119 | 11 Miles of Failure

With recent warm temperatures along the Front Range in Colorado, Eric and I decided to make an attempt at skiing Dead Dog Couloir yesterday off Torreys Peak which sits at 14,267 feet. Once the summer arrives and the snow melts away, access to the summer trailhead is relatively easy and from here, it's about 3.5 miles to summit. Because it is neither summer yet nor has any of the snow melted, our trip began 3 miles further away and a stone's throw away from I-70.


Click here for the topo map with route.


(click image to view in larger size)


Because temperatures would be below freezing above 12,000 feet and with the bottom of the couloir situated at 13,000 feet, we got a late start without fear of having to rush against the clock and against any solar impact upon the snowpack. Along the ninety-minute hike from the interstate to the summer trailhead, we met two other skiers that ultimately wanted to ski the north chute off Kelso Mountain. But after digging a pit and assessing the rotten snow conditions at the exit of the chute around 11,000 feet, they decided to bail. Usually, this would be a clear sign to abort and head back home, but we would be 2,000 feet higher and the snowpack could very well be vastly different and more stable since it would have been less affected by a strong warming trend without much of an overnight freeze over the previous week.

Regardless, Eric and I continued through while snow kept falling down along the entire hike up. As we reached the start of the summer trailhead, weather appeared to be moving through from the west with whiteout conditions off in the distance. Visibility was less than a mile, and we were feeling less optimistic about reaching the summit. We discussed our options and even thought about skiing back down to the car, but with plenty time left in the day and nothing to lose in trying to reach our goal, we decided to keep trekking along.

Over the next 2.5 miles, Torreys made itself more pronounced as sparkles of sunlight illuminated the summit while peaking through the dark, ominous clouds. Hope and confidence was soon regained and three hours later, we found ourselves at a crossroad beneath the 1,200-foot couloir. Most of the overnight snow had slid off the chute leaving what we presumed to be a firm layer to tackle at 40-45 degrees. Even more disheartening, was that the bottom half looked pretty chunky from side to side which would have most likely made for a very unpleasant adventure. Then we received final assurance as to what appropriate action we should take once Eric dug a pit in the middle of the apron only to discover 4-5" of new snow on top of a thin crust layer on top of 10" of sugar powder.

Sure we got knocked around a few times on this trip, but that's all part of the game when skiing such high peaks in Colorado. It's usually quite the physical and mental mind game that tests your intestinal fortitude, drive, determination, and will to succeed. In the end, we didn't achieve our goal, but we got damn close enough to remember what it will one day taste like.


Below are a few pictures from the day.


Grays Peak


(click image to view in larger size)


Torreys Peak


(click image to view in larger size)


Dead Dog Couloir


(click image to view in larger size)

118 | Loveland, Colorado

As stated in the previous post, most of the Front Range in Colorado scored between 36 and 48" of snow from a storm that crushed through last week leading into a very prosperous powder-filled weekend. Unfortunately for those that had to work on Friday, all the main corridors leading to the mountains were closed. Along an eighty-mile stretch of highway, I-70 was shut down in both directions from Friday early afternoon until 11am on Saturday. This meant that I would not be able to enjoy the season's last great storm until Sunday, and when offered that chance, I joined Hans for a fun day at Loveland and eventually met up with a bunch of people I haven't seen for the better part of the year. Eventhough it was quite a powder day, I decided to ignore slashing turns in an effort to choke myself to death with cold smoke, and instead laid train tracks down Patrol Bowl, Headwall No. 4, Super Bowl, and Marmot while other skiers were busy throwing backflips:


Loveland, Colorado (2009.04.19) from Thomas Armento on Vimeo.

117 | Ode to the Big April Snow Storm

As I type this quickly before a weekend guaranteeing powder insanity, all I can say is "wow".

Most snow storms bring out the greatest weather forecasters in the country and their ability to over-predict with incredible enthusiasm. The April 16-18, 2009 edition of this plague is striking far new levels and one that us skiers can appreciate wildly. It is the storm where people politely call for 18-24" of new snow (which is great), but know what's better? When those 18-24" magically become 30-48".

