In mid-April I had the good fortune of receiving a last-minute invitation to a backcountry ski trip to Janet’s Cabin in Colorado’s Summit County. The sun was shining and spirits were high as my group of 20 convened in the parking lot at Copper Mountain on Friday morning.
After we stuffed our packs with beer and onesies and had a quick group meeting to get everyone on the same page about backcountry safety, we hopped on the resort bus bound for Center Village. Like kindergarteners in a 5K, we sprinted up the first segment of our journey along Copper’s West Ten Mile ski run on our skis, splitboards and snowshoes. By the time we reached the Forest Service access gate marking the boundary between the ski area and the backcountry, we were sweaty and winded.
A short downhill cruise through thick forest brought us to the Guller Creek drainage. Here I paused to cover my feet in moleskin, as my borrowed boots were ripping my feet to shreds (a common complaint among first-time touring boot wearers). As the trek resumed, the forecasted blizzard descended upon the group, and before we could throw on waterproof shells we were covered in a layer of the good stuff. As our initial excitement waned and the visibility dropped to a few hundred feet, each person fell into his/her own rhythm up the low-angle valley and our group spread out, following the fresh tracks established by our fastest skiers. I absorbed the silent stillness of my snow-globe world, trying to ignore the pain in my feet and the increasing heaviness in my overworked legs.
Four hours and 5.5 miles after departing Copper, I finally arrived at Janet’s Cabin, drenched and exhausted. A few people had arrived before me and fired up the wood-burning stove. I changed into my red velvet onesie and gratefully accepted a hot cup of coffee.
The evening passed quickly with dinner, games and late-night debauchery as the blizzard swirled around our cabin. We all took advantage of Janet’s marvelous amenities: a sauna and indoor toilets.
On Saturday morning, we woke to 2 feet of fresh powder with the snow still coming down hard. After breakfast, we broke into sub-groups for a full-day of touring, skiing and faceshots. Situated at 11,600 feet above sea level, the cabin is at treeline, making it a perfect home base for both open-bowl skiing and tree skiing. The conditions were ideal: 32 degrees (not too cold), no wind, deep, fluffy powder. In the few moments when the clouds lifted, the ridgeline above the cabin offered a great vantage point for scoping runs. Due to avalanche conditions, we stuck to low-angle slopes and tree glades, which are easy to find right out the cabin’s back door. Aside from some issues with my boots popping out of my bindings, I had a blast. Run after run through untouched powder.
Another evening of dining, sauna-ing and games ensued. The cabin is well-stocked with books, cards and games, but with our creativity stimulated by altitude and sheer physical exhaustion we opted for charades, stupid-human tricks, and improv comedy.
On Sunday, the clouds began to lift as we finished breakfast. After loading our significantly lighter packs and thoroughly cleaning the cabin, we skied out through the powder-coated valley. A few people hiked up and along the ridge above the cabin to enjoy a longer and steeper ski down into the valley.
I arrived at the base of Copper a mere 2 hours later, having skied 90% of the way (I skinned for about 1 mile) and closed out the trip with a burger and brew with the crew.
Lessons learned:
1. Whether you’re heading out on your first trip or your 20th, practice putting on and taking off all your gear (boots, bindings, skins) before you leave home. If something is hard to put on/take off or isn’t working properly (e.g. my bindings), it’s better to find out at home rather than on a snow-laden, wind-blown mountain top.
2. If your boots are new, walk around in them for a few hours to find out if they cause any hot spots or blisters. Take plenty of moleskin and tape on your trip.
3. Don’t volunteer to be the trip organizer. It’s like herding cats.
4. Review our blog on Backcountry Safety tips before you go.
