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Author: Stu Bryner

Advanced Splitboarding Course

Top Ten Wilderness Essentials

THE TOP 10 WILDERNESS ESSENTIALS

Any time that you venture into the wilderness, the goal is to come back safe and have the gear that’s going to keep you fed, hydrated, warm, dry, and comfortable in any situation. Especially in Colorado’s alpine environments, conditions may change by the minute, and anyone who ventures into the mountains should have the tools, know-how, and confidence to stay safe. The ten essentials are the survival tools that give any adventurer, whether hiker or backcountry skier, the means to be prepared for any situation.

THE 10 ESSENTIALS

  • Navigation
  • Sun Protection
  • Insulation
  • First Aid
  • Illumination
  • Fire
  • Hydration
  • Emergency Shelter
  • Repair Kit
  • Nutrition

Navigation

We love our electronic devices. They can help you get to the trailhead, check the weather, and call your mom. (No, really. Call her.) But what happens when your phone didn’t charge, or you were bombing with summit selfies and draining your battery? It’s important to have a paper backup of the area that you’re exploring. A map in laminated plastic is invaluable when you don’t want to take your phone out in the rain. Having and understanding a compass will help you triangulate your position and understand how to find a way out. Consider investing in training and orienteering courses with Colorado Adventure Guides if you plan to travel in the backcountry.

Sun Protection

The sun can be unbelievably harsh, especially in the winter. A good pair of sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen will help you avoid painful burns, reduce the risk of health concerns that come with sun exposure, and protect your eyes from blinding light. In the winter, the dangers of sun exposure are increased as the snow becomes more reflective and the intensity increases. The best way to protect yourself is to wear a sturdy hat or hood, wear sunscreen with a high SPF Rating, and wear sunglasses with plastic coverings around the temples. This will keep light from filtering in the side and protect sensitive eyes from burning.

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Insulation

Staying warm and dry can be the difference between a great day in the mountains and short out and back to the car. Insulation and warmth from head to toe will keep you comfortable all-day long. Starting from the basic base layer, meant to be insulated and moisture wicking, the base layer helps to regulate warm and cold body temperature. Next, you’ll have a sun layer which is light enough to prevent sweating but also to protect the body from UV Rays. The outer layer is the insulation, which protects the body when at a standstill, from getting too cold. Finally, the outer waterproof layer protects from rain and wind. Keeps water out and keeps heat in.

Fire Starter

A responsible fire can lift spirits by providing warmth and light, and having a good fire will exponentially increase survival. Waterproof matches can withstand rough conditions and light up in the wettest of places or a trusty lighter, which can also serve as a handy repository for duct tape. For using flints and sparkers look for dry kindling, tree sap and dead wood. Never use accelerant and obey all fire restrictions and open fire bans.

Emergency Shelter

Adventure is never straight-forward and often times it doesn’t go as planned, leaving some stranded in an unexpected overnight. Having an emergency shelter can help keep you warm and safe on the roughest of nights. A simple tarp can act as a protection from rain or the outer shell of a hypothermia wrap. A foam insulating pad protects from heat loss when being on the ground or taking a break, or a bivouac sack is a shelter made of tent material that can quickly be put up in a short amount of time. It’s important to have peripheral items such as para-cord and extra stakes and poles, but the most important part is to be sheltered and protected from the elements.

Knife or Multi-Tool

A knife or multi-tool can do everything from helping to fix a broken bicycle to creating splints and emergency medical equipment. The perfect knife is portable and foldable with a full tang blade that extends into the handle. The blade should be high carbon or surgical steel, with a minimum length of 4-7 inches and a solid synthetic handle. A good multi-tool can come in multiple forms, such as a foldable knife or in a carbon credit card like device that fits in a wallet. The important thing is to have a tool that is tailored with features geared towards your specific activity.

First Aid Kit

The First Aid Kit is probably one of the most essential items that any adventurer needs in their pack. A good kit can be the literal difference between life and death as well as having the medical training and know how on how to use them and how to keep yourself or your partner safe. An effective First Aid Kit includes:

  • CPR Mask
  • Gloves
  • Tourniquet
  • Gauze (4×4, roller gauze, abd pads, non-stick, hemostatic)
  • Elastic bandage, co-band
  • SAM splint
  • Triangle bandages
  • Space Blanket
  • Duct tape, medical tape
  • Knife, trauma shears
  • Pen & Paper – waterproof
  • Bandages, butterflies
  • Antiseptic wipes
  • OTC meds
  • Any Rx medications you might take on a daily basis – Insulin / diabetes, heart/CV, asthma, allergy / anaphylaxis, behavior / mood, contacts / glasses, etc.

Signaling Devices

While a phone is a great way to get fast and immediate help, in some more remote places, it helps to have a GPS Tracker to transmit your location for tracking purposes or to call in the event of an emergency or evacuation.

Some devices have free text capability to communicate with your rescuers.

Smoke, mirrors, flares, flashlights, and bright colored clothing or equipment can be used to reveal your location and signal rescuers.

