Go West young tourer

This picture exudes solitude. Mouse tracks on open snow going off into the distance. This mouse wouldn't hop along on top of the snow like this in a madhouse of people...would he or she? I really like this picture. I always take pictures of my own or friend's ski tracks, or singletrack trails in the non-winter months, so when I find a lil mouse getting fresh tracks I gotta take a photo!

The Birthday Pilot and I headed up to Berthoud Pass Sunday. Recommended by the male side of the Dynamic Duo (I must come up with a better nickname for him...any suggestions Pilots?) who claimed "Knee deep powder" on a certain tree run. I suggested rather drastic measures for this young pilot when we realized it was not to be (see above photo). To his credit though, we skied the wrong aspect on this hill. Details...

Anyways, the car thermometer said -8...but it felt much warmer the higher we got because there wasn't a breath of wind. Yep, i just said that. NO wind. NONE! I was in shock! After being blown all over the place the last two days in the BC, this was such an amazing feeling to be above treeline with no wind. And yes, i said Berthoud. We strayed from our normal EastDivide digs and went west. I used to come here often in college, 15 years ago (crap, that's a long time ago!) and do the hitchhike thing with my snowboard, but haven't skied here more than once or twice in the ensuing years. I know, I know...I usually don't name places by their real name to "save" them from being overrun, but it's a bit late for that. This place is a madhouse of Backcountry skiers and boarders - from the hitchhikers thumbing rides up the pass to the hoards of skiers hiking in for their turns. It's the West Mongolia of the BC - great terrain and conditions for the most part, but just too many people for this Kazinsky (yes, that's one of my older less flattering nicknames). However, I wasn't alone in thinking that - the Pilot himself was a bit overwhelmed at the number of people we ran into and of the absolute dumbassity of many of them. We witnessed several people skiing down avy-prone slopes alone that no one should have been on that day with Considerable danger - and with no pack (and therefore no safety equipment like a beacon-shovel-probe). It always makes me wonder why more idiots don't get caught in avalanches each year. This place would be a prime study for that - "Idiots that do stupid things and get away with it." (Until they don't get away with it...)

The Pilot skinning above treeline on the opposite side of the drainage as the first photos.

After the first run down a southeast slope with 4" of dust on crust, we headed around the bowl to find the softer snow. Most everything was windslab with 3-4" of new snow on top (not the 7.5" that Winter Park had claimed...) but we found some soft snow and great turns after much touring. But it was one of those days where if you didn't hurry, someone was going to snake your line. Things got tracked up incredibly fast and people were on steep avy prone slopes above you making you want to get out of the way fast in case the slope went. I got the feeling that there were many "kids" out there - inexperienced riders that had no idea what they're doing in terms of avalanche awareness. A bit unsettling.

The cruiser last run of the day. This is the one area we found only two people - one of which who we knew randomly! BadCopp himself digging pits and studying up on the snow! Not the steepest pitch, but super nice fun snow on the northerly aspect that led into a steeper treed gully with plenty of the soft stuff. All in all, a beautiful day out there. Not sure we'll come back often, but maybe on a weekday after a storm to grab the goods while no one is looking.