2010.01.30 FULL MOON OVER VAIL PASS

Taking advantage of clear skies and the brightest moon of the year, Devon and I spent an evening on Vail Pass. A thaw-freeze cycle prevented us from doing much skiing as we stuck to the established skin track and snowmobile trails. However, it was beautiful night and we had some fun using long exposures and headlamps.

Full moon rising:

Lighting Devon's skin path:

That's supposed to be two "D"'s, but Devon got confused:

Devon and I:

2010.02.06 MARBLE WHITE ROOM

I've long heard rumors of the deep powder to be found in the backcountry outside the town of Marble. So, I figured that if I was driving 4 hrs in that direction to pick up ski gear, I might as well check it out. $72 in discounted Black Diamond equipment, 1.5 tanks of gas, musical entertainment from a disco cover band with a pregnant lead singer, and two stops for tortas from the finest Mexican restaurant in the state was a small admission price for the snow conditions on this day. Much thanks to Jordan for guiding me to his favorite stashes and unselfishly playing photographer as I left my camera at home.

2010.02.06 SUCCESS IN ROCKY MTN NATL PARK

Finally, I can report a successful ski outing in Rocky Mountain National Park. To prepare for our upcoming ski mountaineering trip to Alaska in April, I got out with Eli on Friday to check out the skiing options at the popular Bear Lake trailhead. Despite some windy conditions, Eli and I pushed on from Emerald Lake to the Dragontail coulior. The huge, granite rock walls provided relief from the weather where we enjoyed great ski conditions. Below is some video of the day shot and edited by Eli, with musical accompaniment by Pearl Jam - Amonsgt the Waves. A beautiful song from their most recent album, Backspacer, which I enjoy more with each listen.

Eli operates Climbing Life Guides, a year-round service for rock climbing, avalanche education, mountaineering, and skiing. Based in Estes Park, Eli offers a multitude of local outings and expeditions across the world that are worth checking out. In addition, Eli does an invaluable service to all Colorado outdoor enthusiasts by updating snow and ice conditions throughout RMNP on a weekly basis throughout the year. A visit to his site is most worthwhile to see what Climbing Life Guides has to offer and check out some cool videos and info: Climbing Life