Backcountry
Report from Thursday, November 28, 2024
Just over an hour from Denver, Colorado, is Berthoud Pass, a popular backcountry zone that was once a ski area. The Berthoud Pass Ski Area was home to one of the first ski lifts in the state. Unfortunately, the ski area closed in 2003, but the slopes live on today for backcountry enthusiasts.
Berthoud Pass has a vast selection of terrain to choose from, which makes it a go-to spot to find lines that are in. Fortunately, a storm rolled in the week of Thanksgiving and provided over two feet of snow early in the week. Low temps and cloudy skies kept the snow fresh for days, making skiing bottomless before Thanksgiving dinner.
A Thanksgiving tour couldn’t be completed without being extremely grateful for the beautiful soul who set a great skin track. Our tour on Berthoud Pass was to target north-to-east-facing terrain that hoarded snow and saw less sun than other aspects. We picked out a section that was shorter to make sure we could get a few laps in before heading back to prepare for the holiday.
We lapped this low-angle powder four times, hooping and hollering every time. The snow skied a little heavier than typical Colorado storms, but it was still plenty deep for face shots of powder with every turn. After exhausting ourselves with great hot laps, we skied back to the truck and off to fill our bellies with a Thanksgiving feast.
The weather couldn’t have been better, and we couldn’t ask for a much better November snowpack in Colorado’s Front Range. The base is accumulating fast, opening a lot of terrain early this season. However, Colorado’s typical persistent slab problem is looming again. As the season continues, it is always important to check local avalanche forecasts to understand the risks of entering the backcountry.
The Tour by The Numbers
- Total Vertical Climbed: 1,800 feet
- Total Uphill Distance: 1.5 miles
- Season Snowfall: 74″
- Snowpack: 133% of the seasonal average
Weather Forecast