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Course Information

The final piece of gear is your own knowledge. Understanding CPR and First Aid, WFA or WFR (Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder) Orienteering, Survival Skills, Avalanche Education, Camping and Outdoor Cooking will get you far on your adventures. You can take these through Colorado Adventure Guides, Desert Mountain Medicine, NOLS, Colorado Mountain College, REI, American Hear Association, American Red Cross, AIARE.

 

Fall Adventures and Discounts

Summit County Fall Adventures

Fall has arrived here in Summit County! Days are shorter, mornings are colder, and more yellow leaves appear on the aspens every day. Though people flock to Summit for winter skiing and summer hiking, some of us at Colorado Adventure Guides think now is the best time of year to play in the mountains. We’d like to convince you, so we’re offering discounts on all guided adventures in October!

Though summer offers warmth and lots of daylight, it also brings the monsoon weather pattern, a hazard that’s gone by fall. The monsoon means almost daily thunderstorms, and when hiking above treeline, these storms bring lightning that can be deadly. But by this time of year, the weather has stabilized. September instead brings many clear, cloudless days—perfect weather for exploring the high country! Sure, your mornings will be a bit dark and chilly, but the payoff of a bluebird afternoon is unbeatable.

Breckenridge, Colorado Fall Adventure looking out over Summit County

Breckenridge, location of CAG headquarters, on a cloudless fall afternoon. Can you pick out the 2 Summit County 14ers pictured in this photo? Hint: we guide them both via a unique, adventurous route!

Fall typically also means another pleasant change: fewer crowds! The summer vacationers are back to school, parking lots are emptier, and grocery store aisles are easier to navigate. This change means that summer’s popular areas often become pleasant locations for finding some solitude.

To make the most of fall in the high country, keep a few things in mind. First, fall is a transition time. Summer is out, winter is coming, and sometimes, hikers can feel winter’s impending arrival. Pack warm layers for the morning hours, plan on hiking in temps in the 20s and 30s, and don’t expect to feel direct sunlight until mid-morning on certain aspects. Fall is that unique time when temps can easily fluctuate 40 or more degrees within a few hours. Also, check the weather forecast. Unlike the predictable daily cycle of summer storms, fall weather is usually either sunny and clear… or distinctly not. As winter approaches, sometimes a storm brings a preview of what’s to come with overcast skies, wind, and snow. Usually these storms are parts of larger systems that meteorologists can predict, and they usually only last a day or two.

Summit County fall adventure hiking through the aspen groves

A carpet and canopy of yellow await hikers who explore high country trails in fall.

A few resources and supplies we like for fall adventures:

  • OpenSummit: This website, created by entrepreneurial weather nerd Joel Gratz, is the younger sibling to OpenSnow, which offers forecasts specific to ski areas. Use OpenSummit to access hour-by-hour graphs of predicted precip, wind speed, cloud cover, and lightning potential on Colorado’s 14ers and peaks all over the world.
  • A backpacking stove, mug, and hot drink: On shiver-inducing fall mornings, ease the discomfort of an alpine start with a mid-morning break for a hot tea or coffee. Peppermint tea warms and energizes. Or go for a caffeinated hot beverage for, well, the caffeine, duh.
  • Layering options: On a recent CAG guided ascent of Grays Peak, our guide could have used thicker gloves and warmer pants while hiking through a frozen creek in the morning… but also could have used shorts when the sun was overhead in the afternoon. Pack for fall adventures with options for temperature extremes.
  • Reading material: Stable fall weather means a hiker can often safely linger above treeline for hours. Unlike in summer, when gale-force winds and black billowing clouds usher in the fear of getting skewered by a lightning bolt, in September a hiker can often lounge free of anxiety on an alpine ridge, far above the shelter of the forest. Plan for lounging by packing a compelling novel or at least a decent magazine. Or leave it all at home and enjoy the rare chance to simply sit and appreciate a calm, clear, warm fall afternoon at twelve or thirteen thousand feet above sea level.

If a guided fall hike, peak ascent, trail run, or day of rock climbing sounds like your jam, give us a call today. We’ll discount your October guided adventure and show you how fantastic fall days in the alpine can be.

Summit County fall adventures come quickly and leaves hit the ground quickly

Splitboard Tour

Januburied – Backcountry Skiing in Summit County

If you skied in January in Summit County, then you are probably still wearing a portion of your ear-to-ear grin.  It was one of the best months of skiing in my recallable memory.  And, for those of us who spend a majority of our time skiing UP mountains to find the freshest of the freshest powder, January was a benevolent beast.  For most of us, it was one of the best months of backcountry skiing in our lives.  The snowpack was uncharacteristically solid and yesterday’s tracks were consistently covered up by storm cycles that seemed to be stacked on each other.  We didn’t have to go far to ski epic conditions and I would bet that local snorkel sales skyrocketed.  As we move into mid-february and a high-pressure ridge hovers over central Colorado, our ski tours are blessed with an abundance of sunshine and comfortable, high-alpine lunch breaks.  Though we are breaking high-temperature records in the high country, our snowpack seems to be holding strong and there are still powder stashes to be found.  Join Colorado Adventure Guides on a Saturday Powderhunt™ or if backcountry skiing isn’t your thing, we have 3 weekly group snowshoe tours into Summit County’s backcountry which might just suit your style.  Let our guides share their love of the mountains with you. Call (970) 668-8900 or book online to reserve your adventure.   Your adventure awaits!

