Winter storm Obamney rolled through Friday and Saturday 11/9 – 11/10 just in time for the weekend, so Nate and I checked it out. The early part of the storm was a disappointment, putting down only a few fresh inches instead of the expected 6″-8″ on the I-70 corridor. We originally planned to check out Butler Gulch or Jones Pass, but decided to drive up the pass to look around. We saw that there was half-decent cover just minutes from the car, so we decided to bang out a quick lap.
West Side looks a little boney:
With the cover a bit thin and a straightforward climb, we just booted up the East Side:
Transitioned:
And headed down:
From the top of the East Side we had noticed that Noname Bench looked pretty smooth and pillowy, so a quick drive over there was in order. From the Pumphouse Basin parking area we made our way up to treeline and things looked pretty good:
Sure enough, the turns were soft but a little thin:
It was fun but short, so we’d go for another lap or two:
Russell Peak loomed ominously:
And Noname Cirque faded into the clouds and snow:
Another lap was had, near the first:
And I finally got a blurry action shot:
We ended up not even stopping at the Butler Gulch / Jones Pass parking area. It didn’t look like that area got much better than Berthoud, and the approaches are longer. So we rolled back down to the 1860 Tavern in Empire and had a very bizarre green chili snack on the way home. Empire is a strange town..
Looks like fun! Wish I could still ski. Maybe in my next life….
It was fun and hopefully you get some of that just by seeing the pics. These reports are just as much for the people who can’t make it as for those who can! Stay warm,
-s