52 Weeks in Denver | Backcountry Skiing and More

147 | The Pre-Halloween Snow Storm of 2009

2009-10-29T10:01:00.011-06:00

"For those of you who don't habla espanol, El Nino is Spanish for The Nino."

The 2009/2010 winter season marks the return of El Nino which is English for bigger but more infrequent storms for Colorado. How big and how infrequent remains to be seen, but the eastern half of the Continental Divide got an early taste on October 27-29, 2009 when a powerful upslope storm dumped most areas with over 18" of snowfall and upwards of 3-4 feet west of Denver along the divide north of I-70 in Rocky Mountain National Park and towards the Never Summer Range south of Cameron Pass.

Here's the list of final snowfall totals with an accompanying map:

Even with work keeping my skis grounded, I found solace with a 28-week-old goldendoodle who thinks he's a 60-pound lap dog. Fortunately, Birmingham's love for snow is unmatched and will certainly rival that of mine for years to come.

Here's to many more snow-filled hot tub sessions throughout the next few months.

146 | Jones Pass, Colorado

2009-10-11T20:44:00.008-06:00

This past Saturday on October 10th, I joined some familiar faces on a trip that provided the first turns of the 2009/2010 ski season. My last time on snow was back on June 20th at Mount Evans where a dense fog and low clouds made things a bit more difficult than normal. A similar story was painted all too brightly yesterday in the early morning hours all across the greater Denver area where an unexpected snow storm caught everyone by surprise resulting in automobile wrecks near every exit off I-70. Two hours later, Gary and I finally made it to the Henderson mine outside Empire where we met up with Chris and Forrest. Much to our surprise, the weather was almost non-existent along the continental divide in Arapaho National Forest.

Click here for the complete gallery.

Gary, myself, and Chris "earning" our turns after some gasoline-powered help

(photo by Forrest)

Into the thin air

Drop zone

(photo by Forrest)

To most people, I'm sure the skiing that was had doesn't appear to be all that appealing, but how can your really argue against the views we saw in favor of waiting in a lift line? With a few more storms, the Jones Pass area should have a bunch more zones opening up with Butler Gulch setting up after just one or two more.

Forrest finding some untouched goodness

Gary emulates

Me near the bottom of the run

(photo by Forrest)

Helmet camera footage

Jones Pass, CO (2009.10.10) from Thomas Armento

145 | Loveland Ski Area is FIRST to Open for 09/10 Season

2009-10-08T09:56:00.007-06:00

As posted earlier, both Loveland and Arapahoe Basin opened for the season last year on October 15th. With snowmaking beginning three days sooner this year, I was realistically hopeful for a 10/10 start. Then mother nature intervened and added her own punch that allowed Loveland for the earliest North American opening in 40 years with lifts turning yesterday on October 7, 2009.

144 | Candide Thovex

2009-09-24T16:00:00.006-06:00

Back in March of 2009, a video showcasing the jaw-dropping talents of Candide Thovex executed with ease went viral in the skiing community. Not much has been revealed about the Candide Kamera Project since then, but there's not too many videos under six minutes that will get you as amped for the new season.

Be sure not to blink.

HQ CandideKamera | New Video Seasons of Candide Thovex

143 | 2nd Annual CAIC Benefit Bash | Saturday, November 14, 2009

2009-09-23T09:26:00.008-06:00

Given the huge success of last year's inaugural benefit to help raise money for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (or CAIC for short), Aaron Carlson and Joe Vandal are teaming up with an impressive list of sponsors, and I'm very honored to again be a part of what we all hope will be a cornerstone event for many years to come. So please mark your calendar for Saturday, November 14, 2009 and take part in something wonderful. If you cannot attend but wish to help out, please visit the CAIC website and make a donation no matter how big or small.

Click here to view the image below in larger size.

