Welcome to Louis (Lou) Dawson's backcountry skiing information opinion website and e magazine. Lou's passion for the past 45 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 news and information here, and tons of Randonnee rando telemark info.
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Backcountry skiing is a dangerous sport. You may be killed or severely injured if you do any form of randone, randonnee and randonnée skiing. The information and news on this website is intended only as general information. While the authors and editors of the information on this website make every effort to present useful information, due to human error the information, text and images contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date. By using, reading or viewing the information provided on this website, you agree to absolve the owners of Wild Snow as well as content contributors of any liability for injuries or losses incurred while using such information. Furthermore, you agree to use any of this website's information, maps, photos, or binding mounting instructions or templates at your own risk, and waive Wild Snow its owners and contributors of any liability for use of said items for backcountry skiing or any other use.
Best October on record? At least in my life span.
Nice shots (pics and pow) Lou. Looked like an awesome day up there! Knew I should have headed up there too. Oh well. I just wonder when this global warming thing is supposed to hit ? And the “Death of snow” as skico put it a while back? Hmm…..
Mine too Dave, 55+ years and nothing comes close…
Whew, that’s something! I’m just about to buy some skis that would be perfect for such conditions. Glad you guys can really enjoy it. Maybe that article in Powder Magazine from about 15 years ago that jokingly suggested that global warming (which was a luke warm topic at best then) could produce more snow was correct eh? Blessed indeed!
Lou: I agree; best dang skiing in a long time. M
I’m proposing a ban on all Colorado websites until the rest of North America has snow. You guys are killing everyone else with jealousy. Sound like a deal? Perhaps humanitarian in nature;)
Mark, where in the world did they say that incredibly politically incorrect thing in Powder Magazine, which issue? We’d come up with that concept here on WildSnow.com (that of global warming producing more snowfall in continental climes), but I thought we might of been first. Shucks.
Derek, law of averages will apply and you’ll get your revenge.
In my view Colorado’s big fall and winter this time around has to be compensated for by a drier year. That’s when the global warming zealots will have their “see I told you so” moment of glory. Then we’ll have another wet year. Then another dry year. And so forth. Like it’s been doing for a couple million years. To give the zealots their due: Warmer atmosphere in the future will no doubt cause snow line to be higher in spring and fall, but we’ve got 14,000 feet of elevation to play with, so that’ll help. And a deeper snowpack compensates for warmer temps, as in the Northwest.
Montezuma snowfield could quickly become a glacier again if we get huge winters — despite global warming or perhaps because of it. Law of unintended or unforeseen consequences…
Lou, We went up on Sunday but detoured over to Tagert hut. conditions above the huts were bony, at best. We were able to ski to within several hundred yards of the car (at Campsite 1) but it was pretty rocky. What a beautiful day in the mountains. I agree with Jason’s sentiments, we truly are blessed. I rode my mountain bike in Fruita on Saturday and skied on Sunday, how good is that?
Scott Mark and Lou,
Guess you guys didn’t make it up to the basin about 6 years ago when a large bergshrund opened up on the upper snowfield .You guys make me think of someone smoking a lucky strike through a tracheotomy hole in their neck. I will burn something to please Ullr and ask for his forgiveness.
I’m going to have to go with Derek on this one….no more Colorado Updates…photos, blogs, thoughts….nothing, until the rest of us get snow. I’m sitting here in Jackson, WY and things are bare, bare, bare. We got about 4 inches up on the pass…I’m sure that there were folks up there this weekend…much to the joy of all the orthopedic docs in town. So Lou, for our sake, Just Say No!
Now that’s a blog! Enough of this junk about stupid high mountains on other continents, gear distributors, snowmobiles, blah blah blah… Show us the goods!
Happily, not too jealous here in Washington, since the glaciers should get the goods this week. We’ll see.
Oh yeah, congratulations on your successful knee repair. Hope it works well for you.
Wish I had even a single old issue of Powder. Dumped them all. Perhaps a little research will uncover when that article was published. It was at least 12 years ago, perhaps 15 or more.
Good memory there guy…