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Trip around Colorado

Trip around Colorado

Ski in Colorado

Insert: 23.02.2010
One morning in the late September I (Kuba Valigura) and Honza Pechout returned from the party in club Stoun in Frydek. And you know, when the person is in the good mood, he has also good ideas. Our idea was, that we could fly in winter to his friend Kuba to Colorado to ski backcountry. Later in the morning after wake, we discovered, that we remembered this and slowly began to plan. We chose the term in first 2 weeks in February. I expected to have all exems in that time done, what also happened. Than we only had to inform Kuba about our plan and he agreed wit pleasure.




A few months then ran very quickly and on 29. January in the morning  we were on Ruzyne airport and waited for aircraft to Frankfurt and then to Denver. There we arrived in the evening of their time and had to turn the day. We managed this in bar ,,u Ira“, how is called by local Czechs. But we weren´t able to go skiing till Tuesday, because Kuba had to work.

So we spent our weekend in Boulder, town, where Kuba lives. We explored the surroundings and climbed.

On Tuesday we finally rode to find snow. But this year there isn´t too much snow in Colorado, what we recognised soon. Still this day we reached Loveland Pass. There we hiked on the range and gave our first line in american powder. Then we rode to the town Dillon, where we arranged lodging by Péťa Vlasáč. In the evening, above green tea, we started to plan continuing of our trip.

Next day we rode to the valley May Flower Galsh. This valley is surounded with nice range with a lot of steep chutes, most of them, however, weren´t been able to ski, because of absence of snow. We reached old miner´s cottage, where we wanted to sleep. We left our staff for night there, cooked something and went ski, where was it possible. At night we cooked weeners, fired the stove and went sleep.


In the morning we rode down back to car and decided to move to the south Colorado to San Juan mountains, where it should have been better with snow. During the journey we stopped in Glenwood in hot springs.


Our first station in the south was resort Telluride, where we slept by friend Ivča. It was better with the snow there, but still it could be even better. First day we bought tickets and rode in the resort. However part of freeride terrains were closed because of competition and others were digged up. Another day we went to Beer´s Creek, a valley on the other site of range, than Telluride is. After 5 hours of hiking we finally stand above culloar, which we chose for skiing. We had bad luck, since it´s possible to ride down here from the resort and before we stripped the skins, five American guys came a digged up the culloar. Fortunately under culloar, there was a plain, where powder still was. We returned to Ivča nicely tired. 

In the morning we drove to Silverton. In the gap Red Mountain Pass we were sure, that we would find there, what we were looking for. Powder and sun. There were about 40 - 50 cm of new snow. It wasn´t worth to wait for anything, we parked in the gap, put on the skins and hiked on the range. On the run down everybody plucked off nice powder slights. After riding we reached the town, lodged at motel and went sit and talk with friend Mariah. She worked here as a ski guide and advised us to hike next day Kendall mountain, more than 4000 m high mountain, which overhang the town.


When we woke up, the sun was shining and during the night some snow fell down, so we went up. After 6 hours we were on the top and looked at the chute under us, which lead nearly to the town. After snowing we were there first and that means more then one hour run down on the virgin descent. Awesome.


Next day Mariah and her boyfriend Mike showed us nice and steep descent in the forest. We could hike it one more and it was worth, but we were tired after previous day, so we returned to the motel, had later lunch and guys went to the bar. You know, they hadn´t seen each other for nearly seven years.


After their loud comeback we slept and in the morning we went on same place as yesterday. When we hiked, we met some locals and followed them then on the range. And we got above nice and again virgin chute. And powder again. In the evening we started to pack, cause next day we would have to go back. During way home we stopped again in the Red Mountain Pass, but we chose south face and that approved on quality of the snow.


In Boulder we bought then some presents, enjoyd the good-bye party and flew home.


It was really interested trip. I think, that terrains aren´t much different from the europe´s ones, but you are avarege higher then in Europe. And it´s more seen with other and other days. And something right is also on this, that powder there is lighter than here on the Continent.



Autor: Valis   

 
 
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