142 | Eldorado Canyon State Park, Colorado

2009-09-21T21:40:00.006-06:00

Over the weekend, I made my first visit to Eldorado Canyon which is world-famous for being an intimate home to more than five-hundred technical rock climbing routes. While not as well-known, the views aren't all that bad either along the 3.6-mile trail that gains 1,200 feet above the 6,000-foot trailhead. This was a monumental trip in small proportions given that Birmingham's previous longest adventure to date in his five-month existence had been a two-mile hike with minimal elevation gain.

Please click here to view the complete gallery.

141 | The Return of Winter: First Snowfall in Colorado

2009-09-14T09:45:00.006-06:00

Exactly four weeks from today, Loveland and Arapahoe Basin will be jockeying for position over which will be able to claim this year's title of the first North American ski area to open for the 2009/2010 season. Long been a tradition, last year saw both locales share the distinction on October 15, 2008 with plenty of Front Range cubicle junkies taking the morning off for office bragging rights. Anticipation for the WROD (short for white ribbon of death) grows anxiously once summer ends, and this feeling is even more exaggerated by the first white caps of the new season. Below are a couple photos from my buddy Chad depicting the scenery in Park and Summit Counties, just southwest of Loveland and A-Basin.

Mount Bross (14,172 feet)and Mount Lincoln (14,286) in the Mosquito Range:

Quandary Peak (14,265) in the Tenmile Range:

140 | Four-Wheeling in Holy Cross City, CO

2009-09-11T11:23:00.008-06:00

Three weeks ago, I got my first taste of redneck life and went four-wheeling near Holy Cross City, CO (a ghost town) with my buddy Eric. Going into the trip, we knew that this trail would be difficult, but it sure was pretty overwhelming and took some time before the nerves calmed. Within the first few hundred yards, Eric made it his sole profession in life to bring my face within inches from the ground. Delighted of course, he phoned in to Ben on the CB, "Had to show Tom some rock."

Click here to view the complete gallery.

Here's Eric getting things started:

After an hour or so, we found ourselves at the infamous French Creek which is one of the more difficult obstacles on this trail (along with Cleveland Rock which we didn't attempt). Here's Ben trying and failing:

Fifteen minutes later, he finally scaled the challenge with the help of winching. Next was Eric who scaled the creek in under two minutes. To give perspective, there were 30+ rigs out that day and no one else (outside of one professionally-assembled jeep) came without five minutes.

Later on, we reached Holy Cross City and I somehow convinced my partner to climb up this mound:

Not exactly the brightest move:

Luckily, the truck didn't roll over and we're soon on our way to the ghost town:

A proud man and his truck:

Having never been wheeling and never driven a manual, I jumped into the driver's seat and got a good taste of redneck fun:

Gotta start 'em young!

On the way down, it was a total shitshow at French Creek. There were just too many vehicles out with far too little drivers knowing exactly what to do or how to handle their rigs. I present exhibits A through C:

Thankfully, this guy knew what he was doing, although he was sporting professional grade tires that are not available to the public (BFG Red Label Krawlers for those keeping score at home):

Until next time ...

139 | Birmy at 17 Weeks

2009-08-12T19:50:00.002-06:00

Without much opportunity for photos recently, Birmy decided to make best use of his surroundings to show off his puppy charm. Currently at 37 pounds, I'm beginning to wonder how concerned I should be. For the complete gallery, click here

138 | Breckenridge Fly Fishing Report

2009-07-29T09:07:00.005-06:00

On Saturday, Eric and I headed towards the south side of Breckenridge for a fly fishing adventure that involved a 6-mile roundtrip hike while gaining 1,500 vertical feet. Along the way, we passed by a handful of considerably-sized lakes that offered plenty of cutthroat trout. While I was busy shooting landscapes with the G10, Eric managed to catch 8 cutties in the 12-18" range on a foam beetle, all within an hour's work. Growing anxious, I met up with him at the upper lake which sits you at 12,500 feet above sea level, although just as I was setting up my rig, one of my contact lenses decided to hibernate deep into the socket leaving me with only one eye to fish. Fortunately, I was still able to see the fish through the crystal clear water but since I was having trouble visualizing my fly on the water, Eric told me when to yank. Within fifteen minutes, I had already reeled in two in the 8-12" range and around 1 to 1.5 pounds all with the help of a renegade dry fly for my first two catches in Colorado.

