Go Till the Oil Gets Thin – Spring Skiing

It’s funny how the body goes strong, like a tuned 357 ci Chevy with eight big gas chambers pounding out the horses, then your cylinder heads carbon up, your oil gets thinned, and the go-peddle feels like you’re stomping a ripe mellon. I’m feeling like that today, after many more days on skis than off for the last few weeks.

We’re still having a spring that yields a snowpack somewhere between the Wasatch and Sierra, and it’s snowing up high again today. Thinking about getting out again tomorrow, but then, a rest day with some office work is oddly compelling. After all, just how many tax extensions can you file? A few photos from recent adventures:

A rare shot of me, this time in Laundry Chute, Mount Sopris, Colorado. Prolific Colorado ski alpinist Jordan White called the other day and invited me for a jaunt on Sopris (our Carbondale, Colorado signature mountain). Others joining were Crested butticians Frank Konsella and Brittany Walker. Britt had skied Pyramid Peak the day before, making her one 14er away from being the second woman to ski all 54. Frank has skied them all, along with Jordan and I, so I was thinking we'd have some sort of special psychic bond or something. I think I did notice a melding of our astral auras, but the skiing felt pretty normal. In other words, what a blast! We ended up in the lookers left Laundry Chute. A moderate run by these guy's standards, but a bit exciting for me having not skied anything steep for about a year, and being in my tongueless TLT-5s (could have used a bit more boot).

Another Jordan shot of your truly in Laundry. Ok, my ego is now inflated due to my newfound ski photo star quality, and the crowds will no doubt invade Mount Sopris like a busload of vacation gamblers headed for Vegas, so we'd better move along.

A more normal morning of corn harvesting, Michael Kennedy (editor of Alpinist Magazine) proves once again he's not just a climber.

One thing I enjoy about spring skiing is how you go early, get away, then let the sun and snow do what it will. You then return the next morning and see what fell down.

Human engine oil. Turns out that the BBQ in Marble, now known as the 'Slow Groovin BBQ,' is serving a mountain town breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Git sum.

The place to be in Marble, Colorado. Highly recommended. You can ski the peak in the background, then have breakfast looking at your tracks. Very very cool. They'll be open weekends and most weekdays, but closed for a day or two. Call for hours at 970-963-4090. If you go, please tell them you found out about it on WildSnow.com

Well perhaps it’s time for an oil change, and to admit I’m still jealous of ski bums who don’t file tax extensions, or even tax returns for that matter.

11 Responses to “Go Till the Oil Gets Thin – Spring Skiing”

1. Joe May 10th, 2011 9:11 am

   OR maybe it’s time to drive a Yota! 😀

2. Lou May 10th, 2011 9:45 am

   Or a Subaru!

3. Dave Place May 10th, 2011 11:52 am

   Lou,
   Great to hear your prolific schedule spring skiing requires a rest day. A nice “problem” to have. Here in the central Oregon Cascades we have been blessed with a record snowpack. I’m looking forward to ski mountaineering missions on our local volcano’s to stretch well into summer.

   Have you had an opportunity to ski the VOLKL Nunataq’s lately?
   I am very interested in your review of these boards.

   As a daily reader of you blog since day one, I want thank you and the rest of the Wildsnow family for all the inspiring trip reports, avi info and gear reviews. Keep up the good work and stay safe out there.

   Dave

4. Lou May 10th, 2011 11:57 am

   HI Dave, the Volkls are out in the radical WildSnow testing environment. Tyler (from our Denali trip) liked em, now Anton has them. Review probably in a few weeks. Lou

5. HaraldB May 10th, 2011 5:17 pm

   Would care to inform a lowly front ranger whether or not a snowmobile is currently required to reach the sopris summer trailhead?

   Me and about 80 of my best buds are planning on hitting that thing in the next week or so. 😉

6. Lou May 10th, 2011 5:28 pm

   NO, no sled required. 80 friends? Bring 90, that would be better (grin). ‘best, Lou

7. See May 11th, 2011 8:54 am

   I’m sure a lot of ski bums are jealous of folks who are able to make a living doing what they love. But I’ve also observed that there can be pitfalls when one’s passion also pays the bills.

   If you need a break, Lou, I bet your faithful readers will understand.

   And thanks again.

8. Lou May 11th, 2011 9:02 am

   See, thanks for the kind words.

   No rest, the blog must go on! (grin)

   Seriously, it’s just the ebb and flow of an athletic lifestyle combined with work.

9. Jamie May 15th, 2011 12:07 pm

   The blogging crew out to say ‘enough about me, let’s talk about me.’

10. Lou May 15th, 2011 12:11 pm

    Huh?

11. Uncle Mark May 16th, 2011 8:24 pm

    Slow Grooven BBQ, you ask for Ryan and just mention Uncle Mark!