Circuit Training at the BRC

BRC trainers have developed a training circuit incorporating Tru Blue auotobelays.  Check out this video on how to better train for your climbing objectives.

Top Rope Anchor Clinic With Senoir Guide Eric Whewell

AMGA Ski Guide Course with Norie Kizaki

CMS Guide Norie Kizaki recently took the AMGA Ski Guide Course with help from funding through a scholarship that she received  from Backcountry Access.  Luckily for us, the camera was rolling.  The course was great and Norie crushed it!  Thank you BCA, you're the best!!!

Weekly Wednesday Blog Post: Tips to better enjoy your sub-zero outdoor pursuits

It’s been frigid on the Front Range this week. Highs in the mountains are in the single digits, with enough wind to freeze your skin before you know it.  I’m not complaining. Cold weather means light pow and more ice.

I was out Monday checking it out and thought a useful blog post would provide a few tips to better enjoy your sub-zero outdoor pursuits this winter.

1.     Hold What You’ve Got

It’s easier to stay warm than it is to get warm. On days like yesterday, my puffy jacket lives on top of my pack. When I stop for a rest or a snack, it’s the first thing to go on, along with a warm hat. You start to cool down as soon as you stop moving, so layer up and keep the heat in!

2.     Stoke the Furnace!

Cold calls for calories and hydration. Remember that proper hydration is essential to supplying fuel and energy to body parts to facilitate heat production. Once the cold weather rolls around, I replace one of my water bottles with a thermos of hot tea. Be careful with bladder systems, as they tend to freeze. I also eat higher calorie food in the winter. Time to ditch the lettuce and cucumber sandwich, it’s P.B. and Nutella season!

3.     Keep Your Digits Warm

Cold fingers are probably the most common problem while out on cold days. The screaming barfies are not a mandatory rite of passage. One mistake that I see occurs when people take their gloves off to complete a task. Dropping your gloves in the snow at your feet immediately makes them cold (see tip #1). Now you are stuck stuffing your hands in icy gloves. Whenever you take off your gloves, stuff them in your coat and keep the heat! Toes are more difficult as they are generally immobile in your boots. Proper fitting insulated boots and clean, dry socks are the ticket. Consider shake n’ warm heaters if you have trouble with circulation.

There you have it. Three tips for staying warm and enjoying your days out this season. Now as far as finding the best snow and ice, I can’t tell you, but I can show you. Give us a call when you’re ready to get the goods. Have fun out there and hope to work with you soon!

Take care,

Mike Soucy

CMS Guide

800-836-4008 x3

Weekly Monday Gear Review: BCA Tracker2 - The Nerd's Choice

I'm typically sort of a nerdy guy, fascinated with books, gadgetry, gizmos, numbers and all other things socially awkward.  I even talk nasally, have freckles, wear thick glasses and routinely go for days without showering.  So when I got my hands on BCA's new Tracker2 avalanche beacon last year, you can just imagine my unclean snort-giggling fits of glee.

Now, this beacon isn't brand new to the market but I'm sold on it despite a number of other cool beacons out there.  Despite my nerdicular tendencies, I appreciate the simple and efficient design of the T2 beacon.  Boasting an additional antennae and faster micro-processor than it's predecessor, this beacon already out-performs others on the market, including the original Tracker.  Ah, but those boys at BCA think of everything, even super-cooling the antennae before building their beacons so that really cold days won't damage the frequency we so vitally rely on.  Cold temps can adversely affect the antennae, causing frequency drift but BCA cools them first, then aligns the frequency.  It's just one less thing to worry about when you forget the beacon in the car overnight as you rush indoors to catch another rerun of Family Matters.

My favorite feature of the T2 is how quickly it can switch functions, from transmit to search and vice versa.  Other beacons have a prolonged start-up time and, in a stressful situation, these 6-15 seconds seem like hours.  With the T2, you can turn it on, immediately pull the search "tab" and begin your signal search, all in less than two seconds.  The super fast micro-processor gives real-time information as you search and the third antennae effectively eliminates "dead zones" in your fine search phase.  Priceless.

