With the ski mountaineering trip to Alaska only one week away, I needed to get in some conditioning and test my new AT boots, Dynafit Titans. So I ventured into the Tenmile range last weekend to accomplish both these tasks during a beautiful spring weekend.
On Saturday, Devon and I headed up Quandary Peak, a 14er just south of Breckenridge as a warm-up for more challenging peaks to come later in the season. With this ascent I've now hiked to Quandary's summit four times via the standard east ridge route and descended three times on skis. Although the route isn't very challenging, it provides some great turns in spring snow and over 3,000 vertical feet of quality skiing.
Alpenglow on the upper slopes of Quandary Peak (14,265 feet):
Devon approaches the summit:
I've had the chance to test out my new AT boots already, but this was the first time taking them out for an extended tour. I'm happy to report that they are a huge upgrade over the alpine boots I've been slugging around with for the past few years. The Dynafit Titans are among the burliest and stiffest AT boots on the market currently, but they remain much lighter and agile than I expected. Plus, I greatly appreciated being able to increase ankle flexion by using a walk mode for the first time.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to use the Titans as my exclusive footwear for skiing, as the lowered cuff makes it feel as though I'm sometimes falling out of the boot. Also, there is a little bit of awkwardness between the pressuring of the boot and ski response that results from the lack of unibody plastic construction of the boot (including the interchangable alpine and AT/vibram sole blocks). For the backcountry, the Titans receive my support for anyone looking for a hard-charging boot without much compromise.
Admiring the Dynafit Titans and views of the Tenmile range:
With my legs, lungs, and boots feeling good, I set my goals for Sunday a bit higher, but only a few miles to the north...
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