Guided Snowshoe Tours in Colorado

Snowshoe Adventures: Go farther. See more.

For some folks, getting deep into the mountains can be a daunting and discouraging undertaking.  Where do we start?  How long will it take?  What if something goes wrong?  These are some of the questions we ask ourselves when planning any sort of mountain adventure.  These questions tend to have more complex answers in the winter months, when snow covers the ground.  Even as guides, we ask these questions.  However, our experience in the mountains and knowledge of the region, allow us to answer these questions and remove many of the unknown factors, making for a safer and more enjoyable experience for our guests.

Many people ask if we go on the same adventures in the winter as we do in the summer.  The answer is YES!  But, we use different types of equipment to access these areas, equipment that makes it more efficient to move on snow.  Our winter hiking tours include the use of snowshoes.  Snowshoes are designed to help a hiker stay on top of the snow when there has been recent accumulation or when the sun begins to soften the surface.  Snowshoes are also equipped with a “crampon” or spikes beneath the foot which provide traction and stability on slippery or uneven surfaces.

Snowshoes allow our guides to bring guests farther into the mountains, accessing places where a traditional hiker will not be able to venture with simple hiking boots.  With the use of snowshoes, we offer everything from simple half-day hikes, full-day hiking adventures near Frisco, Breckenridge, Dillon, Silverthorne, and Keystone.  We also offer peak ascents to the summits of Summit County’s 13ers and 14ers, including Quandary Peak, Grays Peak, and Torreys Peak.  A guided adventure is more than just a walk in the woods.  Hiking with a guide has many benefits.  First, it takes out planning time and potential time lost finding the trailhead and/or trail.  Second, guides are trained medical professionals with years of experience making decisions in the outdoors, therefore, their first job is doing what it takes to keep you and your group safe.  Lastly, you will learn something!  Guides love telling stories, especially about the place we call home.

So, book your snowshoe adventure today.  Springtime is a great time to go somewhere you’ve never been, in a safe and inclusive environment, and learn something about our amazing mountains.  Book here now!

 

AIARE Level 2 Avalanche Education Course

Corn Skiing: Spring comes early to the high-country

Historically, March is one of our snowiest months in Summit County, and typically great for backcountry skiing.  However, this season, March has been virtually snowless.  Warm sunny days combined with the lack of new snow, has sent our snowpack into a transitional phase.  With this transition, corn season arrived, and while it’s not the powder that most of us seek, it can be pretty darned fun.

What’s corn?  According to the National Avalanche Center, “corn snow” is defined as large-grained, rounded crystals formed from repeated melting and freezing of the snow.  Corn snow forms when we reach a point in the season where air temperatures continue to drop below freezing at night and rise above freezing during the day.  This cycle of freezing and thawing maintains a solid, supportable snowpack, with the surface snow warming throughout the day to create a layer of soft, granular snow, which is great for skiing.  When caught just right, it can often feel a lot like powder skiing.  While it seems simple enough, farming good corn for skiing takes a ton of practice, as it relies entirely on weather patterns and is very time and aspect dependent.  Corn skiing can be extremely fickle and finding the goods is hardly guaranteed.  The slightest cloud-cover or presence of too much wind blowing across the snow surface can erase the corn cycle that day.

Spring can be a complicated time for planning a day of backcountry skiing.  You must be flexible and ready to go when the conditions are right.  The ski guides at Colorado Adventure Guides have been skiing the Summit County backcountry for many years and are constantly tuned into the conditions in order to ensure quality ski conditions for their guests.  So, if you’re looking to try something new, join Colorado Adventure Guides for a day of spring corn skiing and enjoy skiing from the summit of one of our snowy peaks.

Intro to Backcountry Touring

Spring in the County: A tale of sport schizophrenia and suffering

Spring is a funny time in the high-country.  Powder skiing turns to corn skiing.  Backcountry skiers venture farther and higher into the mountains to ski bigger lines.  Some folks abandon skiing altogether and dust off their mountain bikes for spring desert trips.  Others drive to lower altitudes to find dry crags for rock climbing.  It’s like outdoor sport schizophrenia.  The time of year when your vehicle is always loaded down with all the different types of adventure equipment and you decide daily which activity is on the agenda.  It’s fun.  It’s confusing.

For backcountry ski adventurers, Spring is the season of suffering.  Good suffering.  Type 2 fun.  As the spring sun takes a higher angle in the sky, days get longer, and the temps get warmer, our go-to ski spots become harder (if not impossible) to access.  No longer are we putting our skins on in our backyard for a quick afternoon tour.  In fact, we are rarely still in ski boots by the time afternoon rolls around.  Our days begin several hours before first light, often in hiking shoes, skis and boots attached to our packs, and sharp things at the ready for when the climb gets steep. Some may refer to our plans as “hair-brained.”