As unlikely as multiple-burial scenarios may be, my favorite T2 feature comes in handy when searching for multiple victims.  Let's say you've pinpointed one victim and are looking for a second.  Your searching beacon will "lock on" to the buried beacon you've just found and will prefer that signal even though you move away, something called signal loyalty.  With the T2, it's easy to "reset" your searching beacon simply by pushing in the search tab and immediately pulling it back out.  If nothing else, this at least clears the "memory" which might allow you to focus in on the closer, stronger signal.  This is just a little shortcut/tip that has helped me find three beacons in a football field of snow in less than two minutes.  Dorking out for a few minutes and mastering the ins and outs of "special mode" will also make you an asset in any multiple-burial scenarios.  These are just some of the features and one little trick that make the Tracker2 stand out above the rest.  If you're interested in honing your companion rescue skills, just tape up your glasses, tighten those suspenders and come on over to CMS for a day of knee-slapping nerdery.  I'd love to show you what I know and, chances are, I'll have recently showered. :)  Here's to a great, safe winter!

Andrew Councell
CMS Guide and AIARE Level 1 Instructor
800-836-4008 x3

Weekly Wednesday Blog Post: Strengh Training for Backcountry Skiing

We’re still digging out from Winter Storm #2 and storms #3 and #4 are already in the forecast!  As the snow pack builds over the next month or so, this is the perfect time to also be building your backcountry skiing fitness base.  A complete ski conditioning program should include elements of aerobic and anaerobic fitness, plyometric resistance, and strength training.  The aerobic conditioning will get you up the skin track; the anaerobic conditioning will enable you to link turns for hundreds of vertical at a time; the plyometric resistance training will prepare your body for dynamic skiing movements in ever changing snow conditions; and the strength training will build overall power and will help to prevent injury.

CMS Guide Matt Lipscomb hits the weights to prepare for ski season.

One of the most efficient styles of strength training is Olympic weight lifting.  The Olympic lifts are dynamic, they engage multiple large muscle groups, and the strength gains translate well to athletic sports (like backcountry skiing) without “bulking up.”  Shown above is one of my favorite training lifts – the deadlift.  It works all the major muscle groups in the lower body (hamstrings, quads, glutes) as well as the core and lower back muscles.

Now is the time to build your fitness foundation for a long and rewarding ski season!  Once you are ready to get out skiing, I'd love to be your guide.  Call the office, request me, and let's get some turns in together.

 -Matt Lipscomb

CMS Guide

Please Note: The Boulder Rock Club offers ski conditioning classes free for all members.  Tuesdays at 5:45pm and Wednesdays at 12pm.

Winter is coming... get your avalanche education!

Great reminder from our friends at BCA why it's critical to take an avalanche course or take a refresher this winter. Our AIARE courses, CMS Avy Awareness and Refresher courses are scheduled. It's not to early to get signed up.
Check out our fill listing at: LINK
This fall get your backcountry ski, boarding and climbing partners together. Plan a course to take together and practice, practice, practice your companion rescue.
Enjoy the video... scary!!!

Boulder Rock Club Jr. Team: Red River Gorge

Having left the Red River Gorge in late October in 2009, I left with a strong resolve to return stronger and fitter than before. Finalizing a Spring Break trip with the Boulder Rock Club Jr. Team, I started planning my pre-Red training regimen. I spent most of the winter bouldering indoors and out and finished with a two week rest phase to heal properly before torturing myself back into route climbing shape for the Red, Spring 2010.

Having experienced one of the worst winters ever to climb outside in Boulder, Colorado, my training became an indoor endeavor. Unfortunately for me, dry winter air and my naturally dry skin kept me from training nearly as much as I wanted to. Plus the two-week cold/sinus infection made things even worse, but my list of excuses of why my trip could be a weak showing was already a page long. I did manage a couple of good workouts that I think helped my trip. First of all I knew how steep and long the Red was and how short the BRC was relative to it. I stayed mostly on our steep Tsunami and tried to link as many 5.12’s together as possible (not that many). Secondly, I managed to stay on our bouldering wall for as long as possible. I would try to climb, literally, in circles. I did not manage too many circles. It did pay off, I think.  Finally, I managed a few of Chris Wall’s workouts at the BRC that crushed my will to live as well as my muscles and lungs.

The tick list: Every climber has got one. This trip to the Red was no different. Between my wife, Jen, 4 Jr. Team members, and me our tick list was getting huge. We had just a week of climbing, so I was planning 5, 6 days on? Kids heal quickly. They don’t need to rest right?  Unfortunately or fortunately for us, rain happens in Kentucky. We did manage a few rest days due to rain, but we also managed some great climbing days. The list goes like:

Day One: Funk Rock City. Manic Impression 10a. onsighted by Mica. Flashed by Adam. Classic 12c Orange Juice. Sent by Dallas, Stefan, and Tony.  Hardcore Jollies 12a. onsighted by Tony, flashed by Dallas.

