Summary

• Recap of skiing on Sunday (plenty of snow at high elevation)
• Dry on Monday and Tuesday
• Showers return Wednesday through the weekend
• Summer hiking forecasts start this Thursday

Sunday Skiing

There were showers over the mountains during both Saturday and Sunday, but there were fewer showers on Sunday. So Sunday was the day that our group picked to make our way up to 12,765 foot Finnegans, a sub peak of Finnegan Peak, located south of Edwards, Colorado.

We had a good feeling that the snow up high would be plentiful and fun to ski. What we didn't know was if snow on the road would prevent us from driving all the way to the trailhead, and how much we would need to post hole before finding consistent snow and being able to put on our skins.

Here is a view of our objective, as viewed from Edwards.

 

Snow blocked the road about 1.25 miles from the trailhead, so that's where we began to hike. As we pushed past the trailhead, we quickly encountered snow on this north-facing trail. Initially, the sections covered with snow were short and shallow. But they eventually became longer and deeper. The picture below shows me post holing up to my knee. Later that would turn into crotch-deep post holing. Oh what fun it is to ski in the summer:-)

 

A couple miles in, we found consistent snow, and then it was a rather simple skin initially through an open forest and then along a mellow ridge.

After a short and steep section which I chose to boot pack (while others skinned), we attained the summit.

We were ascending for 4-5 hours, so I'm thankful to have been with a great crew that knows how to stay positive and have a good time. In the picture below, from left-to-right:

• Gus, 11 years old and full of energy
• Tamra, works at Steamboat and a friend of mine from Penn State
• Jason, co-founder of solar installation firm activeenergies.com
• That's me!
• Brandon, who has summited the 7 summits with his wife Kristine

A big thanks to Jason and Brandon who helped me through a short exposed section of the lower trail. I love to ski and hike, but I am scared of exposure, so I try to keep my hiking / skiing / skinning to low-angle and low-consequence terrain.

 

The panoramic below stretches from the Gore Range on the left (east) to the Elk Mountains and Mt. Sopris on the right (southwest).

 

The skiing on the upper 1,000 feet was very good, all on terrain that was between 20-25 degrees except for a very short pitch below the summit that was perhaps 35-40 degrees. That's me in the picture below. 

Once we descended below about 11,750 feet, the snow became sloppy. It was about 1230pm in June, so sloppy snow was to be expected! Round trip, it took us 8 hours, which covered 8.8 miles and 3,500 feet of vertical gain. Great fun, and exhausting!

For a more complete trip report with additional pictures and details, click over to Brandon's site: http://brandonandkristine.com/ski-mountaineering/skiing-finnegans/

 

Weather Ahead

Monday's infrared satellite image shows few clouds over the western half of the United States. The exception is a over the Baja Pennisula, in the lower-left part of the image.

 

The activity over Baja is associated with the now weakening Tropical Storm Blanca. The map below shows relative humidity at about 18,000 feet, and the moisture associated with Tropical Storm Blanca is evident to the southwest of Colorado, while we have very little mid-level moisture over our state. This lack of moisture over Colorado is why our weather on Monday will be mostly dry.

 

The dry weather should continue through most of Tuesday, but then the moisture from Blanca will hit southwestern Colorado starting on Tuesday evening. Look for showers on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning for the southern mountains, with showers spreading across the rest of the state during the day on Wednesday. The moisture associated with Blanca will stick around on Thursday as well, which is what is shown on the map below.

 

 

After the showers on Wednesday and Thursday, is there any hope for dry weather on Friday through the weekend? Likely not. Moisture will continue to impact our state through Friday and into the weekend. The summary is that most mountain areas will see showers every day from Wednesday through Sunday, though I doubt any of the days will be a complete washout.

 

One last thing

On Saturday I am participating in a bike ride that is supporting Parkinson's Disease research.Thankfully I have no close family dealing with the disease, but a good friend's father is battling Parkinsons, and my fiance Lauren and I are riding to support my friend and his father. If you enjoy the forecasting that I provide and have chosen not to directly support opensnow.com by purchasing an Opensnow All-Access Pass, perhaps consider making a small donation to the charity associated with the bike ride. You can find more information here: http://opsw.co/1HXrERa. Thank you!

 

JOEL GRATZ

Summer Forecasts

We will start our summer forecasts on Thursday 6/11, focusing on hiking in the mountains of Colorado. Initially, these forecasts will be delivered by email only. To sign up for the email, go here: http://trailforecast.com/

 

El Nino Update

A moderate El Nino is occurring in the Pacific Ocean, it is strengthening, and most models project its peak intensity to occur later in the fall. What exactly all of this means for next winter in Colorado isn't certain and will depend on the strength of El Nino as we move past the fall and into the winter months.

 

 

Geography Key

Northern Mountains:
Steamboat, Granby, Beaver Creek, Vail, Ski Cooper, Copper, Breckenridge, Keystone, Loveland, Abasin, Winter Park, Berthoud Pass, Eldora, Rocky Mountain National Park, Cameron Pass

Along the Divide:
Loveland, Abasin, Winter Park, Berthoud Pass

East of the Divide:
Eldora, Rocky Mountain National Park, Cameron Pass

Central Mountains:
Aspen, Sunlight, Monarch, Crested Butte, Irwin, Powderhorn

Southern Mountains:
Telluride, Silverton, Durango, Wolf Creek (Telluride and Silverton are on the northern side of the southern mountains)