Great year, deep and just a little dusty

As a compliment to guiding work, I happen to be lucky enough to have a side job as a field assistant to Chris Landry, master snow scientist form Silverton. Together we just completed an 1100 mile tour of Colorado digging pits on the passes of the Great Divide, looking for dust in the snowpack. We found heavy concentrations of dust near the southwest part of the state due to proximity to the drier climes of our nation, which will be a factor in the melt off rate of snow when, if ever, the sun comes out. Overall the snow has been bountiful in most of the state especially up north near Summit County and Steamboat where the snowpack finished out at over three meters deep! This is good news for skiers, boaters and water managers west wide. Guiding is fun, science is interesting, next season Mountain Goat will transition further towards education of the next generations in such relevant topics as climate studies, ecosystem awareness, and human interaction. Until then I plan to plant a garden, ride the runoff, and sleep out under the stars as much as possible.

We made the news!

Two quick notes: Much thanks to the French Canadians (you know who you are) it is nice to have people with so much enthusiasm for hiking up hill to ski the soft snow, and who are willing to hire a guide to take them there. And secondly Mountain Goat is about to show Texans a whole new world as described by John Briley in the Dallas Morning News. The piece is well written and this intrepid adventurer had a good enough time to publish his story. Mountain Goat trip in the news. Yeah!

A new years toast

Thankful is the mountain goat this holiday season for many things: Living so full a life in such gravity infested mountains, having family, friends and ski guests braving the mountain passes to come visit this valley, and for the plentiful high quality h2ohhh, yeah.
Now a toast: Here is to a happy new year, great skiing, pushing boundaries and knowing limits, foresight, living for today and planning for tomorrow, getting up to get down, staying plucky and getting lucky, in good company! Cheers, now dip your feet in the champagne.
And a weather update: Dumping again! 80 inches Christmas week layered down a cake, and a foot today of super fluff delivered the icing. Someone must be enjoying some champagne in the sky, and we down here in the San Juans are getting all the sparkling bubbles! Enjoy.

Mountain Goat gleans recess out of Recession

Life is a highway, in Silverton the highway is a real high way, more than 11000 feet high. This elevation gained at the summit of Red Mountain Pass offers a great starting point for skiing. That's old news. The new news is that even in an economic recession skiing is still fun! I may not be able to buy a full new setup, but I bet if I scrape my change jar I can get enough for new roll of duct tape to patch up my ski pants. Sure, there is a little more gear involved than duct tape, but true BC skiing can be a pretty affordable recreation. And recreation is still important, it's all in the word re- create, we all need this. Cool mountain air and the thrill of schusshing renews our sense of what's important. So forsake buying some cheap plastic stuff and instead consider a trip to Silverton. Mountain Goat offers the most affordable ski guide service in the state. We have access to a great lodge, the St. Paul, much improved. Hotels in town are downright cheap and the snow is already getting deep. Oh yeah, most of our permit area is out of cell range so you can have a real vacation!

Spring Update from Mtn Goat

The winter of 09/10 offered Mountain Goat many memorable trips with good people. Diverse groups were able to attend several new and experimental courses, such as Intro to Ski guiding, and the Snowqueen weekend! We still find ourselves burning a bit of firewood in our homes and a recent 3 inch dusting made the mountains white again. This realm of Silverton is truly a bastion for winter to make itself comfortable and stay a while. Elk are moving up with the snowline and the winter hardy perennial flowers of the alpine tundra are peeking their heads up on the sun warmed slopes. Here is a photo from a personal ski trip in the Weminuche wilderness area. Thanks everyone who helped out as guides, and many thanks to teachers, organizers and those of you hardy folks who came on down to Silvertown. Git yer paws inside 'fore sundown! If anyone wants to book for next year just call down. Ski near the old mines before they fall down. Ski through the glades 'fore they blow down! 970-903-7892. Enjoy spring, I won't be writing too much over the summer., 'cept with a pen. MB.

Leading friends down steep and snowy terrain

A large and snowy winter has just slightly loosened it's grip on the San Juan mountains, evidence of avalanches having come down is all around. Several diverse groups have assembled in the trail head parking lots at the top of the pass for extensive touring on skis, snowboards, split boards, snow shoes and plain 'ol feet for some winter fun. It brings joy for a day or more to the young people who ski under the great blue sky, or become enveloped in a thick cloud of snow falling from everywhere. This has been a good year to teach conservative decision making lessons in the backcountry. I will post a couple of photos from some various trips. Thanks for making the adventures happen.

Up next, spring ski season: we hope and plan to make longer and overnight ski camping trips, to explore new places, and watch as this great stored mass of water begins to melt on its way to the sea!

Students reach the summit

Standing on top of a mountain in winter is an experience that is hard to forget. Especially when you got there from your own strength. And when the sky is blue and 10 inches of super powder await your descent, there is a contagious happiness felt in all present. Timberline Academy living up to their name on the Summit of Mcmillan Peak. 12804 feet, Feb 8th 2010.