Page 4 – Colorado Adventure Guides

Meet the Team: Susie Nothnagel

This week, get to know CAG guide Susie, a global adventurer, ski patrol veteran, and expert guide for your next mountain biking or hiking adventure!

Susie loves to travel and has visited over 40 countries. Her most memorable adventures happen when she’s exploring a beautiful place with an unfamiliar culture. Her favorite destinations so far are Nepal and Tibet. Susie says, “The Himalayan mountains are the most spectacular mountains I have seen, and the people who live there are peaceful and wise.”

Much like fellow guide Jesse, a life-altering event motivates Susie toward the adventures so integral to her life. In her words:

When I was a senior in college, I shared a house with four friends. On Thanksgiving Day, the house burned down, and one of my roommates was killed in the fire. That was a pivotal moment in my life. It was the first time I recognized just how fleeting life is, and I immediately changed my life plans. Instead of applying to grad school, I started traveling the world, even though I had no money and no plan.

Susie incorporates adventure into her professional life through her work for the past 21 years on Breckenridge Ski Patrol. Through her work on patrol, she’s gained a healthy level of respect for the power of nature. She shares, “Ski patrollers get to start a lot of avalanches intentionally. Sometimes we start them unintentionally, and that is always a wake-up call. You have to question yourself constantly and never become complacent, thinking you know what is going to happen.”

While at work on the hill in winter, Susie gets to work with her dog, Loki, an avalanche rescue dog. Loki is even certified to be deployed into the backcountry via helicopter. Susie consistently marvels at Loki’s sense of smell and ability to locate buried victims in situations in which humans have no efficient way to do so. “It’s incredible to watch every single time, even after watching dogs work hundreds of times.”

Despite Susie’s extensive travels so far, she keeps a long list of more places she aims to experience: “There are so many adventures that I still want to have, but the common theme is that I love to be in a wild place where no one cares that my hair is uncombed, my clothes are filthy, and I have dirt under my fingernails. I am lucky to have a husband with similar values, or I would be doomed!”

Should you find yourself on a guided adventure with Susie, you’ll be in the company of an excellent listener and skilled teacher. She also knows she’ll learn something from you: “I learn something from every single person I guide. I find people fascinating: the choices we each make as individuals, the ways we seek joy, and the ways we cope with the challenges of the human condition. The best part about guiding is that we get to share time with each other and get to know each other while doing something fun.”

Any day hiking, mountain biking, or chatting over coffee with Susie makes for a great day. Thanks for your excellent work, Susie!

October 22, 2021

Stu Bryner

Guide Talk

Meet the Team: Nate Penney

This week, we caught up with CAG’s lead climbing guide, Nate! Nate has spent many a day this summer providing fantastic rock climbing experiences for our guests. He loves to teach and help climbers surprise themselves with their own abilities. After an adventure, find him refueling with tacos, reading his favorite author, Jon Krakauer, or listening to the music of Frank Zappa. Read on for more about Nate in his own words.

CAG: What’s the adventure currently at the top of your bucket list?

Nate: The Southeast Face (5.10c) of Lotus Flower Tower in the Cirque of the Unclimbables in the Northwest Territories—18 pitches of pristine granite in one of the most remote places on Earth. Sign me up!

CAG: Tell us about your proudest adventure accomplishment.

Nate: Backpacking and canoe packing Isle Royale National Park, Lake Superior. I’ve dreamt about it since I was a kid. My partner Sarah and I finally got around to it for our honeymoon, and we saw the most incredible double rainbow of our lives out there!

CAG: Tell us about a time you learned an important lesson in the backcountry.

Nate: After hiking ten miles on the first day of a weeklong backpacking trip, I found that a can of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale had pierced and soaked much of my gear. I learned that if I’m going to bring beer for the first night of a backpacking trip, I need to pack it mindfully, or better yet, put it in my buddy’s pack!

CAG: Do you have any pets?

Nate: I have one cat named Cat Stevens, but I just call him Steve.

CAG: Do you speak any other languages? Have any unusual hobbies?

Nate: I took Spanish, German, and Mandarin in school but don’t speak any of them fluently. Music is a hobby… I mainly play drums/ percussion, but I dabble in keys, guitar, and ukulele. I home brew my own beer. I brew commercially too, but that is more of a job than a hobby.

CAG: Do you prepare a certain meal or dessert particularly well?

Nate: That’s a tough one because I cook a lot! I am most proud of my pies, but I usually only make them for special occasions.

CAG: What’s the coolest moment you’ve had while guiding for CAG?

Nate: The coolest moments are whenever I can help someone to overcome a perceived barrier by confronting new challenges. I love seeing the transformation in people when they do something they didn’t know they could do.

CAG: What’s one thing you’ve learned from a guest you’ve guided?

Nate: that it’s never too late to learn new skills

CAG: What’s one source of inspiration for you on your adventures or on the adventure of life?

Nate: I’m inspired by personal growth and development of relationships through shared experiences. I love how an adventure can change our perspective and leave us with more questions than when we started.

October 22, 2021

Stu Bryner

Guide Talk

Guided Mountain Biking Trips in Colorado

Preparing your Dirt Chariot for Summer Shred: Spring Bike Maintenance Tips

Usually, this time of year, adventurers are already out riding trails and enjoying the warm spring weather. Up in the mountains, we are teetering between winter, spring, and summer on a weekly basis. Some are happy to still be skiing while others are chomping at the bit to get out and shred some singletrack. In normal times, I know that as soon as the trails are clear in Summit County, I’d be out pedaling everyday, because Breckenridge has some of the best singletrack around, and not to mention, the views….

For now, we’re sitting in our homes watching mountain bike videos (or ski videos), stories on the ‘gram about what our friends’ dogs are up to, or walking our own four-legged-friends around the neighborhood 5-7 times per day.

Which got us thinking…

Wouldn’t it be a great time to get our bikes ready for when they let us out? What better time to watch YouTube videos about bike maintenance? Or to drop our bikes off at our favorite (and open) bike shop for a pre-season tune, and to give our professional-bike-nerd friends some work during these trying times!

What we often forget is that our bikes have been sitting for months, collecting dust, drying out, and being generally neglected.

I would bet that a majority of people take that last Fall ride, then park their bikes until Spring. I’ve been guilty, several times, of getting excited about riding in the Spring, then going to jump on my bike just to be reminded of the brake pads I said I would change over the winter. Or the shock service I had been meaning to do. But, it was Winter, and I was skiing.

Don’t be that friend who missed the Moab trip because your bike wasn’t ready. Colorado Adventure Guides is here to remind you….go take care of your bike!

Here are a few tips on checking over your bike BEFORE riding season comes and some key maintenance to keep your whip riding smoothly through the Summer.

Remember, if you aren’t comfortable working on your own bike or don’t have the proper tools, take it to your local bike shop. In the Spring, bike shops tend to be pretty busy helping customers get their bike tuned up for riding season. Just another reason to inspect your bike ahead of time.

TIGHTEN EVERYTHING

It’s important to go through your bike and make sure everything is tight. Start at the stem/handlebars, brake and shifter levers, and work your way through the bike from front to back, top to bottom. Don’t forget to check your suspension pivots and brake calipers, you’ll want those to be on point. Note: many bolts on a mountain bike require a specific torque. Improper torquing can lead to damaging expensive parts. If you don’t have a torque wrench or are unsure, take it to your local bike shop.

CABLES/HOUSING

Inspect the shifter and brake cables and surrounding rubber housing for cracks, crimps, rust, dirt and looseness. New cables and/or oil make shifting and braking smooth, which increases bike performance.

FORK

Check your fork seals to make sure they are seated correctly on the fork lower and that there is no leakage or residue on the stanchion. Next, check that the air pressure and rebound are correct for your weight and riding style.

BRAKES

Again, make sure the caliper bolts are torqued correctly and check the rotor bolts as well. Next, check your brake pads, if they are at less than 1mm, change them. Fresh brake pads are sweet and stopping is essential. Lastly, give your brakes a squeeze. The levers should not have to move too far to engage the brake pads. If they feel squishy or you need to pump the lever to get the brakes to work, you’ll need to bleed them to get air bubbles out of the line.

REAR SHOCK

If you are riding a full suspension bike, you’ll want to inspect your rear shock. Check the seal and look for any leakage. Adjust the sag, air and rebound for your weight and riding style. FOX recommends internal seal maintenance every 125 hours of riding.

DERAILLEURS/CHAIN/CASETTE

Ride around your driveway shifting through the gears to make sure your bike is shifting crisply and in the desired manner. Clean the chain and check for stiff or bent links. Inspect the cassette (gears) for chipped or missing teeth. Be sure to oil your chain regularly. Most people throw some lube on before every ride.

WHEELS/TIRES

Spin your wheels and watch for wobble. Check that all of the spokes are tight with your fingers. If you are running tubeless tires, throw some Stan’s or other stop-leak fluid in. The fluid does dry up and you will begin to lose air eventually. Check for dry-rot on the tire surface and inspect the sidewalls for damage. Check your rear wheel quick release, and your front wheel through-axle.

Keeping your bike clean after each ride will help ensure a long and happy life for you and your dirt chariot.

Being “ready to ride” means taking care of all your bikes maintenance needs before you want to hit the trail. Mountain biking can be a dangerous sport, and neglecting certain elements of maintenance can increase that danger exponentially.

Moral of the story: maintained = safe = fun.

October 22, 2021

Stu Bryner

Maintenance

NOLO Mill History

Just south of Breckenridge and West of Alma, the North London Mill site lies at the base of Mosquito Pass. Colorado Adventure Guides has partnered with the North London Mill Preservation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit, to help preserve Colorado’s mining heritage while developing an alternative model for outdoor recreation.

In summers, join us for a History & Archaeology Workshop to learn about the area, check out the ripping ski terrain in winters, and meet the team helping make this new backcountry education center a reality.

THE HISTORY

Home to around 1,000 residents and workers in the early 1900’s, the NoLo Mill and Mine participated in one of Colorado’s biggest gold strikes, which spanned 70 years and resulted in nearly one million ounces of gold. Eventually the mine closed during WWII, and the buildings were abandoned.

Fast forward a few decades, and the NOLO Mill is now the site of an unique project designed to unite historical preservation with recreational and educational use. Renovation is currently underway on the old mill office which will become the first of several backcountry huts and education venues.

Colorado Adventure Guides is excited to be part of the project and serves as the designated winter sports guide partner. With access to over 3,000 acres of public and private land surrounding the huts, we will be offering AIARE avalanche safety courses, and Introduction to Backcountry Skiing/Splitboarding courses at the sites, and look forward to offering overnight hut trips as the buildings are restored in the future.

Designed with the layperson in mind, these workshops will be conducted by NoLo Executive Co-Director and Historian Kate McCoy and archaeologists Michelle Slaughter from Alpine Archaeological Consultants and Natasha Krasnow from Metcalf Archaeological Consultants. Participants will learn about the history of mining in Park County and the history of the North London Mine and Mill. They will tour the site and learn about existing features and their roles during the Mill’s operation. Participants will also learn about how archaeology contributes to what we can know about sites like the North London Mill.

Learn more about the NOLO Project here.

October 22, 2021

Stu Bryner

In The Area

Backcountry Skiing in a Pandemic World

The 2019-20 ski season saw a whopping 16 percent jump in skier visits from the previous year in the Rocky Mountain region, putting the total over 24 million skier visits, the 4th highest season since they began compiling skier visit data in 1978. With the number of skier visits regularly on the rise in Colorado, ski areas are becoming more and more crowded, lift lines getting longer, more people are taking to the backcountry. With the management of pandemic protocol currently at the forefront of all business planning and with folks continuing to seek access to their favorite outdoor activities, ski areas are attempting to anticipate if they’ll be able to get a reservation in a “pandemic world” for lift served skiing.

Snow and avalanche professionals may hold a unique perspective of this phenomenon. When the pandemic effectively closed most businesses, including ski areas, ski enthusiasts began looking for other ways to scratch the itch. Many skiers decided that it was the time to “try backcountry skiing.” Areas like Breckenridge and surrounding Summit County saw an incredible uptick in trailhead crowding and new users entering the backcountry. Ski guides, ski patrollers, avalanche professionals and the most experienced backcountry skiers mostly took a step back from their normal backcountry habits in order to mitigate risk and the potential of creating an emergency situation requiring assistance or hospitalization during the Covid-19 quarantine. The less experienced, however, made their way into well-known and easily accessed zones, creating a crowding in the backcountry that the aforementioned professionals often described as “scary,” “irresponsible” or “downright stupid.Backcountry skiing is not an entry level sport. Even those with years of experience seek out new educational opportunities regularly, discuss conditions with other experienced users, and avoid unnecessary risk. Many new users may not even know when they are in a risky situation or when conditions are not suitable for a given objective. From November – April, Colorado falls into the category of Continental snowpack. The continental snowpack is briefly described as shallow, fluffy, and faceted. Facets are weak snow crystals that are formed by extreme temperature gradients within the snowpack. When snow piles up on one of these weak layers of facets, it’s a recipe for dangerous conditions. Colorado’s snowpack is often referred to as the most dangerous and unpredictable in the world. In the 2019 ski season there was 25 American avalanche fatalities, eight that were in Colorado. With the uncertainty surrounding COVID and ski resorts, it is predicted that more skiers and snowboarders will be exploring the backcountry this winter. Backcountry is defined as any terrain outside of resorts which is not controlled and has no avalanche mitigation. While the backcountry is a great alternative to lift-access skiing, it is inherently dangerous and requires a continued education, experience, and humility.

PRO TIP: Let backcountry skiing be a lifelong journey. You can’t possibly learn everything in one, two, or even five years. Take your time. Let it be about discovery. When done right and safely, it will lead to the best days of your life.

Backcountry Education is essential not only for keeping oneself safe, but other users in the immediate vicinity as well. Having many people on or under one slope in unstable winter conditions is dangerous and backcountry users should understand and practice this responsibility. Those who are new to backcountry skiing and snowboarding should seek a mentor or begin their educational journey with an outfitter or experienced guide.

The goal of AIARE Level I is to provide a fundamental education which helps backcountry riders make safe and informed decisions in a backcountry environment, including how to identify avalanche terrain, understanding the formation of avalanche problems, how to use equipment such as a beacon, probe, and shovel, and how to plan and execute a route through complex and difficult terrain.

New backcountry users should strongly consider an Introduction to Backcountry Skiing class before registering for an avalanche course. The equipment is quite different from traditional resort style equipment and the skinning technique does have a learning curve. Being comfortable on your backcountry ski equipment is essential for a better learning experience in an avalanche course. Read this article for more information on the difference between Avalanche Courses and Intro to Backcountry courses.

AIARE Courses are an excellent way for skiers and riders to meet other partners and get information first-hand from experienced professionals.

Going into the backcountry with a knowledgeable and experienced guide takes the guesswork out of planning a backcountry ski / snowboard experience. The guide has valuable terrain familiarity, is tuned into weather and avalanche conditions, plans a route, and creates a memorable experience for all participants. (also….guides know where the best snow is!)

Your snow and backcountry education doesn’t end after you complete your Level 1. Less experienced adventurers should continue to seek education, hire professionals to fill in the gaps and teach specific skills, and spend as much time exploring as possible, even if some days don’t lead to epic turns.

We offer a full array of AIARE Avalanche Courses, Introduction to Backcountry Skiing and Splitboarding, Advanced Backcountry, Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering, as well as, private mentorships for those seeking targeted, one-on-one backcountry education. Learn more about our backcountry education courses today.

October 21, 2021

Stu Bryner

News

Tracking Early Season Layers

With snow beginning to cover the ground, it’s time to start your storm board for the 2020/21 season so you can track when layers become buried in the snowpack. With your stormboard you’ll be able to track changes in potential weak layers that will be an important part of your decision-making process.

October 21, 2021

Stu Bryner

Conditions

Field Observations

How tuned are your observation skills? Early season is a great time to practice your field/visual observations. Its a reason to get out and tour around, take notes and chat about conditions with your touring buddies. You can add these observations into your Storm Tracking Board. Remember to always be observing.

In this video we talk about: WEATHER. SNOWPACK, TERRAIN

October 21, 2021

Stu Bryner

Conditions

Early December Snowpack Observations

On Tuesday we went out for a little tour after reading the forecast which was showing an absence of avalanche problems. Our goal was to confirm the forecast or find evidence of localized avalanche problems. Despite a mostly thin and heavily faceted snowpack, we were able to locate wind-affected and buried wind slab in some locations.

October 21, 2021

Stu Bryner

Snowpack Observations