Mountain resorts today and through Sunday will be buzzing excitingly. There will be a certain youthful Christmas Day giddiness illuminating smiles amongst the darkest of dark souls. Skiers and snowboarders of various abilities will reach newer and higher levels. Voices will go lost in the days afterwards from hooting and hollering far too much. Everybody will be your new best friend, and this is all why we ski. We live for this moment and the energy associated with it.

This is also why I live in Colorado, and why I'm quite content calling it home for a long time to come.

So enjoy the powder. Enjoy the endless companionship you'll find. Enjoy the post-pow PBR in a can which you'll share with a complete stranger. And enjoy all the smiles and laughs that you'll remember until the next big April storm that hits hard.

For those that can't relate, you might want to consider visiting sometime during the second week in April. After all, this isn't much of a fluke.

116 | A-Basin, Colorado

This past Saturday, I joined Hans and his girlfriend Melanie for a backcountry tour near Loveland Pass, only we didn't get very far. The plan was for me to show them Grizzly Gulch, a place they have yet to venture out to and one that was a lot of fun just recently. Unfortunately, the weather was far from cooperating so I bagged any and all substitute ideas for a trip to A-Basin. My would-be partners instead went to Berthoud Pass and found decent snow in the trees, but at this point in the season, I will be selective towards where I ski and will most certainly not waste time with anything below treeline.

With that said and with the help of two chair lifts, I was able to get close to 13,000 feet after a quick hike to North Pole off the East Wall. Luckily, the wind was coming from my back which helped speed up the process. As for the ski down, it was a bit rocky:


A-Basin | North Pole (2009.04.11) from Thomas Armento on Vimeo.

115 | Ski Review: 190cm Bibby Pro from Moment Skis

With the lack of recent snow and the grand arrival of red dust screwing up the snowpack in Colorado, I figured a review of next year's Bibby Pro from Moment Skis is in order. Not sure I'll be doing anything exciting in the mountains this weekend, so I might as well keep the stoke flowing. If you want to read about the red dust and what it means for us, this abstract is a good place to begin.


Here is a video compilation of my better helmet camera footage while skiing the Bibby 190 with the review immediately below:


09/10 Moment Bibby Pro (190cm) from Thomas Armento on Vimeo.



For the 2008-2009 season, Josh Bibby's Pro Model was only available in 186cm, but with growing popularity and demand for something more beastly, Moment will offer a 190cm length for the 2009-2010 season which adds 3mm to the waist for dimensions of 143-118-134. The Bibby Pro was their top selling ski this past season and for good reason. With its progressive design highlighted by tip and tail rocker along with taper that reduces drag and hookiness in powder, the Bibby Pro has become an excellent park ski for backcountry jibbing. The longer edition for next year differs in that it is much stiffer all throughout allowing for greater chargeability in big mountain conditions.

As expected, the 118mm waist and tip rocker gives you great float in deep powder making the tips virtually unsinkable. Of the 10-12 days I've been on these, once was in superb conditions at Monarch with more than two feet of fresh snow to play with. I had absolutely no problems keeping my large size afloat while carrying various speeds down the mountain. What I liked most about the Bibby 190 here was the ability to shut it down almost completely and get lost in the whiteroom while regaining speed quickly into the next turn. They slash with ease and the short running length makes the skis very maneuverable and agile in tight spots and trees.

Once the fresh lines start to disappear, the Bibby 190 still performs very well in tracked-out conditions. As alluded to earlier, the tapered tip design allows the ski to slice through soft crud and the added stiffness underfoot and in the tail give you the comfort of going fast with all the stability you could need. The tips are stiff enough that you don't need to worry about deflection or about being bounce around once it gets considerably choppy.

