The Milk Run

I’ve been skiing Colorado resorts for some time now, and I often find it hard to explain objectively why I like Telluride so much.

Telluride certainly doesn’t have Vail’s snow or massive acreage.

By mega-resort standards, it is a small mountain, hard to get to, and at best quirky when it comes to lift placement.

And yet…standing atop Milk run this bright sunny morning, looking down at velvetty groomed perfection leading all the way to town 1785 vertical feet below, I can’t say there’s any other mountain I’d rather ski.

Telluride is one of those elusive ‘wa’ sort of places. Winding along its ridgetops, maching out through the compression at the bottom of Coonskin, stopping always to be dazzled by the views, you just can’t easily express what happens inside you here. But oh, what a feeling!

I kept hitting Milk Run over and over, fresh tracks of the groomed sort until my legs started to protest. Then it was off to the Plunge—also groomed—for another round of effortlessly smooth high-g curves. And no crowds! You know, it’s as if some crazy bastard built this whole damn place just for your own personal enjoyment. Like going to a movie and finding yourself the only one inside.

Perfection. Sheer perfection is what today offered. But wait—what’s this? I see on the patrol board that Palmyra Peak has just opened. Well now…there’s really no choice to be made, is there? I think I’ll zip over to the Prospect Lift and start hiking. Check back tomorrow and I’ll let you know how it goes.

Black Iron Bowl

We knew a few things before we got here in Telluride.

We knew they were having a near-record year for snowfall.

I can verify that: today I overheard a ski patrol talking. He said he was going to have to retire—because there was no way things would ever be this good in his lifetime again.

We also knew that Telluride had opened up some new hike-to terrain in the Palmyra Peak area. Skiers have been coming to Telluride and dreaming of skiing Palmyra Peak and Black Iron Bowl below since this place first existed. That dream is now a reality, and it’s unbelievable.

Telluride has elevated its game so much with this new terrain.

I don’t believe I’ve seen any other resort in Colorado offer anything that compares to the new Black Iron Bowl skiing. Factor in skiing from the summit of Palmyra Peak, and arguably there’s nothing in the country that compares. Really, to understand the kind of terrain that is now being avy controlled and opened up at Telluride, think of the Alps. It’s like that, only without the jet lag.

We skied Black Iron Bowl today (we hope Palmyra Peak will open up later this week) with 2 feet of fresh snow. I just can’t find the words to explain what a special experience this is for frontcountry skiers. Half an hour to an hour’s hike gets you into an absolute wonderland of terrain.

God bless Telluride and their patrol staff. This redefines North American resort skiing—and I don’t believe in the least that that’s an overstatement.

Okay, you’ve made it to Telluride in more or less one piece, you’ve settled into your condo, and if you’re lucky, your luggage will arrive sometime tomorrow. Wondering where the heck to get something to eat? Never fear: here’s our first-ever, somewhat irreverent, certainly non-comprehensive, and hopefully not too libelous guide to fine dinning in the Town of Telluride, written from the snobby perspective of L.A. city dwellers whose restaurants are much, much better than yours (and less expensive too!)

A little more preamble—reservations are probably a good idea, if not required, just about anywhere and any day of the week in Telluride. Expect things to get crowded soon after 6 p.m. as hoards of hungry skiers descend from the mountain. And remember: one especially busy night night can turn any restaurant from a smooth-running machine into your worst nightmare, so avoid peak weekend hours if you can and be willing to give a place a second chance if it all goes to hell anyhow (more…)

Time for some R&R over here. We’re going to be hitting the road this week and next for a trip to Arizona and Colorado. I’m looking forward to skiing Telluride and checking out the new terrain that’s open off Palmayra Peak.

Not sure how much of Palmayra is actually open, but I’m been wishing I could ski that summit ever since I first skied Telluride some 20+ years ago. Even getting to cruise the drainage below the peak would be fantastic—I expect the views are magnificent, even by Tell standards. I’ll check in with more info about the terrain when I know more: what’s open, what it looks like.

Until then, be mindful of unsettled weather in the CA backcountry, and have a safe week!

Okay, I’m not going to attempt to do some kind of long-winded backcountry skiing tie-in here. But still, this is the realization of a dream isn’t it? Admit it, you’ve been longing for access to old episodes of Star Trek or Buck Rodgers in the 25th Century or The A-Team.

Check out Fancast.com, which is hosting complete episodes of your favorite shows from yesteryear—and even some hot picks from today.

