Indy Pass BBQ
The smell of roasting beef patties to a backcountry skier is like PowerBait® to a trout. At least that’s what it seemed like when around thirty skiers slid into the Upper Hairpin parking area on the west side of Independence Pass, Colorado, grabbed a high altitude Tecate (3.2), squirted mustard on a dog or burger, and chowed down.
This was around the 15th year we’ve hauled a grill and a cooler of carne up to the Sawatch alpine during spring ski season. We used to try inviting a bunch of folks, but that was too mature. More fun to just show up on a Saturday with good corn skiing and see who else is around and willing to imbibe. Story in pictures, much by Dick Jackson of Aspen Expeditions guide service (we thank Dick and his crew for their support of WildSnow!).
There comes a time in everyone's life when they have their first time, on Dynafits. Jess did great, and commented on how solid they felt while skiing. That's a common take as it's hard for many skiers to realize that the smallest binding out there yields a firmer boot/ski connection than just about anything else. Note bemused user of 'other brand' looking on as events unfold.
The man himself. Dick Jackson, owner of Aspen Expeditions premier guide service, looking almost exactly as good as he did decades ago, and perhaps even better if it wasn't for the sunglasses (grin)? Truth be told, the big glasses are a trademark of Dick's, and sure got me smiling thinking back on all the years of climbing and skiing our crew has accumulated around here, and all over the world. Both Dick and I were driving our Manaslus. As the oldest guys there, I hope we didn't mess up Dynafit's youth marketing with our vocal praise of Dynafit's incredibly light but wide ski, but we sure like those things.
Jess again, this time letting gravity do the work.
Yours truly.
Lisa on our second lap. The thought of burgers and dogs was too much for a third.
Always time for a Lisa smile when the corn snow appetizer is perfectly prepared.
Down at the parking lot, we fired up the grill and took turns keeping the carne moving. This is when we test Dave's dexterity and see if he can drink a diet Coke and flip a burger simultaneously. You'd be surprised how hard that is.
A bunch of people ended up hanging out. Carbondale was well represented, with one crew (the guy and young girls to right) even hailing from Milwaukee and just happening to be here on vacation with his two daughters 9 & 11, on Alpine Trekkers for their first taste of human powered vert. Good job girls!.
The Dawson contingent. Missing one third. I think he was doing a summit ski descent of Mount Baker, or some such nonsense.
Great day, y’all be there next year!
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.