How these would handled crud was going to be the deal maker for me. Most of the rockered skis that have come out recently have been a total dream in soft snow, but haven't performed the greatest in firmer conditions. Last weekend at Loveland, I found firm snow on moderate pitches that offered a true test for how these would perform. Even at questionable high speeds, the stiffness of the Bibby 190 provided enough stability to not worry much. On hardpack, the slight amount of camber underfoot allows you to carve if you choose to. The rockered tail makes it easier to release out of your turns while allowing forgiveness if you find yourself in the backseat or on an off-balance landing.

Construction of this ski is top notch and you will be hard-pressed to find something more durable. I've hit numerous rocks over thirty-plus days on the Bibby 190 and there's only superficial scratches on the bases with no core shots at all. Overall, I think this is one of Moment's most versatile ski and one that has handled all conditions very well. As long as you don't plan on skiing much sastrugi, avalanche debris, or crazy wind-affected snow, you'll be plenty stoked on them.


Specs:
Ski length along topsheet with straight ruler: 188cm
Dimensions: 143-118-134 with tapered tip & tail
Turning radius: 26.7m
Effective edge with skis relaxed: 122cm
Effective edge with skis decambered: 114cm
Amount of tip rocker with skis decambered: 42cm
Amuont of tail rocker with skis decambered: 32cm
Suggested mount point for jibbing: between 4-5cm behind chord center
Suggested mount point for big mountain: between 5-7cm behind chord center
Weight: 9.8 lbs




bases on left and topsheet on right (click image to view in larger size)



rocker profile with skis relaxed (click image to view in larger size)



tip rocker decambered (click image to view in larger size)



tail rocker decambered (click image to view in larger size)

114 | Loveland, Colorado | 5 Apr 2009

Yesterday, Eric and I continued our lazy path in life and headed towards Loveland for a fun day of straightlining. The snow stopped falling on Saturday, so there wasn't going to be much new snow, but we were just fine with that. Loveland has a funny way of making tracked-out conditions enjoyable and the video below (complete with excessive schoolgirl giggling) aims to highlight that.

I've been wanting for the longest time to get on some terrain where I can open up next year's 190cm Bibby Pro from Moment Skis and see just how well they can handle high speeds piloted by some goofy bastard rocking out the gorilla steeze with very limited grace. As you'll see, the tip rocker certainly helped me through the chop and prevented a most certain disastrous tomahawk incident from happening.

Also in the video is Nick and Eric who actually enjoy making turns and giving their legs a workout. On the other hand, I prefer going as straight as possible and hope that my equipment doesn't fail me.



Loveland, Colorado (2009.04.05) from Thomas Armento on Vimeo.

113 | Monarch, Colorado | 4 Apr 2009

Nearly two months ago, JJ and I scored some serious powder at Monarch. With a strong storm cycle entering the state late last week, Eric and I decided against the I-70 shitshow (no matter how good Eagle County would be skiing) and against any form of backcountry skiing in favor for a return trip to the Sawatch Range this past Saturday. I was feeling lazy and wanted to seek the comfort of lifts and lots of vertical. Feeling lucky, we drove down to Salida Friday night and hoped for the best.

While conditions weren't as stellar as other areas that same day, an excellent time was had with a great group of skiers. Mirkwood (Monarch's hike-to terrain) had a late opening, so Eric and I spent some time finding decent stashes tucked away near the Breeze Way lift. The snow wasn't super blower nor was it at all deep, but with the help of Boater Cross, the mountain was pretty damn empty.

Once Mirkwood was opened, we scored first tracks down Staircase and East Trees. For our third lap, we traversed for about fifteen minutes skier's left and slightly further past Elation Ridge. Unfortunately, we didn't loop back around far enough and got stuck skiing super tight trees that eventually dropped us into the power line just above Highway 50 and a good mile or two away from the resort's main entrance. For reference, click here for the trail map.


Because it was considerably windy and snowing all day, I didn't stop to take too many pictures, so here's one of the group and few more hiking up towards Mirkwood:




And here's the video showcasing the day's better moments:


Monarch, Colorado (2009.04.04) from Thomas Armento on Vimeo.


On the drive back, we stopped along Highway 285 near South Park City for a quick photograph: