Thunderbird Avalanche

The Thunderbird and Serpent above Palisade. Photo by Seth Anderson

It’s not often you get good first-hand accounts of serious avalanches. Often the victims are too shaken or chastened by the experience to write about it—or, tragically, they’re unable to write at all. But in the last week we’ve enjoyed superb stories about the serious avalanche accident on Grand Mesa on March 17—from both the victim and his rescuer.

Seth Anderson and Ann Driggers climbed the northwest side of Grand Mesa, early that morning in mid-March. For several years, Anderson, a cofounder of the Grand Junction–based Loki apparel company, had dreamed of skiing the Thunderbird and Serpent formations on the steep walls overlooking Palisade. These bizarre slide paths play into Ute legends of deities living on Grand Mesa; Anderson had written before about these stories and his fascination with the formations. This winter’s heavy snows had covered the slides, making Anderson’s dream seem feasible. … Continue Reading

New Ultra Slated for Grand Mesa

Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim? Nope. It's the course profile for the new Grand Mesa 100.

The Grand Mesa 100 is a brand-new trail ultra-marathon set for July 24-25,  with 37.5, 50, and 100-mile distances. The races will start at Grand Mesa Lodge, a few miles north of Cedaredge, and will loop around the gorgeous high-altitude plateau. Actually, the 100-mile course will dive off the plateau in mid-race, with a unique and challenging 4,100-foot plunge down the Kannah Creek Trail and return climb along the brutal Switchback Trail, gaining over 4,000 feet in 5.5 miles. … Continue Reading

Mr. and Mrs. Mesa

The spectacular Mrs. Mesa in typical November condition. Courtesy of Douglas Lossner

Two of the wildest and most difficult water-ice pitches in the state are in plain view from Highway 50, en route to Ouray and Telluride from points north, plunging down the sheer face of Grand Mesa. Yet few people notice them, and far fewer have climbed them. The routes are tough, to be sure, but the main obstacle is the approach: Once the snow flies, they are at least 8.5 miles from the car.

Douglas Lossner probably did the first ascent of both routes. First up was Mrs. Mesa. “I moved to Delta back in 1997, and I was up exploring the Grand Mesa that summer when I came across that waterfall,” he said in an email. “It can’t be seen from the [Land's End] road even though you are within 100 feet of it. I figured that Coal Creek going under Land’s End Road had to go over the rim, so I checked it out. That November, I drove up there with a coworker of mine [John Rybal] and climbed it…. I’ve done that three times, and it is awsome.” … Continue Reading