SKI GUIDING

Skiing and riding in the backcountry is becoming more and more popular each year.  Hiring a ski guide offers 1) increased security when managing avalanche risk, 2) exposure to more unknown backcountry territory that you can continue to explore on your own in the future, 3) secret powder stashes or at least the likelihood of skiing/riding the best conditions given the current weather and snowpack, 4) mentoring on avalanche skills, ski/ride skills, and backcountry navigation, and 5) feedback for your group of partners on how to better work as a team when pursuing backcountry skiing/riding.

 

I have been skiing since I was 3 years old and spent a few years snowboarding as well. I can guide skiers and riders alike. My home guiding area is Rocky Mountain National Park. I guide in other Colorado areas such as Vail and Silverton and other areas around the U.S. and internationally such as Washington, Wyoming, California, Alaska, Argentina, and Chile.

 

Ski Guiding includes ski mountaineering – which means intentionally climbing a peak or technical couloir, and then skiing down that peak or couloir. Sometimes this involves rappelling into a couloir or navigating a complex glacier. Examples of ski mountaineering are the Dragontail Couloir in RMNP or Mt. Rainier in the Cascades. See below for more information about areas I commonly guide…

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK


RMNP offers backcountry skiing for all levels. With that said, it has some of the most concentrated steep backcountry ski mountaineering in the lower 48 states. Skiing can be found in the Park every month of the year, with ideal conditions being from December through June. Enjoy long low angle tours through the trees and into the valleys, moderate tree-gladed skiing and open bowls, or steep and technical ascents and descents down tight couloirs.


Approach time: 20-30mins to the trailheads from Estes Park, CO

RED MOUNTAIN PASS, CO

 

Between the small mountain towns of Ouray and Silverton, Colorado, Red Mountain Pass offers some of the most accessible high quality backcountry skiing and ski-mountaineering in the U.S. Gladed-tree skiing, open bowls, couloirs, and ridges offer an equal variety of difficulty for everyone.


Approach time: 20min from Silverton; 30min from Ouray

VAIL, CO

 

Less than two hours from Denver, Vail Mountain Resort is the largest ski resort in the U.S. All around Vail resort are snow-covered mountains with excellent backcountry skiing. If you want to get away from the crowds of Vail and ski/ride fresh tracks in the Colorado backcountry, the Vail area has plenty for all levels.


Approach time: 10-20min from Vail, CO

SKI MOUNTAINEERING & INTERNATIONAL TRIPS


Ski-mountaineering weds the skills of alpine climbing with backcountry skiing. Examples of ski-mountaineering include the Dragontail Couloir in RMNP, skiing from the summits of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, or Mt. Shasta, and taking your skiing international with ski descents of the high peaks of Ecuador, or the backcountry or Argentina, Chile, and Europe.