tseeb
Well-known member
We got to Aspen about 5:30 pm Sat. night and were joined by friend who lives in El Jebell. After drinking the bottle of wine he brought, he took us to dinner at Little Annie’s. It was raining in town which was not good when you are only here two days and have pre-paid two day passes. The next morning was clear and Aspen was reporting 4” new and Highlands and Snowmass 6”. We walked the three blocks to the gondola and were in line before it opened and in about the 5th cabin going up. We took one warmup on, overrated on this day, black-diamond Pussyfoot. It was groomed to perfection and then had grooves in corduroy filled with new snow. I cut into Blazing Star and found the 4” next to the trees. Next run I sent my wife down Copper, while I headed for Northstar. Instead of Northstar, I turned down Walsh’s where the new snow was being baked by the 9 am sun. After first real fall of the trip, a little uphill on exit plus flat run back to Gent’s chair, we skied Ajax Express a few times. I found untracked on Dipsy Doodle and Pumphouse Hill. Looking at the map, I see I should have tried Summit, but wind was strong from that side
We skied down to FIS chair and took Ruthie’s Run. My wife skied it twice whie I moved skier’s right to find powder, but instead found big bumps on International so I moved to tree closer to Ruthie’s. We skied steep, groomed east-facing FIS twice and I bombed into empty Spar Gulch at close to 50 mph losing my wife. My watch peaked at 1200 vertical feet per minute. I was heading for Bell Mountain chair which opens at 10:30, but did not open due to wind which was strong enough to blow down signs at bottom and top of Ajax Express. I continued down taking very soft Lazy 8 gully to Lift 1A. I met my wife back at Ruthie’s and we went to the top and took an early lunch break at Sundeck. Ajax was still in the sun, but Highlands Bowl and ski area often disappeared in the clouds on their ridge all morning. On our way out I heard ski patroller’s radio say gondola was ride was taking 25 minutes and foot passengers where not being allowed. I showed my wife way down Spar Gulch to Lift 1A.
I skied as far as possible towards town, went the wrong way around the St. Regis, and walked two long blocks to catch the 12:30 Highland bus. At 1:35, I was at the top of Highlands Bowl. It was clear when we started up, but clouds moved back in. Winds were probably 20-30 mph, which was down from the 50-60 mph people had seen on previous run. I had ridden up the two lifts with a guy who left Ajax when they closed the gondola due to wind. He gave me the tip to catch the snowcat which saved about 15 minutes of hiking and gives you quite a view with 4,000 foot bowls on either side. He was heading to G-5 line in Highlands Bowl, but ski patrol was not letting anyone past White Kitchen and were discouraging traversing to the right. The snow looked uncut that way, but we quickly found 6” slabs that broke and slid with you. I had some trouble adjusting to how steep it was and the snow was very difficult. I even lost a ski at one point fighting to complete a turn. It got better partway down, but I was still struggling from the effort going up and down the Bowl.
We went up Deep Temerity and blasten down cruiser to Thuder Bowl to base which got my skiing back. The vertical from top of bowl to Temerity plus top of Temerity to base is over 6K, with a lift ride in the middle. Bill, who had waited for me on the Bowl, continued showing me some of Highlands goods including Garmisch in Steeplechase, No Name on skier’s left boundary and Moment of Truth into Waterfall and Lower Stein
He was taking more run, but I quit at 3:45 as this was my 4th day in a row over 27K vertical and perfectly caught a bus back to Aspen. My wife was already down, listening to the band at Gondola base and watching the beautiful people. She was planning to see Neil Young cover band at 2-3 pm at Sundeck, but they were stuck at bottom when gondola shut down. It was running again at 4pm. Big wet flakes were falling all evening and Monday morning Aspen resorts are claiming 12-13” new so I need to get a hot wax and check out and get to Snowmass before 9 so pictures will have to wait.
15K at Aspen and 12,350 mostly kick-ass at Highlands
We skied down to FIS chair and took Ruthie’s Run. My wife skied it twice whie I moved skier’s right to find powder, but instead found big bumps on International so I moved to tree closer to Ruthie’s. We skied steep, groomed east-facing FIS twice and I bombed into empty Spar Gulch at close to 50 mph losing my wife. My watch peaked at 1200 vertical feet per minute. I was heading for Bell Mountain chair which opens at 10:30, but did not open due to wind which was strong enough to blow down signs at bottom and top of Ajax Express. I continued down taking very soft Lazy 8 gully to Lift 1A. I met my wife back at Ruthie’s and we went to the top and took an early lunch break at Sundeck. Ajax was still in the sun, but Highlands Bowl and ski area often disappeared in the clouds on their ridge all morning. On our way out I heard ski patroller’s radio say gondola was ride was taking 25 minutes and foot passengers where not being allowed. I showed my wife way down Spar Gulch to Lift 1A.
I skied as far as possible towards town, went the wrong way around the St. Regis, and walked two long blocks to catch the 12:30 Highland bus. At 1:35, I was at the top of Highlands Bowl. It was clear when we started up, but clouds moved back in. Winds were probably 20-30 mph, which was down from the 50-60 mph people had seen on previous run. I had ridden up the two lifts with a guy who left Ajax when they closed the gondola due to wind. He gave me the tip to catch the snowcat which saved about 15 minutes of hiking and gives you quite a view with 4,000 foot bowls on either side. He was heading to G-5 line in Highlands Bowl, but ski patrol was not letting anyone past White Kitchen and were discouraging traversing to the right. The snow looked uncut that way, but we quickly found 6” slabs that broke and slid with you. I had some trouble adjusting to how steep it was and the snow was very difficult. I even lost a ski at one point fighting to complete a turn. It got better partway down, but I was still struggling from the effort going up and down the Bowl.
We went up Deep Temerity and blasten down cruiser to Thuder Bowl to base which got my skiing back. The vertical from top of bowl to Temerity plus top of Temerity to base is over 6K, with a lift ride in the middle. Bill, who had waited for me on the Bowl, continued showing me some of Highlands goods including Garmisch in Steeplechase, No Name on skier’s left boundary and Moment of Truth into Waterfall and Lower Stein
He was taking more run, but I quit at 3:45 as this was my 4th day in a row over 27K vertical and perfectly caught a bus back to Aspen. My wife was already down, listening to the band at Gondola base and watching the beautiful people. She was planning to see Neil Young cover band at 2-3 pm at Sundeck, but they were stuck at bottom when gondola shut down. It was running again at 4pm. Big wet flakes were falling all evening and Monday morning Aspen resorts are claiming 12-13” new so I need to get a hot wax and check out and get to Snowmass before 9 so pictures will have to wait.
15K at Aspen and 12,350 mostly kick-ass at Highlands
