January 27, 2020
Went to Mordor today!! This zone we skied had rock spires and pillars like nothing I have ever skied before!! The people I skied it with were calling it “Crown Royal” and some others call it “Little Argentina”. I went up there with Casey, Steve, and Stuart. We took in four wheelers with snow mat-tracks!! Drove those in towards Eureka and parked on at the bottom of our run and the other at Minne Gulch. Started hiking from there up the road for about 20mins or so the went directly up off the road bushwack skinning through the thick aspens. Gained the ridge after that very difficult skinning!! Once on the ridge it was much more mellow. Took that to where it got rock, put the board on the pack, and booted to the top of the line! Super hairy entrance!! Big rock walls into a choke smaller than the size of the snowboard and skis!!! We all slowly side slipped into the choke together. Then I went first pointing it straight through and coming out skiing fast and left into upslope to wait for rest of group to make it through!!! SPICY!!! Not the best snow… Everyone made it through safely!! The rocks up there were nuts!! We skied through all the bad snow in pitches finding some breakable crust to edge. Once we ere through all the gnarnia we enjoyed some nice fresh POW down low that had not been affected by the wind!!! So good!! The bottom half was the best!! Especially the very bottom!!!! Taking faaatty faceshots blowing up huge clouds of snow!! Another really big line with more vert skiing!! Three days in a row!! SAN JUANUARY!!!!!
Snow Report
About 3-8cm new snow depending on wind. Mostly cloudy about -6C. High winds from W-NW. Manageable wind slab on West face skied. Skier in group set off small 7cm wind slab avalanche in obviously loaded spot. Very manageable through line, nothing stepped down, and that was the only thing to release. Things do not seem to be propagating out there. Slopes are for sure going to be very loaded tomorrow!! Could become dangerous on top of the mostly faceted snow on heavily wind loaded S-E slopes. West facing was wind boarded variable skiing above treeline and pow below tree line!
I am no snow expert. We are just out here getting after it everyday and I would love to share my observations to the beautiful ski community!! Be safe! Take faceshots!! Colorado Avalanche Information Center is a great resource: https://avalanche.state.co.us/
Ski Bum Philosophy 