Spring Skiing
Purple in June Photo Kevin Krill
If you read the Photo of the Weekly 7 you know about my attempt to ski every month of the year I turned 40. This is June 15th, 2008 11:11am that year. After a colossal snowfall the previous winter, we were set up to ski well into the summer and even fall, right up until it started snowing again. March, April and May were no brainers as the snowpack was still rich and thick. June presented a few more constraints.
The accessibility to the snowfields in the summer months depends greatly on the runoff rates in the rivers and river crossings in general. Daisy Creek was the issue for this hike. Just past Pittsburg, an historic mining camp, you turn left onto the Daisy Pass road and have to cross Daisy Creek. The river has taken on many different flow lines through this stretch where there are no real definite river banks.
I had scouted the creek crossing several days before and talked to some people who had driven across it recently but I wasn’t going to chance it. Therefore we had to plan a little differently than driving right to the snowline to start skinning. My wife Marilyn and I each packed three different pairs of footwear for the approach because of the diversity of the traveling surfaces at different points along our journey.
With a huge fresh cup of coffee and breakfast burrito down the hatch on the six mile drive out to Pittsburg, we got out of the car in our tennis shoes to cross the creek in the dark and below freezing temps of a June night at 10,500 feet. We each carried our hiking boots in one hand, a ski pole in the other and our skis and boots were strapped to our packs. As we entered the creek our headlamps reflected on a dark green Jeep Cherokee in the middle of the creek with water flowing over the hood. I was glad I didn’t try to make the drive.
Immediately out of the creek we removed our sneakers, ditched’em and slipped into our hiking boots for the two miles of dirt and mud road to snowline. As we hiked up the road the sun began to illuminate the mountain landscapes; both summer and winter. The Glacier Lilies covered the lower green hillsides while the peaks still boasted a bright white snowpack.
Once at snowline we could now ditch the hiking boots and slip into our ski boots to continue on skins or foot up the vertical frozen ocean. The hike-slash-slog up the snowfield starts out exciting; under the cascading waterfalls of Cascade Peak, then passing Daisy Creek falls and walking under the massive slopes of Mineral Point. Then you hit the main snowfield where you start to realize the trip has just begun. It is now time to put the head down and make some time to the peak.
We stopped just short of the main summit as the snow was getting a bit soft and we had plenty of vertical in front of us. The picture of Marilyn is just as she was about to make her first turn but had to pause to take in the scene in front of her. Looking down into the Kebler Pass area and the largest living organism on the planet in its most vibrant season while standing on snow several thousand feet above was breathtaking.
We had a long descent in short sleeves and blinding sun. All we had to do was reverse the process of footwear changing to get back to the truck. Once back at the house it was time for yard work and a cold beer. Nothing could have been more satisfying than getting up before dawn to ski a high peak with my wife in the green of summer. I am looking forward to another spring of peaks for 2011.
Kevin is a freelance photographer and writer/contributor for the Mountain Weekly News living in Crested Butte, Colorado. His photography talents focus on Fine Art Landscape Prints, Mountain Lifestyle and Action Sports in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. His work has been published in many fine national and regional magazines, calendars, catalogs, ads and posters. He offers many photographic services including private outings, product shoots and location scouting.
To view more of Kevin’s photos, please visit: http://www.crestedbuttephotography.com