Below are just a few of the many photos I took that day, and to view them and more in larger size, click here.

137 | Blue Lakes, Colorado

2009-07-21T08:46:00.004-06:00

This past Sunday, in an effort to work out my 0.06 BAC, I headed to the Blue Lakes area on the south side of Quandary Peak and just below Monte Cristo Creek for an incredibly easy yet very secluded hike. Amazingly, we ran into only one other couple while at least fifty carloads of people were packed down the road for an attempt at the 14,271-foot mountain. Complete with fly rod and Birmy, it was the perfect place for some photographs. To view the complete gallery and the below pictures in larger size, please click here.

136 | 2009 Breckenridge Beer Fest

2009-07-20T10:34:00.005-06:00

After missing out on the festivities last year due to an unexpected delay while skiing the North Face of Mount Democract, I returned to Breckenridge on Saturday for the 2009 Beer Fest. Two years wiser and with a young child in the form of a 14-week-old goldendoodle, consumption was limited but a great time was had while the vibe and atmosphere has seemingly grown unchanged since my last time in 2007. Unfortunately, I spent more time answering questions about Birmy than I did photographing the scene, but below are a few pictures from the day.

Quandary Grille giving rise to a look of Peak 10's Fourth of July Bowl, a popular summer descent for skiers and snowboarders:

Plenty of live music all around:

Lots of people took a break from the action and enjoyed the water ...

... including the festival's biggest star, Birmy:

Later in the day, Birmy was reunited with his long-lost cousin, Duffy:

While the skiing at Breckenridge is not the greatest, if I had to choose a mountain town to live in, Stone Harbor of the west would be very high on the list.

135 | Fly Fishing on the St. Vrain

2009-07-14T09:22:00.004-06:00

After a long night out at one of downtown Denver's finer wine bars, Trios Enoteca, followed by a trip to one of the city's iconic jazz and blues gems, El Chapultepec, I joined my skiing buddy Eric and made not only the first fly casts of 2009, but the first ones in close to ten years. How I managed two-plus years living here in Colorado without my fly rod is beyond me, but now that it has a rightful home, you can expect each weekend to be filled with much time on the water. I wasn't expecting a whole lot of success on Sunday morning, but there was no sign of muscle memory loss with my casting. I was also fortunate to grab two solid strikes although the unanticipation of any action let my reflexes slag behind while Eric pulled away with one catch on the day - only a one-pounder but it's a start. Not a bad way to spend four hours.

Click here to view the pictures below and more in larger size. All photos taken with the Canon G10.

134 | More Pictures from Coors Field

2009-07-13T09:45:00.003-06:00

I went to a couple more Colorado Rockies games last week and spent a good amount of time continuing to practice taking panoramic shots. Always tough to do when dealing with moving objects such as people, but out of over 300 photographs for more than twenty pano setups, a few came out decent. Click here for the complete gallery.

133 | Fourth of July at Coors Field, 2009 Edition

2009-07-10T23:36:00.006-06:00

A week ago, Nancy and I stumbled our way to downtown Denver with no set plans. Arriving shortly after the fifth inning began, we scored some cheap seats which unexpectedly granted us front row seats to an amazing fireworks display within the comfort of the outfield at Coors Field. That's right - for $10 we saw the Rockies blow a late inning lead, but watching the sky light up with our asses parked on the grass wasn't such a bad consolation prize. Below are a few pictures from the complete gallery.

132 | Panoramic Photos on LSD

2009-07-08T09:29:00.004-06:00

While searching for photo stitching software to combine many segments into a larger panoramic picture, I found something called Hugin that allows you to do some pretty wild and interesting alterations. The results can be very stunning and best of all, it's absolutely free. I haven't tried using Hugin yet, but below are just a few examples from the over 14,000 images you can view here.

