Back Country Skiing (Loveland, Eagle, St. Mary's: safest, best, park)

[breaksraver13]

I was wondering, now that A-Basin is closed ...........Do any of you guys Back Country ski in the Summer, so you can scratch that itch that you get in-between seasons?

I was wondering where some good areas were that a new-comer can hike/ski this summer.......I already know where/of St. Mary's Glacier but not much about it either......any suggestions?

[FoRuMRideR420]

loveland pass....i havent been there for 2 weeks but it was still ride able last i saw?

asspen is open this weekend

[Fuzz]

So did you hit up St. Mary's yet?

You can ski pretty much anywhere that's in the National Forests that has snow.

Loveland Pass is an easy, if crowded, option. Lot of the couloirs along the Divide are popular, e.g. Professor, SFB, etc. Lots and lots more options everywhere. Just go to Rocky Mountain NP, Indian Peaks WA, Summit or Eagle County, pick a snow-covered peak/area, climb it, and ski. For most of the these, you're looking at a climb/hike of 2,000+ feet.


Some things to consider:

• Wet slides can still happen, and with the thin coverage, can mean really bad news if you're carried onto rocks. Get some avy training/knowledge/gear. Timing is everything in the BC -- what's safe to ski at 9am may be unsafe at 11am.
• Get backcountry gear. If you're skiing, you can probably get to many BC skiing by just hiking, but it's best to get some skins and AT bindings -- much easier to climb on snow. If you're snowboarding, a splitboard with skins is the best option. Or you can also use snowshoes.
• Spring/summer snow is variable to say the least. Make sure you're comfortable with it.
• Route-finding and terrain evaluation (on both ascent and descent) are important in the BC.
• Just like any other sport, there are common protocols and etiquettes to follow. Learn them. Many of them can help you and others avoid getting hurt (e.g. don't drop in directly above somebody else).

I think I posted this before, but go to the TGR forums to learn more about BC skiing and hook up with people to ski with.

[breaksraver13]

Thanx fuzz, as always.............So you think that St. Mary's is the "safest" area to BC?

And, no I haven't been to St. Mary's yet.

[Fuzz]

St. Mary's is very safe. You don't really need any avy gear. Watch out for the rocks on the edges though -- sliding into them can be painful. The snow gets pretty sun-cupped through the summer.

http://www.syedfaisal.com/Photo_Albums/StMarysGlacier/Panorama1-large.jpg (broken link)

If St. Mary's is too easy and you're feeling more adventurous, you can climb past the glacier and continue onto James Peak.

[breaksraver13]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

St. Mary's is very safe. You don't really need any avy gear. Watch out for the rocks on the edges though -- sliding into them can be painful. The snow gets pretty sun-cupped through the summer.

If St. Mary's is too easy and you're feeling more adventurous, you can climb past the glacier and continue onto James Peak.

When was this picture taken?

[Fuzz]

July 30, 2005. It had not been a very snowy winter that year.

The snowfield is actually bigger than it looks. If you look closely at the picture, you'll see a silver bed-frame left of center, to give a sense of scale. Plus some ski tracks along the far edge of the snow.

[FoRuMRideR420]

loveland pass you can hitchhike instead of a hike thats why id mess with the pass over st mary's

[breaksraver13]

Well, I think that I will start with St. Mary's since I have never skied outside of park boundaries.......My family will be visiting this weekend so I will be unable to go to Asspen, or I would be there, no doubt!!!!!!