Quandary Peak, Cristo Couloir 5/9/05 TR

**El Kabong** · 05-09-2005, 08:03 PM

Well, it looked like it was going to be a nice day so I decided to skip intergrated physiology and meet up with Gaperman for some 14er corn skiing.

Met up in Breck and started climbing by 7.

The climb up the east ridge was great, the perfect pitch and snow for gaining ground fast on skins

It was windy and cold all morning but just as we got to the last pitch to the top, the weather broke and it turned into a beautiful spring day

me enjoying a frosty one on top of my first 'teener

We hung out at the summit for about a half hour to rest our legs and let the snow ripen into some of the best creamed corn I have ever skied

The great thing was being able to drop straight from the summit and see straight down to the end of our run on blue lakes dam.

here is a little sequence of Gaperman enjoying himself

Looking back up from the dam

Overall, it was probably the best corn run I have ever taken. It went from firm corn to mushy corn as we went down but it was total butter the whole way. The line was way bigger than I had expected and was a consistently steep but rippable pitch the whole way down.

We were able to ski 90% of the way down the road, but some of the one ski wide patches of snow we traversed were probably gone by the end of the day.

Snow was super-stable on the south aspect, though it looked like a little more sun might make the route a lot toothier especially at the top. anyway, a good day was had for sure, it is real nice in Summit Co right now so get after it.

VJ

**truth** · 05-09-2005, 08:11 PM

nice line.

**Out_to_lunch** · 05-09-2005, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by El Kabong

Looking back up from the dam

Damn nice!

**Lone Star** · 05-09-2005, 08:31 PM

very nice!

**Trackhead** · 05-09-2005, 08:50 PM

Endless terrain possibilities.

**Pinner** · 05-09-2005, 09:40 PM

Nicely.

That's a classic line, though kinda bony this year from the looks of it.

**Blurred** · 05-09-2005, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by Pinner

Nicely.

That's a classic line, though kinda bony this year from the looks of it.

Well, considering it slid and killed someone several weeks back, yes "it's kinda bony this year".

Way to get'er done VJ. Glad you had fun, hope to see you at the basin this weekend.

**freshie247** · 05-09-2005, 11:03 PM

Yeah VJ,

Glad to ski you're still on the Gaffney Medical Program.

**Below Zero** · 05-10-2005, 08:50 AM

Looks nice. Good report. Get your ass to Abay on Saturday, VJ!

**Ireallyliketoski2** · 05-10-2005, 08:50 AM

Nice work, I was wondering if that line would be skiable with that huge tragic slide that happened earlier, you answered that question with a resounding yes!! I think one of the bests looking runs in that area is the SE face of Traver peak towards the head of Platte Gulch. I got a good view of if from Democrat's (who's north face looks good in some pics above) summit a couple of weeks ago, nothing extreme, just a nice mellow run. Anyone here ever ski Traver Peak?

**Artie Fufkin** · 05-10-2005, 08:51 AM

Nice, it's looking good up there. I am headed up to Grays/Torreys this weekend.

Good call if that's a Coor's Extra Gold your drinking, some of the best tasting low budget beer.

**powstash** · 05-10-2005, 08:55 AM

I got to get me some of that. Nice report. We expect more of this from you Coloraggots.

**Ireallyliketoski2** · 05-10-2005, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by powstash

I got to get me some of that. Nice report. We expect more of this from you Coloraggots.

<TR>I skied Mount Democrat from the summit two weeks ago, a solo mission up the standard route. Frozen horrible snow all the way down. </TR>

**iskibc** · 05-10-2005, 09:15 AM

Yeah, definitely a classic. Looks like a nice day up there. Thanks for posting VJ. Any evidence of wet slides in the area?

There are some super fun lines off the west side of Quandary. Lot's of hidden couloirs, some techy lines, and very cool rock formations. You definitely have to climb the line before you ski it since there are a couple that are closeouts to 100' drops. There was still snow in them last year around the end of June.

Photo from October:

**Dr. Gaper** · 05-10-2005, 11:43 AM

Mmmmmmmmmm . . . creamed corn.

**El Kabong** · 05-10-2005, 06:23 PM

artie - yes that is coors gold, gaperman dragged it to the top, i am more of a high life fan myself but who is going to complain at 14000

iski - no evidence of wet slides, didnt even get much in the way of rollerballs or anything until almost at the bottom, however we were down by noon so anything could have happened later in the day

i am stuck in denver so i cant get a look at the mountains, was there a lot of wetsliding on other aspects. Saw some stuff on peak 1 as we were leaving. I was thinking of maybe skiing something SW facing later in the week, is it going to be pooped?

as for the terrain up there, i was very impressed, looked like a lot of possibilities. Once blue lake opens up it seems like there would be a lot of possibilites within a very reasonable approach.

**shera** · 05-11-2005, 05:29 AM

I saw a number of wet slides on western aspects yesterday. The biggest was dog leg, next to shit for brains.

**HyRUPz** · 05-11-2005, 08:01 AM

Shera, not sure if you should be giving advice about routes

God I love this board. TRs coming out the ass ...

KEEPEM COMING!

**shera** · 05-11-2005, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by HyRUPz

Shera, not sure if you should be giving advice about routes

I can most definitely stop sharing. I've had a number of locals tell me I talk far too much on the internet.

**HyRUPz** · 05-11-2005, 08:34 AM

Shera - I was just kidding. Let the stoke live on ... no matter what anybody, including gapers like yours truly, say. Be safe, be real AND GO GET IT!

BTW, just went over to powdermag community and teledave is rippin into TGR forum, fag

He even says epicski is the greatest thing since he found a penis' functionality, two words to tdave: stay at epicski with the PSIA pooper turners. Bendzaknees, NOT.

Is he being serious?!?!?!?!