Preying for winter to arrive is like preying for death. Inevitably it’s coming, as the leaves fall and the grass turns brown and dormant preparing for its cold slumber underneath the coming snow. When winter decides to show its face, it is just a matter of how hard it will hit perhaps after teasing us with freak storms and “Indian Summers” before it decides to stay. The past two falls have been uncharacteristically long given that snow did not stick permanently until well after Thanksgiving. However, with the extended fall come certain fleeting pleasures. We were able to ride Mt. Bikes and ski in the same valley on Thanksgiving day which was a experience to remember. The temperature disparity between the north and south facing aspects of the Vail Valley back in November created the optimum living for a few weeks, with man made snow covering the ski runs, but clear tacky trails on the south side of the valley awaiting exploration. However, now that the seasons have ritualistically swapped positions and winter has undoubtedly taken over it is hard to forget the past few weeks of blissfulness now that we are stuck in limbo with too much snow.
Winter arrived and a few weeks ago the snow started falling, and has not stopped. Aside from afew days of sun here and there, the sky has been dropping frozen love all around us. Unfortunately, the snow has fallen so quickly and relentlessly there has not been time for the sun to come out, change the temperature, and bond the layers in the snow pack. Therefore, massive avalanche layers have been created just above the ground on the season’s first layers of snow. Usually this would not be a concern, but given the eight feet of snow that has fallen on most of Colorado in the past few weeks, that layer close to the ground is under a lot of weight and a lot of snow. Consequently,unpredictable and un-triggered avalanches are releasing throughout the Rocky, San Juan, and Elk mountains, which has had a detrimental affect on our ability to ski and play in the backcountry safely. However, with all the snow the skiing has been great inbounds where the resorts ski patrol have been able to mitigate the dangers with bombs and other techniques, while backcountry activities have been “highly not recommended,” by the Colorado and National Avalanche Centers. The snow pack is so unpredictable that even popular dog walking paths that cross hundreds of yards below old avalanche paths in the town of Crested Butte have been closed as a precaution. At the same time, there are other activities that we have been taking advantage of in the mean time. Building jumps around town and snowmobiling in the safe areas of the backcountry, which has been great fun but a lot of work. However, with the amount of snow that has fallen, it has been difficult to maneuver snowmobiles without getting stuck, which goes to prove “you can have too much of a good thing."When most people think of going snowmobiling they picture cruising around on trails and riding a machine through the forest. However, with the amount of snow that has fallen, only specialized powder sleds can even leave the prepared trails without getting stuck. At the same time, while these supercharged sleds we are riding these days do have the ability to leave the trails and blaze new paths of their own, they do have higher consequences and when you get stuck you get real stuck. The glamorous idea of snowmobiling is not what many picture it to be. With the long tracks, large paddles, high performance engines, and more suspension you do have the ability to get where you are trying to go, but you also have the innate ability to get really stuck. Deep snow means that when you get stuck you start shoveling. When the track starts to spin and you loose momentum, the track digs itself a nice hole straight down until the sled is resting on the foot rails, and you are going no place fast. Sometimes the sled can be spun around,but usually it just means a lot of digging, pulling, and lifting, then digging some more.
Yesterday, three if us set out to do some filming on an area that has some short safer lines, but we knew we had to get there first. To make a long story short, we did not do any skiing, but instead spent our time breaking a new trail through the five and a half feet of snow that has fallen in the last two weeks. Using each others tracks to slingshot into the next patch of untracked snow, throttle pinned until you started to loose speed, then pulling off trail to come at it again, we got stuck a lot and only made it about two and a half miles. By the time we got to the top, there was no more daylight or energy to even think about skiing. However,the trail is set and we are sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee getting ready to venturing out and try again today.