When the alarm went off at 2:45am, I groaned.  It’s an awful time to wake up and nobody ever gets to bed early enough to make 3 am seem like an appropriate hour to be roused from slumber.  You really have to want it.  I wanted it.   So, I got up, and put the coffee on.  In the pre-dawn darkness, waiting for that hot liquid that would surely make 3 am seem like an okay time to be awake, I decided to look over the maps once last time before heading out to meet the boys.  The plan was in place, well, two-thirds of it at least.  We’d start out walking on a seasonal forest road until we hit snow, then throw the skis on and before long we’d be at the top.  Plan A was to ski an east facing chute then climb back to the top and ski a north facing line into a different drainage than we climbed.  Seemed simple enough.

Maps and plans are “theory.” Until you are standing beneath the objective, you have little knowledge of the “reality.”  As we approached the base of the behemoth mountain around sunrise, it didn’t take long to realize that Plan A was shaping up to be a lot like showing up to an all-you-can-eat buffet with a growling stomach.  There was clearly no way we could eat everything we’d piled on our plate.  So, we abandoned the “warm up” line and shifted our focus to the main event, a 3,600 foot north facing couloir descending into no-man’s land.  The descent would dump us into a relatively mysterious zone, with very little beta available for planning.  We had decided ahead of time that we would make our egress plan once we got down there and put eyes on the lay of the land.

Just to reiterate, maps are mostly theory.  Sure, you can get an idea of general topography.  But, what you don’t see on maps, are the micro-details, the rock outcroppings, the cliffs, the trees, the little creeks, seasonal conditions, or the deadfall.  To make a long story short, what seemed like a relatively straightforward exit, became one of the longest slogs back to the car of all time.  After almost 9 miles and several hours of walking, in the sun, carrying gear that got heavier with each step, and discussing topics like hanging up the ski gear for the summer and the definition of the word “private”, we made it back to our starting point.  By the end of the 13 hour day, we had all resolved to take at least a week (if not the whole summer) off from skis, boots, crampons, Clif bars, deadfall, and suffering.

It has been five days, and I’m just wondering what we are skiing next…or biking…or climbing….

Rock Climbing Tours in Colorado

An Adventure Together: Family Rock Climbing

What exactly is “holistic health”? It’s not just about nutrition or acupuncture or massage therapy. Holistic health is an approach to healthcare that considers the “whole” person and all aspects of the body and mind. There is no single aspect of your life to focus on, no one cure-all for your problems. It is not necessarily about losing weight or getting to the gym. It’s about finding balance across your life, as a whole, and in the process, finding health and happiness too.

How does one actually do this? Of course, there is no single answer that works for every person. One important aspect of holistic health is that we must take responsibility for our own well-being. Personally, I know that spending time outside is integral to my mental health. I can’t spend too many hours between four walls before I start to feel anxious and restless. Whether I am hiking, skiing, rock climbing, cycling or just sitting in my camp chair with my feet up, I need the great outdoors to feel satisfied in my life.

While this certainly won’t be the same for everyone, there is a definite correlation between time spent outside, physical activity and mental health. Proximity to green spaces reduces stress and depression. Absorbing vitamin D from the sun will improve your mood and reduce anxiety. And of course, regular exercise will support both mental and physical health,improve your quality of sleep, and help ward off heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

So, what does holistic health mean for you? Perhaps you’re like me and making time for scenic hikes and fresh air will bring you peace of mind. I challenge you to think about what in your life brings you lasting happiness and satisfaction. How can you find more time in your daily life for these activities? And conversely, what areas of your life do you feel could be improved upon?  If you frequently find yourself feeling stressed and anxious, consider downloading an app to help you learn to meditate. If you’re looking for more wholesome, nutritious meals for you and your family, a holistic nutritionist could help point you in the right direction. Are you feeling lonely or far away from your loved ones? Try setting a weekly date to catch up with someone you are missing. Happiness is a crucial component to one’s health and will improve your quality of life in more ways than you can imagine.

Holistic health is a lifestyle. Take charge of your life by finding healthy ways to nourish your body and mind.

Take a hike with Noemi on July 22 to learn about:

Athletic Performance: How to Fuel Your Training Objectives

Noemi is an avid rock climber, outdoors woman, and holistic nutrition expert living in Breckenridge, Colorado.  She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition with the American College of Healthcare Science.  

Summer Peak Ascents in Colorado

Yoga Backpacking: Exploring the wilderness of our being

After emerging from the woods from a 4 day trip, it can take a few days, or even a week, for everything to sink in.  We wash our gear and ourselves, and attempt to merge back into the day-to-day.  After a little reflection, here is the story of our Yoga Backpacking Retreat.

Recently, we had the amazing opportunity to partner with Backcountry Yoga and GOYO Global Yoga Retreats to host a group of folks from across the country in the Summit County backcountry.   The theme was Yoga Backpacking, but in my opinion, our adventure together became much more than that.  It’s always interesting how the combination of individual differences, group dynamic, and weather, really creates an experience.  After a month without rain, the forecast for our 4 days in the backcountry was looking grim, but on day 1 we set out with our big packs (and rain gear) and made the climb to our base camp at 11,200 feet.

