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| Hiking | 1.20 Miles |
1,450 AEG |
| | Hiking | 1.20 Miles | | | |
| 1,450 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | My buddy and coworker lived in Crusty Butte, but just started a national rv tour with his wife two kids and a dog while they wait to get their house built. They are in town for a couple of weeks. We kicked around a basin and skinning Quandary but the forecasts were iffy. He texted me yesterday about the Ski area that existed on Pikes Peak from 1939-84 which is visible from spots where I hike. It is pretty mellow and the snow looked good as we passed it on the way up. A little more research uncovered some nice and some not so nice chutes in the Devil's Playground. Some of these can be lapped if the toll road is open to the top. Unfortunately it was only open to midway, but they escorted us to the base of the chutes and let us park there. These turns were definitely EARNED! We skinned up over 1000' with several hundred above that boot packing to a spot out of the wind. Clear blue turned to dark and ominous. Traversing was necessary past three little pigs which is labeled death wish and past the next couilar which had a lot of exposed rock on the exit. We scouted little Italy from some rocks above as you can't really see over the top into the canyon and it looked doable we were hoping for the best and not crappy boilerplate ice. By this time the clouds were getting more threatening and we dropped in. The snow was much better than expected except for the mounds of ice sticking up midway down. It really was enjoyable turns and it kind of gets a bad rap online with the number of deaths that have occurred. Having said that a fall in the wrong place with its steepness, length and rocks could and evidently has lead to multiple deaths so I am in any way encouraging anyone to come up and ski Pikes Peak. I do however look forward to the next time when the road is open getting a few spring or summer laps on my hometown mountain. 
Here is a short clip of Brenton midway down little Italy for scale.
youtu.be/TgjzqJWpX7Y |
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Route Editor
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