2010.12.21 SKI SCENES FROM MOUNT HOOD

After making the decision to move to Oregon, I started looking into the skiing scene that would await in my new playground. Sure, Oregon has gigantic monoliths for mountains and Mount Hood alone has 5 ski resorts operating on its flanks, but I wasn't sure how I'd adapt after experiencing the immense possibilities (in both resort and backcountry access) available throughout the mountain ranges of Colorado. Based on the recommendations from friends, I decided on a season pass for Mount Hood Meadows this year while I research and become familiar with the surroundings. Here's some photos from a half-dozen days around Mount Hood so far:

Timing is a big part of the perfect season pass picture:

Devon is all smiles during a powder session on Meadows opening day Nov 20th:

During a rare break in the clouds, Mount Hood rises spectacularly above the resort:

Devon skinning on our lone semi-backcountry trip:

Devon enjoying Pacific Northwest powder:

Rob riding the soft stuff:

So far, so good. With the new year should also come some increased explorations of the backcountry areas around Hood and mountains of the southern Cascade range.

2010.06.27 Tabeguache Peak (#49)

I've been planning to climb Tabeguache Peak at the southern end of the Sawatch range for months, but the weather never seemed to cooperate whenever I had the chance. I even had my doubts this past weekend, when dark, ominous clouds started developing around 9 am after reaching the summit of Mount Shavano.

Devon on the upper slopes of Mount Shavano:

Tabeguache Peak seen from the summit of Mount Shavano:

Fortunately, with the exception of some minor hail and thunder, I made the quick hustle across the one-mile ridge connecting Shavano to Tabeguache and was able to summit #49 on my list of Colorado 14ers.

Tabeguache Peak summit - 14,155 feet; #49 on my list (Photo - Devon S):

Devon and I on the Tabeguache Peak summit:

Only four Colorado 14ers remain on the list, with plans coming together for the finale party on August 7th at the 14,073 feet summit of Mount Columbia.

2010.05.23 NORTH MAROON PEAK

Just outside of Aspen, North Maroon Peak is among the most photographed and recognizable mountain in the world and remains a classic route for any ski mountaineer. I've climbed this peak twice previously in the summer (once via the standard northeast ridge and another time via the Bell Cord couloir and ridge traverse from South Maroon Peak) but I always felt the urge to take on the north face. North Maroon has been on my 'must-do/ski' list for 2-3 seasons, but conditions or timing with partners just never seemed to work out right. It seemed like the same might happen again this year, but I got in contact with a group that planning to give it a try the upcoming weekend. After a few e-mails to make sure we were on the same page, Carl invited me along the trip. I have to say that I've extremely grateful to Carl, Marc and Ben for taking some risk inviting me along despite not having any personal experience with my skiing or climbing abilities.

The Bells (North Maroon peak to right) from Maroon Lake:

Carl put together an excellent trip report on 14ers. com that can be viewed here: Carl's North Maroon Peak report. Instead of re-writing many of the same descriptions, I've included some of the better (and most telling) photos from the day.

Keeping high spirits at 4 am despite a horrendous bushwhack after losing the trail above Crater Lake (Photo - Carl D):

Carl pausing the take in the north face:

Climbing up the north face included some steep bootpacking, traversing, and breath-taking views (Photos - Carl D and Ben C):

On the summit at 14,014 feet, ready to ski (Photo - Carl D):

Making turns off the summit, Pyramid Peak providing the picturesque background (Photo - Ben C):

Ben taking off through the Punk Rock Band at 13,800 feet. A fall here might be the last one you ever take (Photo - Carl D):

Good turns await down the north face:

Linking some turns on the upper face, Snowmass and Capitol Peaks in background (Photo - Carl D):

Ben traversing back to the central couloir:

Carl banking some turns in the narrow couloir:

Getting in a few more turns before the final traverse (Photo - Ben C):

The line:

2010.06.04 ITS OFFICIAL...MOVING TO OREGON

Its been very busy the past few weeks with graduations and vacation, but I'm slowly putting together some more posts to recap these events and perhaps my last Colorado skiing adventure for a while.

Although its been in the works for a few weeks, by signing an offer letter this morning I've accepted a postdoctoral position at Oregon State University. OSU is located in Corvallis in the western part of the state about one and one-half hour south of Portland. Additionally, the area is situated only about 1 hr from both the beach/ocean (west) and mountains (east).

At OSU, I'll be joining the Environmental Health Sciences Center with funding through the NIEHS training grant entitled, Mode of Action of Environmental Toxicants. I'll be working in the laboratory of Dr. Joe Beckman, a true pioneer in the free radical biology field. His research interests have focused in understanding the basis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. More information on Joe's lab can be found here.

The decision to leave Colorado was a difficult as the last six years have been amazing. However, postdoctoral positions provide the opportunity to explore new avenues, both personal and professional, for a short (2-5 years) period of time that I wanted to take advantage of. The propensity for rain and lush green landscape of the northwest will take some getting used to, but hopefully I'll be hiking, climbing, and skiing the mountains/volcanoes of the Cascade range in no time.

Mount Hood rises above the Portland skyline:

For now, I have one month to wrap up work in the lab at UC Denver. Then I'm planning to use July/August for an extended vacation to enjoy Colorado and spend some time back east before making the move in early September. Of course, Devon will be making the journey as well as she has sought out her own postdoctoral position at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. The distance between Portland and Corvallis presents some challenges, but we're confident that we can meet halfway, literally as we search for housing in the Salem area.

2010.05.22 GRAND TRAVERSE PEAK

Any visit to Vail will have one admiring the Gore Range mountains. While not as popular as other ranges throughout Colorado (probably because it doesn't contain any 14ers), the peaks are no less spectacular. Grand Traverse Peak particularly stands out and captures the view to the east from anywhere in town. Some friends in Vail Valley had been talking about this peak for a few weeks, so we finally put together a plan.

Ryan skinning towards the objective - Grand Traverse Peak southwest face:

J and Mike bootpacking up the steep main couloir:

The Vail boys - Ryan, Mike and J, who despite his small stature is threatening with an ice ax:

We encountered some strong forecasted winds all morning, and on the 13,040 feet summit we struggled to stay standing. We didn't like the idea of waiting around for snow to soften and coverage in the narrow main couloir was a bit thin at times during the ascent. So we decided to head south along the ridge and ski down a more appropriate line given the conditions. Frozen snow persisted in our descent down the face and we had a good teeth-rattling ride over a section of old avalanche debris. However, the apron provided some fun turns on perfect corn snow.

Ryan skiing down the couloir:

Ascent (red) and descent (blue) lines on the southwest face: