Elevation Outdoors January-February 2017

HUT TRIPS FOR ALL | RETURN OF THE BUNDYS? | AVALANCHE SAFETY JAN-FEB 2017

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WISDOM

Chris Plesko is

COLORADO’S RESIDENT

BADASS BEST GEAR FOR THE

BACKCOUNTRY

SURVIVING THE GRAND TRAVERSE

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CONTENTS

Jan-Feb 2017 COLORADO’S DESTINATION

BACKCOUNTRY SHOP FOR OVER 20 YEARS

EXTENSIVE SELECTION SKI TUNES & REPAIRS RENTALS & DEMOS AVALANCHE SAFETY EQUIPMENT

OUT THERE: CRESTED BUTTE'S GRAND TRAVERSE DRAWS THE WORLD'S BEST SKIMO ATHLETES—WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LIFT-LOVING SNOWBOARDER GIVES IT A GO? SEE PG 32

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

7 EDITOR’S LETTER

21 COLORADO'S ULTIMATE RESIDENT BADASS

Find what you forgot.

16 THE TRAIL

The state of Colorado lays claim to an impressive stable of mountain athletes, from big-name sponsored pros to self-effacing weekend champions. But who is the baddest of the bad? We asked our readers to answer that question and our finalists define true dedication to mountain sports. Ultimate winner Chris Plesko manages to teach middle school while crushing endurance cycling records. Find out what makes him and our other top badasses tick.

Follow the View Ranger coordinates for a challenging hut-to-hut tour.

26 BACKCOUNTRY GEAR

8 QUICK HITS Live the hostel life, Weston Snowboards' mini house and more...

12 FLASHPOINT The Bundys face another trial, and President Trump may help them out.

15 HOT SPOT It's hut season, so dig into our picks for the best backcountry digs.

17 NUMEROLOGY The stats on avalanche safety.

19 STRAIGHT TALK

AY AW LL A C A IS E IC V D A ED C N IE ER E XP

877.236.8428

The untracked snow is calling and we have the gear you need to keep you safe and having fun out there. photo above by ZACH WHITE

Ultrarunning champ Dave Mackey chose to have his injured leg amputated—but isn't slowing down.

32 THE ROAD What happens when a snowboarder finds his very own Grand Reverse?

34 ELWAYVILLE Is your brain really the best thing you can take into the backcountry?

NTS FOR: CHECK BENTGATE.COM/EVE COUNTRY SESSIONS

CK SKI DEMOS | BEACON PRACTICEAN| BA SKI MOVIES D MORE

WANT MORE? CATC H

U P ON PAST ISSU ES, YOU R FAVORITE B LOG G E RS A N D DAILY ON LIN E-ON LY CON TEN T AT ElevationOutdoors.com ON TH E COV ER: SIN G LESPEED SEN SATION C H R IS PLESKO IS C OLOR A DO'S 2017 RESID EN T BADASS. PH OTO BY: E D D IE C LA R K / ED D IEC LA R K M ED IA .C OM

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CONTRIBUTORS

01. 17

WHAT WILL GIVE YOU HOPE IN 2017?

ElevationOutdoors.com EDITORIAL ED ITOR -IN -CH IEF

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

doug@elevationoutdoors.com MAN AG IN G ED ITOR

CAMERON MARTINDELL

cameron@elevationoutdoors.com SEN IOR ED ITOR

CHRIS KASSAR

chris@elevationoutdoors.com IN TERN

EMILY GALLEGOS

play@elevationoutdoors.com CON TRIBUTIN G ED ITORS

AARON BIBLE, ADAM CHASE, ROB COPPOLILLO, LIAM DORAN, JAMES DZIEZYNSKI, HUDSON LINDENBERGER, SONYA LOONEY, JAYME MOYE, CHRIS VAN LEUVEN ED ITOR -AT-LARG E

PETER KRAY

C ON TRIBUTIN G WRITERS

KASSONDRA CLOOS, MORGAN TILTON, ZACH WHITE, SCOTT WILLOUGHBY ART + PRODUCTION MEGAN JORDAN

A RT D IREC TOR

megan@elevationoutdoors.com SEN IOR D ESIG N ER

LAUREN WORTH

lauren@elevationoutdoors.com G RA PH IC D ESIG N ER

PAIGELEE CHANCELLOR

paigelee@elevationoutdoors.com

ADVERTISING + BUSINESS BLAKE DEMASO

PRESID EN T

blake@elevationoutdoors.com PU BLISH ER

ELIZABETH O’CONNELL

elizabeth@elevationoutdoors.com SEN IOR AC C OU N T EXECUTIVE

MARTHA EVANS

martha@elevationoutdoors.com AC C OU N T EXECUTIVE

BEN YOUNG

ben@elevationoutdoors.com

B U SIN ESS MAN AG ER

MELISSA GESSLER

melissa@elevationoutdoors.com C IRC U LATION MA N AG ER

HANNAH COOPER

hcooper@elevationoutdoors.com

DIGITAL MEDIA CRAIG SNODGRASS

ON LIN E D IR EC TOR

craig@elevationoutdoors.com D IG ITA L MA N AG ER

TYRA SUTAK

tyra@elevationoutdoors.com

E L E VAT I O N OU T D O O R S M AG A Z I N E

2510 47th Street Unit 202 Boulder, Colorado 80301 (303) 449-1560 PU B L I S H E D BY ©2016 Summit Publishing, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

photo | JUSTIN TALBOT

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SUMMIT

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PUBLISHING

PRINTED ON RECYCLED NEWSPRINT WITH 100% POST-CONSUMER CONTENT

DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN The people I work with every month when we put this magazine together—and beer.

ELIZABETH O'CONNELL My friends. They're each on their own path, trying to do their best and make a difference in their world. Keep those good friends close!

CAMERON MARTINDELL The hope for a great snow season buoys me for the new year—and this summer we get to welcome a new baby into the world.

KASSONDRA CLOOS That people are finally motivated to stop talking, and start doing, and that we’ll all work hard to venture out of our bubbles more.

MORGAN TILTON The perseverance of peaceful demonstrations— even in the face of fear and controversy. My quadrupled post-election monthly donation to the Sierra Club. Time in the mountains, in the fresh air, and on the yoga mat with my communities.

EMILY GALLEGOS The second season of “Stranger Things,” long days of snowboarding, the fact that I’m graduating from college with two degrees and baked goods.

SCOTT WILLOUGHBY Lao-tzu says hope is as hollow as fear. Both are phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. Instead, see the world as yourself. Love the world as yourself.

Have faith in the way things are. That gives us something greater than hope.

PETER KRAY People are realizing it takes a lot more than just posting on Facebook to create real positive change.

EDITOR’S LETTER

01.17

v ele

at i o n o u t d o o r s presents

201 7 DEEP THOUGHTS: DYLAN FERGUSON ESCAPES THE ECHO CHAMBER. photo by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

GO FIND IT If you are like me, you are absolutely saturated with politics and handwringing and memes and cute videos and anger and talk, talk, talk. When I sat down to write this letter, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't add even more talk to the airwaves of overanalysis. Even if I had something brilliant to say, I fear that you, dear readers, have heard enough at this point. If you have not, you may be addicted to that echo chamber that keeps rehashing thoughts and opinions so often that you hope if you scream them loud enough they will be absolute truth. So let's not go there again, for everyone's sake.

Why not go for a walk? Go ski the backcountry? Run? Why not just turn off and just reconnect to the outdoors? If you are reading this magazine, that means something to you. I'm not suggesting you forget the problems of the planet, or that you stop trying to do something to fix them. In fact, I am saying the opposite.

Taking some deep breaths in the wild, unplugging, will bring you back better able to take on those tasks. Nature, has the power to heal, to, ironically, put our brains back online with their regular primal and pure programming.

I recently saw the French film “Seasons,” it's a stunning, at times tough to watch, documentary by the makers of “Winged Migration” that follows the cycle of life and death and survival in the primordial golden age of the forest—until that rhythm begins to change. Man evolves technologically and transforms the forest forever, bringing mass extinctions, war and even climate change to the world of animals (and human hunter-gathers as well). Our threat to the planet has never looked so grim and sad to me as it does in these painstakingly beautiful shots of animals hunting, escaping, birthing and eventually being exterminated and pushed out of their homes.

But in the midst of this, there are moments of such sublime wonder that all I wanted to do was re-remember those rhythms of nature. I wanted to get out and touch the dripping water of a spring, watch ousels dip into creeks, crunch through snow, sit in silence while I watched animals in their native habitats. I also wanted to recommit to trying to do something to save those deepest moments of being.

Of our species the biologist E.O. Wilson has said: “Humanity today is like a waking dreamer, caught between the fantasies of sleep and the chaos of the real world. The mind seeks but cannot find the precise place and hour. We have created a Star Wars civilization, with Stone Age emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology. We thrash about. We are terribly confused by the mere fact of our existence, and a danger to ourselves and to the rest of life.”

So true, and so well portrayed in “Seasons” that my 12-year-old daughter sobbed as the film went on. But it did end with a message of hope, that nature is resiliant, that animals live in our midst still and it is not too late to reconcile our civilization with the continued survival of the planet's fragile biota.

To that end I say get out there. Ski powder in Japan and listen to the birds that call in the bare branches. Drink from the glacier-melt streams of Iceland. Go see sandhill cranes migrate over the Great Plains. Walk in your backyard and observe. Then find a way to keep all of this.

vote

fo r

COLORADO’S BEST

Cr af t B e e r , Wine , Ci de r s and Spi rit s W H I C H L I B AT I O N R E I G N S S U P R E M E ?

Coming in February 2017 elevationoutdoors.com

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QUICK HITS

01.17

TECHNOLOGY POLAR M400 GPS WATCH This watch keeps you moving—literally.

If you’ve been sitting still for too long it gives you a little nudge. It also records the details of your activity—be it biking, swimming, skiing etc.—and includes a heart-rate sensor to track your cardio efforts. The watch feels comfy on your wrist and the interface is simple and intuitive. $180/$230 (w/HR) | polar.com

GEAR WE LOVE G3 SCALA CLIMBING SKINS The trusty Scala merges plastic scales with nylon hairs to deliver remarkable grip, glide and efficiency—especially while breaking trail in deep powder. Plus, these durable, skins fold flat to fit easily in your pack or jacket pocket. Good riddance to those days of futzing with unruly skins on frigid summits! $209-219 | genuineguidegear.com.

BOOKS WHAT DOESN’T KILL US Boulder, Coloradobased investigative journalist Scott Carney scoffed at the claim that eccentric Dutch fitness guru Wim Hof could control his body temperature at will. So he set out to debunk this outrageousness. But he couldn’t. In fact, he learned a lot more about himself and the limits of human ability than he expected. $27 | scottcarney.com

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HOSTEL TAKEOVER YOU CARE MOST ABOUT BEING ON THE SLOPES, SO WHY BURN CASH ON LODGINGS? COLORADO'S UNHERALDED HOSTELS OFFER UP SOME CUSH ACCOMMODATIONS.

HIPPY CHIC: BRECKENRIDGE'S BIVVI SPORTS THE SWEETEST HOSTEL COMMON ROOM YOU'LL EVER SEE. A HOT TUB, FIREPLACE, GAMES, HOMEMADE BREAKFAST AND BREWS ON TAP MAKE IT FEEL MORE LIKE A HIP MOUNTAIN HOTEL. photo courtesy THE BIVVI

Perhaps you have Euro-slummed in hostels but if you’ve never stayed in one here in the United States, you’ve been missing out. Case in point: Colorado offers up dozens of boutique bunkhouses and rustic dorm-style lodging options available for a fraction of the cost of a single lift ticket. Don't be shy: This ski season, save cash and make some new friends at these mountain hostels. And don't get snobby—these group accomodations have style.

BRECKENRIDGE You’ll pay more for twin-sized bed at The Bivvi, sharing a room with five strangers, than you might elsewhere, but you’ll also get one of the highest-quality hostel experiences Colorado has to offer. The Bivvi is within walking distance from downtown Breck, has an outdoor hot tub, serves beer on tap in the swank lounge, and a hot, homemade breakfast is included with your stay.

Twin bunks start at $59 per night during ski season. 970-423-6553, thebivvi.com VAIL At most hostels, your only option for privacy is to hang a sheet or towel from the bottom of the bunk above you. But that budget hack's not necessary at The Bunkhouse, which just opened in downtown Minturn in May, 2016. The main bedroom houses a few dozen people, but each bed sits in its own little cocoon, cordoned off from the rest by a thick wall that runs roughly 2/3 the length of the bed. Bunks start at $68. 970-827-4165; vailbunkhouse.com MONARCH Indeed, The Simple Lodge & Hostel lives up to its name, but for $27 a night, you can stay

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in downtown Salida and hit the slopes early at Monarch the next morning. You can save a few more bucks simply by bringing your own sheets or sleeping bag, and by paying in cash. Bunks start at $24 per night. 719-650-7381; simplelodge.com CRESTED BUTTE You'll feel right at home at The Wanderlust Hostel near downtown Gunnison. The quirky, colorful digs offers bunks with curtains for a touch of privacy, and private rooms accommodate couples or families on a budget. Bunks start at $25 per night; call the hostel for family room rates.