131 | Castlewood Canyon State Park, Colorado

2009-06-28T10:18:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, I checked out Castlewood Canyon State Park located near Franktown, and below are a few select pictures along the 3.5-mile hike. To view the complete gallery, please click here.

130 | Chatfield and Barr Lake State Parks, Colorado

2009-06-23T09:25:00.011-06:00

Having recently purchased a Colorado State Parks Pass, I am now determined to visit all forty-two parks before a year expires and get the most out of the $60 negligible fee. With a puppy in tow and an obsessive photography hobby, it really shouldn't be all that difficult to accomplish.

On Sunday, Chatfield Park was the destination and minus the absolute ghettoness of it all (apologies to those that hold this place dearly, but it was a total shitshow in every essence of the word), I was able to capture a couple solid photos. To followup, Barr Lake provided some excellent lighting last night before the deeply oranged sun dipped behind Rocky Mountain National Park to the west.

These trips allowed me to become better acquainted with the Nikon WC-E75 wide angle lens as well as the Kenko Pro1 Digital Circular Polarizer, both an excellent compliment to the Canon G10. To view the collection of Barr Lake photos, please click here. For Chatfield, click here.

129 | North Face Couloir . Mount Evans

2009-06-21T11:30:00.016-06:00

Yesterday, I joined one of my usual partners-in-crime for the easiest descent possible down a Colorado 14er. With Mount Evans Highway open all the way to the top, we effectively exited our car (complete with chauffeur) and were a short 507-foot-long walk from the 14,264' summit. I've had some great days with JJ, notably an unseasonal slaying of No Name Peak near Berthoud Pass in mid-January as well as one of the sickest powder days of the year at Monarch Mountain where a modest ten-inch report of new snow surprisingly turned into over two feet of awesomeness. With the good comes the bad, and those perfect backcountry days wouldn't be as appreciative if not for those long treks out into the unexpected where you return home without victory; such was the case experienced with JJ on our mid-March trip to James Peak.

Knowing the overnight freeze at the top of Mount Evans would be minimal and with the desire to photograph nature's alarm clock, we appropriately left the Denver area around five in the morning and ultimately reached the summit shortly after 7am with some minor delays. What we didn't know was that an incredibly dense fog (or low-lying clouds) would inhabit the top portion of the mountain. Additionally, winds were gusting close to 30mph, but it was the complete lack of visibility that caused me to be separated from JJ for close to 45 minutes before finding each other with just enough time to spare for a safe and enjoyable descent down the north face couloir. To note, my pack always has a whistle attached to it but I was using a new one yesterday and forgot to make the transfer. We were also using radios, but I kept one while the other was left for Nancy who wasn't skiing.

There's a trip report posted on 14ers.com that offers a better view of what we skied given the weather conditions for us to be very sub par. To view all the pictures posted below plus a few additional ones in larger size, please click here.

After being reunited, we quickly strapped into our skis and began our descent. The top hundred feet of the couloir was barely six feet wide which led us to sidestep down before entering the larger section where I'm seen here:

A few turns later, I eventually disappear into an abyss:

Along the way, there was no shortage of rocks to dodge as JJ shows here:

As alluded to, battling the clouds would be an issue with visibility less than fifty feet at times:

Pretty soon, the terrain opened up, and with less convection from rocks, the snow transformed from considerably slushy in the upper section to a more sustainable just-past-prime corn:

We effectively skied down near Summit Lake with a short downclimb of some twenty feet in the middle of the lower section:

JJ crossing Bear Creek:

Our route down is seen in the picture below on the far left side where a "T" formation is made:

Birmy also joined us on this trip for his first time on snow:

Skiing close to 1,400 feet of continuous snow the day before summer officially begins with not much effort at all is never be a bad thing:

128 | Vinyl in Motion

2009-06-19T08:38:00.002-06:00

Two days I ago, I received the Nikon WC-E75 wide angle lens for the Canon G10 which brings the focal length down from 28mm to 21mm. Not having a chance to explore its capabilities outside yet, I opted for a slightly more creative route in seeing what the G10 could capture if I focus it through the front end of the E75. Below are the results (click on the images to view in larger size).

127 | Birmy at 9 Weeks

2009-06-18T09:54:00.005-06:00

With another decent Saturday on the horizon and with a short break from long ski trips deep into national forest land, Nancy and I brought Birmy to Cherry Creek Reservoir for his first experience outside his minuscule apartment life.

Below are a few select pictures from the day and if you wish to view more and in larger size, please click here. All photos were shot in RAW with the Canon G10 and without any additional filters.

126 | Y Couloir . Ypsilon Mountain . RMNP

2009-06-15T23:25:00.030-06:00

As hard as it may be to imagine, my eyes yet shed any tears when faced with physical pain. The closest I ever came to reaching such a threshold took place in the early afternoon on June 6th, 2009 while returning on the back leg of a nine-mile roundtrip in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park.

As technology advances exponentially every fraction of a second, so do our abilities to reach further distances. And with that, one can only envision the determination and drive that our predecessors endured as challengers in being the pioneers that they were.

Any perceived struggle today was ultimately intensified ten-fold many years ago. No shortcuts existed and nor did the aid of Google Earth that offered a more in-depth approach to tackling the more difficult mountains.

That is how I discovered Ypsilon Mountain nearly twelve months ago, and that is how I discovered the ever so prominent devil masked deep within: the left branch of the Y Couloir. It has been a goal to climb and make a successful ski descent down to Spectacle Lake, but unfortunately, this tale will end without such luck.

Forrest and I began our journey at 8,500 feet, which put us exactly six miles and five-thousand feet away from our mission. For the topo map, please click here.

The majority of the hike was very straight-forward and novice with Ypsilon Mountain in complete view just one mile in as we crossed the Roaring River:

Our comfort level was surely tested as Forrest eagerly demonstrates:

After a quick two hours, we reached Chipmunk lake at the four-mile mark and had a closer view of the mountains from 10,600 feet:

(photo by Forrest)

Abruptly, the honeymoon ended as we postholed up to our knees for the last half mile to Ypsilon Lake while carry over sixty pounds of gear strapped conveniently to our backs. Because our elevation was low and we were hiking in the dead of day, no such firm layer of snow existed to help us along the bushwack. It was also at this juncture that the dry hiking trail became winteresque and invisible.

Eventually, we set up camp and took a particular liking to our surroundings:

(photo by Forrest)

With 3,000 more feet to climb in order to reach the summit of Ypsilon, we had a long day ahead of us. Time would be an issue as temperatures were expected to rise close to 40-degrees, even above 13,000'. Accordingly, we decided on a 4:30am wakeup which ultimately proved to be forty-five minutes too late.

Below shows the route we climbed that takes us from Ypsilon Lake to Spectacle Lake. Our path was on the far right side of the major snow patch you see in the middle. The right branch of the Y Couloir hovers over proudly in the background.

Long's Peak is easily visible along the way up:

About two-hundred feet from Spectacle Lake, I reached a bridge in our trip that couldn't be crossed. I had just ascended up the wet terrain you see in the picture below which was followed by steeper and more technical climbing. My ski boots were already challenged by wet, rocky surfaces, and I was neither comfortable nor prepared for a second wave.

(photo by Forrest)

Interestingly, I had more than a few dreams throughout the previous night that hinted towards disaster on this trip. Premonition or not, I was shaken up by a near fall and decided to bail on going forward. Determined, Forrest continued:

At about 7:30am, Forrest found himself at the far end of Spectacle Lake with the Y Couloir staring through his eyes and the Four Aces keeping watch from the right:

(photos by Forrest)

An hour later, Forrest was halfway up the 1,800 couloir before stopping himself from ascending higher as the snow was softening up beyond safe levels. While obviously dejected, the ride down was not all too pleasant:

(photo by Forrest)

Aside from very chunky snow that filled the lower portion of the couloir, 4-8' deep runnels provided additional and unnecessary variables to the equation:

(photo by Forrest)

The picture below shows his route with the ascent marked in red and the descent in green:

(photo by Forrest)

After returning, we quickly packed up and returned to the parking lot off Fall River Road. It's no easy task carrying as much weight as we were, but it's even worse when your pack is far from being able to handle such a load and you have a blister that has already ripped off a large section of skin from your heel. As alluded to, the discomfort I was experiencing (aided by the horribly-cushioned Mountain Attack 45+10 from Lowe Alpine) caused as much pain as I've ever dealt with. An easy four-mile hike downhill along a dry trail seemed to have no ending in sight with each step forward bringing a knife-life pain through every contact point on my shoulders.

Adding injury to insult, we ran into two other skiers that descended the left branch of the Y Couloir shortly after Forrest made his way down, only they had accessed it from the west while starting from Chapin Pass at 11,000'. In further suggesting that you should climb what you ski, the two informed us that had the first climbed the couloir and saw how bad of a condition it was in, that they would have bagged the trip without attempting.

Regardless, it's highly probably that neither Forrest or I will return to make a ski attempt off the same peak that was first descended by John Harlin III and Jimmy Katz back in 1984. It's obviously a downer not to achieve something you had looked so forward to completing, but it's a much better feeling being able to try it again.

Looking back at a beauty:

Please click here to view more pictures and in larger size. For Forrest's photographs, please visit his website at www.forrestthorniley.com.

125 | Lighting: Naturally- and Artificially-Made

2009-06-14T22:10:00.000-06:00

I'm still getting adjusted to the Canon G10, but have had some success recently and below are a few relating to this posting's title.

Artifical:

These three photos contain a fluorescent light bulb shot with different techniques. The first was taken up close with the color temperature slightly altered to make the photograph more dynamic. The second incorporated a negative switch on red and green and about 3/4 of the way on blue. The last one is closest to the original form but with some minor color temperature adjustment to give the picture a more industrial feel to it.

All Natural:

These two photographs were taken during a late sunset in Denver from nearby I-25 overlooking towards the west.

124 | Birmy: Denver's Newest Goldendoodle

2009-06-09T09:29:00.003-06:00

When the girlfriend arrived back in Denver after a nine-month exodus to the great state of Alabama, I of course was extremely elated. But when she brought back this guy, I nearly lost it:

His name is Birmy, and he's my new best friend - a best friend that I actually don't mind waking up at 6am every morning just so he can proudly mark his territory. While growing up, I had the pleasure of being around three and a half golden retrievers (I say "half" because one of them wasn't all there ... nor did he ever get there), but Birmy is a golden retriever-poodle mix (goldendoodle if you will) so this is all new to me. For now, he's more golden than poodle and hopefully that remains as he grows older. As far as personality goes, Birmy has a wonderful way of innocently behaving while being mischievous all at the same time. Perhaps that is expected of puppies, but like most new dog owners, I like to think mine is different.

Click here to view more pictures and in larger size.

123 | Baltimore . Inner Harbor Photo Tour

2009-05-28T20:00:00.007-06:00

While intentionally limiting skiing as to not burn out before it all comes to an end in a month or two, I plan on focusing on writing and photography during the off time. For two nights and a short day, I was in Baltimore last week visiting some friends and the weather was perfect for capturing visuals of the Inner Harbor. You truly couldn't ask for a better day and my only regret is not yet having a polarizer filter for the Canon G10.

Click here to view all the below photos and more in larger size.

From my friend's apartment in Federal Hill, the views are fairly welcoming in the morning:

And you have an unhampered look towards the Domino Sugar plant:

How most people in the area get closer to the sun:

After a fifteen-minute walk, I found myself near the heart of the inner harbor with downtown in the background:

And I eventually wrapped around towards the opposite side:

Pretty soon, I entered Fells Point after a quick bite at Isabella's (I highly recommend the Scooch) and found some "amateur" artwork to admire:

A look back: