quiet New Year's Eve dinner with some friends.

On December 29th a few of us did the same loop I did with the two Wendys previously, except this time in reverse.

It was cold and windy, and not really conducive to lollygagging. It was still a fun trip. Any day on skis is good enough for me!

Terry herring boning up the trail

On December 30th, I organized a mix snowshoer/ski trip to Ouzel Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park. True to form, anytime a snowshoeing trip is organized, may people want to come. Snowshoeing is a great way to enjoy winter without the steeper learning curve of skiing. Winter no longer is time to stay in, but another chance to play.

I still took my skis, though. :)

There was constant falling snow and it made for a beautiful day. Skiing in the trees with the skies opening up and with trees heavy with snow made for an awesome day.

Along on this trip was Mark Schultz. As with Terry and myself, Mark also hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1998. In fact, we summited Katahdin together. Mark is now the proud father of a 2.5 month old daughter. He is also about to move to Virginia. I am glad we were able to get a ski in with him before the move!

Alas, no skiing for me on December 31st. I moved to a new place closer to downtown Boulder. The lifting of many boxes of books was a workout in itself! Enjoyed a nice, quiet dinner with the Zapins and brought in 2008 in a mellow and enjoyable fashion.

I did bring in 2008 in the best way possible - skiing in fresh snow with blue skies and sunshine!

Kevin and I showed up at the trailhead to see NO ONE. We skiied up the trail with fresh powder, made it to the highpoint of the Sourdough Trail and enjoyed the views. We had a fantastic ski back and made it to the parking lot by noon-ish. A much different trailhead greeted us! I think everyone started when we ended.



A wonderful way to enjoy the last weekend of 2007 and begin the New Year!

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