That evening, the yoga class was blessed with a glowing afternoon light on the surrounding hills.  The green of the alpine meadows shone with brilliance above us as we stretched and breathed amongst the blooming wildflowers, a spectacular introduction to our little piece paradise.

On Day 2 we took a mid-morning stroll to a high alpine lake, a precursor to our big hike the following day and a good opportunity for everyone to become a bit more acclimatized to the altitude.  The green-blue color of the lake welcomed us, and we sat quietly, snacking, reflecting, and enjoying the beauty of the high country.  As the clouds began to grow and darken, we began our descent back to base camp, for another wildflower yoga session.  With just a few raindrops to keep us cool, the blue sky reemerged to give us a wonderful window to explore our inner peace and connect with the earth.

After dinner, a majority of the group agreed to join on a simulated bivvy at treeline.  I was shocked by the number of people who wanted to join on this adventure (especially knowing that many of them had never camped before in any capacity).  A bivvy or bivouac is an emergency overnight (camping without planning on camping) and is rarely comfortable.  With instruction, the group packed up their sleeping bags and pads, split up the communal gear; food for breakfast, stoves, fuel, and shelter items; and hit the trail for a sunset hike to treeline.  We found a nicely protected spot at the foot of Grays Peak around 12,000 feet and erected a shelter to sleep under.  The stars were blazing that night and we regaled at the production as we lay in the comfort of our sleeping bags.

As first light arrived, we emerged from the warmth of our hasty shelter to be greeted by the silvery dawn sky.  Perched on stumps and downed trees, we sipped coffee as the sky turned from silver to blue revealing a perfect day to tackle a 14er.  After a quick breakfast and fueled up with caffeine, we set out to ascend the remaining 2,200 feet of the climb to the summit of Grays.  This is one of my favorite routes, scrambling up the southwest shoulder of the peak, climbing over and around rock outcroppings, and finishing with the challenging push to the summit on a steep and loose scree field.  As I stood by and watched the group push through physical and mental challenges, I was reminded of our true calling as guides.  I witnessed people helping their teammates by holding their hands, pointing out the best route, cheering each other on, and providing inspiring words to get each other through the tricky spots.  There was plenty of love and zero judgement.  To me, this is what the mountains are all about, to teach us about humility, respect, and overcoming challenges.  I was inspired, to say the least, and very proud of everyone who dug deep to reach the summit, in all senses of the word.

As we descended from the peak, clouds began arriving from the west, dropping rain in visible steams in the distance.  I could feel the relief, the calm, radiating from the group, a sense of accomplishment rang in their voices.  The clear day turned to drizzle, and slowly the drizzle became rain, and as we arrived at base camp, tired and worn, we ducked into our shelter as the sky opened up and washed the earth with a spectacular downpour.

When guiding is your job.  When you are climbing the same mountains time and again.  Walking or riding the same trails weekly.  It’s possible to become a little blasé about it.  But, it’s experiences like these that remind you of how truly amazing it is to spend your days in the wilderness with folks who don’t have access the same opportunity.  To watch as people gaze in amazement at their surroundings, who are left speechless by the starry night, who raise their arms and hoot with excitement as they reach the peak, who find a new respect for nature, who finish their adventure with a newfound sense of strength, or who simply learn something about themselves.  Well, that has a unique ability to remind a guide of why they do what they do.

So, thank you Backcountry Yoga and GOYO Adventures for coming together to take this dream to reality.  Thank you to all of the people who came from far and wide to experience our beautiful mountain home.  Here’s to new friends, learning about ourselves, and a future filled with adventures.  Namaste.

AIARE 1 Avalanche Safety Course

Death and Skiing: Risk vs. Reward in the Backcountry

A few weeks ago we attended the Colorado Snow and Avalanche Workshop.  At this annual pre-season event, professionals from around the snowsports industry present on various topics pertaining to snow and avalanche research.  Think of it as a TedX but with a whole lot more beards, flannel, and approach shoes.  It’s also a great opportunity to connect with other snow professionals.  From presentations about snow safety education in the Middle East to breaking down the psychological causality of avalanche incidents, it was a very informative day and a great way to get us snow professionals into the winter mindset.

Just a couple of days later, we learned of the tragic events surrounding the death of renowned climber and Colorado native Hayden Kennedy and his girlfriend Inge Perkins, the season’s first avalanche victim.  When I got the message from a friend that someone had died in an avalanche in the first week of October, I was pretty shocked.  The juxtaposition of these two events was eye opening.  I had just spent an 8-hour day listening to people talk about avalanches, looking at the destructive power of snow, and dissecting the historical data from avalanche accidents.  Now it was a reality, people were already dying and we hadn’t even had a real snowfall yet.  I haven’t been able to stop thinking about their terrifying story.

