I spy a halfpipe @keystonemtn

Overcast and chilly @keystonemtn, snow?

Bottomless powder @breckenidgemtn . . . If you know where to go

Day 13: Level 2 clinic

Loveland pass is closed right now

Warmer, partly cloudy @keystonemtn

10: finally on snow training

Blue sky but the park is icey @keystonemtn

Freshies on gassy thompson @keystonemtn

What the hell is don cherry wearing?

$1 tacos are a ski bum's staple food source, second only to beer

Another blue sky day @keystonemtn

Its cold in sumco today, -35F wind chill forecast for tonight!

Blue sky day, trough ahead of the weather front, take advantage while you can

Storm is finally getting close to keystone, should be snowy

Blizzard of '10 - Dillon/Silverthorne CO

So I headed up to Keystone on Tuesday on a whim, hoping I'd be able to get my pass and figure out some details of my employee housing. I had enough foresight to grab my board and some clothes/gear, but didn't really intend on using/needing them. BOY WAS I WRONG!

After taking care of some business and renewing my pass, I decided to hit the slopes for a few laps. It was overcast and there were a few inches of new snow, but nothing major and there was little wind. I left the hill around 3pm, and by 3:15 at my car I was standing in a major whiteout. A blizzard came booming into the Dillon valley and we were bombarded with at least 6" of snow and 60+mph winds, making visibility essentially zero.

I knew the pass would be closed, so I headed towards I-70. It took me 45 mins to make it the easy 6 miles into town, and on the way I heard about the severity of the storm on the radio. Assuming I'd be stuck for a while, I decided Ruby Tuesday was the best stop to bed down, and I hit up the bar where you can still get happy hour in a storm! I was the first of MANY stranded travelers to arrive, and we all just sat and told our stories while the weather died down outside.

After a few hours, around 6pm, the weather had lifted considerably, but I-70 was closed from Vail to Idaho Springs, and getting back to Denver was out of the question. I was fortunate enough to make a friend at the bar, Steve, who was kind enough to offer me a bed and his Jeep. "$$ck it, lets go party!" I said. We bounced around a few bars in Dillon looking for a crowd, but eventually settled on heading back to Breck, closer to people and his condo. The Dillon dam road eventually opened again, and we pulled into Breck just before 10pm. We settled in at Jake's Dive Bar on the strip, and proceeded to commiserate with the locals over the course of SEVERAL drinks.

Steve's place turned out to be more than it was cracked up to be, and I was put up in first class accommodations in my own room, king size bed, full kitchen and hot tub. And the best part - IT WAS FREE!!! Steve also turned out to be a great host and he's restored my faith that you CAN trust a stranger, especially in a pinch.

Anyway, it was quite a night and it worked out extremely well given the circumstances. Kinda makes me want to get stuck more often . . .

Day 1: Keystone

First gondola ride of the season . . . and what a season it will be! Having gotten started this year a FULL MONTH later than last season, I had limited expectations. That being said, once I arrived at Keystone at around 1pm on Tuesday, I found the snow to be quite good for this early on. There were very few thin spots and there was a bit of fresh blown topcover - not quite powder but getting there. I took 3 runs after stopping at HR and the New Moon to try and patch things up with work. Great first day! The outback bowl will open up tomorrow and so does Vail, so my hope is that everyone heads west and I have Keystone to myself.

One observation - it was snowing very hard on Tuesday afternoon, and it eventually turned into a whiteout by 3pm, closing every road into and out of Silverthorne and Dillon. Despite the weather and it being a weekday, there were still DOZENS of people riding at Loveland pass. The upper and lower lots were completely full, and there seemed to be throngs of people with inappropriate gear clinging to the sides of trucks on the way up. Was I ever this sketchy doing this over the last few years? Well, one thing is for sure, that spot has blown up, and either its gonna get shut down or somebody is gonna die, or both. Too bad really, I love Loveland Pass, but perhaps its time to branch out . . .

Until next time!

I'm BAAAAACK

Well it has been a great summer but I'm ready for the snow to fly! This year will bring some great new additions to Explore13S, including detailed trip reports from the summer climbing season, where I bagged 11 CO 14ers in two months! Trip reports are currently available on 14ers.com but I'll be editing and reposting them here.

Also, I have accepted a position at the Keystone Ski School for the 2010/11 season, and I am incredibly excited to be this close to the action this year. I will be performing regular daily updates via twitter/facebook/linkedin and this blog, focusing on Summit County snow/weather conditions and local events.

100+ days or BUST!!!

Day 48: Last Day at Keystone

Day 47: Sunny @vailmtn

Day 46: Windy @keystonemtn w/ Lindsey

Day 45: Just another day at the office

Day 44: Keystone

Did my brakes today . . . so easy

so easy, nothing siezed

Old rotors ok but pads shot

Day 43: Loveland Pass w/ Scott & Rich

Day 42: Amazing Spring Day at Beaver Creek

3/26/10, 41 days @keystonemtn

im looking at myself reflections of my mind, its just the kind of day to leave myself behind . . . Tuesday afternoon . . . Wait what day is this?

Day 40!

sunny morning at keystone

Day 39: Keystone, met Amber and John

Day 39? @keystonemtn

Biiiig new booters @keystonemtn

You are here . . .

Front Row at the UFC - Vera vs Jones

Front row ufc tonight

Joe rogan

First ufc fight, best seats in the house

roberts out cold

First bank center in broomfield

Sakara by tko

Main event vera vs jonez

Day 38: Keystone w/ Dom and Ryan

sunny at keystone

Top o' the morning to ya!

Working on new jumps @keystonemtn

Wtf @burtonsnowboard, my POS custom x warped to shit today, a NO i didn't hit anything. And cust serv doesnt take calls on the weekend . . . Crap

Day 37: Gnar continues at Keystone

Day 36: Happy St Patties Day!

Happy St Patties Day!

Another day on slope, giggity

Day 35: Keystone Solo

lunch . . .

Day 34: Mansion at Beaver Creek, Shredding at Keystone

Eyes of the world . . .

Nice viking countertop range

Panorama from kitchen

Hot tub

Life

Second floor tv room

Main kitchen

master bedroom, heated floors in the bathroom

View west over avon

New moon again