This is it: the TV Junkie Jackpot, and it’s only going to get better. Sure, selection is a little limited right now, but they’ve got Miami Vice, The Outer Limits, and Hawaii Five-O, so I’m not complaining. Check it out—and bask in the glory of the internet.

Cucamonga Peak has definitely been on my fantasy list for a long time. Who could resist that incredible south face? I ran some numbers on my Topo software, and of all the major Southern California summits, nothing comes close to Cucamonga Peak’s combination of vertical relief and proximity to the city.

That was very obvious when I climbed and skied it last Sunday—city views and technical skiing abound!

I’ve put together an actual write-up of my adventures on Cucamonga, including a very nasty encounter with the ice that’s currently plaguing north aspects in the San Gabriel Range. As for the skiing, it was much better than I was expecting. This area rarely enjoys skiable conditions, but with snow, I must say it is an absolute classic. Enjoy!

Skiing Cucamonga Peak

Travelers in the San Gabriel Mountains should be alert for unusually treacherous icy conditions on all north and shaded aspects (including NE and NW) between approximately 6000 and 8500 feet.

I believe what we’re seeing is the top layer of snow that covered the ice crusts from the last storms has melted away, revealing smooth glittering clear ice.

These icy patches are particularly dangerous because they’re not apparent from a distance. Drifted snow and corn blends almost perfectly with these ice patches until you’re right on top of them. Be aware also that in some cases, a very thin layer of soft snow covers the ice, making it completely invisible. Travel across these ice crusts is impossible without an ax and crampons. Ski edges will not bite. I found these conditions ubiquitous within the Cucamonga Wilderness today, including aspects off Bighorn Peak, Ontario Peak, and Cucamonga Peak. Presumably, these ice crusts will be found throughout the range on north aspects in the transitional elevation zones where rain fell on snow.

I believe the worst of the ice will soon transition toward hard/frozen corn if these very warm temperatures persist—but that will still make morning travel potentially hazardous. Expect also to find lower elevations quickly melting out. For now, don’t be caught unaware. Climb it before you ski it, take your ice gear, and treat all steep shady north aspects with great caution.

UPDATE 2/11/08 — I just spoke with the Mount Baldy Visitor Center. They are strongly recommending against snow travel in the Icehouse Canyon area, and also confirmed there have been several fatalities due to people slipping on ice, including yesterday. Please be safe out there!

Seven days ago I watched the sun set from Mount San Antonio’s west summit. Tonight, a much lower (and warmer!) perch: Santa Monica Beach, looking out toward the pier.

With a bit of a heat spell picking up, temps have shot up, from 70′s at the coast to 80′s inland. Faced with such brutal weather, what is there to do but take the day off, hop on the bicycle, and cruise the strand along the beach?

We live about 3 1/2 miles away from the ocean, which is just far enough to forget it’s there. I never get tired of the feeling I get when I dart through downtown Santa Monica on my bicycle (a KHS Urban Extreme, if you’re wondering – nice bike, silly name) and the Pacific suddenly appears. Kind of like driving up Mountain Avenue and suddenly finding yourself in the wilderness of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Yes, perched precariously between mountains and sea, on days like this Los Angeles can seem like a little slice of paradise. Just stay away from the freeways, or the illusion is sure to be wrecked. And it doesn’t hurt to find yourself wandering about in shorts and a t-shirt while other poor souls are praying for the mercury to go up. Tomorrow’s forecast high temperature in Fargo, ND: -12°F. Yes, that’s minus 12!

What do you call the middle of February in Southern California? Spring.

Ah well…back to work tomorrow.

Wondering what things look like in the Whitney region? How about a few Aerial Shots by a USMC pilot? Spectacular!

The San Francisco Chronicle reports two missing skiers have been found after they became lost in the backcountry near Alpine Meadows ski resort.

Both men are described as experienced adventure skiers, though according to the article, they did not intend to leave the resort on the day they became lost. Weather conditions were particularly foul that day, with high winds, a sustained blizzard, and white-out conditions. They apparently were unfamiliar with the resort and surrounding geography, and passed unaware beyond the boundary while skiing expert terrain in the blizzard.

What followed was a two day and two night ordeal in which they dug snow caves and slept on pine boughs, melted snow for water in plastic baggies, and followed a river downstream through heavy snow until a rescue helicopter spotted them. Aside from typical alpine ski gear and clothing, they had no backcountry equipment with them. The skiers certainly deserve credit for their survival skills, which kept them alive in life-threatening circumstances (more…)