Trip Report: James Peak Wilderness, Colorado 3.7.10

With a forecast yesterday for a couple inches of snow, high winds, and the avalanche danger rated at Considerable in Colorado’s Front Range, we didn’t have high hopes for epic turns. We would have been happy to just sweat it out on the trail and get the touring legs back in shape for the upcoming touring season. Turns out what we got was a full-on 45-degree spring day with zero wind schralping spring mank. That’s a rare day this time of year touring out of the East Portal—one of the most notoriously windy and frigid zones of Colorado’s Front Range.

Emily Templin Lesh works her way to timberline.

These Power Bar Energy Gel Blasts are my new favorite pick-me-ups on the trail. These little caffinated gel chews actually taste pretty good. Most importantly though, they work.

Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon.

I hope my legs don’t break
Walking on the moon.

Emily Templin Lesh crossing Forest Lakes at 10900 feet. We would ski the bowl straight ahead.

Mark Lesh enjoying some sunshine on this south-facing aspect at 11,000 feet. Radiobeacon Peak in the background.

Mark Lesh backlit in black and white.

This is as big as Skiing‘s art director Mark Lesh goes. A rare moment indeed. 

Looking back from the Tolland school house to the Continental Divide and our playground, it was an unexpectedly fine day in the Colorado backcountry.