Trailhead Update We were at two high trailheads in Northern Colorado this past week. The first was the Colorado River Trailhead on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. Technically, this trailhead is low in elevation (9,005') but it accesses the high terrain of the Never Summer Mountains. The trailhead is located at the Trail Ridge closure point north of the Kuwanechee visitor center. The trail is dry for the 1/2 mile to the intersection with the Red Mountain trail that leads to the Grand Ditch. At approximately 9,500'+ you begin to encounter more consistent snow and just above this o ..read more

The days are getting longer as we get closer to spring. This means more daylight to work with in the afternoon and the potential for Front Range skiers to access Arapahoe Basin for an afternoon uphill tour. For most of the winter these skiers have been confined to uphill ski area tours in the darkness. The time change has not happened yet, but there is already enough evening in early March to enjoy the alpenglow during an afternoon tour at the Basin. In fact, you might be able to get out of work in time to get to the Basin to train for this spring’s Alpenglow Ascents Rando Challenge!   A ..read more

The east side of Rocky Mountain National Park, accessed from Estes Park, houses the premier ski mountaineering terrain of Colorado. Once the fierce winds of winter retreat, and the sticky spring snowstorms coat the mountains, the steep couloir hallways of “The Park” emerge. A lifetime of steep skiing is accessed from trailheads within 30 to 45 minutes of Estes Park. From the epicenter at Bear Lake, to the far off routes of Mount Ypsilon and Mount Alice, Mike Soucy provides solid beta and format perfect for route planning.  How does the book compare to Mark Kelly’s antecedent 2013 guidebo ..read more

Settle down with your children, and read them a story about the time Squeak the mouse goes backcountry skiing! Grandma Mouse tells her grandchildren a bedtime story about Squeak's winter life in the subnivean zone, under the snow. One day Squeak walks into a skier’s backpack and is taken on a backcountry snow adventure. Squeak meets other animals that teach her about backcountry skiing and snow safety. Here is what we love about this book. First, and consistent with the theme of Beacon Guidebooks, it is an educational book. It is perfect for children to read and begin to learn about backcount ..read more

At Front Range Ski Mountaineering, we have had a multi-decade love affair with Cameron Pass. The backcountry skiing ski mountaineering at Cameron Pass have been highlighted on our website for nearly ten years. Why do we love it so much? Is it because of the deep snow pack? The expansive backcountry ski terrain gained through a variety of roadside trailheads, deep forest tours, and snowmobile access? The isolation from the rest of Colorado? Yes, to all of the above and many more reasons. Located 65 miles from Fort Collins up a windy and long canyon, “Cam Pass” gets a fair share of snow from no ..read more

The godfather of Colorado backcountry touring and ski mountaineering, Lou Dawson, has returned with the second edition of Light Tours of Colorado. “Focusing on the mellow side of ski touring”, Lou does a great public service by combining copious new routes with the inspiration for us to discover even more. What are light tours? Dawson defines these as “routes with enough pitch for making turns, but generally of low enough angle to obviate most avalanche danger.” Many thanks to Lou for giving us the low-angle concept and the vision to adjust our expectations to pursue easier and safer tours. L ..read more

In a Denver Post Article, MacKenzie Ryan labelled Loveland Pass as “one of the best worst-kept secrets in backcountry skiing.” Skiers and snowboarders have cemented Loveland Pass’s reputation as a backcountry destination by driving up and skiing down for nearly one hundred years. Explorers went deeper into the basins surrounding the Pass, leading to mechanical rope tows in the 1930s. Loveland Ski Area opened on the north side of the pass in 1936, and Arapahoe Basin began operations on the south side in 1946. In the 1980s and 1990s, snowboarders pioneered jumps on descents like Main Line and Ir ..read more

Climb higher, ski farther, and shred deeper pow! The creators of Front Range Ski Mountaineering have teamed up with Beacon Guidebooks and Rakkup to put Loveland Pass backcountry ski beta in your hands! Backcountry Skiing Loveland Pass Guidebook is now available as an app on Rakkup, and as a topographic map from Beacon Guidebooks. Order the book and map now at Beacon Guidebooks or download and purchase the app at Rakkup. Do you like to use your phone or tablet? Rakkup app allows users to purchase and save the Loveland Pass Guidebook to your smart device. Once downloaded, the books are available ..read more

Looking north from Berthoud Pass at dawn. I have lost track of how many sunrises I have seen from Berthoud Pass. This means that I have also lost count of how many dawn patrols I have had at the Pass over the years. I don’t revel in the sub-zero and pitch black starts, but the day job and family schedule dictate these early mornings. When the sun rises over the Continental Divide it sheds just enough light on the surrounding terrain. From the top of the West Side you can see the Indian Peaks to the north, and the Mount Evans Wilderness to the south. The quick access and the deep snow of Berth ..read more

Climb higher, ski farther, and shred deeper pow! Backcountry Skiing Berthoud Pass is now available as a book and an app. The creators of Front Range Ski Mountaineering have teamed up with Beacon Guidebooks and Rakkup to put Berthoud Pass beta in your hands! Book pre-orders are available now at Beacon Guidebooks, or download and purchase the app at Rakkup. Want the book in your hands even sooner? Join us at these fun Front Range events to buy the book and learn about the Pass! Berthoud Pass Guidebook Release Party | November 13 | Neptune Mountaineering | Boulder | More Info & Registration B ..read more