Stepping Out
Caution is giving way to confidence. Small strides lengthening into a robust march, As our footfalls take us deeper and higher into the mountains with every tour. We’ve waited patiently all season for it. The time has finally arrived, And it’s better than our wildest dreams. We are stepping out.


Taking the Crown
This is the largest slide I've observed in the San Juan Mountains. Check out this monster from Edith Gulch, Crown Mountain, Eureka, CO. R5D4


Winning
“The series of storm events since [the] first part of February has made for one of the most intense 6 weeks of snow accumulation we have ever experienced. This has set up the high country for historic avalanches- 300-year event avalanches!” -Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies, Silverton, CO. We’ve taken it on the chin a fair bit this season and this past week was no exception. After experiencing one of the largest and most destructive natural avalanche cycles ever recorde


And the Beat Goes On...
I had a sneaking suspicion this might happen. Those thoughts were confirmed Sunday morning: For those of you who are just hearing about the crazy times up on Red Mountain Pass, here's the most recent Durango Herald article and a link to the Silverton Avalanche School's Facebook Page. Visit these pages and check out the powerful pics and video footage from the historic avalanche action we've experienced this past week in the San Juans. So ColoRADo continues to experience on


In Like A Lion...
March has come in like a lion and has kept most of us lambs from venturing out into the mountains. I write a lot about the unique, tenuous and often dangerous snow conditions found in the San Juan mountains. But this first week of March has proved truly historic- to the point of having me not really nowhere to begin. It's so sketch out there that reflecting and sharing my thoughts almost seems like too much of a gimmey. With Colorado making national news, cars being smoked da

Born in the Backcountry
I'm fond of reminding folks that snowboarding is a sport born in the backcountry. When I started riding back in the winter of 1986-87, very few ski resorts allowed this burgeoning pursuit. I picked up the sport as a way to extend my love of skateboarding into the winter months. I can recall many times riding the church ski bus up north, only to be told at the lift ticket window that snowboarding was not allowed at this resort- So naturally, the golf courses and local sledd

Only An Instrument
“Whatever degree of skill a skier may possess, they should never forget that their skis are after all only an instrument, a means through which they can enjoy the winter in all it’s glory and ruggedness, can breath clean fresh air, can meet human beings in their true character, and can forget all the petty troubles which beset our so-called civilization. These are a few reasons why skiing is not merely a sport, it is a way of life.” - Otto Schniebs 1937


Avalanches Hit Colorado, One Skier Dead- KJCT Ackerman interview
By Megan McNeil | Posted: Mon 6:12 PM, Mar 04, 2019 GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO/KJCT)-- After two avalanches near I-70 Sunday, one blasting over the Interstate, road conditions improved on Monday. Sunday, however, three feet of snow covered I-70 for 100 feet. Dozens of crashes and road blockades stalled the interstate. Videos surfaced of cars driving when the avalanche hit the interstate."It's not unheard of, but it's rare to have an event like that happen," said Michael Acke


February- A Robust Operational Tempo
Lately, I wish I had more energy to share my words.. I wish I had more time to fuel the creative inside. Lately, I’ve been up before the dawn, nursing cracked hands, a weathered face and a sore body. Wondering every morning where I am- a bed, a bunk, a paco on some living room floor? Lately, I’ve enjoyed my life. Hitting it so dam hard every day. How blessed am I to ski and climb and learn and love every day? February is now over- what a fucking blur! So much powder riding. S

