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White Paint Covers The Snirt — At Least For a Few Hours…

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Geissler Mountain, Independence Pass.

Geissler Mountain

Aieeeeee, the brown snow! Where does it lurk? How do we escape it?

With some help from the weather, our alpine got a good painting of white over the last seven days. Above timberline the corn snow skiing was perfect yesterday, should be good this morning, and a few lines will still be high quality over the weekend. So we hit Geissler Mountain, a short distance NW of Independence Pass on the Continental Divide here in Colorado. Two runs of perfect corn snow. Who would have figured?

Backcountry Skiing

Kate Howe steps happily to the top of Geissler Mountain Number One (easternmost of the three summits), Independence Pass area, Colorado.

Kate blogs here.

Backcountry Skiing

Dave Downing cranks out some curves.

Backcountry Skiing

Kurt Fehrenbach tasting.

Backcountry Skiing

Kate showing extra confidence due to her nice Poc helmet.

Backcountry Skiing

The legendary Perl on the first uphill, BCA Squall backpack still providing trim haulage.

Back tomorrow, and the next day, till it’s gone. I might even test the Onyx binders again, imagine that!


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Posted by Lou on May 29, 2009 | Filed Under Trip Reports 

previous post: Alpinist Magazine — First Issue With New Publisher
next post: Fifteenth Annual Barbecue on the Pass

Comments

9 Responses to “White Paint Covers The Snirt — At Least For a Few Hours…”

  1. Gary Hollenbaugh May 29th, 2009 1:17 pm

    Grizzly chute full of chunks from Spring avy action but no snirt thanks to the recent snowfall up there; bicycle trip in to reservoir is sweet with no infernal combustion allowed! Telemarking is worth the trip but snow is scanty for this time of year. Cheers, Gary

  2. Christian May 29th, 2009 1:57 pm

    Lou:

    How did indy peak look?

  3. Lou May 29th, 2009 2:06 pm

    I was up there again today, brown is starting to show through in quite a few places, still nice and white above about 11,800 feet. Should still be some white tomorrow and Sunday.

  4. Kate Howe May 29th, 2009 6:32 pm

    Hey, Lou! Thanks for the post, it was awesome to ski with you, what a DAY! Thanks for your patience while I had my ass handed to me in a basket (gasp, wheeze). What a treat. My post will be up tomorrow, I hope… meanwhile, here’s my pics! http://www.flickr.com/photos/katehowe/sets/72157618980904422/
    It was a blast, thanks again!
    Kate

  5. Lou May 29th, 2009 6:40 pm

    Nice job Gary!

  6. Mark W May 29th, 2009 10:23 pm

    Fantastic as always. I intend to ski in the spring in a similar fashion for many, many years to come.

  7. scotthsu May 30th, 2009 7:54 am

    Lou, thanks for blogging on the the improved conditions of Indy Pass! If you have a moment, would you mind letting me know whether the NW couloirs on Blue Pk are skiable from the summit or from somewhat near the summit?

    Also, what’s your most recommended line or two right now in the overall basin above the Upper Hairpin? I hope to get up there from NM for a few turns on Sunday!

    Thanks!

  8. Lou May 30th, 2009 2:30 pm

    Hi Scott, the Blue Peak couloirs were being skied today, just climb them from the bottom, they don’t connect at the top. In terms of lines in the Geissler basin, just ski what’s still white. Try to leave the trailhead around 7:00 at the latest and hit the southerly face first. Should be good for a day or two more, then that’s it unless we get another whitewash.

  9. scotthsu May 31st, 2009 5:29 pm

    Thanks Lou. We skied one of the NW couloirs below Blue Pk this morning (the one that gets you closest to the summit at the moment, a little to the south of the summit). I was afraid it’d be punchy and breakable, but it turned out to be a nice smooth white layer on a firm base that was pretty fun (even early ~9:20AM)! Definitely worth the trip from NM! (Fun snowclimb too.) Grizzly chute to the south is looking amazing!

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Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information and opinion website. Lou's passion for the past forty years has been alpinism, climbing, mountaineering and skiing -- along with all manner of outdoor recreation. He has authored numerous books and articles about backcountry skiing and is well known as the first person to ski down all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, otherwise known as the Fourteeners! Books and free back country information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.

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