Happy (Snowy) Holidays
Winter rainbow above Mill Creek Cirque, near Red Mountain Pass. Photo by Michael Barton
Courtesy of Mountain Goat Ski Guides, reprinted with permission.
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The Redline
Michael Barton about to drop into Champion Gulch. Courtesy of Mountain Goat Ski Guides
Michael Barton of Mountain Goat Ski Guides in Silverton offers up this classic route off Red Mountain Pass. It’s more of an early-spring route than a midwinter tour, but now you can put it on the hit list. How good is this route? Says Barton: It’s out of my permit boundary, so I don’t even guide it, but it’s one of the best.” Here’s his description:
Length: 7 to 9 miles
Elevation gain: 3,500 feet
Elevation drop: 4,700 feet
Season: Best bet is late March or early April, as you need both stable snow and good coverage down to 9,800 feet.
Shuttle: Stash one car at the south end of Ironton Park, where Corkscrew Gulch meets Red Mountain Creek, or plan to hitch at the end of the day.
Map: Ironton Quadrangle
Tour highlights: Skin on southies, ski on northies; more skiing than skinning; views of Silverton Mountain; neat mining buildings and waterfalls.
Tour hazards: Massive avalanches, cornices, remoteness, sunburn, abandoned mines, nasty death-trap ravines. … Continue Reading
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Wild
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Lake Agnes–Seven Utes Loop
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Tour Distance: 7.3 miles
Total Vert: ca. 2,900′
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East Ridge of Mt. Bancroft
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The Redline
Michael Barton of Mountain Goat Ski Guides in Silverton offers up this classic route off Red Mountain Pass. It’s more of an early-spring route than a midwinter tour, but now you can put it on the hit list. How good is this route? Says Barton: It’s out of my permit boundary, so I don’t [...]
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