Jones Pass, CO, Report: First Backcountry Day of The Season

Starting the season off with an easy run through the glades. Photo Credit: SnowBrains

Report from Sunday, November 10, 2024

Snow has been accumulating in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, and the backcountry zones across the state are starting to fill in. An early November storm brought in about 18″ over the last few days, and I was itching to get out for my first backcountry tour of the season. Grabbing our splitboards, my buddy and I set off for the Jones Pass trailhead near Berthoud Falls.

Related: Avalanche Buried Backcountry Skier Up to His Waist on Jones Pass, CO

We planned to scope the area and see how the early snowpack settled after the recent storm. Colorado’s Front Range is home to the Henderson Mine, North America’s largest molybdenum source, just across from the Jones Pass trailhead. It is a unique site to see just before touring into the backcountry. Leaving the trailhead, we began climbing the wonderful Jones Pass road tracked out by the Jones Pass Guides snowcat.

Thank you snowcat! Photo Credit: SnowBrains — Thank you, snowcat! Photo Credit: SnowBrains

As we moved up the access road, the sun was shining, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky. We noticed the wind at play from the last few days, and it was clear to see some wind loading on north-to-east slopes. We spent the next hour and a half pointing out lines and talking about the season that lies ahead.

We marched up the snowcat tracks for over 1,000 vertical feet before cutting south toward Jones Pass Bowl. It was our first day in the backcountry for the season, so we kept it light and decided to explore the sparse glades beneath the bowl.

The snowpack is just deep enough to play "hide the rock". Luckily no core shots for me today. Photo Credit: SnowBrains — The snowpack is just deep enough to play “hide the rock.” Luckily, no core shots for me today. Photo Credit: SnowBrains

As we ventured off the snowcat tracks, we traversed through what seemed like a promising snowpack with good coverage and great soft snow. Another few hundred vertical feet later, we arrived at the start of the glades. The east-facing snow felt great, and we were excited to get some powder for our first backcountry line of the season.

The mellow lap through the trees was everything we needed to feel the energy of a long and adventurous ski season upon us. We pumped, slashed, and dodged a few rocks in the young snowpack. Our short day of roughly 1,500 vertical feet was beautiful, but it reminded us to get our bodies into shape for plenty of climbing ahead.