Aspen Highlands 1/7/17

[skiNEwhere]

Conditions: Powder

Me and my buddy Nate skied Highlands today and it was sickkkkk. Highlands received 21 inches Thursday, and hoping to beat the front range crowds we used up once of our MCP days. No crowds other than when we accidentally ended up at the bottom around 10:30, and 5 minutes at that.

Of course, we had to make the obligatory highlands bowl hike. Since it was Nates first time, I insisted we had to make the full hike up (no snowcat)

Once we got to the top, we went skiers right for a while and then dipped into the trees. While most of the snow was tracked out, around 2:30 we did find a nice 50 yard stretch of completely untracked pow.

I'm always amazed how highlands bowl can get tracked out considering how much effort it takes to get to the top. I suppose that's a testament to highlands skiers and riders.

We made it to the entrance of highlands bowl again, and took a well deserved snow cat to the end of the snow cat road. From there we hiked another 100 or so yards to Filip's Leap I believe it was called. I was amazed it was untracked. The way the wind blown snow was formed made it look like there were many rocks underneath. I slapped my pole down in a few spots and didn't hit any rocks, so we made the plunge and sure enough it skied clean.

Overall we only got about 21k of vert, but it was on temerity, oly bowl and highlands bowl so I'm pretty satisfied with the day overall. That, combined with waking up 4AM has me pretty beat!

Aspen highlands is amazing. It's not a large ski resort and is really only served by 3 chairlifts, yet the terrain they have is amazing and challenging, and Deep Temerity is beyond reproach and will push the endurance of your quads to the limit.

 

[skiNEwhere]

Somewhere in Oly Bowl


Somewhere in Deep Temerity


Typical highlands crowds?

 

[Cornhead]

Looks amazing, I'm jealous, thanks for posting, and stopping to take pics.

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[bdfreetuna]

Thanks for the post, always cool to get a view of places I've never been.

 

[deadheadskier]

Highlands is incredible. The very best of the Aspen region by far IMO. My favorite ski area I've been to in Colorado TBH with Abasin coming in second.

My experience there was kind of like what you had happen. People are so committed to hike to the summit of Highland Bowl and get the longest run in possible that they skip over some great terrain that remains untracked later into the day. I skied there in March 2001. At the time, there was no skiing in the Bowl beyond Ozone. No Deep Temerity lift either. Hiked for Ozone and Steep N' Deep the first two times up. After that I just dropped in fairly quickly after the cat drop off as I got better snow with quicker laps. Now with the lift in place, I'd be even more inclined to go with that strategy. Though I'd definitely make at least one summit if I went out again. Hiking that ridge with the Maroon Bells in the distance is something else.

 

[dlague]

Looks great need to make it out there - probably not this year though.

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[jimk]

Nice Mike. Is that you in yellow? I was skiing a few inches of West Virginia powder on the 7th (and 6th and 8th).

 

[snoseek]

God I freaking love that place! nice pics looks like you got a fantastic day!

You gonna get down to Telluride on that pass? If you're on the fence just make the drive and stay down there for a couple days you'll be glad you did. There's even less of that front range frenzy down there and the mtn is top notch!

 

[4aprice]

God I freaking love that place! nice pics looks like you got a fantastic day!

You gonna get down to Telluride on that pass? If you're on the fence just make the drive and stay down there for a couple days you'll be glad you did. There's even less of that front range frenzy down there and the mtn is top notch!

Mountain Collective. Going to have to think about that one next year. Between it and the Max Pass that's some incredible skiing. Telluride is on the list along with Wolf Creek and Purgatory (Glad its back to its old name). There rumors of an slight El Nino next year which might be good for that area. Oh yea want to get to Taos too.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[dlague]

Mountain Collective. Going to have to think about that one next year. Between it and the Max Pass that's some incredible skiing. Telluride is on the list along with Wolf Creek and Purgatory (Glad its back to its old name). There rumors of an slight El Nino next year which might be good for that area. Oh yea want to get to Taos too.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

I am looking forward to skiing those as well. My wife wants to ski Purgatory just because of the name.

We imagine a trip south hitting Crested Butte, Taos, Purgatory, Telluride, Silverton and then Arizona Snow Bowl (just to say i skied in AZ) with a stop at four corners along the way.

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[snoseek]

I am looking forward to skiing those as well. My wife wants to ski Purgatory just because of the name.

We imagine a trip south hitting Crested Butte, Taos, Purgatory, Telluride, Silverton and then Arizona Snow Bowl (just to say i skied in AZ) with a stop at four corners along the way.

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Oh yeah time it with a decent base and you're going to really have some serious fun! Those areas down there are easily hands down my favorite areas in Colorado or really anywhere for that matter with the right snow.

I woke up this morning with the realization that I need to finish what I'm doing back west. Who am I kidding spending three winters back here....I'm 1/3 a winter in and its already setting in.

 

[4aprice]

Oh yeah time it with a decent base and you're going to really have some serious fun! Those areas down there are easily hands down my favorite areas in Colorado or really anywhere for that matter with the right snow.

I woke up this morning with the realization that I need to finish what I'm doing back west. Who am I kidding spending three winters back here....I'm 1/3 a winter in and its already setting in.

Certainly been thinking about you and your reaction to all this Snoseek. Between my son, Dave, and my friend in Silverthorne I'm just drooling and counting down the days till trip #1, Feb 1st. Once you get that western fever its hard to cure it with anything else.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[snoseek]

Well Im going to finish this school year proper and make some money next summer so I would be waiting till fall anyhow.

 

[skiNEwhere]

Highlands is incredible. The very best of the Aspen region by far IMO. My favorite ski area I've been to in Colorado TBH with Abasin coming in second.

My experience there was kind of like what you had happen. People are so committed to hike to the summit of Highland Bowl and get the longest run in possible that they skip over some great terrain that remains untracked later into the day. I skied there in March 2001. At the time, there was no skiing in the Bowl beyond Ozone. No Deep Temerity lift either. Hiked for Ozone and Steep N' Deep the first two times up. After that I just dropped in fairly quickly after the cat drop off as I got better snow with quicker laps. Now with the lift in place, I'd be even more inclined to go with that strategy. Though I'd definitely make at least one summit if I went out again. Hiking that ridge with the Maroon Bells in the distance is something else.

I think I've seen that setup on older trail maps. Did you have to take a really flat long traverse to get out of upper Temerity? That lift adds such a dynamic, the terrain there is amazing, I think the deep temerity pod could be the best in the state.

 

[skiNEwhere]

God I freaking love that place! nice pics looks like you got a fantastic day!

You gonna get down to Telluride on that pass? If you're on the fence just make the drive and stay down there for a couple days you'll be glad you did. There's even less of that front range frenzy down there and the mtn is top notch!

Yes! I love Telluride, I had an amazing experience there last season, although the 55 inch storm combined with the total lack of crowds may have added to the experience.

I wish I could figure out a way to live down there part time, it's just so damn expensive. The backcountry I've seen so far is amazing as well. I'd love to be able to ski the San Joaquin couloir some time this season

 

[deadheadskier]

I think I've seen that setup on older trail maps. Did you have to take a really flat long traverse to get out of upper Temerity? That lift adds such a dynamic, the terrain there is amazing, I think the deep temerity pod could be the best in the state.

Yes. Long run out / traverse back to the Summit lift

https://skimap.org/data/1032/7/1209336751.jpg

 

[snoseek]

Yes! I love Telluride, I had an amazing experience there last season, although the 55 inch storm combined with the total lack of crowds may have added to the experience.

I wish I could figure out a way to live down there part time, it's just so damn expensive. The backcountry I've seen so far is amazing as well. I'd love to be able to ski the San Joaquin couloir some time this season

Well you could live in a town like ridgeway or Montrose and its fairly cheap and a close commute in. I'll be settling on the western slope myself...sure maybe less jobs and stuff but its cheap, quiet and the recreational opportunities are great. Plus its close enough to SLC that its doable for a short two day trip

 

[4aprice]

I think I've seen that setup on older trail maps. Did you have to take a really flat long traverse to get out of upper Temerity? That lift adds such a dynamic, the terrain there is amazing, I think the deep temerity pod could be the best in the state.

I call that area the Steeple Chase area and its been there long before Deep Temerity lift was put in. Olympic Bowl on the other side of the Loges Ridge line is just as hairy. Truly classic terrain. I also miss the old days of skiing the bumps on Scarlett's and having a strawberry Daquaris on the deck at Merry Go Round.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[skiNEwhere]

Nice Mike. Is that you in yellow? I was skiing a few inches of West Virginia powder on the 7th (and 6th and 8th).

Yea that's me. Let me know if you make out west again this year Jim, always fun to ski with you.