Azure blue sky emerges after a night of freezing rain which left a fresh coating of snow on the saturated snowpack when we awoke. Cold air in the early morning hours, just now rising to 20 deg. F sits calming outside the window like a beckoning friend. The weather forecast called for rising temperatures during the day and possibly rain, so we pack up quickly after breakfast and head out to reach Point Moriah at the far edge of Royal Gorge's property before the weather turns.
Cold air caresses my nose and cheeks and seeps into the gaps in my clothing between sleeves and gloves as we get started. I know from experience I'l warm quickly, but for now I relish the feeling of cold, cold air on my exposed skin, and feel it reach down into my lungs with each inhalation.
We are up early, and out on the trail before anyone else, including the groomers, so the fresh tracks we make in the unblemished snow are alone, except for the regular crossing of rabbit, squirrel and occasional coyote tracks. The fine snow with no wind, leaves perfect impressions and we can almost see the shape of individual hairs along the indentations made by these woodland creatures.
We are pulled onward, and upward, over Castle Pass and beyond to the Point. The snow still clings tenaciously to the tree limbs. The downhill slopes are smooth as we glide on the thin layer of fresh snow atop a well consolidated pack of dense winter snow. On these low angle pitches and flat woodlands, the snow sits heavily and securely in place, whereas we can see on the steeper ridges where it has separated from the ground and tumbled down in small heavy naturally released avalanches.
As we move further and further along the ridge towards the edge of the gorge, more mountains come into view to our south and soon we can see clearly Devil's peak, Snow Mountain, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Anderson, and the full Pacific Crest leading to Olympic Valley and Squaw Valley resort.
Oh, what a day to be ski touring.....
We walk a block from the house on unplowed streets, climb the steep bank, and head into the woods on skis. Glad we have a season pass and can slip into the trail system this easily.
Once over Castle Pass Devil's Peak comes clearly into view and we wander along the trailside meadows looking at tracks and listening for springtime grouse.
Once past the Point Moriah warming hut, Snow Mountain pops up clearly to the south. The trail has been packed and groomed a few days ago, and travel is easy in the new thin snow cover.
Fresh tracks - too bad they have to be UP hill!
Point Moriah - great to be here again. We've been waiting all season for the right combination of weather, grooming, timing, and energy to reach here together. A truly sublime moment with views of 20 miles or more in every direction.
We meet one other early morning skier with the same objective in mind at the same place and we share oohs and ahhs, before turning for home before the rising temperatures can spoil the snow.
Mark skates away and in flash is gone down the trail...
One more quick lap around the button hole trail at Point Moriah and we point tips for home.
Diane walks along with Mt. Lincoln and the Pacific Crest in the background.
These side meadows beckon as we stride back along Stirling Canyon. There is so much territory to explore, and with this easy touring we will seek the quiet places out as the bulk of the skiers stick to the groomed nordic track.
Stirling Canyon big trees and dappled sunlight.
Returning on Reindeer with Mt. Rowton rising across the Serena Creek canyon below.
1 comment:
These are really great pictures! They can be very inspiring for those who want to learn how to ski or are starting to master the skills. Thanks for posting them!
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