“Admittedly, when I first read the text and before any of the details of the incident emerged, I didn’t know who Hayden Kennedy was.  But, it didn’t matter.  It made me think about death and how scary it must have been to be in that situation.  My first thoughts were for his family and his friends, those who had spent countless hours with him in mountains, the people who would be learning that their friend was gone and they’d never climb with him again.  Death is an extremely difficult topic to talk about.  Even 4 years after losing my old man, I still struggle to talk about it.  The truth is, we have to talk about it, or we learn nothing.  For mountaineers, it is becoming a more common subject as we continue to push ourselves into bigger and more complicated terrain.  Every year, the world’s foremost mountaineers are doing something more extreme, more spectacular, and more unbelievable.  And, every year, we are losing another accomplished adventurer.  And, every year it’s sad.  And, every year we talk about the inherent risks in our risky pursuits.  And, every year we find a way to rationalize it.  And, hopefully, we learn something each time.”]
What did I learn?  Don’t let your guard down, set protocols and follow them, never undermine the power of the mountains, and hug your loved ones.  As another season approaches where I will inevitably spend plenty of time negotiating and managing avalanche terrain, making life or death decisions, and trying to minimize risks, I’ll try to keep Hayden and Inge’s story in the back of my head.  Whether I’m skiing Baldy or a steep line in the Gore Range, the protocol is the same.  I read the CAIC avalanche forecast.  I carry my avalanche safety equipment.  I turn on and check my beacon at the trailhead.  I don’t refer to any terrain as “safe” or exempt from the dangers of backcountry travel (even if I can see the pub from the top of my ski line).  I’ll examine and manage terrain exactly the same way whether it’s a 20 degree tree run or a 40 degree couloir.  I assume nothing.  It’s a practice.  It’s a mindset.  It’s about following the systems you learn in your avalanche education which are specifically designed to minimize your risk and keep you alive.  Learn them, practice them, follow them EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.”So, as the season arrives, snow piles up in the mountains, and the stoke for skiing the backcountry grows, remember to remind yourself that the mountains don’t care who you are, and avalanches don’t discriminate.  Educate yourself and don’t assume anything.  Be honest with yourself and your assessment and live to ski another day.  There will always be more powder turns.

Backcountry Education Courses

Winter is Here: Snowpack and Conditions Update by Justin Ibarra

Some early season goods. PC: Gary Fondl

Winter is here as a new season begins and our Colorado snowpack is back in full force. A few early season storms came through the state over the past couple of months with long dry periods in between. The dry and sunny periods helped to melt the snow on most Southerly aspects but on Northerly and shaded aspects the snow was lent to rot and created a mixed bag of basal facets, crust/facet combos, and wind slabs.

Around this time of year with this early season setup, it’s important to keep an eye out to see what areas where harboring that early season snowpack. We can then mentally picture where our problem layers will be once the first big snowfall of the season arrives and blankets our mountain environments to entirety.

November 17th came and just that kind of storm arrives dropping around 30cm across the Vail/Summit County Zone and Continental Divide with heavy winds. Time to head out into the backcountry to confirm and assess how this early snowpack is shaping up.

Evidence of some big windloading.

I linked up with Gary Fondl and we headed up to a usual early season zone, Jones Pass. A new load and heavy winds. With this we expected to see some wind slabs and we discussed being cautious on those slopes that where holding that early season snow, suspecting basal facets and a weak cohesion of the new/old snow interface.

A busy Saturday morning in the parking lot as we started to skin up the road with about 15cm of new and non wind-affected snow. We discussed our intended plan for the day of heading up to the pass proper to get a better gauge on the alpine snowpack and hopefully get in some good turns.

Moderate to Intense windloading on ridgetops and cross loaded features where a general theme for the day

Skinning up the road below TL we found some slight wind affected snow but we could see it was a much different story in the alpine with moderate to intense loading on leeward and cross-loaded slopes. We continued up and kept poking around as we made our way to the pass proper. Throughout the day we traveled NE-SE aspects and found a good wind skin of variable density and thickness above TL on all of those aspects. Some moderate cracking on NE windslabs and we noticed a small cornice break off a SE aspect on the ridgeline at around 12500ft.

Small cornice break off the ridge.

Knowing that those Northerly aspects would be our suspect for the day we where cautious to skin around certain areas and kept our slope angles appropriate for the snowpack and the days travel. Personally, what I was curious to see was if we would see those instabilities on E and SE aspects. The answer in a nutshell, YES.

Gotta get your nose in the snow!
We dug a hasty pit on a NE aspect to get an in idea of those early season layers and then continued on a little higher to an East aspect that we where going to ski to dig a little more. We found a reactive crust/facet combo about 15cm from the ground, confirming that there lies a persistent weak layer. The funny thing was that we where adjacent to about 12 ski tracks. Luckily the slope was 28-30 degrees but I couldn’t help but ask myself if people knew what was beneath their skis.

Terrain management is crucial. We continued our day managing our slope angles and skiing a couple of good laps. The skiing was great but there was that cold wind-skin we had to deal with.  On our last run out we did get a good shooting crack on a SE aspect on the old/new interface. Luckily, we weren’t on a steeper slope otherwise it definitely would have ripped. Terrain management is crucial.

All in all it was a great day to get out and assess the snowpack and get in some good early season turns. We pretty much saw what we expected with instabilities near the base of the pack on NE aspects and then as well within the old/new snow interface from the 11/17 storm.

Now, I do feel to mention what I didn’t expect to see and that was other groups decision making. Yes, it was the weekend in a common early season zone and so I knew there was going to be a decent amount of people out there, but some of the route selection choices I saw where quite questionable and disheartening.

Thats a big load, is it a big deal?

Nearing the pass you must cross underneath some big loads above. Just as we where nearing this zone a group of 3 seemed to try to boogie on past us, which is fine, but then we watch them pass underneath these slopes in a single file line seeming to disregard the possible looming danger from above. Throughout the next few hours I probably saw a handful of parties doing the same thing with what seemed the same disregard. The Kelso Mountain accident loomed in my mind.

Then on our exit run I look back and notice a solo skier with his dogs put in the above skin-track. Yikes, I thought to myself. And he also wasn’t the only one skinning up steeper northerly facing slopes.

I know this early season time of year has people “jonesing” but we must be aware out there. Coming home I hear and read from other folks touring in the same as well other zones and encountering the same if not worse signs of instability. Terrain management, terrain management, terrain management.

There is a whole season ahead of us. Be careful out there my friends.

By Justin Ibarra

Justin is a splitboarding guide, avalanche educator, and snow safety director at Colorado Adventure Guides and the founder of Colorado Snowboard Guides.  He lives in Summit County, Colorado and likes to shred pow.
Guided Rock Climbing Tours in Colorado

Fashionably Late to the Party: Rock Climbing Season in the High Country

   In a region dominated by seasonal change, outdoor enthusiasts must learn to adapt, and adjust their activity of choice a few times throughout the year. Winter brings a deep bounty of snow, upon which backcountry skiers and riders glide through powder and hone their skills, while weaving through thickets of pine. Spring brings a stability to the snowpack which enables us to tackle aesthetic couloirs among the higher and steeper terrain. Slowly, as the warming sun brings a season of melt, pedals begin to spin, and once the trails have dried, mountain bikers rise from the valley and into the hills. During this season of transition, cliffs and crags also begin to see the sun. Their faces and crevices drying out as the snow above streaks down and dissipates into the thin air. For a climber, the warmth of April and May, is a time of transformation from skiing to rock climbing, and frankly, it leaves me giddy like a child.

     Life in Breckenridge, at 10,000 feet, is a far cry from my previous life at zero feet in Ocean Beach, San Diego. Besides the obvious surfing, beach dwelling, and endless burritos, rock climbing was a year round affair. I could climb the local practice crags on the 99 percent of days that didn’t see rain. In the heart of winter, with a couple hours drive, we could find ourselves plugging cams in the world-class, Dr Seuss-esque territory that is Joshua Tree. Southern California’s distinct lack of seasonal change is what many believe to be its best asset, yet it’s easy to fall into a rut this way. The mountainous terrain of Summit County is the antithesis of this, providing an outlet to keep things fresh. It’s no secret that rock climbing season arrives late at this altitude, but the prior months spent skiing only amplifies my excitement for seeking change in the form of dry rock.

     There is a certain mindfulness to be gained while climbing on rock in the warmth of the sunshine; bathing like a lizard with its tongue stuck out. In shorts and a t-shirt, placing bare hands and sock-less toes on the minute alterations in the rock’s face. Rising above the last piece of protection, upward progress in this primitive state is a privilege, not a right; each step higher must be earned, or else be swept back down. Like skiing untracked powder, rock climbing is both an artistic dance and a demonstration of musculature. Finesse meets power with the hopes of topping out.

     Contrasting the aesthetic and simple enjoyment both these disciplines provide, they boast a striking difference when it comes to physical contributions to one’s psyche. Periodization in fitness training, typically refers to trending the down swings from breaking down muscle during workouts, with the up swings from the resulting super compensation, to achieve an elevated status at a certain point at the end of a cycle. Blocks of these cycles are stacked upon one another, and when it comes to backcountry, human-powered skiing, by April and May you’ve developed butts and thighs for days, but with little muscle gain in the upper body. While this puts the skier at peak performance for those big 5,000+ foot, springtime ski objectives, all that added weight below the belt acts as an inhibitor while trying to hold on with just finger tips during rock climbing sessions. In opposition, once nearing the end of high country climbing season around October, the lean strength gained while on the rock, creates a strong upper body with thin, sinewy legs. After all, rock climbing is all about the strength versus weight ratio, and to achieve peak climbing performance at the end of the cycle, those heavy legs have got to go.

     In terms of lifelong fitness gains, this biannual cycle from skiing to climbing and back again, builds a robust cardiovascular and musculature system that is tenacious and willing to adapt. One does not strictly benefit the other, but in the long run, they work together in unison to obtain a well-rounded level of athleticism. The fitness nerd in me loves this cyclical periodization, but above the tangible, both sports are truly encompassed by the way they make you feel, within an immaterial figment of our heart. A collective gathering of mind, body, and soul, with the singular purpose to create happiness.

     By late April and early May, our south facing crags are ready to see their first ascents of the season and help us to remember what it’s like to hold the rock just right. By June, even the forested rocks are arriving to the party, calling to anyone who will join them in a vertical dance. Rock climbing season arrives fashionably late here in the high country, but there are many among us who are eager and fit for the challenge that lies ahead.