Day Two: Curbside and Purgatory. Wildfire 12a. onsighted by Dallas, flashed by Stefan and Tony. Sent by Mica. Paradise Lost 13b. flashed by Dallas.

Day Three: Dark Side and Solar Collector. Budha Hole 12a. onsighted by Tony, flashed by Dallas and Stefan. The Force 13a. Flashed by Dallas. Sent by Tony. Tuskan Raider 12d. Flashed by Dallas and Sean Raboutou. Sent by Stefan.  Shanghai 12d. Onsighted by Robyn Raboutou. Sent by Sean Raboutou.

Day Four: Roadside Crag.  Ro Shampo 12a. Onsighted by Dallas. Flashed by Stefan. Strevels Gets in Shape 12b. Onsighted by Dallas. Sent by Dallas and Mica. Wild Gift 12c. Onsighted by Dallas. Sent by Stefan

Day Five: Drive By Crag and the Motherlode. Make a Wish 10c. Flashed by Adam. Check Your Grip 12a. Onsighted by Dallas and flashed by Stefan. 40 Ounces of Justice 13a. Onsighted by Tony. Flashed by Dallas. Snooker 13a. Flashed by Tony. Sent by Dallas. Chain Saw Massacre 12a. Sent by Stefan.

All in all, the team had a great trip. Huge factors to that are staying in a cabin, which I recommend to anyone and everyone planning a trip to the Red. Camping in the rain after a day of climbing in the rain does not equate to happy children or adults for that matter. Second would be the two-hour flight to Cincinnati rather than the two-day drive across country from Boulder to Slade. The kids returned to the Boulder Rock Club re-psyched to climb on ropes and getting ready for the upcoming sport climbing series. Next on our list for summer trips; sport climbing in Kalymnos, Greece. Gotta start training for than soon…

Tony Yao
Head Route Setter & Jr Team Coach
Boulder Rock Club
tyao@totalclimbing.com
800-836-4008

New Free Classes for Members with Chris Wall

Starting Monday, April 12th: NEW CLASSES

Climb-Fit: Basics - Mondays 7pm-8pm
This class is an hour long on the wall conditioning class to help you increase your ability to concentrate when your stamina and endurance are put to the test! This is Chris’s entry level Climb-Fit class, and is a must for anyone wanting to take their climbing training seriously.
Limit 8 people.

Climb-Fit: The Rapture - Thursdays 7am-8:30am
A combination of conditioning and climbing, this class is the ultimate hybrid of conditioning and climbing. If you want to feel indestructible, this class will break you down and put you back together better, stronger, and more resilient than you’ve ever been before.
Limit 12 people.

Weight Lifting Techniques - Tuesdays & Thursdays 12pm-1pm
These hour long sessions will give you to opportunity to get tips, techniques, and cross training ideas from one of the most knowledgeable and experienced climbing trainers in the country.


DON’T FORGET THE ALREADY EXISTING “CRY IN THE DOJO” SERIES
These classes are circuit conditioning classes for all levels of ability. If you are new to the program, we recommend starting at Level 1 or 1.5.

Enter the Dragon: Level 1 Mondays 12pm-1pm,

So You Think You’re a Dragon?: Level 1.5 Wednesdays 12pm-1pm, NEW TIME Wednesdays 6pm-7pm

Cry in the Dojo: Level 2 Tuesdays 5:30pm-6:30pm

The Spartan 300: Level 3 Tuesdays 7:30am-8:30am, Thursdays 5:30pm-6:30pm

Burp Test with CMS guide Joey Thompson

CMS guide, Joey Thompson, shows us a great snow stability test. Learn more in one of CMS's avalanche training courses this winter. It's a great time to take the training. Check out our full course listing at: http://www.totalclimbing.com/page.php?pname=climbing/outdoor/avalanche

Colorado Mountain School
www.totalclimbing.com
800.836.4008

Hop Turn Ski Clinic with Mike Alkaitis

CMS guide, Mike Alkaitis, gives some great tips on Hop Turns. A must for backcountry skiing and steep ski technique. For more ski training, join one of our weekly ski outings in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Colorado Mountain School
www.totalclimbing.com
800.836.4008

Equipment for the Alaska Mountaineering Seminar

Colorado Mountain School guide, Russell Hunter, reviews what to pack for a Alaska Mountaineering Seminar. We're organizing our gear for our spring trip. You should join us for an amazing training, experience, and adventure of a life time.

Alaska Mountaineering Seminar
April 23rd-May 2nd, 2010

Colorado Mountain School
www.totalclimbing.com
800.836-4008

Avalanche Training February 19-21, 2010

It was an exciting weekend for teaching avalanche courses. Rocky Mountain National Park received around a foot of new snow and with some wind created some sensitive slabs. Colorado Mountain School taught both a Level 1 and a Level 2. The recent backcountry fatality in Colorado is a sober reminder of the risks we take as backcountry users and the importance of having a foundation of education to help make critical decisions.


The Level 1 course had 10 students who were all very enthusiastic to be learning more about avalanches. On day 1 we spent the morning in the classroom learning about avalanche mechanics and more importantly how to recognize avalanche terrain. In the field, with the snow dumping, we practiced companion rescue and learned firsthand how difficult it can be to move over a ton of snow to dig someone out of the snow. We were able to run a realistic scenario that surprised all students and with a dummy buried in the snow gave folks a realistic burst of adrenaline. All students were really excited about the scenario and saw the importance of leadership in an effective companion rescue.


Day 2 brought bluebird conditions and the park was fresh and beautiful with all the new snow. How would the new snow bond with the old snow surface was the big question we set out to answer. As avalanche educators we like to poke and prod the snowpack to see if we can get the snow to avalanche. We do this on small slopes with minimum consequences of being caught, we call these slopes test slopes. Sure enough, instabilities were found and we got some slopes to move.


The new snow is resting on a weak layer that was formed during the period of no snow and slides easily especially on southern aspects. On our last day in the field we again got a slope to slide which was quite dramatic. The crown was 2 feet deep at the deepest and was about 70 feet wide and ran another 80 feet. Standing just 50 feet from this slide I could feel it in my body, an amazing experience!


Russell Hunter
CMS Guide
AIARE Level 1 and 2 Instructor
rhunter@totalclimbing.com

Top Rope Anchor Clinic with CMS guide Eric Whewell

For more great tips, clinics, and information check out the Colorado Mountain School's courses at: www.totalclimbing.com or call 800.836.4008

V Thread Clinic with Steve Johnson

JStar: Benefits of training at the Boulder Rock Club

Top 10 reasons to join us on our Alaskan Mountaineering Semiar

Custom trips are always available. If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact us at 800-836-4008 x3. Click here for more information and details.

Colorado Mountain School Guide’s Ski Training

Each year CMS guides get together to share guiding skills, ski technique, adventures in the mountains, seek out some fun lines and enjoy amazing skiing. This year the crew headed to the southwest corner of Colorado to Red Mountain Pass in the San Juans.

With a long spell of high pressure, we were unsure what we would find. Day one we focused on sussing out conditions, stability, beacon drills (companion rescue) and building improvised shelters. As each day progressed, we pick longer tours that required advanced tour plans, challenging route finding, a variety of terrain, and aspects with incredible powder turns.

Now that we’ve returned to the Front Range the snow has begun to shape up for better local skiing. Our guides have been busy with our avalanche training programs each weekend, ice course, and mountaineering objectives. We’re looking forward to February and more skiing in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Join us for your next ski adventure.

Contact us at:

Colorado Mountain School

800.836.4008

http://www.blogger.com/www.totalclimbing.com

Colorado Avalanche Training: Education That Can Save Your Life

Colorado Mountain School Teaches Basics of Backcountry Survival

By Adrianne Kroepsch, For the Colorado Daily

Posted: 01/20/2010 12:25:56 PM MST

Each winter, Colorado assumes a notorious title: The state is home to the highest number of avalanche deaths in the country.

The shifty snowpack found in this stretch of the Rocky Mountains claims an average of six to eight lives per year out of an annual nationwide total of 25 fatalities, according to the Boulder-based Colorado Avalanche Information Center, and it's responsible for scores more close calls and serious injuries.

Take the class

Colorado Mountain School teaches a Level 1 course, certified by the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education, each Friday through Sunday from mid-December through early April, plus Monday through Wednesday once a month. The class is $315. For more information, visit totalclimbing.com.

A few hundred years ago, alpine dwellers blamed avalanches on sorcery, and slides ended in both a debris pile and a witch hunt.

But these days, we know a lot more about what brings slabs of snow crashing down Colorado mountainsides, which is why proper avalanche education is on the rise at outfits such as the Estes Park-based Colorado Mountain School, located roughly an hour's drive from Boulder.

Colorado Mountain School's guides now take more than 300 students per year into Rocky Mountain National Park to learn about the very real hazards that exist in avalanche terrain spanning from the far backcountry to near-resort "sidecountry" or popular "slackcountry" routes, such as those along Loveland and Berthoud passes.

Riders have already triggered multiple slackcountry avalanches this winter, ripping out entire slopesides of heavy, early season snow that forecasters describe as even more unstable than usual. That kind of riding tends to be particularly risky because tracked slopes close to roads lead to a false sense of security, according to Mark Hammond, a Colorado Mountain School guide of 13 years and longtime backcountry skier.

"It doesn't seem so big and bad and scary, but if you're buried under snow, it doesn't matter if your car is 10 feet away," Hammond said while teaching a recent Level 1 avalanche course.

Simple goal

Colorado Mountain School's goal in avalanche education is simple: to equip recreationalists with the tools they need to make good decisions about where they go and how they do it.

But the reality that outdoor educators have to deal with is much less straightforward. Colorado's continental snowpack is built of complex layers that balance precariously along a spectrum of stress versus strength. Even in a beginner course, such as Colorado Mountain School's nationally certified three-day introductory seminar, guides have a lot of ground to cover.

"I've been learning a lot more than I thought I would," said University of Colorado sophomore Abbott Gilbane while attending Colorado Mountain School class in mid-December.

Gilbane, a member of the CU Freestyle Ski Team and an aspiring big mountain competitor, signed up after he skied Loveland Pass without a beacon and realized he was rolling the dice on safety, he said. He registered with five college ski buddies.

CU skiers and snowboarders are exactly the demographic that avalanche educators hope to see on their rosters; males in their 20s account for the bulk of avalanche accidents and fatalities.

Comprehensive training starts with snow science -- knowing how wind, sun and temperature change snowflakes on a micro-scale, forming distinct, unstable layers in the snowpack. But it certainly doesn't end there.

Among other things, practice in assessing terrain angles and the way snow piles up on the leeward side of slopes, plus knowing how to avoid traps that can increase the consequences of a slide, are all crucial to staying out of trouble. So, of course, is learning how to use existing resources, such as the Colorado Avalanche Information Center's forecasts.

Companion rescue

Avalanche courses also stress companion rescue, which involves quick work with an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel. If recovered in less than 15 minutes, snow experts give buried victims a promising chance of survival -- but their odds drops precipitously with each second beyond that window. There is no cavalry in an avalanche rescue, outdoor educators say. You're it.

When all is said and done, Colorado Mountain School's guides want students to walk away from their courses knowing what questions to ask themselves about avalanche conditions and which answers are red flags. Beyond that, the school hopes to foster a mind-set of doing whatever it takes to make good decisions.

"It's about speaking up in a group or putting your emotions aside even though you really want to ski the 'rad pow,'" Hammond said.

And more often than not, mountain guides say, safety also comes from listening to your gut before dropping in -- particularly when it says "something just isn't right."

Christmas Eve: Conditions Update - SNOW!

John finding Santa has come early to the Indian Peaks

First and foremost, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Today I was lucky enough to get out for an early morning ski tour with John Bicknell. A great way to start the holiday season. The Front Range has been getting hit with cold temps and some new snow over the last 48 hrs. Yesterdays 3-4" was followed up with another 6-8" last night. John and I met early and ran up to the Indian Peaks for a quick morning lap.

With the recent instability and lack of time we opted for a low angle run that offered a nice warm-up skin, fun turns, and minimal risk. Tomorrow it looks like this system will roll out and will be followed by high pressure moving in from the northwest. Bummer this system isn't sticking around longer and providing needed coverage but we're only getting started and there is plenty more to come.

If you're thinking about taking a avy course this season consider one of our Avy Awareness or AIARE Level 1 programs. We run one every weekend throughout the winter season. Check out our course listings on our website: www.totoalclimbing.com

Our guides also run ski tours and ski mountaineering training in the Indian Peaks and Rocky Mountain National Park throughout the winter.

The following report is from the CAIC website. I highly recommend anyone into backcountry recreation checking their site each time before heading out.

"The Front Range received 2-6" of snow in the last 24 hours. Winds have been all over the place so I am going to increase the danger to CONSIDERABLE at and above treeline on the western side of the rose. Most of the west slope will be scoured by afternoon, but places where snow remains will be touchy. Our snowpack is weak, thin, and will not strengthen in the near future. There have been 19 reports of human triggered avalanches in the past week. The slides have occurred on north through northeast to southeast aspects, at elevations above 11,000 feet, from Cameron Pass to Loveland Pass. Some highlights: Sunday, snowmobilers triggered a very large avalanche just north of Jones Pass. It was on a north to northeast aspect above treeline and 3 to 4 feet deep. Saturday search and rescue was called out to search a series of avalanches just west of the road on Berthoud Pass. Fortunately, that was a false alarm. Signs of instability are obvious and rampant. Observers report sizable whumpfs and shooting cracks in most areas holding snow. The weak layers tend to be well developed basal facets, and faceted layers above and/or below stiff crusts. Convex rolls (less steep to steeper transition) continue to be the most likely trigger point. With the new snow being redistributed by wind, it will become easier to trigger avalanches. Pay attention to who is above, and below you...we have had reports of parties dropping into questionable terrain above other parties. The Front Range received 2-6" of snow in the last 24 hours. Winds have been all over the place so I am going to increase the danger to CONSIDERABLE at and above treeline on the western side of the rose. Most of the west slope will be scoured by afternoon, but places where snow remains will be touchy. Our snowpack is weak, thin, and will not strengthen in the near future. There have been 19 reports of human triggered avalanches in the past week. The slides have occurred on north through northeast to southeast aspects, at elevations above 11,000 feet, from Cameron Pass to Loveland Pass. Some highlights: Sunday, snowmobilers triggered a very large avalanche just north of Jones Pass. It was on a north to northeast aspect above treeline and 3 to 4 feet deep. Saturday search and rescue was called out to search a series of avalanches just west of the road on Berthoud Pass. Fortunately, that was a false alarm. Signs of instability are obvious and rampant. Observers report sizable whumpfs and shooting cracks in most areas holding snow. The weak layers tend to be well developed basal facets, and faceted layers above and/or below stiff crusts. Convex rolls (less steep to steeper transition) continue to be the most likely trigger point. With the new snow being redistributed by wind, it will become easier to trigger avalanches. Pay attention to who is above, and below you...we have had reports of parties dropping into questionable terrain above other parties. The Front Range received 2-6" of snow in the last 24 hours. Winds have been all over the place so I am going to increase the danger to CONSIDERABLE at and above treeline on the western side of the rose. Most of the west slope will be scoured by afternoon, but places where snow remains will be touchy. Our snowpack is weak, thin, and will not strengthen in the near future. There have been 19 reports of human triggered avalanches in the past week. The slides have occurred on north through northeast to southeast aspects, at elevations above 11,000 feet, from Cameron Pass to Loveland Pass. Some highlights: Sunday, snowmobilers triggered a very large avalanche just north of Jones Pass. It was on a north to northeast aspect above treeline and 3 to 4 feet deep. Saturday search and rescue was called out to search a series of avalanches just west of the road on Berthoud Pass. Fortunately, that was a false alarm. Signs of instability are obvious and rampant. Observers report sizable whumpfs and shooting cracks in most areas holding snow. The weak layers tend to be well developed basal facets, and faceted layers above and/or below stiff crusts. Convex rolls (less steep to steeper transition) continue to be the most likely trigger point. With the new snow being redistributed by wind, it will become easier to trigger avalanches. Pay attention to who is above, and below you...we have had reports of parties dropping into questionable terrain above other parties. " type="hidden">

Weather Discussion:

The arrival of the northern cold air mass last night resulted in good snowfall along the western foothills of the Front Range, in the Steamboat Zone and along the North Slope of the San Juan. The cold air and northerly flow will remain in place through Friday night, leaving us with periods of clearing followed by scattered mountain snow showers through Christmas day. Mountain winds will pick up Friday afternoon as a low pressure system setting up over Nebraska moves eastward." Self portrait... did I mention it was COLD! Simon Fryer Colorado Mountain School sfryer@totalclimbing.com www.totalclimbing.com