970-901-1599; thewanderlusthostel.com SKI COOPER & COPPER You can also save money on the slopes if you spend a night at the Leadville Hostel. Guests can buy discounted lift tickets to Ski Cooper. The hostel lies close to downtown Leadville and just 15 minutes from the lifts at Cooper and 30 minutes from Copper Mountain. Bunks start at $23 per night.

719-486-9334; leadvillehostel.com TELLURIDE Downtown Rico, Colorado, may not look like it has much to offer, but how many other hostels sit within easy walking distance of free, natural hot springs? The Mine Shaft Inn is a 40-minute drive from Telluride's famed slopes and stashes. The comfortable rooms and lounge are decorated with antiques from the early 1900s. Bunks start at $23 per night. 970-967-6463; mineshaftinn.com —Kassondra Cloos

POWDER! GOING MOBILE WESTON SNOWBOARDS HAS CREATED A HIP, SUSTAINABLE RETAILSTORE-ON-WHEELS TO SPREAD ITS BIG MESSAGE. Making the most of dead wood, Weston Snowboards crafted its first hardgood designs with beetle-kill pine. Founded in 2012, the brand decided to experiment with variant ratios of the reclaimed blue-swirl wood throughout its backcountry boards. Now, that out-of-box ethos continues to evolve—and it just may push the snow-sports industry to a new level. This season, co-owners Leo Tsuo and Mason Davey blew up the old idea of the brick-andmortar retail business model: They built a tiny mobile house, which will serve as their shop, classroom and networking pad.

Using nearly 100-percent sustainable, salvaged materials, the store-on-wheels will help the brand branch out from the confines of its current Vail Valley home base of Minturn (population 1,029), Davey says, and fulfill their wider mission: to introduce their products, cultivate community and give back to the snow-sports industry by providing education on backcountry stewardship and avalanche safety.

“I was going for a cabin in the woods look and an inviting feel,” said Davey, who spearheaded the rolling home's construction and design. It worked. An A-frame with a lofty ceiling and complete with a wood-burning stove, the dream space is decorated with rustic interior features, giving it a warm and welcoming ambiance.

On weekends the shop-on-wheels will drive to various Colorado

MAKE, DO: WESTON SNOWBOARDS’ HANDBUILT MOBILE SHOP ALSO SERVES AS AN AVY EDUCATION CLASSROOM. photo by MASON DAVEY / WESTON SNOWBOARDS

locations and events including snowboard film showings and splitboard demos. Davey hopes it will also sow the seeds for potential retail partnerships, since the space is large enough to host a dozen people, or more, for important backcountry safety discussions.

“We’re building our brand on core partnerships with companies that also stand for innovation, giving back to the industry and teaching people about the product they sell,” says Davey pointing to an REI partnership to team-up on educational sessions.

Every detail of the tiny-shop construction is intentional and thoughtfully designed. The space glows via solar power and the only exception to all of that interior and exterior beetle-kill pine wood is the 200-square-foot floor (and 100 square feet of loft space). Davey built them from maple scraps that he swooped from a Minturn lumberyard—he traded later for a pair of skis. In front, two sliding barn doors each open to a closet and a composting toilet.

T-shirts hang in streamlined frames, hand-constructed from pallet wood.

An elegant rack displays snowboards, flush against the walls and the foldup workbench is made from Weston’s first-ever beetle-kill pine snowboard.

Heads up ladies. To top off all this news, Weston is developing two women’s boards—a split and a solid—for a 2017-18 debut.

You can learn more about the boards and mobile shop schedule at westonsnowboards.com.

—Morgan Tilton

Looking for the perfect spot to snowmobile, ski, snowshoe or enjoy other winter pastimes? Like fun community festivities like Parade of Lights, Winterfest, and more? Rio Grande Country in Southwestern Colorado has you covered . . . in POWDER and fun!

Wolf Creek Ski Area averages over 460 inches of snow a year, more than any other ski area in Colorado.

South Fork: closest town to the ski area. Del Norte: great brew pub and places to stay. Monte Vista: centrallylocated within the San Luis Valley.

Visit www.riograndecountry.com to learn about all the great festivals and events this winter.

Colorado

Book your next great adventure today!

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QUICK HITS

01.17

ASPEN, CO SURE, YOU'VE HEARD ALL THE CLICHES ABOUT THE ELITE STREETS OF COLORADO'S SNOBBIEST SKI TOWN. FORGET ABOUT ALL THAT TRASH TALK AND PLAN A TRIP TO THE PLACE OF THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS ASPEN IS THE IDEAL ESCAPE IF YOU LIKE CRAFT BEER, GOOD EATS, UNTRACKED POWDER AND EVEN SOME KILLER DEALS. EAT Aspen is home to a world-class dining scene, but that doesn’t mean you need to give up an arm and a leg for a good meal in this town. For pre-shred grub, check out Overeasy (aspenovereasy.com) where you can fuel up with a huge classic breakfast.

When lunchtime rolls around, head to 520 Grill (520grill.com), where you’ll find a large selection of hearty and healthy lunch dishes—most for under $10 per plate. And for après libations, a cold craft beer at the Aspen Brewing Company (aspenbrewingcompany. com) taproom is a must. Or class it up with a cocktail dreamed up by the talented mixologists at Justice Snow’s Restaurant + Bar (justicesnows.com).

SLEEP The centrally-located Limelight Hotel (limelighthotels.com) isn't cheap, but it features a handful of complimentary offerings that make the price worthwhile: You get up to two free lift tickets per day, good at any of the four Aspen Snowmass mountains, as well as complimentary adventures like guided snowshoe tours and First Tracks on Aspen Mountain. For a budget-friendly option, head to the Element Basalt - Aspen (elementbasaltaspen.com), where you’ll consistently find rates under $200 a night. And don’t forget the pup. The hotel is pet-friendly.

PLAY It’s all about fresh tracks this time of year in Aspen, and the area’s four outstanding mountains don't have the crowds of I-70 resorts. Hop on one of the many ski shuttles from 10

OPEN SEASON: WANT ALL THAT WHITE STUFF TO YOURSELF? ASPEN POWDER TOURS FERRIES SKIERS AND BOARDERS VIA SNOCAT TO THE UNTRACKED GOODS ON THE BACKSIDE OF ASPEN MOUNTAIN—AND THEY FEED YOU A GOURMET LUNCH . photo by ASPEN SKIING COMPANY

downtown Aspen and spend the day on the slopes of Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk, Snowmass, or Aspen Highlands (aspensnowmass.com).

If two-wheels is more your style, check out the new Aspen Fat Bike Loop (aspennordic.com)—a 4.5mile circuit with access from three different trailheads in the Aspen area. But the outdoor fun doesn’t disappear with the sun. For $10 every Friday night through April, Elk Camp at Snowmass (gosnowmass. com) celebrates Ullr Nights with tubing, ice skating, fat biking, live music and s’mores around a campfire.

—Tyra Sutak

LOCAL HERO: ALAN ARNETTE CLIMBING MOUNTAINS IS JUST HIS WAY TO RAISE FUNDS AND AWARENESS ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S. Alan Arnette has accomplished many impressive mountaineering feats. He has climbed all of Colorado’s 14ers, often by technically complex routes.

In 2011, he stood atop Mt. Everest, and in 2014 he became the oldest American to summit the notoriously deadly K2 when he reached the top on his 58th birthday. But Arnette does not scale the world's highest

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peaks simple for personal glory. It's a much more personal quest. “I climb mountains to bring attention to one of the most dangerous diseases on this planet: Alzheimer’s,” he says.

When Arnette’s mother Ida passed away from the disease in 2009 he knew he had to do something.

Watching his mother disappear was painful, but it was the fact that four of his aunts had also succumbed to the disease that really motivated him to make a difference. “The chances are high that I might die from this disease, the odds are not in my favor, I want to do all I can before that has a chance of becoming a reality,” he says.

What he has done is remarkable.

Launched in 2008, his website alanarnette.com has become one of the foremost information portals on the web about Everest, as well as all 14 of the planets 8,000 meter peaks.

That beta, coupled with his climbs, has given him a platform to spread his message about the dangers of the disease which has a new diagnosis every 57 seconds in the United States alone.

Arnette is also continually giving presentations about his mountaineering exploits.

CAUSE CLIMBING: AT 28,251-FEET ON THE SUMMIT OF K2, ARNETTE HOLDS A PHOTO OF HIS MOM, IDA, WHO DIED OF ALZHEIMER’S. HE CLIMBS TO RAISE CASH TO COMBAT THE DISEASE. photo courtesy ALAN ARNETTE

“I employ a basic bait and switch method to get the message out,” he says. “No one really wants to talk about Alzheimer’s, that’s boring, but when you talk about life and death on the mountains that gets their attention. Once I have them, I dedicate part of my slide show to educating people about what they can do to make a difference when it comes to this silent killer.”

People are listening. Arnette has raised over $300,000 for research, and has reached over 50 million people. “Most people don’t realize that Alzheimer’s is a death sentence, there is no cure. Even scarier is the fact that over 50 percent of people 80 years and older are diagnosed with some form of dementia,” he says.

“It’s something that any of us can get, so donate to organizations that are combating it, and then live your life to the maximum, you never know when it might start slipping away.”

—Hudson Lindenberger

319

•Add two days of lift tickets for your child 7-17 for only $65!

•As always, kids 17 and under stay free •Additional nights only $179/night

FOR TWO

Includes all taxes and fees. Must be present to purchase. Subject to availability.

Blackout dates: 12/17 – 12/19/2016, 12/27/2016 – 1/1/2017, 2/18/2017 , 3/10 – 3/16/2017.

Non-transferable, non-refundable, and expires on 4/9/17.

Changes/cancellation to reservation allowed only once, and must be made 14 days prior to arrival. Changes/cancellation within 14 days of arrival not allowed. One Getaway per person, additional restrictions and fees may apply.

AVAILABLE AT SELECT RETAIL LOCATIONS. FOR A COMPLETE LIST, VISIT:

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J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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FLASHPOINT

01.17

NOT GUILTY? CLIVEN BUNDY, DONALD TRUMP AND THE FATE OF THE NEW WEST.

by SCOTT WILLOUGHBY

M

ost observers would agree that brothers Ryan and Ammon Bundy, along with five others, got a pretty good deal when they were acquitted of charges stemming from their 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon last January. Even if the defendants were merely transferred to another jail, where they joined family patriarch Cliven Bundy to await trial on a different set of charges filed after an armed standoff with federal officers from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Nevada in 2014, the jury letting the Bundy's off in Oregon this fall caught just about everyone by surprise.

For more than a month last winter, the saga at Malheur played out like some frigid reality television drama, a warped Western “Duck Dynasty” spinoff complete with bitter patriots and militia groups exercising their Second Amendment rights at a remote bird sanctuary 12

while authorities remained at arm’s length. What began as a protest of prison sentences for two local ranchers sprawled into a broader demonstration against federal land management, calling for “local control” and the transfer of federal lands like Malheur to states.

By the time it ended with a 27-year-old man contemplating suicide on livestream Internet before finally surrendering on Feb. 11, 2016, one man had died and 25 others were charged with crimes related to the occupation.

Many of them pled guilty to charges of “conspiracy to impede federal officers by force, threat or intimidation” prior to the highprofile trial that concluded with “not-guilty” verdicts for the Bundys and their co-defendants.

The irony of the acquittal occurring on the birthday of Theodore Roosevelt—a champion for public lands who created the Malheur NWR by a presidential order in 1908—was lost on few.

Several members of the loosely organized group are now scheduled to go on trial again in Nevada on February 5, along with Cliven Bundy, who was not present at Malheur.

Cliven, Ryan and Ammon Bundy,

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and 16 others, were charged with an monument on the 350,000-acre array of federal firearms, conspiracy parcel of desert wilderness at Gold and assault counts after soliciting Butte, where several hundred head of hundreds of supporters, many of them Bundy cattle still roam free just south armed, to help them face down BLM of the Bundy Ranch at Bunkerville, officers attempting to remove cattle Nevada. Senate Minority Leader owned by the Bundys from BLM Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has placed the land at Gold Butte, Nevada in 2014. monument designation as a primary The Bundy family has defied two goal before retiring this year and federal court orders he has called on “Trump's flair for high- President Barrack to remove the cattle and refuses to pay profile deal-making Obama to use his more than $1 million executive power could also play into the under the 1906 in grazing fees and Bundy's favor.” fines.

Antiquities Act As with Malheur, to preserve the the defense has been framing its case fragile landscape, with its bounty of as a political protest disputing the Native American petroglyphs and federal government’s stewardship endangered desert tortoise habitat, as of public lands in the West. The a monument before leaving office. looming sequence of trials— authorities have grouped defendants BE SCARED into three tiers—offers defendants Clearly, the situation is volatile. If the another opportunity to spread their men are convicted this time around, anti-government ideology, although it could become dangerous. If they the April 2014 “protest” includes aren’t, it may be worse. charges of obstruction of justice, “The government should be assault on a federal officer and using scared. They are in the wrong. and carrying a firearm in relation The land does not belong to the to a crime of violence. Defendants government. The land belongs to the could face a maximum of 96 years in people of Clark County, not to the custody. people of the United States,” Ryan Further fanning the flames is Bundy, 44, told The Washington the likely creation of a new national Post shortly after the Oregon

acquittal. “The only peaceful whatever happens is their own fault,” resolution to all this is for them he told the Post. to obey the Constitution. Read it, The tone is slightly softer on understand it, abide by it. There the Bundy Ranch Facebook page, doesn’t have to be violence. None of where roughly 200,000 followers that has to happen if they would just are offered the side of the story “the abide by the Constitution.” courts would not let you hear.” A Emboldened by the outcome, series of surprisingly sophisticated it’s difficult to ignore the Malheur videos invokes tales of pioneer occupation as a playbook for heritage and devotion to family and potential uprisings enabling God Almighty in partial narratives Bundy supporters to challenge absent of any attribution beyond the what they consider “government monotone voice of Ammon Bundy overreach” with regard to federal within the jailhouse walls. land management. Beyond the There are pictures of children symbolic gesture of overthrowing a and pleas to (and even praise for) government office—without criminal President-elect Donald Trump, conviction—there’s whose own antithe reality that the “Trump himself has establishment mainstream press rhetoric resonates typically doesn’t pay stated a commitment with this audience. much attention to the And, despite their to preserving the state land transfer unwillingness federal estate, issue until guns are to recognize the although it has proven authority of the drawn. Like it or difficult to take him federal government, not, a precedent has been set. the Bundys may at his word.”

Ryan Bundy well have found a went on to say that a similar protest few new friends in the White House. would be “the best thing in the world Chief among them, U.S. Attorney for [people] to do” if a monument General nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions is designated at Gold Butte. “If the (R-Ala.), who has voted in favor of government won’t restrain itself, selling off public lands and gutting

the Antiquities Act, and could influence the tenor of courts before the Bundys go to trial.

ENTER THE DONALD

Trump himself has stated a commitment to preserving the federal estate, although it has proven difficult to take him at his word.

With regard to conservation issues, the President-elect may cite Teddy Roosevelt one day, and the next day nominate Oklahoma AG Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency—an agency Pruitt has attempted to sue several times.

Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Interior, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), deftly straddles the public lands issue. While Zinke does not support his party’s position on transferring ownership of federal lands to the states, he does support transferring their management. Either way, relaxed regulation within the agency that controls the nation’s largest portfolio of public lands is almost certain.

Trump’s flair for high-profile deal-making could also play into the Bundys’ favor, considering the size of the stage. Whether Trump’s early actions will lead to a plea deal or a

second acquittal of the Bundy clan remains to be seen. But even inaction could tilt the balance and open the doors to privatization of public lands by refusing to enforce environmental laws and failing to hold accountable those who threaten them.

Folks in the ranching community who play by the rules and pay grazing fees to run their cattle on public lands remain baffled by the leniency already granted scofflaws like the Bundys, and worry it's evidence of a larger ploy.

“This whole movement is so beyond what I’m able to comprehend that I just don’t understand it,” said Chuck Ogilby, who grazes cattle along with his son-in-law, Tai Jacober, on public leases near Carbondale, Colorado. “I’m very nervous about seeing more of this, about what’s going to happen to our federal lands and all the hard work we’ve done environmentally in the past.”

Evidence suggests that the pendulum is swinging, but as the Malheur defendants can attest, conspiracy can be difficult to prove—even when it plays out right before our eyes. llustration by KEVIN HOWDESHELL / KEVINCREDIBLE.COM

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WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE TIME FOR SECOND BEST

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PHOTO CREDIT: ADVENTURE DRIVEN, SETH JACOBSEN

HOT SPOT

01. 17

HUT MADNESS

CHECK OUT OUR PICKS FOR THE BEST COLORADO BACKCOUNTRY HUTS TO SKI TO THIS WINTER.

by CHRIS KASSAR

O

ur favorite season is here, so don a pack and head out into those snow-covered hills—powered only by legs and lungs—to experience Colorado’s eclectic assortment of backcountry shelters. Read on to discover some of our favroite remote, no-frills huts and yurts optimally located amid stunnning scenery and powder turns.

CREEDE MOUNTAIN HUTS

Explore the wild San Juans on a 15.8-mile loop that links the Lime Creek Yurt (10,500 feet) and Fisher Mountain Hut (11,000 feet).

WHERE: The huts are located near the old mining town of Creede.

WHY: Tons of powder snow, fabulous views of the Rio Grande Valley, a secluded locale for relaxing and rejuvenating, and privacy (rent it and your group will be the only one there) GETTING THERE: The huts are 0.8 miles apart but each one has its own trailhead. From either trailhead, it’s a 5-mile ski in. A trip between them requires a 5-mile ski to the other shelter and a 5.8-mile ski out.

TERRAIN: Beginner to expert. Fisher Mountain’s broad, exposed slopes and the open, steep northern slopes behind the Line Creek Yurt offer a variety of skiing options.

CREATURE COMFORTS: There's a huge deck with big views at the Fisher hut; padded bunks; wood stove; propane cook-stove and lights (lanterns in yurt) and full kitchenware; and detached contained outhouses.

NITTY GRITTY: No pets. $125 per night; creedemountainhuts.com.

WHAT:

SAN JUAN HUT SYSTEM

WHAT: Link up five huts scattered across the Sneffels Range via a 30mile ski/snowshoe route, or visit just one hut from its own trailhead.

WHERE: The hut system connects Telluride and Ouray.

WHY: Experience the perfect balance of being truly self-reliant while

enjoying cozy comfort at night, travel in the shadow of 14,000-foot peaks, and find sweet, untracked turns.

GETTING THERE: Access each hut from its trailhead (three to 10 miles, 1,300to 2700-foot gain), or merge the hutto-hut trails (four to 8.6 miles between each; 730 feet to 2,550 foot gain) TERRAIN: Intermediate to expert. The route between huts was designed for intermediates, but terrain above each hut provides advanced/intermediate, expert and extreme powder skiing.

CREATURE COMFORTS: Each hut features padded bunks, a wood stove (firewood provided), a propane cookstove and lights, full kitchenware and a composting toilet facility.

NITTY GRITTY: Pets allowed! The huts hold eight, so sharing often occurs. $30 per night per peron; sanjuanhuts.com

BROOME HUT WHAT: Ideally

perched on a sunny slope at 11,350 feet and surrounded by big, snowcovered peaks, this newly renovated, energy-efficient 10th Mountain Division hut (formerly Gwen Andrews a.k.a. Second Creek Hut) provides a perfect launching pad for exploring this alpine environment.

WHERE: West side of Berthoud Pass WHY: The hut serves up panoramic views of the Continental Divide and the striking Second Creek headwall, and it's close to downtown Denver.

GETTING THERE: From the Second Creek Trailhead (MM 240), ski or snowshoe about one mile with an 800-foot elevation gain (it's steep!).

Beginner to expert, The surrounding bowls and glades keep skiers of all abilities entertained, but be careful: Steep areas can slide. The woods offer solid, relatively low-angle skiing if you know how to identify the best slopes. Second Creek offers a comparatively safe way to reach the ridges leading to Winter Park Ski Area or you can cruise to the moderately challenging bowls dipping off the alpine ridge to the west by climbing along the Nystrom Trail.

CREATURE COMFORTS: The remodeled hut has padded bunks and two private rooms, a pellet stove, propane cook-stoves, full kitchenware, indoor composting toilets and a totally separate room for day use.

NITTY GRITTY: No pets. The hut sleeps 16, so sharing often occurs. $35 per night, per person; grandhuts.org TERRAIN:

HINSDALE HAUTE ROUTE

This trip strings together two inviting shelters located along the Continental Divide: The Colorado Trail Friends Yurt (11,800 feet), on a saddle between the Divide and the Colorado Trail, and the Jon Wilson Memorial Yurt (10,840 feet), overlooking Lake San Cristobal.

WHERE: High above Lake City WHY: This is a safe, spectacular, remote hut-to-hut adventure with little avalanche danger, and panoramas of the Weminuche Wilderness, the La Garita Mountains and five 14,000-foot peaks. And it's private—rent it and your group will be the only one there.

WHAT:

HIGH CLASS: WHO NEEDS FANCY SOAPS AND A CONCIERGE? FRESH TURNS OUT THE DOOR ARE THE AMENITY THAT MATTERS MOST AT THE SAN JUANS' NORTH POLE HUT. photo by CHRIS KASSAR

GETTING THERE: You

can access each hut from its own trailhead (1.8-5.5 miles/400- to 2,300-foot gain) or merge the hut-to-hut trails (3.2-5.2 miles/840- to 980-foot gain) over a route that traverses the Divide by following a broad, gently rolling ridge that was the old La Garita stock trail.

TERRAIN: Beginner to expert. The straightforward route to Jon Wilson offers an ideal intro for novices. At the hut touring options include a short, steep pitch right off the deck, benches above Lake San Cristobal and the Sawmill Headwall. All three routes that access the Friends Yurt are intermediate or expert. Day tours back into the Fawn Lakes Cirques or onto Ullr’s Knob will keep you busy.

CREATURE COMFORTS: Padded bunks, wood stove, propane cook-stove, lanterns, full kitchenware, outhouse NITTY GRITTY: Pets allowed! $110 per night first two nights, $80 additional nights; hinsdalehauteroute.org

PLEASE NOTE: Backcountry travelers should be able to identify and avoid avalanche-prone areas and others hazards and each individual should carry and know how to use beacons, probes and shovels.

Take an avalanche safety course with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE). Information here: avtraining.org/avalanche-training-courses/

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POWERED BY

THE TRAIL

01.17

GET THE FREE APP AND FOLLOW THIS ROUTE ON IPHONE, IPAD AND ANDROID DEVICES. VIEWRANGER.COM

GET TRIP INFO SEE MORE ROUTE DETAILS, GPS DATA & PRINT MAPS. GOO.GL/LU7D2I

UNCLE BUD'S TO SKINNER HUT

SKY LINES: TAKING IN THE VIEW BETWEEN 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION HUTS. photo by CHRIS KASSAR

FOR A BIG MOUNTAIN WINTER ADVENTURE WITH A COZY ENDING, DOWNLOAD THE FREE VIEWRANGER APP AND THESE COORDINATES TO GET OUT ON THIS FUN TRAVERSE BETWEEN TWO HUTS IN COLORADO’S 10TH MOUNTAIN SYSTEM.

by CHRIS KASSAR

A

stay in Colorado's 10th Mountain Division Hut system should include some adventure, and this trip gives you everything from powder turns to pathfinding. It's tough—but that's why we like it.

Day one starts with a steep, easy-to-follow, 5.8-mile climb to Uncle Bud’s hut, perched at 11,380 feet.

Day two, covers 7 miles to reach Skinner Hut (11,620 feet), whose alpine locale offers up outstanding turns. Note: We recommend the route only for accomplished skiers with solid routefinding, and avalanche education skills and smarts.

TRAILHEAD | From Leadville, drive 2.8 miles

west on Mountain View Drive to a "T" intersection (CR 9). Turn north (right) and drive .5 miles to the Turquoise Lake Trailhead. Gear up, cross the railroad tracks and follow the main road/ trail west.

TURN RIGHT | Weave past a series of

campgrounds and picnic areas.

START CLIMBING | About 3 ½ miles from the trailhead, turn right (north) onto a welldefined road cut (FR 107).

4.

POWERLINES | Go straight at the junction

with Trail 103/ Kevin’s Gulch. Cross under the powerline; follow the route as it contours west to a flat spot offering a respite and views of the Arkansas Valley.

5.

16

TRAVERSE | Head west along the ridge to find

the route turns north again before leaving the

road for the final climb to the hut.

6.

UNCLE BUD’S HUT | After skiing northwest

through thinning trees, reach this hut built in memoriam of Bud Winter (1925-1945), a 10th Mountain Division solidier and accomplished mountaineer killed during WWII. Turns await on the large basin to the west, the east ridge of Galena Mountain or Saint Kevin’s Gulch, which offers easy treeless terrain.

7.

HIT THE TRAIL | After a good night’s sleep,

leave Uncle Bud’s to descend slightly into the basin west of the hut. Pick up the Colorado Trail (marked by blue diamonds) heading west.

8.

INTERSECTION | A half-mile later, intersect

with a trail heading northwest to St. Kevin’s Lake. Turn left to stay south on the main trail.

Descend and cross the basin north of Galena and Bear Lakes. Climb switchbacks to reach timberline on Galena Mountain’s south ridge. From here begin a circuitous descent: The trail begins on an open slope, but then enters the trees (pay attention!) and slides down the Lake Fork drainage to 10,000 feet.

START CLIMBING | You reach a clearing where Timberline Lake Trail begins and Colorado Trail signs signify the start of an arduous ascent.

Head west and then south to follow Glacier Creek.

9.

10.

MEADOW | The route oscillates between tight

trees and small clearings until it reaches a large meadow. At its edge, continue southwest to gain even more altitude.

11.

SWITCHBACKS | At the edge of another

clearing, turn southeast to tackle a series of forested, steep, awkward switchbacks that climb to Hagerman Pass Road at 11,600 feet.

12.

ROAD CROSSINGS | Cross the road twice

consecutively to reach the ridge. Turn northeast and traverse the crest trail (blue diamonds).

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017

SKINNER HUT | Relax and enjoy a drink from your perch looking out on the 14,036-foot summit of Mount Sherman. Hagerman Pass and the Continental Divide allow expert access to higher peaks while intermediates will love turning down to the Hagerman Pass Road or skiing the ridge that heads east. When you have to leave, return the way you came or for a fun downhill ski, follow the marked trail down to about 10,200 feet, swing right (east) off the marked trail, then ski clearings and a line-cut down to the Turquoise Lake Road.

13.

TRAIL GEAR K2 WAYBACK/TALKBACK 96

Struggling to decide between a ski light enough for climbing and one beefy enough to float through the deep stuff? Don't. This lightweight, durable, all-around backcountry ski—which comes with pre-cut skins—merges a lightweight core with durable maple stringers. That makes for a nimble ride that boogies on the skin track, but still delivers the smooth powder turns you worked so hard to earn. $850; k2skis.com KLYMIT LUXE PILLOW A little comfort goes a long way in that hut.

This six-ounce travel and camping pillow is far better than messing with a down jacket in a stuff sack. It stays in place, it's soft and it has the perfect amount of cushioning. $40; klymit.com —C.K.

NUMEROLOGY

01.17

DON'T BE A STATISTIC THE MOUNTAINS DON’T DISCRIMINATE AND THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE. CHECK YOUR HEAD WHEN IT COMES TO AVALANCHE SAFETY.

by CAMERON MARTINDELL Number of avalanche rescue safety items recommended by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) for travel in the backcountry: metal shovel, transceiver beacon, a 206cm or longer probe and the Avalanche rescue response checklist (found inside the back cover of the AIARE field book). Learn more at avtraining.org.

275

Avalanche fatalities recorded in Colorado since 1951. That's the most in the United States followed by Alaska (150), Washington (119), Utah (116) and Montana (111). Twelve other states with recorded fatalities all have less than 100 deaths.

24

Number of people caught in avalanches in Colorado for the 2015-2016 season. Of those 24, five were buried

and survived and five died.

3

Number of vertical zones where avalanche forecasts are grouped: below treeline, at treeline and above treeline.

These zones are used by forecasters because they each have unique impacts on the condition of the snow and the snow pack.

6

Number of ratings on the North American Danger Scale for avalanche forecasts: No Rating; 1 Low; 2 Moderate; 3 Considerable; 4 High; 5 Extreme. These ratings are determined by taking into account the likelihood of naturally occurring slides, human-triggered slides and the potential size of the avalanches. For more information you can study the chart at avalanche. state.co.us/forecasts/help/ avalanche-danger.

9

Number of ways to describe the different types of avalanche conditions known as Avalanche Problems.

Can you name them all?

If not, it’s time to take an avalanche safety course.

(Answers below.)

10

Number of avalanche forecast regions in Colorado: Steamboat and Flat Tops, Front Range, Vail and Summit County, Sawatch, Aspen, Gunnison, Grand Mesa, North San Juan, South San Juan, and Sangre de Cristo. Get Twitter updates for yours at avalanche.state.co.us/ forecasts/help/social-media.

Scan to find your backcountry avalanche zone forecast Twitter feed.

RISK FACTORS: SAFE TRAVEL IN THE MOUNTAINS IN WINTER IS NOT A MATTER OF CHANCE. TRAINING, ANALYSIS AND SOUND JUDGEMENT ARE NECESSARY SKILLS. photo courtesy CAMERON MARTINDELL/OFFYONDER.COM

5

Number of fatalities in Colorado attributed to avalanches in the 20152016 season. This is the continuation of a pretty good trend—two under the average. Going backwards, the number of fatalities each season prior has been three, eight, 11, seven, seven, and eight for the 2009-2010 season. Let’s see if we can keep the numbers down again this season.

1,015

Total number of points scored by the highest scoring hockey player for the Colorado Avalanche, Canadian Joe Sakic.

92

Percentage of survival probability

when buried for 15 minutes (without trauma issues).

By 35 minutes the survival probability drops to only 30 percent according to a 2002 study published on avalanche.org.

60

Percentage of battery level at which the website snowbrains. com recommends users should replace the alkaline batteries in their avalanche trancievers. They also recommend you check with the manufacturer recommendation for your specific device. But don’t throw those batteries away, 60 percent is still great for your headlamp!

ANSWERS: Loose Dry, Storm Slab, Wind Slab, Persistent Slab, Deep Persistent Slab, Loose Wet, Wet Slab, Cornice Fall and Glide.

4

J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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YO U R L E G E N D S TA R T S H E R E . L E A DV I L L E R AC E S E R I E S .C O M

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E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017

STRAIGHT TALK

difficult choice of my life so far, but I am happy with the outcome now.

01.17

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST THINGS YOU LEARNED DURING THIS PROCESS? HAS THIS INJURY GIVEN YOU ANY NEW PERSPECTIVES?

DAVE MACKEY

Absolutely. It sounds cliché, but I feel fortunate to simply be alive. For many months after the accident, I felt somewhat like a ghost walking through the world, like I should be dead but wasn't. Being alive feels so good. Now that I will live a normal life, I appreciate the simple things even more, like walking, having a functioning brain, and, most of all, my family and friends.

AFTER A FREAK ACCIDENT LEFT HIM BADLY INJURED, ATHLETE DAVE MACKEY FACED SOME TOUGH CHOICES. THIS FALL HE DECIDED TO HAVE HIS RUINED LEG AMPUTATED—BUT THAT BRUTAL DECISION IS NOT GOING TO SLOW THIS BADASS DOWN.

WHO ARE SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SUPPORTED YOU THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY?

by EMILY GALLEGOS

My wife Ellen has taken on a big burden for me and our family for much of the past year and a half. I have had to work a lot more as well and travel for much of my work, so she has been there 100 percent for us. Many, many good friends have come forward to help me as well with meals, walks, medical advice and just time spent together.

My kids, too, have been flexible throughout the whole experience.

D

ave Mackey is one of the most accomplished ultra runners in America: He's won numerous USATF trail running championships and set the course record at the Miwok 100 (which he won three times), as well as set the fastest round trip up and down Boulder's Third Flatiron. But those accomplishments pale in comparison to Mackey’s most recent challenge.

In May 2015, Mackey, 45, was running down Boulder's Bear Peak when he stepped on a loose rock and tumbled more than 20 feet. A 250-pound rock came trundling after him, crushing his leg and shattering his tibia and fibula. After months of surgeries and the likelihood of lifelong pain and limited mobility, Mackey made a decision that will allow him to walk, run, ski and be an active father: He had the leg amputated. We caught up with Mackey to discuss his decision and how he’s doing after surgery while he waits to get his prosthesis.

WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED, DID YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW SEVERE THE INJURY WAS GOING TO BE, OR WAS IT A SURPRISE?

The rock was on my leg for about five or seven minutes and it hurt like hell, but I didn't know how badly I was hurt. When [rescuer] Paul got the rock off with a big stick, I wasn't too astounded that I had an open fracture. The biggest surprise of all was when I survived the fall itself through dozens of sharp boulders and landed on a small patch of sloping gravel before another drop off. I am lucky that my leg injury was the only serious one I sustained!

WHEN WILL YOU BE ABLE TO RUN AGAIN? AND WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SKI THIS SEASON?

WHAT WAS THE DECIDING FACTOR THAT MADE YOU WANT TO UNDERGO THE AMPUTATION SURGERY AND NOT KEEP THE LEG?

The decision to amputate my leg was multifold, but it basically came down to the fact that the tibia bone grafting to replace the fracture site had failed.

To re-graft the site would involve a lot more recovery time, up to a year.

I still had residual infection in the leg, and with that infection present, the grafting would not work. That's why it didn't work in the first place.

I also had a carbon fiber rod nail, which is a long rod through the tibia, which was moving around and would need to be re-situated. All in all, even if the graft worked and the nail

WHAT MATTERS: MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE HORRIFIED BY THE IDEA OF CHOOSING TO HAVE THIER INJURED LEG AMPUATED, BUT DAVE MACKEY—A TOP ATHLETE WHO WAS NAMED THE USA TRACK AND FIELD ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR IN 2004 AND 2005 AND THE ULTRARUNNING MAGAZINE NORTH AMERICAN ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR IN 2011—SEES THE POSITIVE IN HIS ORDEAL. HE'S GLAD TO STILL BE ALIVE AND HAVE THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF HIS FAMILY. AND HE WON'T STOP RUNNING. photo courtesy DAVE MACKEY

was set, the likelihood of limited mobility and pain with mobility would be a constant issue for the rest of my life. Amputation was the logical, albeit less than desirable, choice. It was by far the most

There have been some amputees such as Amy Palmiero, Malcolm Daly and Emily Harvey—all incredible people who are below the knee amputees—who have been inspiring role models. So yes, given what they have done, including Ironman triathlons, ice climbing, 135-mile ultrarunning races, and more, I should be able to attempt a couple of those things! I do plan on skiing this winter, too, both tele and randonee and skate skiing.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE FOR ANY ATHLETE TRYING TO RECOVER FROM A MAJOR INJURY?

To be honest, my injury is mild compared to what it could have been, and others have much more difficult situations from trauma injuries. The best mental aspect to undertake is positivity in any hard situation.

Much like any long race or getting through a difficult graduate school program or medical school, you just need to take it test by test, tree by tree, aid station by aid station.

You have to make sure you don't get overwhelmed by the whole situation all at once.

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Winter 2016-2017

LEADVILLE, COLORADO

|

SAWATCHGUIDES.COM

|

970.485.3752

Private sessions are also available!

AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Certification 3 Days - Spaces are limited!

Intro into Climbing 2.5 Days - Spaces are limited!

3 Days/2 Nights - Spaces are limited!

JANUARY 14-16 FEBRUARY 24-26

JANUARY 20-22 FEBRUARY 24-26 Sawatch Guides is proud to offer AIARE Level 1 avalanche education.

This course provides essential training for anyone traveling in avalanche terrain and can be taken on backcountry skis, split board, or snowshoes. $420 per person

SKINNER HUT: Feb 19-21 UNCLE BUD’S HUT: March 1-3

This 2.5 day introduction focuses on climbing movement and technique, gear use, and decision-making. By the end of this course you will be familiar with setting a top-rope, confidently belaying and lowering a climber, and utilizing effective climber communication terminology. $375 per person

**These Avi courses can be paired with the WFA course bellow for a total of $615. Companion rescue does not stop upon recovering the victim. Would you know what to do next?**

DOORS LEADVILLE OUT NTIALS & RENTAL OUTDOOR ESSE

TRIP! GEAR UP WITH NEXT CLASS OR R U YO R FO T EQUIPMEN

Guided Hut Trips

Colorado’s huts are a truly unique experience! These trips are a great way to join a group and get familiarized with the hut system.

They are geared towards those that are new to backcountry skiing techniques and protocol. $685 per person

ARRISON AVE. CATED AT 225 H LO Y TL N IE N VE N CO AND WATCH GUIDES ALONG WITH SA IN MEDICINE. DESERT MOUNTA

DON’T WAIT, UP C O MI NG COU RSES

Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Course - 80 hours When: March 15-22, 2017 Where: Leadville, CO Cost: $695

Hybrid Online Course 80 Hours

When: January 12-16, 2017 Where: Leadville, CO Cost: $695 Course - 80 hours When: June 5-9, 2017 Where: Leadville, CO Cost: $695

Wilderness First Aid (WFA) When: January 18-19, 2017 Where: Leadville, CO Cost: $225**

When: February 22-23, 2017 Where: Leadville, CO Cost: $225**

**These WFA courses can be paired with the AIARE Level I Avi courses above for $615 total**

BE READY.

Desert Mountain Medicine 406.579.7070 | 225 Harrison Ave. Leadville, CO DesertMountainMedicine.com

READER POLL

01.17

NEVER SAY YOU ARE GOOD AT A MOUNTAIN SPORT IN THIS STATE. SOMEONE WILL CRUSH YOU. BUT WHO CRUSHES THE CRUSHERS? WE PUT THAT QUESTION TO OUR READERS TO DETERMINE THE BADDEST OF BADASSES HERE IN THE CENTENNIAL STATE. THE WINNERS ARE NOT SIMPLY INCREDIBLE ATHLETES. THEY ARE PEOPLE WHOSE PASSION HAS DRIVEN THEM TO THE TOP OF THEIR GAME. COME MEET THEM.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

2017’S ULTIMATE RESIDENT BADASS CHRIS PLESKO SINGLESPEED CHAMPION, MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, DAD Chris Plesko would rise to the top of any Colorado badass conversation for one reason alone. He dominates the competition in some of the toughest mountain bike endurance races on the planet on a singlespeed ... while everyone else is using a full complement of gears. But Plesko is no privileged cycling prima donna with a nutritionist cooking for him and a fawning assistant massaging his quads—the Pivot athlete and father of two teaches math at a middle school in Denver during the week as well as helping to coach a NICA high school mountain bike team and his school's basketball team. Yet, somehow he has found the time to tick off the TransIowa, the Iditarod Trail Invitational, Arizona Trail 300 and the Colorado Trail.

He set the singlespeed record on the brutal,

ADVANCED CURRICULUM: A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER AND COACH DURING THE WEEK, PLESKO SOMEHOW FINDS THE TIME TO TRAIN HARD ENOUGH TO SET RECORDS ON HIS SINGLESPEED, BEATING OUT GEARED CYCLISTS ON BIG RACES LIKE THE TOUR DIVIDE. photo courtesy EDDIE CLARK / EDDIECLARKMEDIA.COM J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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2,745-mile self-supported Tour Divide in 2009 and then blew his own record away last year setting a time of 15 days, 8 hours and finishing second overall in the process. “I enjoy the challenge, simplicity, and direct connection of a rigid singlespeed,” he says. “I understand that it seems pretty backwards in this age of 1x12 drivetrains and fantastic full-suspension options. There are a lot of reasons why I have made it my primary focus for the last decade, but, at the end of the day, I'm always having a ton of fun on it so why change?” As for balancing work, family and training, Plesko's coach Lynda Wallenfels understands and helps him juggle it all. On average, he rides five days a week with a couple of interval sessions midweek and longer rides in the mountains on the weekends, usually around Golden Gate Canyon State Park. “We look to save time wherever we can by splitting up workouts into chunks or commuting by bike,” says Plesko.

“My wife Marni and our two young sons are hugely supportive. We make time to be together on a regular basis.

Sometimes that's stopping mid-ride to tuck them in during long training days or just making the most of rest days to climb at ABC Kids, go to the museum, or play at Jump City.” He will be focusing on the local scene more in 2017, with plans to race winter fat bike races in Leadville, too. But his big target is the 500-mile Colorado Trail Race in July, where he's hoping to break the four-day barrier on his rigid singlespeed and lower the current fastest known time.

RUNNER UP REBECCA BOOZAN PARADOX SPORTS BOARD MEMBER, LEADVILLE RACER, SALES MANAGER This summer Rebecca Boozan stood on the podium as the third Leadwoman after the 100 mile run.

She was new to mountain biking and had never completed a trail race over 50k before. “I wasn't sure I'd be able to put it all together to pull it off,” 22

IN IT TOGETHER: REBECCA BOOZAN AND TWIN BROTHER DAN FOUND NEW HOPE AND CONNECTION THANKS TO PARADOX SPORTS. photo courtesy of REBECCA BOOZAN

she says. But Boozan was not in the race for personal glory.

She raised almost $35,000 for non-profit Paradox Sports, which is dedicated to getting disabled athletes in the outdoors on the rock, trails, waves and anywhere else they want to get after it. Her dedication to the organization and her commitment to Leadville come from a personal place. Her twin brother Dan suffered a traumatic cycling accident in 2001, leaving him with a paralyzed right arm and hand. “In 2014, Dan and I were talking about how we would be celebrating our 33rd birthday, and he wondered aloud if he should go on a trip to climb the Grand Teton offered by Paradox Sports. He wasn't sure he could make it with his injuries. Having seen his recovery over the previous three years and his dedication when he was a cyclist prior to the accident, I had no doubt he could do it.” After climbing the Grand with Paradox, Dan became an ambassador for the organization.

His sister remains his biggest fan and helps drive the organization in its mission to bring outdoor passion back

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017

to people like Dan. “Paradox creates a community that allows adaptive athletes to be able to overcome obstacles, push limits and change beliefs about what's possible with a disability,” she says. “However, it's about more than just rock climbing or ice climbing—it instills confidence that can be applied to any aspect of an adaptive individual's life.”

RUNNER UP JUNKO KAZUKAWA ULTRARUNNER, CANCER SURVIVOR At 53, Junko Kazukawa is quite simply one of the fiercest competitors in ultrarunning. The Japanese native,

HELLO, INSPIRATION: CANCER COULD NOT SLOW HER DOWN. KAZUKAWA FINISHES THE FAMED 103-MILE ULTRA-TRAIL DU MONT-BLANC IN FRANCE IN 2016. photo courtesy of UTMB/STRAVA

knocked off her first Leadwoman in 2014 and completed the Ultrarunning Grand Slam—which includes the Western States 100, Vermont 100, Leadville Trail 100 and Wasatch Front 100—and the Leadwoman series in 2015, the first person to pull off both of those in one summer. In 2016, the Denver-based trainer, who once received the lowest possible grade a Japanese student can get in high school physical education, knocked off the famous, tough Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in the

Alps. And she did all of that after twice beating breast cancer. “The breast cancer experience made me strong mentally and physically,” she says. “It has changed the way I think and it affected me positively. I am lucky that I learned a lot through those experiences and I am more of a positive person because of it.”

In fact, Kazukawa ran the Boston Marathon in 2009 just five weeks after she completed chemotherapy for her second bout with cancer, finishing in four hours and 33 minutes. In the coming year, she will continue to motivate others and plans on heading to Patagonia for the Ultra Fiord 100 in spring. She's also thinking about ticking off a few more 100 mile races to add to the 11 she has already completed alongside 48 marathons.

“When I am racing, it hurts but it is fun. If I do not keep moving, I know I will have regrets,” she says. “I encourage myself that I will get there as long as I keep on moving. I love every moment of tough times, and I can appreciate that I am alive, I am healthy and I have the mental strength to get through this. I feel so alive when I am suffering.”

ALL THE WINNERS THE VOTING FOR BADASSES WAS SPREAD OUT OVER NINE CATEGORIES. HERE ARE THE WINNERS IN EACH.

overwhelming support from readers.

RUNNER UP: Madeline Sorkin NOMINATED: Zen Mayhugh, Jes Meiris, Jonathan Siegrist

SNOW

WHEELS

Ultimate Resident Badass continues to be a reader favorite after skiing all 100 of Colorado's tallest peaks.

RUNNER UP: John Gaston NOMINATED: Gretchen Bleiler, Wiley Maple, Mikaela Shiffrin

RUNNER UP: Kim Godfrey

ICE

WINNER: Chris Davenport. Our 2014

WINNER: Chad Jukes. The combatinjured vet who climbed Everest is raising awareness for veterans.

RUNNER UP: Janette Heung NOMINATED: Jeff Lowe, Will Mayo, Kim Reynolds

ROCK

WINNER: Phil Wortman. The Pikes Peak Mountain School guide got

WINNER: Chris Plesko (see above) NOMINATED: Wesley Sandoval, Mara

Abbott, Howard Grotts

ENDURANCE

AIR

WINNER: Yuki Tsuji. The teacher

and coach in Acroyoga, yoga, Thai massage, dance-climb fusion, handstand, sky diving and body flight won a very competive division.

RUNNER UP: Fractal Tribe NOMINATED: Ted Davenport, Steph Schwartz, Simon Repton

HUMANITARIAN

WINNER: Rebecca Boozan (See above)

WINNER: Junko Kazukawa (see above)

RUNNER UP: Shannon Galpin

RUNNER UP: Joseph Gray

NOMINATED: Ryan Vachon, Pemba

NOMINATED: Scott Jurek, Emma

Sherpa, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez

Coburn, Joe Grant

WATER

WINNER: Tony Miely. The managing

partner of 4Corners Riversports lost his hand in an ATV accident in 2009, but that doesn't slow him down.

RUNNER UP: Shawn Rodine NOMINATED: Ken Hoeve, Spencer Lacy, Leslie Ross

WILD CARD

WINNER: Henry Wood. The Director of Sales and Marketing at Upslope Brewing is a former NOLS instructor who still finds the time to get out and crush it between beers.

RUNNER UP: Daniel Galhardo NOMINATED: Ellen Miller, Jason Antin, Jeff Kagan and Paige Doughty

Experience another way of Life.

Challenge your understanding of the World.

Backpack in the Caribbean.

As featured in Backpacker magazine and the Financial Times

Expedition Ayiti seeks to promote intercultural understanding by giving visitors an authentic experience of Haitian life and culture while bringing economic opportunities to rural Haitian communities

– www.expeditionayiti.org – J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE TRUTH: WE CAN TELL YOU HOW GREAT IT IS TO SKI MONARCH MOUNTAIN OVER AND OVER. YOU WILL BELIEVE IT WHEN YOU COME HERE AND EXPERIENCE IT. photo courtesy MONARCH MOUNTAIN

Want to get away

by CHRISTOPHER COGLEY

... from the glitz and glam and get a taste of what real Colorado skiing? Sick of traffic? Miss the soul of the sport? Miss the fun? Don’t fear. Head to Monarch Mountain and return to what skiing and snowboarding is supposed to be.

It’s a feeling, a vibe that defines

THE DRIVE ///

our breathtaking views and epic

The authentic Colorado experience

adventures. It radiates from the

that Monarch offers begins long before

people who live here and shapes our

you ever arrive at the resort. It starts

perspective on what life’s priorities

with a pleasant drive that means can

should be. Good friends, good times—

unfriend I-70. Located less than two-

that's Colorado.

and-a-half hours southwest of Denver

Indeed, Colorado is a state of mind.

Wait. There are those who claim that this authentic Colorado feeling

offers a shorter commute time

has all but disappeared from our

from Denver than many of the closer

state’s famed ski resorts. Those folks

resorts along the I-70 corridor with

have not been to Monarch Mountain.

its maddening traffic. It also provides

All it takes is a surprisingly short drive

more than a few breathtaking views

from the bustle of the Front Range to

along the way.

reconnect with that genuine Colorado PICTURE PERFECT: JUST DOWN THE HILL FROM MONARCH, COZY SALIDA BOASTS ONE OF THE BEST LOCAL ARTS SCENES IN COLORADO AND PLENTY OF HOT SPOTS TO EAT. photo by SCOTT PETERSON

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E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017

down Highway 285, Monarch actually

“Instead of having the commute

state of mind and discover why

detract from the skiing experience,

Monarch is aptly dubbed “The Most

this trip actually becomes part of the

Colorado of Resorts.”

experience,” says Jeff Martin, vice

with their friends and family without all the affectations of the big resorts.

Immediately obvious? There’s a distinctive lack of pretentiousness and arrogance. The selfie sticks are stowed in their proper trash receptacles and people seem to remember that skiing and snowboarding are activities that are supposed to be enjoyed, not conquered. It’s a friendly and welcoming atmosphere that’s every bit as genuine as the snow that’s covering the slopes.

THE SNOW /// Did we mention the snow? Sitting at 10,800 feet with runs that stretch up to nearly 12,000 feet at the Continental Divide, Monarch Mountain is one of only three resorts in the state that relies solely on the snow that Mother Nature provides. It’s the good stuff—

(ABOVE) PURE BEAUTY: BUENA VISTA’S AWARD-WINNING SOUTH MAIN NEIGHBORHOOD SITS RIGHT ON THE BANKS OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER AND OFFERS SHOPS AND FUN YEAR-ROUND. (BELOW) WHO WANTS IN? THE MONARCH SNOW CAT FERRIES YOU OUT TO GOODS THAT WILL KEEP YOU IN THE UNTRACKED ALL DAY LONG. photos by SCOTT PETERSON

and riding it is a true back-to-nature,

Monarch provides easy—and relatively

big-mountain experience.

inexpensive—access to more than a

water rafting to fly fishing more than a

thousand acres of the kind of delicious

hundred miles of Gold Medal waters

powder that we all crave.

along the Arkansas River, every type

“Not making snow is a deliberate

decision because of the chemicals, the electricity, the cost, but the truth is we don’t need to make snow because the natural stuff is so great,” says ski patrol director Ryan Moore.

And what the mountain has to

THE TOWN /// You won’t find a resort and highend real estate clogging the base of

offer is nothing short of spectacular

Monarch Mountain. What you will find

regardless of what level of skier you

is real towns and people determined

happen to be. From the completely

to hold onto their Colorado-ness.

president of sales and marketing for

enclosed Caterpillar magic carpet

Between the cozy town of Salida, 20

Monarch Mountain. “It allows people

that gives kids a sheltered place to

miles from Monarch, and the aptly

to avoid all the traffic, and the stress

develop a love of skiing, to the new

named Buena Vista, which is only 45

that accompanies it, and just drink in

designated uphill lanes for telemark

miles away, Chaffee County provides

the stunning views of South Park. Your

and AT skiers, Monarch offers

the perfect Colorado playground.

adventure starts before you ever get

something for everyone. But one of

“Most of the activities you do here

out of the car.“

its most impressive—and coveted—

in the summer, you can continue to do

THE VIBE ///

amenities is the renowned Monarch

all year-round,” says Scott Peterson,

Cat Skiing operation. Limited to

marketing director for the Chaffee

twelve guests per day, Cat Skiing at

County Visitor’s Bureau.

That stress-free environment doesn’t

From mountain biking and white

of adventurous spirit will be pleased here. You can even fat bike 400 miles of snowmobile trails and pedal to the top of the Continental Divide in winter.

“There aren’t many places on the planet where you can experience four seasons in one day, but that’s exactly what we have here,” Peterson says.

When it’s time to let the adrenaline settle a little, relax at Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort, Cottonwood Hot Springs Inn & Spa, or the Salida Hot Springs Public Pools. Then, stroll through Salida’s National Historic District, the largest in Colorado, or visit the many galleries that are part of Colorado’s first Creative Arts District.

end when you pull into Monarch,

When it's time to fill up, the valley

either. The free parking lot is the first

offers a wide selection of dining for

relief. From there, all it takes is few

all tastes as well as craft distilleries,

steps to reach the lifts, where you’ll

breweries and wineries.

inevitably be greeted by genuine

Whether you’re seeking the

smiles, friendly hellos—and maybe

adventure of a lifetime or a simply

even a high-five or two. And, just like

a little more laidback way of life,

that, you begin to understand that

you’ll have no trouble at all finding

Monarch really is a different kind of

exactly what you’re looking for when

resort. From the uncongested runs

you take a short drive down 285.

and short lift lines to the unabashedly

Between Monarch Mountain, Salida

helpful staff and instructors, the

and Buena Vista, it’s never hard

atmosphere is undeniably Colorado.

to find good friends, good times

“Monarch is truly a friendly ski

and a genuine experience that is

mountain,” Martin says. “The people

authentically Colorado.

here enjoy skiing and spending time

SKIMONARCH.COM J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017 / E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S . C O M

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GEAR

6.

01. 17

1.

4.

8.

2.

5.

7.

5.

BEST OF THE BACKCOUNTRY

3.

IT’S TIME TO MAKE YOUR OWN TRACKS AWAY FROM THE LIFTS. JUST BE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT GEAR TO KEEP YOU SAFE—AND CHARGING HARD.

by DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

SKI

1. DYANFIT METEORITE At 129/96/114, Dynafit's “freestyle touring ski” offers up everything we seek out in a hard-charging backcountry plank: It's nimble, floats and crushes the nasty stuff, no matter if you are hopping down through the trees or harvesting face shots in big, open powder fields, but it doesn't drag you down on the up. Credit that multidimensional performance to a sturdy construction that combines an ash-poplar wood core for lightweight pop with generous rocker—and it still delivers surprisingly confident edge control. $700; dynafit.com

BINDING

2. DYNAFIT TLT RADICAL ST Tech bindings have always

26

been the best choice for moving fast uphill, but the cost was a sacrifice on downhill performance. No longer. This TUV-certified binding serves up stable power on the down and won't release when you need it to stay engaged. $450; dynafit.com

BOOT

3. SCARPA F1 This dreamy skiing slipper features a BOA closure system, meaning you can dial in the right fit and adjust it on the skin trail without having to mess with ratcheting buckles on your sensitive forefoot. But the two-pound11-ounce (in size 27) F1 is no pushover. A combination of stiff Carbon Core Technology on the shell and X-Cage Evo on the cuff impart the brawn to power through big turns

E L E VAT I O N O U T D O O R S / J A N U A R Y- F E B R U A R Y 2 017

on the down. $699; scarpa.com

POLES

4. LEKI AERGON 2 CONDOR Why did no one think of this before? These easy-toadjust poles feature a built-in self-arrest fang on one grip and choke-up ability on the other—ideal for those dicey, icy ascents. $150; leki.com

JACKET

5. PATAGONIA M10 ANORAK Packing down to the size of a softball, this shell is just the ticket for full days of lapping the backcountry (and ice climbing and mountaineering, too). It may weigh in at a silly seven (!) ounces, but it offers up enough protection to cut a fierce summit-ridge wind

or fend off a groppel squall, thanks to the three-layer, waterproof/breathable fabric. $379; patagonia.com

PACK

6. OSPREY KAMBER ABS 42 Headed on a hut trip? Meet your new best friend. Not only will this hauler—which features a thermo-formed back panel—comfortably shuttle in 50 pounds of layers, booze and board games, it is also built to accommodate an ABS Vario airbag system (sold separately) if you head into avalanche terrain. $230; ospreypacks.com

CRAMPON

7. PETZL LEOPARD LLF Weighing just 11.6 ounces, these sturdy aluminum crampons fit ski boots, making them a welcome

addition to your pack when you head out to tackle big objectives. A simple strap and heel lock system make it quick and hassle-free to get them on and off of your boots in a hurry. $170; petzl.com

SAFETY GEAR

8. BCA T3 AVALANCHE RESCUE PACKAGE You will need all of this gear if you hit the backcountry, so why not save some cash and time and get it all in one package? The smart set up includes BCA’s top-ofthe-line Tracker3 beacon, Stealth 270 probe and B-1 EXT shovel. Remember these are just the tools—sign up for an AIRE course to learn how to use them. $420; backcountryaccess.com

Elevation Outdoors 2017

RACE & EVENT GUIDE RISE & SHINE RANDO SERIES

January 10 and January 24, 2017 Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, CO ArapahoeBasin.com Join us for a four-part series of uphill challenges two Tuesday mornings in January. Challenge yourself to all four or pick and choose which morning works the best for you and your workout schedule.

Starting in the base area at 10,780 feet and finishing near the Summit at 12,474 feet, with twists and turns along the way, the early morning Rise and Shine Rando Races are a fun and challenging way to start your day!

DEVIL’S THUMB STAGECOACH CLASSIC

January 21, 2017 Tabernash, CO Active.com/tabernash-co/winter-sports/skiingraces/stagecoach-classic-2017?int Whether you are a serious nordic skier and racer, an old-school tourist or anywhere in between, the Stagecoach Classic is a unique chance to experience a trek from Devil’s Thumb Ranch, through the old Idlewild Ski Area, to Hideaway Park in Winter Park. You won’t want to miss it.

GRAND TARGHEE FAT BIKE NIGHT RACE #2

January 21, 2017 Grand Targhee Resort, WY GrandTarghee.com Come roll into the new winter season with a Fat Bike Race. The Grand Targhee Fat Bike Race #2 is an eight-mile lap (choose from one or two laps). The race will be held on Jolly Green Giants and the lower ski trails in the Shoshone area. There will be plenty of race Swag for everyone who competes.

SKI SANTA FE FIREBALL RANDO RACE

February 3-4, 2017 Ski Santa Fe, NM CosmicSki.com U.S. Nationals! This backcountry hiking/ climbing ski event is where racers challenge each other to hike and ski the most challenging terrain at Ski Santa Fe. The course will offer singletrack kick turns, skinning, groomer downhill, challenging downhill tree skiing and a stunning technical bootpack up Big Rocks. Be there.

ALLEY LOOP NORDIC MARATHON

February 4, 2017 Crested Butte, CO CBNordic.org Everyone who loves to Nordic ski needs to partake in the annual madness that is the Alley Loop. With a course that winds through downtown Crested Butte and surrounding area, it is both challenging and damn fun.

Choose from 1.5k to 42k and don’t foget to pick out your favorite costume.

MONARCH MOUNTAIN RACE THE DIVIDE

February 11, 2017 Monarch Mountain, CO CosmicSki.com Ski Mountaineering at Monarch Mountain.

Registration is open now!

OLD MAN WINTER BIKE RALLY AND RUN

February 12, 2017 Lyons, CO AdventureFit.com It’s back! Show old man winter what you’ve got and enjoy some Oskar Blues brews.

YETI CHASE

January 22, 2017 Lakewood, CO YetiChase.com This 5k/10k run is brought to you by Racing Underground. Conveniently located on the scenic west side of metro Denver, Bear Creek Lake Park is known for it’s diverse bird and waterfowl population as well as stunning views of the foothills.

FAT BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 25-29, 2017 Crested Butte, CO CBChamber.com/events/fat-bike Get fat! The world will be here.

ABOMINABLE WINTER ADVENTURE RUN

January 28, 2017 Como, CO AbominableRun.com The Abominable Adventure Run is not for the timid. On January 28, you will want to get “yeti” for a winter obstacle course at 10,000 feet. Grab your friends, hop in the car and crank up the heat because it’s gonna be cold, wild one out there!

MOOSE CHASE NORDIC MARATHON

February 18, 2017 Jackson Hole, WY JHSkiClub.org/moosechase The Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club is proud to present the 24th Annual Moose Chase Nordic ski race at the Trail Creek Nordic Center. This premier Nordic race includes a 30k (that skis like a 50k), a 15k, 5k, 3k and a free 1/2k. Athletes can choose to skate or classic ski the course.

MOAB SPRING TRAIL RUN March 2017 Moab, UT TrainingRX.com Enter in the 8k or Half Marathon.

MOAB THAW MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL March 10-12, 2017 Moab, UT MoabThaw.com Rides, demos, games, food and fun!

SNOW MOUNTAIN RANCH STAMPEDE March 11-12, 2017 Granby, CO SnowMountainRanch.org/Nordic Get after it at Snow Mountain Ranch.

TOWN DOWNHILL A.K.A. “MINI HAHNENKAMM”

March 11-12, 2017 Jackson Hole, WY JHSkiClub.org/towndownhill The Jackson Town Downhill features the heart-throbbing Mini-Hahnenkamm course on Snow King with divisions for Pro, Recreation, Telemark, Junior, Fat and Baggy and Snowboard. The event is the Club’s way of recognizing that skiing—and ski racing—is truly a lifetime sport. Be a part of it.

Fort Collins, CO EquinoxHalfMarathon.com Run in Fort Collins.

ADVENTURE XSTREAM ADVENTURE RACE

April 22, 2017 Moab, UT AXSRacing.com The 16th Annual Adventure Xstream Series returns on April 9. Solos or Teams will mountain bike, kayak, trek, rappel and navigate across 25- or 50-mile courses.

HORSETOOTH HALF MARATHON, RELAY AND 5K April 23, 2017 Fort Collins, CO Horsetooth-Half.com Run more in Fort Collins.

RIDGE-A-THON

March 17-18, 2017 Taos Ski Valley, NM RaisetheRidge.com Enjoy Taos Ski Valley’s best terrain, win amazing prizes and make a positive impact on community health in Taos. Raise $200 minimum and win gear or getaways from sponsors just for participating.

ALPENGLOW ASCENTS RANDO SERIES

March 18 and April 8 , 2017 Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, CO ArapahoeBasin.com This thrid annual spring-time event will start and finish in the Base Area while summiting near 12,472 feet! This event is much like the Rise n Shine series, except it’s in the afternoon. Perfect for the serious rando racers that are training for The Traverse or the Power of Four, or people who just want to get a solid skin in at the end of the day.

BEHIND THE ROCKS 50 MILE, 50K AND 30K

March 25, 2017 Moab, UT MadMooseEvents.com/behind-the-rocks-home BTR was created to highlight Moab’s last hidden gem, the Behind the Rocks Wilderness Area. The course highlights the technical slickrock trails of Moab, the views of the Behind the Rocks Wilderness area and the snow-capped La Sal mountains.

KAREN OATEY POLE PEDAL PADDLE

March 25, 2017 Jackson Hole, WY JHSkiClub.org/polepedalpaddle The Pole Pedal Paddle is a tradition in Jackson Hole. Contestants compete either individually or in teams in four events: an alpine ski leg, a cross-country ski leg, a bicycle leg and a boating leg.

EQUINOX HALF MARATHON AND 5 MILE March 26, 2017

WHISKEY OFF-ROAD

April 28-30, 2017 Prescott, AZ EpicRides.com With nearly a dozen years of runway behind us and a sole focus in developing the ultimate mountain bike event weekend while priming the bar taps on Whiskey Row, Epic Rides, the City of Prescott and the Prescott National Forest cooperatively host an annual three-day celebration during the final weekend of April each year. Whether you’re riding for the custom finisher’s pint glass, podium finisher’s flask or the $30,000 cash purse (a rare equal payout to pro male/ female categories), get to Prescott.

CRESTED BUTTE POLE PEDAL PADDLE

April 30, 2017 Crested Butte, CO CrestedButteP.com The CB3P is a multi-sport, endurance race that spans the length of the Gunnison Valley, starting in Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado and finishing in Gunnison, Colorado. With an uphill/downhill ski leg, bike leg, and kayak leg the CB3P takes participants and spectators on an exciting tour that follows the valley’s spring runoff path.

GRAND JUNCTION OFF-ROAD

May 19-21, 2017 Grand Junction, CO EpicRides.com Ride the Grand Junction Off-Road. Choose from three different distance options of 15, 30 or 40 miles, each consisting of a carefully curated set of geologically mesmerizing trails.

Participants climb their way out of downtown Grand Junction onto the Uncompahgre Plateau (the world’s largest mesa), while connecting some of the area’s favorite singletrack, double track, gravel roads and the occasional paved segment in the Lunch Loops trail system and beyond. While visiting Grand Junction, enjoy free access to the Downtown Music Festival while being submerged in the mountain bike industry. Mingle with bike-minded people and the Grand Junction community while enjoying the area’s wine country and its appreciation for the outdoor

SAVE THE DATE! PRESENTED BY

OLDEST

COLORADO’S TRAIL RUNNING SERIES -PACK

5 *NEW* 5K

To register or for more information: VA I L - C O L O R A D O 970-479-2280 | www.vailrec.com

MAY 20 - LA SPORTIVA BONEYARD BOOGIE JUNE 24 - LA SPORTIVA SUMMER SOLSTICE JULY 8 - LA SPORTIVA VAIL HILLCLIMB JULY 22 - LA SPORTIVA HALF MARATHON, 10K & 5K AUG. 5 - LA SPORTIVA BERRY PICKER AUG. 26 - LA SPORTIVA 5K & 10K @ 10,000 FEET SEPT. 16 - LA SPORTIVA EVERGOLD

2017

Dates are subject to change. The VRD is an equal opportunity service provider and operates under special permission from the White River National Forest and Bureau of Land Management.

enthusiast. The ‘Grand’ has a 93 percent finish rate. Technical? Yes. But attainable, too.

COLFAX MARATHON May 20-21, 2017 Denver, CO RunColFax.org Run in downtown Denver.

BOLDER BOULDER

May 29, 2017 Boulder, CO BolderBoulder.com A Memorial Day tradition with a 10K route through the heart of downtown Boulder.

EAGLE OUTSIDE FESTIVAL & FIREBIRD 40

TBD JUNE 2017 Eagle, CO EagleOutsideFestival.com Bike & Outdoor Expo & Demos, MTB Race, Music, and Beer.

THELMA AND LOUISE HALF MARATHON

June 3, 2017 Moab, UT MoabHalfMarathon.com/tlhm/index.cfm The fifth annual Thelma & Louise Women’s Half Marathon will inspire, challenge ... and give back. Proceeds go to two organizations that support women and girls: Girls on the Run and Seekhaven Family Crisis Center.

GRAND TETON HALF MARATHON

beauty. Teams of eight (or four) will find their inner wild on three separate mountain trails that start and finish at Ragnar Village.

June 3, 2017 Jackson Hole, WY Grandtetonhalfmarathon.com Run the Tetons!

LA SPORTIVA VAIL HILLCLIMB

RIDE THE ROCKIES

ELEPHANT ROCK RIDE

June 4th, 2017 Castle Rock, CO ElephantRockRide.com The Subaru Elephant Rock Cycling Festival is the unofficial start to the Colorado cycling season. You won’t want to miss the excitement and camaraderie of the annual pilgrimage to Castle Rock for the Rocky Mountain region’s premier cycling festival.

SSRS STEAMBOAT MARATHON

June 4, 2017 Steamboat Springs, CO SteamboatChamber.com/signature-events/ steamboat-marathon Run alongside the roaring Elk River through the emerald-green pastures on Country Road 129 with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains of Colorado all around and find out why the Steamboat Marathon was ranked as one of the “Top 10 Destination Marathons in North America.” Registration opens January 1, 2017.

June 10-17, 2017 Grand Junction to Westcliffe, CO RidetheRockies.com 464 miles of riding with over 30,000 feet of elevation gain over seven days. Need we say more?

BIGHORN MOUNTAIN WILD AND SCENIC TRAIL RUN

June 16-19, 2017 Sheridan, WY | BigHornTrailRun.com The courses maximize the exposure of the participants, their families and race volunteers to an extremely scenic, wild, and primitive area of the Bighorn Mountains.

LEADVILLE TRAIL MARATHON AND HEAVY HALF June 17, 2017 Leadville, CO LeadvilleRaceSeries.com The Leadville Race Series is a season of Legendary Adventures in the highest incorporated city in the U.S.A. Test your strength this June at the Leadville Trail Marathon or Heavy Half.

RAGNAR TRAIL SNOWMASS—CO June 9-10, 2017 Snowmass Resort, CO RunRagnar.com/event-detail/trail/snowmass_co Ragnar Trail Snowmass-CO presented by Salomon is the perfect fusion of trail running, high-country camping, and Rocky Mountain

Saturday, July 8, 2017 at 7 a.m.

Vail, CO |VailRec.com Named “Best Trail Race” by Colorado Runner Magazine in 2006 and 2011, the HillClimb tests runners with a 7.7 mile climb from Vail Village to Mid-Vail. Spectators may ride the gondola for free from 7:00 to 7:30 a.m. Visit vailrec.com for details.

SILVER RUSH 50 MOUNTAIN BIKE

July 8, 2017 Leadville, CO LeadvilleRaceSeries.com/mtb/silverrush50mtb/ Need a nice challenge? Then forget this one. It’s nasty. Cut the Blueprint for Athletes Leadville Trail 100 MTB in half, remove all the easy parts, throw in technical descents, burning lungs and wild animals and you’ll have a good understanding of what you’re about to get into.

SILVER RUSH 50 RUN

July 9, 2017 Leadville, CO LeadvilleRaceSeries.com/run/silverrush50run Take on 50 miles of extreme territory that starts at 10,200 feet and reaches 12,000 feet on four separate occasions at the Blueprint for Athletes Silver Rush 50 Run. It will leave your lungs burning, heart pounding and eyes completely amazed — while also preparing you for the pinnacle Blueprint for Athletes Leadville Trail 100 Run presented

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STAY

ANGEL FIRE ADVENTURE MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 5K July 2, 2017 Angel Fire, NM

GeminiVirgoProductions.com Run New Mexico.

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JAN 13

“Knowledge is Powder” Off Trail Camp

JAN 21

Fat Bike Night Race #2

JAN 27

“Knowledge is Powder” Off Trail Camp

JAN 27

College Freeskiing Competition

elevationoutdoors.com/events-calendar

FEB 10

“Knowledge is Powder” Off Trail Camp

MAR 8

Freehill Life Cup

COLORADO ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIKE TOUR

July/August 2017 720.379.5593 Ascend eight high mountain passes, including the highest continuous road in America, and the highest paved road- Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park (12,183 feet) and Mount Evans (14,271 feet). For cyclists the world over, these are crown jewels!

TOUR DE STEAMBOAT

SSRS SPRING CREEK MEMORIAL

July 29, 2017 Steamboat Springs, CO |RunningSeries.com This aspen-and-wildflower-lined trail race parallels a bubbling spring creek for the majority of the race in the 9.5 Miler. There is

LA SPORTIVA BERRY PICKER 5K

August 5, 2017 Vail, CO | VailRec.com This popular and iconic race tests runners of all abilities on both single track and double track terrain over 4.5 miles of uphill running with an average grade of 14 percent.

Spectators may ride the gondola for free from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

COPPER TRIANGLE August 7, 2017 CopperTriangle.com

TBD July/August 2017 Gran Fondo is a style of race, better known in France as a cyclosportive; a one-day, annual endurance event of the amateur undertaken for pleasure or as a test of personal fortitude. Gran Fondo: Taos • Mora • Angel Fire is our take on this annual spirit-of-cycling event, and our beautiful course traverses some of the more pristine and beautiful northern New Mexican highlands, with climbs and descents of Alpin proportions here in the Sangre de Cristo chain of the Rocky Mountains.

FORTITUDE 10K

September 4, 2017 Fort Collins, CO Fortitude10k.com From the makers of Bolder Boulder comes

Date TBD | Frisco, CO AXSRacing.com The 16th Annual Adventure Xstream Series returns on April 9th. Solo’s or Teams will Mountain Bike, Kayak, Trek, Rappel, and Navigate across 25 or 50 mile courses. We like to think of the AXS Series as Off Road Adventure Triathlons.

WINTER PARK HALF MARATHON TBD September 10, 2017 Winter Park, CO ShiningStarsFoundation.org/winter-park-halfmarathon A beautiful trail run. Try half marathon and 5K options, both will directly benefit the Shining Stars Foundation.

BUFFALO BICYCLE CLASSIC September 13, 2017 Boulder, CO | BuffaloBicycleClassic.com Bike like a Buff in Boulder.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

RUNNING STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

RUNNING

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

RUNNING RUNNING HAYDEN COG RUN

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MAY th, Saturday 8.4M7AND 5K / May 6 HAYDEN COG RUN 8MSPIRIT & 5K CHALLENGE

RUNNING

RUNNING

RUNNING

SERIES

July 22, 2017 Steamboat Springs, CO TourDeSteamBoat.com You will want to train hard to come up and race in Bike Town U.S.A.

GRAN FONDO TAOS

ADVENTURE XSTREAM ADVENTURE RACE

2017 2017 2016 17 2016 16 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2017 2016 2016

July 22, 2017 Red Cliff, Colorado | VailRec.com This course utilizes well-maintained dirt roads, the Continental Divide Trail and the Colorado Trail surrounding historic Camp Hale, where troops of the 10th Mountain Division trained for World War II. The course is situated at 9,200 feet with minimal elevation gains reaching peak heights of 9,500 feet.

September 9, 2017 Lake Dillon, CO 106WestTri.com The World’s Highest Triathlon sets new standards in Fall 2016. It won’t be pretty, but it will be beautiful.

SERIES

LA SPORTIVA CAMP HALE HALF MARATHON, 10K AND 5K

Aug 25-26, 2017 Copper Mountain to Aspen/Snowmass CO runragnar.com/event-detail/relay/colorado There’s nothing quite like the Rocky Mountain runner’s high that you’ll experience at Reebok Ragnar Relay Colorado. Reaching 10,000 feet at its highest point, it has been dubbed as one of the hardest Ragnar Relays in the series—it might just literally take your breath away.

106º WEST TRIATHLON

SERIES

July 29, 2017 |BreckEpic.com The oldest MTB stage race in the US takes riders on six intense days of riding Colorado’s best singletrack.

the first annual Labor Day 10k classic in the new CSU Stadium.

SERIES

REEBOK RAGNAR COLORADO

BRECK EPIC

SERIES

July 16, 2016 Breckenridge, CO WarriorsCycling.com/races/breckenridge-100 Come gut out a Century in high alpine of Breckenridge this summer. It’s one of the most important endurance events of the season.

After a 78-mile scenic ride, participants will be greeted by the “Alpine Celebration”.

The post-ride party, with music, a first-class lunch, prize drawings and cycling expo will continue throughout the afternoon.

SERIES

BRECKENRIDGE 100 MOUNTAIN BIKE CHALLENGE

a section of unimproved, rugged singletrack on private property that is a treat for any runner looking for a challenge. This is one of the SSRS’s favorite and most popular races and the sole fund raiser for the non profit SSRS, an amazing loop!

SERIES

by New Balance.

THE ROAD

01.17

THE GRAND TRAVESTY

mountain bikes quite a bit, but even that cardio-centric exercise is riddled with shuttle runs to the tops of climbs in order to keep me safely above the PUSHING THE 200-pound mark of emaciation.

UNCOMFORTABLE So, why would a snowboarding LIMITS PUTS A shuttle monkey line up at one of the KNUCKLE-DRAGGING SNOWBOARDER TO most difficult endurance events in THE THE TEST WHEN North America alongside a bunch HE SIGNS UP FOR of highly focused skimo racers in THE TOUGHEST SKI onesies? Thanks mostly to a decadeMOUNTAINEERING RACE long relationship with a job that IN NORTH AMERICA. slowly sucked my soul, this winter marked a time long enough away

by ZACH WHITE to start feeling somewhat human again and I wanted to push into o say that signing up for uncomfortable arenas that didn’t offer the Grand Traverse was the easy bail-outs. What better way to dumbest idea I’ve had to date stoke that new glow than backflip is actually a travesty to my long right into the deep end of an event list of really, truly bad ideas. More that’d most likely crush me. accurately, registering for the 40-mile My original race partner woke up point-to-point backcountry ski race smart on the Monday morning before that starts at midnight in Crested Friday night’s start—he told me he Butte and finishes—if all things go as was sick. In some ways this was a planned—in Aspen was merely one relief( he’s a much fitter, younger and single peanut in what turned out to be possibly better skier than me) but it quite the shitshow. You see, I am not left me in a bit of a rushed dilemma a skier. as there were only a handful of days Sure, I’ve been known to sneak in to find someone stupid enough, a mellow patient crossenough, Pushing through the country and/ unknown and unfamiliar, tour here or slow and there, if not uncomfortable, and enough to and last accomplishing more than one has attempt year’s such an ever done before isn’t something event with acquisition of an AT me, which that I consider a failure. setup did was going propel me on a couple of hut trips to drastically dig into my effort to before trading it in for a splitboard find boots that weren’t going to rub (that saw two days of use). But, most my ankles raw like the demo boots I’d of my snow experience comes in short tried over the weekend. spurts of nano-hucks and micro-jibs Yes, less than a week before between long rests on the chairlift the Grand Traverse, and instead with a snowboard dangling from my of training with an easy few days big, comfy left boot. leading up to the big effort, I was I’m also not a runner. I do ride trying to get random boots I’d just

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picked up and skied in for a few miles to fit.

Factor in that half of a day was spent saving a few bucks by making my own ski leashes (mandatory for the last section of course on Aspen property), and there wasn’t much time left to send out invites for people to join me in almost certain failure.

At first I aimed high by inviting friends like the legendary David “DaveMoe” Meyer, who in all reality could probably tow me up the first dozen or so miles to Star Pass. But, for DaveMoe, and a half dozen others, it was simply too short of notice.

Emma and I had ended up in the same place at the same time over the winter months, mostly on snowboards, but miraculously on skis once, too. Neither of us had more than a single day of skinning this season over a dozen miles, and it was obvious that both of us were at the same level of suckiness when it came to the skills of actually skiing.

Partner found.

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e lined up behind 199 legitimate teams at midnight on our borrowed skis that were short and skinny enough to look like we’d stolen them from someone’s preteen daughters.

Emma fiddled with her bindings while I ran up to the balcony above the start to get a disappointing photo

BIG SPOTS: IT'S COLD BUT NOT LONELY AT THE TOP (TOP). THE EVER-HOPEFUL, NEVER-COMPLAINING EMMA. (BOTTOM). photo courtesy CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN RESORT (TOP); ZACH WHITE (BOTTOM)

of a pack of headlamped racers rushing up a ski run glowing from fireworks and a full moon hovering just above Crested Butte.

We started a couple of minutes late, which put us in an absolutely undisputed last place going up Warming House Hill. Over my decades of bike racing, I’d been in this position before, and had always caught up to at least mid-pack. It only took a few minutes to realize that this night there wouldn’t be any catching up to anyone. Even with both of our expectations at a ridiculously low level, it was deflating to so quickly be in our place of being so far out of place.

The only good news, which was considered bad news for almost everyone else, was that due to dangerous avalanche conditions, the race was rerouted into the “Grand

Reverse,” and would be finishing in the same place it started. This meant that we could cruise back to town where our car, all our stuff, and more importantly, our buddy’s house with a hot shower and warm beds were all waiting for us. Had we stayed on the original point-to-point course over to Aspen, we’d have been stuck there in a post-epic haze, trying to hitch a four-hour ride back to Crested Butte.

SLOGGING AND SOCIALIZING: CAMARADERIE GETS TEAMS THROUGH OUT IN THE WILDS (TOP), WHILE GROUPS OF RACERS SHARE BETA AND WAR STORIES AT CRACKLING CHECKPOINT BONFIRES (BOTTOM). photos courtesy CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN RESORT

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t was a beautiful night for a ski, regardless of what was happening far, far ahead of us. The storm that made for a course reroute only two hours earlier didn’t so much as cause a breeze on our side of the pass, and left clear skies and a fresh blanket of snow to amplify the moon’s illumination of everything surrounding us—so much so that we turned off our headlamps, between the few tricky ravines and gullies that required Emergency Room lighting to safely navigate without ending up in the ER. What looked like a mile up the Brush Creek valley, a long, strung-out row of racer headlamps left more of an impression of a tiny town in the distance than a party we weren’t invited to.

It couldn’t have been more than four miles into the 33.5-mile course when Emma said she needed to take a look at her heels. The new gear had already gotten the better of her skin, and caused blisters that made me think we were going to turn around right then and there. From what little I knew about Emma, I’d assumed she would try to tough it out for a little longer, so it wasn’t surprising that we taped up her blisters as best we could, and pushed on into the nowvacant route. What was surprising was that we kept shuffling up towards Star Pass for hours, and never once stopped again for those blisters.

Our own private Grand Reverse slowly crept up on struggling teams that’d stopped for warmth at volunteer-run bonfires offering a reprieve from the single-digit chill that otherwise engulfs everything in its path at 3:00 a.m. and 3,000 meters. We shuffled our way up into higher, colder and steeper terrain.

As good of spirits as we were both in for the majority of the night, signs of struggle beagn rolling in with the clouds and light snow.

An old buddy of mine was in charge of the final bonfire, and I stopped at this one to say hi.

Our own private Grand Reverse slowly crept up on struggling teams that’d stopped for warmth at volunteer-run bonfires offering a reprieve from the single-digit chill that otherwise engulfs everything in its path at both 3:00 a.m. and 3,000 meters.

According to Geo, it was 6:25am, and we had about a half-hour more of climbing to get to the Friends Hut checkpoint that would be closing at 7 a.m. Even in my foggy, delusional state, the math seemed straightforward, so we quickly pointed it up, with another team following close behind. My pace was faster than even I’d expected. The idea that we could actually make the cutoff numbed any physical side effects of the increased effort.

A few minutes up the trail, we ran into a team coming down towards us. We quickly jumped off the trail, but these two stopped, and in an Australian accent, asked if we were lost. It was hard to not just ignore the

question and keep pushing uphill with hopes of making the cutoff, but she was persistent. None of the four of us wanted to believe what she was saying, which was that we missed a turn and were, in fact, going the wrong way.

We followed the Aussie and her teammate back down to the missed intersection that now seemed all too obvious, and were followed by a couple more teams on the way up who eventually faded behind Emma and I as we found another burst of motivation in witnessing the dull, snow-stifled sunrise. With the fresh morning light, we were able to see skiers descending a separate route from ours, which offered unfounded hope that we were almost there. That

last section of trail felt endless, until we finally made it to the checkpoint.

Perspective is an interesting and intriguing thing, especially after an overnight effort of unfamiliar movement up to dizzying elevations in sub-freezing temperatures. There were several teams at the checkpoint being told they’d missed the cutoff by mere minutes, if not seconds. Out of the seven hours of pushing along, oblivious to time and location until the wrong turn about a half-hour earlier, we’d missed the opportunity to complete the final mile of the course by just seven minutes. We were a mile short of the half-way point while the race leaders were finishing back in Crested Butte, which strengthened the course marshal’s argument of needing to implement a cutoff point for the unprepared. The team next to us was in tears over the idea of being so close to what was surely a year-long goal filled with training and expectations.

But for Emma and me, simply making it to Friends Hut was enough to put a huge, accomplishment-induced smile on our faces.

The second half of the course was by no means all downhill back to town. It offered up some of the most technically challenging and steep sections of the entire day, which made us appreciate the fact that we didn’t have to navigate it at night like the real racers had done hours before us.

We’d made it all the way to the Upper Trail trailhead on Brush Creek Rd, before we called it a day. It was only another four miles or so to the official finish line, but, at 12:23 and a few hundred yards shy of 30-miles, we were done, especially considering we were already officially disqualified anyway. It didn’t take more than a few minutes until a volunteer offered up a ride in the back of a pickup with a few other teams who’d abandoned the race farther up the trail, and within ten minutes we were back in the warm comfort of Bobbi and Pogi’s house.

People keep asking if I plan on doing the Grand Traverse this year, as if last year was a total bust. The short answer is yes, I’d try it again, but not because I felt this year’s attempt was a failure. Pushing through the unknown and unfamiliar, if not uncomfortable, and accomplishing more than one has ever done before isn’t something that I consider a failure. But, I’d still like the chance to drop into Aspen one of these days, if only to use those stupid ski leashes I spent half a day making.

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SLOW LEARNER TALES OF MISHAPS, NEAR MISSES AND BADASSES IN THE BACKCOUNTRY

by PETER KRAY

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t’s a fact of life that someone— and probably several someones— will die as the result of an avalanche in Colorado this year.

By the time you read this, someone might have died already.

They could be brothers, mothers, big-line heroes and newbies, but no matter who they are the ‘why?’ of their deaths will haunt their friends and family. Some will have succumbed to the sorcery of swirling snow, throwing caution to the wind in a final exchange for a deep line of untracked powder. Others may be hit by a slide from above, tragically unlucky. While many more may have solely trusted their lives to the seemingly miraculous powers (but no sure bet) of ever-improving snowsafety technology.

There’s a school of thought that suggests the more safety features we have in our lives, the more risks we’ll take, whether it’s on the highway or in the backcountry. I’ll never forget the heartbreaking statement from a snowboarder who lost a friend to a slide on Berthoud Pass a few years ago: “The guy with the transceiver didn’t show up,” he told the papers, as if one product designed for interactive companion rescue could have saved the lives of many all by itself.

Once, while researching a story on the success rate of avy airbags and the superhero kind of smugness they might instill in some users, I interviewed Dale Atkins, a former president of the American Avalanche Association and consultant to RECCO Avalanche Rescue Systems.

While discussing the role of human nature in relation to any off-piste innovation, I repeated the cliché, “Your mind’s still the most important piece of safety equipment you have in the backcountry.”

Atkins, who should probably be in the U.S. Ski and Snowboard llustration by KEVIN HOWDESHELL / KEVINCREDIBLE.COM

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Hall of Fame for his contributions to avalanche forecasting replied, “I’m not so sure I believe that anymore.”

MENTAL ERRORS AND MOJO The fact is humans aren’t the best decision makers. Even when confronted by facts and science, we often sidestep logical reasoning in favor of “gut feelings” and instant gratification. Take our ongoing addiction to fossil fuels in the face of accelerated climate change, or our continually ballooning population growth despite the planet’s diminishing resources, as two current examples of our inability to act rationally.

As far as skiing powder is concerned, the study of heuristics— the mental shortcuts we take in our decision-making processes—puts a spotlight on why people ignore obvious red flags and die in the backcountry.

The blog snowpit.com highlights some excellent case studies of how the lust for powder, slope familiarity, a “we’re-all-experts-here” mentality, evidence of an earlier successful run or the desire to be the hotshot entices

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experienced off-piste skiers to make fatal mistakes in high-risk conditions.

In short: The lure of fresh tracks can make us stupid crazy!

On the other hand, and at the risk of being labeled a heretic by any shear-test supplicant reading this, I would suggest that fate also has a role to play. Science or stupid, sometimes it just is or isn’t your day to die.

I have a friend who survived a 1,000-plus-foot slide over two cliff bands and was buried for more than an hour. After they dug him up, still very much alive and smiling, everybody got to calling him, “Mr. Lucky.” My father and I survived stupidly triggering the separation of a two-foot fracture in Northern New Mexico that never completely released. And yet somehow someone like extreme and speed skiing icon Steve McKinney was killed in a crash while sleeping in his car on the side of a California highway.

even existed makes me very happy.

Ditto for late great ski heroes like Doug Coombs, Shane McConkey and Fritz Stammberger, whom I was lucky enough to meet twice as a child and whom I just read about again in The Silver Chalice by Jeff Long, easily my favorite climbing narrative.

Cheers and good health as well to still thriving ski legends like Scot Schmidt, Glen Plake, Colorado’s own Lou Dawson (the original ski king of the Fourteeners), and brothers Mike and Steve Marolt, who have made turns on some of the highest slopes on the planet. They are all quite literally living proof that a life of adventure can provide many long, happy years of rewards.

I hope, too, that all of your backcountry adventures provide deep rewards all winter, and that at the end of every day you come back to some place safe and warm to share your story with the rest of us.

HERO-VILLE!

—Elevation Outdoors editor-at-large Peter Kray is the author of The God of Skiing. The book has been called “the greatest ski novel of all time.” Don’t believe the hype? You can buy it here: bit.ly/godofskiing

Life is rich with irony. But also with joy and glory. And the fact that someone like Steve McKinney ever

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