Join Colorado Adventure Guides this summer to either take your rock climbing skills to the next level or simply try top-roping for the first time. We offer guided days for all ability levels, as well as structured courses to gain the knowledge and experience to tackle new objectives on your own. Check out the rock climbing section on our website to learn more.

Here is a list of the climbing courses we’ll be offering this upcoming season:

  • Rock 101: Intro to Rock Climbing – Thurs 6/28, Sat 7/7, Thurs 8/2, Sat 9/15
  • Rock 201: Anchor Building – Thurs 7/12 & Sat 8/11
  • Rock 301: Learn to Lead Sport – Sat 7/14 & Thurs 8/16
  • Rock 501: Self-Rescue on Rock – Thurs 7/26 & Sat 8/18

*Dave is the lead climbing guide and operations manager with Colorado Adventure Guides in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado. He takes pride in pushing his clients to new heights and urging them past perceived limitations to achieve their goals. During the shoulder seasons, he and his wife take to the road in their camper van to climb, ski, hike, and explore the places that continually inspire them.

Backcountry Ski and Splitboard

Living the Dream – Reflecting on a Guide’s Life

Recently, I was asked to write about what it is that I love about guiding.  Why do I enjoy leading folks, who have little or no experience, into the wilderness.  It seems like such a simple question, but I really had to stop and think about it, in an effort to prevent myself from responding in cliché.  Yes, of course, I love being outdoors, I enjoy physical activity, and exploring in the mountains, and I get to do all of this for work.  “Living the dream,” is a common comment when asked what I do for a job.  But, one must look deeper into the dream to really understand it.

Now, I’m not saying that working as a guide isn’t a “dream” or at least some iteration of it.  I do, however, believe that, like in many things, the reality gets drowned by the glorification of how it appears on the surface.  I get to spend tons of time outdoors doing really fun things.  I ride my bike for money.  I backcountry ski thousands of vertical feet of powder…and they pay me.  But, let’s be honest for a moment, I know and have met hundreds of guides over my 15 or so year career, and not a single one of them is monetarily rich.  And, without going too deep into qualifying the term ‘rich’, let’s just assume I’m referring to the money that is exchanged for services provided, which one would then use to sustain life in a contemporary society.  Obviously, there are other forms of payment in this field, see above.  I’ll start considering them in my definition of ‘rich’ as soon as my landlord and the supermarket begin accepting them as forms of payment.  None of us are getting rich in this field.  In fact, of all of the guides I have met and worked with over the years, every single one of them has at some point, or still does, live in a truck, camper, cabin, or tent in order to survive on a guide’s salary. A large part of this lends itself to the ‘guides lifestyle’ of simplicity, having few needs, and being resourceful.  In summary, we’re not doing it for the money.

Of course, I can only speak for myself and I’ll have to provide some background.   I grew up in the Adirondack State Park in northern New York State.  At 6.5 Million acres, it is the largest State Park in the country.  It was preserved and deemed “Forever Wild” just few years after President Grant created Yellowstone National Park and it helped pave the way for the creation of national and state parks across the country and the world.  The Adirondack Park was home to some of America’s first mountaineers and mountain guides.  These rough and tumble, bearded and stoic, mountain men were the idyllic image of a guide.  They introduced city-folk to the beauty of their home by hiking, rowing, hunting and fishing within the boundaries of the park, even 60 years before the park itself was established.  As a child, I was intrigued by these characters whose old grainy portraits donned the walls of our public library.  I’m not sure I ever said to myself that I want to be a guide, but the combination of the environment in which I was raised and personality sort of landed me in the field, if even unwittingly.

It takes a certain person to be a guide.  I believe it begins with the innate trait of being a leader, a self-starter.  It requires confidence, resourcefulness, resilience, patience, physical and mental strength, interpersonal skills, thick skin, risk management, etc.  That doesn’t even include the technical skills required for each discipline.  There’s only so much one can do to develop the necessary character traits and perfecting the technical skills takes years and requires spending most of your days off in practice.  It’s not a show up, clock in, do the work, clock out, type of job.  You must live it, day in and day out.

So, why do I do it?  I enjoy being an educator.  The side of the job that often gets overlooked is that, as guides, we have the unique opportunity to share knowledge with our clients.  My goal, each day that I am in the field, is for my clients to leave having learned something.  I may be able to share some technical skills, pass on some knowledge about flora and fauna or geology, or chat about conservation philosophy and policy and how that relates to our ability to recreate in the outdoors.  It’s about furthering their appreciation for the beautiful places that they have paid me to show them.  It’s about sharing my deep and genuine appreciation for open spaces, mountains, rivers, wildlife, and so on with an, albeit, small number of people in the grand scheme.  But, if I can reach them in a way that they in turn influence someone who perhaps didn’t possess a true appreciate of the outdoors, I feel I have done a small part in protecting what is so vital to my being and in a much larger sense, the survival of our natural environment.   I get to be an advocate for the wilderness.

Confucius says, “Choose a job you love, and never work a day in your life.” Guiding is hard work. Sure, it can be fun and extremely rewarding.  It can also be challenging to every part of your being.  It requires dedication and focus.  So, in essence, a job is a job.  But, my job is pretty rad and I love it.

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