Looking up at an untracked piece of snow, I can see myself carving tracks through it like a Chinese calligrapher making brush strokes on paper. Snow begs to be skied as much as mountains beg to be climbed. The reality is that mountains beg for absolutely nothing, they simply exist. Something about leaving one's mark on the earth, in a positive and transitory way, appeals to us skiers and climbers. And this drive, to be the first to grip a hold of rock on a mountain face, or the first to make a track in snow after a storm, is part of what drives us to do this. It is the impermanence of the action, the absolute fact that it means nothing, and changes nothing, that gives our turns and our efforts significance to us. We live in these beautiful moments in which sun sparkles off snow crystals though cold air and we move through the terrain.
Anytime I see a mountain face I start to see the small undulations and the large scale features; to put a picture together of the character of the mountain. Each is different and has its own personality. Each mountain range is unique. Like people, they possess characteristics that become clear and known only through direct experience. A photo, or long-distance glance is only that; like sighting a stranger through a crowd at a train station. There is no end to the fascination that the earth's landscapes inspire, and the exploration we do to bring real images and knowledge to the ideas and pictures in our imaginations.
There is a stretch of road that connects Ouray to Silverton. They call it the Million Dollar Highway, or HWY 550, and it is about 100 yards from my house. The road was built in the 1880s to connect Ouray and Silverton to the productive mines that were working in the San Juan Mountains. Nowadays there is no gold left, or not enough to mine anyways. Despite the beauty of the San Juans, which some consider to be Colorado's most rugged mountains, and were also in consideration for becoming Rocky Mountain National Park, the mountains are marred by the remains of the mining industry. Nearly every basin has a road up it, used in the mining operations of the 19th and 20th centuries, and there are innumerable remains of mining infrasctructure, including shafts, huge buildings, and debris piles.
If nothing else, mining's unfortunate mark on the SW Colorado landscape can be a lesson for our current and future generations of citizens. David Brower, former president of the Sierra Club, said something to the effect of...once an environmental or conservation battle has been lost, it has been lost forever. And the innumerable road cuts, and detritus that remains here in place is a direct affirmation of that comment. Right now is a golden moment for the conservation movement because land all over the country is being offered up to conservation groups; land previously destined for real estate development and other irreversible projects. The problem is that the same financial crash that has driven land owners to sell their land conservation groups and interests is the same financial drying up that is making it difficult of impossible for these well-intentioned groups to purchase this land. So get out and donate your money! It will keep giving for generations and generations to come. It is the best investment you can make.
Okay, enough proselytizing. Nowadays, the resources that the Million Dollar Highway connects are the world-class skiing and ice climbing that stretches between Ouray and Silverton. Luckily, work has been slim, and I've been able to enjoy a lot of this recently.
I work as a ski guide and ski patroller this winter at Silverton Mountain. Its a unique blend of backcountry terrain, explosive-controlled, which allows us to ski steep powder mid-winter when all the other backcountry skiers are making squiggles down flat, boring powder when the avalanche hazard is high. All the terrain is steep, there is nothing groomed, and rumor has it that the lift we currently use was actually condemned before it got bought from Mammoth Mountain and moved here. I've gotten to realize my childhood dream, which is to ski powder all the time and blow up stuff. And both are legal here.
On the way to the mountain is an ice climb called Niagara Falls (or sometimes referred to as Santa Claus Pillar). It shines in the sun like an ice chalice, and has been calling me to climb it for weeks. Last week my friend Gary Falk and I had the chance to climb it in sunshine and warm weather.
Gary Falk skiing up to the climb, which is one 130 foot pitch.
The lower bit looks like the foot of a giant ice-monster stomping onto the earth below. The climb itself was phenomenal to lead, was dripping wet and easy to sink my ice axes. Near the bottom of the pillar the rock wall behind was overhung, which meant that the pillar was totally free-standing!
Gary looking suspicious
After Niagara Falls we cruised up to Eureka! and climbed the area classic "Whorehouse Hose" (no joke, thats the name). The first pitch is over 60 meters, and is followed by a swerving snow couloir to a final pitch of WI 4-5. We finished at our car in the dusk.
Gary leading pitch 1 of the Whorehouse
The last few days we've been exploring the backcountry terrain in Red Mountain Pass, which is the 11,070 ft pass that the Million Dollar Highway runs through.
A beautifully engineered curve on the Million Dollar Highway, Commodore Basin in the Background.
Sheldon, Matt Wade, and I skied the Grandaddy Couloir into Commodore Basin. There hasn't been any new snow in a few weeks, which means there is a lot of beat out snow here. The terrain is still amazing though. Matt and Sheldon are both amazing skiers to watch, and with snow conditions tricky like they are now, a skiers true ability will shine.
Sheldon cruising the entrance to Grandaddy's
Matt at the entrance to the middle couloir
Matt looking stylish is the middle couloir
A few weeks ago we skied the Battleship on a really windy day. But is made for nice photos.
Kendall Mountain, which defines the southern border of the town of Silverton. This is the view out my kitchen window, and I often enjoy it while sipping coffee in the morning. The slide path on the left side which comes strait toward the viewer is known as the "Naked Lady" slide path, you can use your imagination as to why.
Today a friend and I skied the West Face (A.K.A. the Hollywood shot) of Red Mountain 3. It is a line that calls to each and every skier who drives the million dollar highway, a big, open, glory-run that begs for airplane-sized turns and speed.
The West Face, with tracks evident down the middle.
Skiing the upper couloir of the West Face
Video of Skiing in Red Mountain Pass.
Looking back on the last few weeks reminds me of some lyrics by my late friend Chris Starz:
"Living high, high on life,
Just about as high as those northern lights.
Living fast, man, and I'm dying young,
If I'm gonna get through this world I gotta have a little fun."