loveland pass

**self_arrest** · 03-12-2008, 11:20 PM

Skiing the bc will save you money?

If I'm lucky I will love it and after two days go to berthoud -- then I will rent the gear -- after all I am bypassing the $87 ticket for WP

Thats ridiculous. Do you know how much dying costs?

You can get a WP ticket from a season pass holder for like $45, get cl tickets to loveland for next to nothing.

If I'm driving up berthoud and you're gearless, I'll be less than willing to drive you up the hill.

Honestly skiing down from the pass at Loveland is relatively safe, but its kindof like skiing the worst terrain in trees in bounds as its always pretty skied out. I'd suggest taking avy 1 and getting your shit together or renting some gear and seeing about someone from the board taking you out to make it worthwhile.

The hike-to terrain out here is like nothing else back east; there are inbounds days at Loveland ski area where I'm hiking the ridge with a beacon on 2/2 they can't control it all.

**daviski** · 03-12-2008, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by Summit

OK, I read the SkiNC thread... why is it that a North Carolina skiing forum exhibits far more BC savvy than 90% of the idiots on Loveland Pass?

SkiDav: You say "my reasons for bypassing avy gear is because I am on the cheap". Not only are you skipping the avi gear, you are skipping the avi knowledge, you don't know the ground, you aren't even from the area, and you are doing it without a "mentor" to look after you. How cheap is your life?

However, I see you are willing to listen, although not change your mind ultimately. With that in mind, at least try to self-educate so you can be careless instead of ignorant. Order "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain" by Tremper and read the whole thing. Hopefully you can kinda sorta book learn some route finding, terrain selection, recognize what is slide terrain, recognize (changing) conditions and warning signs so you can hopefully try to keep out of (and out from under) where you don't want to be. Hopefully you can learn that it being a "sunny day in April" can be plenty dangerous.

DeepDays: Sorry I missed skiing with you... I was up till 330 and couldn't motivate at 700

good advice --thanks

**Deep Days** · 03-13-2008, 12:35 AM

Ditto on the buying "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain". It's a good book, Jeffrey. And thorough. [/Maude]

It's like the classroom portion of Avy I, except you can stop and rewind at will. Read it. Learn it. KNOW it.

Also recommended are Halsted Morris's FREE lectures in the fall on CU campus (put on by the CU backcountry club in Boulder). Don't cost you a dime, and they are good for pounding into your head the important information about routefinding, factors that cause avys, and keeping your ass out of trouble.

At least then you can start to recognize what may qualify as avy terrain and stay away from it.

And fer godsake, if you INSIST on beatering around in the slackcountry, take 5 minutes out of your day (FREQUENTLY) to read the useful information on this site: www.avalanche.state.co.us
Read Tremper's book and follow the trends on the CAIC site. Not only will you then know what avy terrain is; you will also have some idea when it's a bad idea to be in the backcountry at all (howling winds for 3 days straight, 4 days without freezing, 20 fresh dense inches in 12 hours, or any other thing that makes the danger rose bloody red or deathly black) If you err on the side of caution, CAIC can be a very useful tool.

**KillingCokes** · 03-13-2008, 12:37 AM

I might catch some shit for this but whatever. If you drop in from the road near the top either way you'll be fine. NO HIKING THOUGH. I can think of 3 lines way down the road on the north side that you could get into trouble on but I think that they are too far for you to bother with, and they're really short. I don't think you could find the area of concern under Cadillac. Also if you were to traverse under the first cornice on the A-basin side. but that would be tough without hiking. Basically I'd ski the north side of the pass from the top

Dropping into the main line or Cabin or Truck sign or Gibraltar or Rocket is like skiing any ski area in Colorado.

It may not be PC of me to say this but it's true. I usually don't wear gear if I'm not hiking at the pass. And I've been doing that for 15 years now.

Perhaps you'll see some terrain that doesn't fit the no hiking criteria and that will inspire you to get Avy Gear and some education

**AtomicTwinStix** · 03-13-2008, 05:26 AM

FACKING JONG!

**SKISC** · 03-13-2008, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by ImSearchingforPowder

haha its the same idiot on SkiNC that wants to ski BP without avy gear, what an idiot.

And you are a fucking douchenozzle.

David, take a fuckin class or just pony up the fifty bucks and ski inbounds at LL. At least you will make it back home. I guess thats a good thing.

**soylent green** · 03-13-2008, 09:19 AM

I think you can ski safely in a lot of places without avvy gear as long as you know what you're doing.

You don't know what you're doing.

**wyominite** · 03-13-2008, 09:29 AM

Backcountry skiing is always safe alone, without avy gear and brains GO FOR IT!

**Thrill Hammer** · 03-13-2008, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by KillingCokes

It may not be PC of me to say this but it's true. I usually don't wear gear if I'm not hiking at the pass.

This. If you follow the herd and take the lines everyone else does, you'll be fine.

Bring the hate

**Dangerous E** · 03-13-2008, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by daviski

the joy is that I don't like resorts, and I am not a great skier but enjoy it all, and I know that i can ski BC and enjoy

WHAT IS MY QUESTION? how obvious is that MY QUESTION is how to break into this without being beat to shit

Dude, if you are serious, go to Bent Gate or REI or whatever and rent a beacon/shovel/probe. Try to meet some folks at the top that might let you tag along. Don't ever assume anything, i.e. this line has been skied it must be safe. Everyone has the right to get out and enjoy the b.c. and I give you props for trying to explore but you gotta pay some dues to do it. Even if you are "on the cheap".

Threads like this are the reason I don't ski Loveland Pass.

**Binky** · 03-13-2008, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by Dangerous E

Dude, if you are serious, go to Bent Gate or REI or whatever and rent a beacon/shovel/probe.

I think Daviski would be better going to Neptune's. I hear that their service is better.

**smitchell333** · 03-13-2008, 10:52 AM

Right off the road at the top of the Loveland Pass is generally OK, although nothing is entirely safe especially if danger is high. It certainly is safer than driving up I-70.

**daviski** · 03-13-2008, 07:13 PM

Thanks to all for a lot of information --

SQUATCH and GOHUGE I didn't have a question exactly but wanted to draw some response to get some knowledge and input -- I did, almost all of it valuable

I'm not seeking BC after a 9" dump -- I will stay in bounds then

I'm not seeking a solitary line either,I'm dipping my foot in the most tested of waters

DEEPDAYS and SUMMIT thanks for the hard info the Tremper book is one I will get now and read for the future. And also the Avy web sites which I am already looking at -- what do you think of the maps from avalanchemapping. again they won't help me crawling down the ski in from the pass -- but hell perhaps I will progress

speaking of which, DANGEROUS E, you said:Dude, if you are serious, go to Bent Gate or REI or whatever and rent a beacon/shovel/probe. Try to meet some folks at the top that might let you tag along. Don't ever assume anything, i.e. this line has been skied it must be safe. Everyone has the right to get out and enjoy the b.c. and I give you props for trying to explore but you gotta pay some dues to do it. Even if you are "on the cheap".

Threads like this are the reason I don't ski Loveland Pass.
I get your point, and though I am still NOT getting avy gear for this run I take the point of experienced company

MOHSHSIhD-- it is not as if I was in deep cover as Davidski under the pen name Daviski -- I just don't type to well. That said thanks for what youve said on all this. I may be a fool for hanging around all day and hitching for a few simple runs but I am not endangering anyone

The smartest smack down I have recieved is this from SOYLENT GREEN:
I think you can ski safely in a lot of places without avvy gear as long as you know what you're doing.

You don't know what you're doing.

True but I'm learning on something pretty easy

SMITCHELL, KILLING COKES, and others thanks for just giving some advice and details about the easy runs

Last word-- Tuesday or Wed. of my trip I will drive the pass early with my set up and give a couple or hopefully several people a ride, pick there brains, maybe drop in with someone and learn a little or just make a couple of runs by myself before 2 o'clock-- then head out -- this is all presuming safe avy reports and clear conditions

(thursday I will find my own first time lines off of Independence since I will be so experienced and all)