TR: Cristo Couloir, Quandry Peak 14,265 (04-11-15)

Here's another trip report from the weekend.  The weather looked good for Saturday, so  my buddy Jeff and I decided to ski a classic line on an easier-to-access 14er - Cristo Couloir on Quandry Peak.  This was the first 14er either of us had skied.  Jeff also moved out to Colorado around the same time as me, from the northeast.  He's spent extensive time skiing and climbing in the Presidentials, and would be a worthy member of the NY Ski Blog Forum.  However, he is a Red Sox fan.

Seems like a lot of people stopped at an earlier trailhead for a long ascent (quite a few hiker/mountaineers up there...and a few skiers).  We realized that the road was navigable up to near the blue lakes dam.  After a 10 minute approach, we started booting up the couloir.  

Here is the couloir, and you can get a sense for the ridge climb that a lot of people do as well (not my image):


It was a great climb.  This is a southern facing, wide line.  The snow was firm the whole way up, but as we were approaching the top third, we could tell it was going to soften up.  We never put on crampons, but I took out the axe for comfort on the top third.  






After summiting, we had some snacks, took some photos, then skied three turns until we needed to down climb into the couloir proper.

From there on, it was sweet corn.  The snow was so great.  It's a great descent of about 2500 vertical.  Not particularly steep - A few steeper spots, which were fun.  It was a really great descent.  The snow was awesome.  We really milked every turn, and really tried to enjoy the run.   Hope you enjoy the pictures.







Jeff feeling pretty good after a great morning.  Time for some food.

How covered should that couloir be this time of year?  Nice report..

Thanks.  It's a low snow year, but it was still well covered.  I think this line usually goes to June, but not likely this year.

Another great effort! The pics tell a great story.  In my opinion: fellow East coast transplants make the best touring partners.  When I'm not out with my wife, I typically partner with a guy who moved out here from MD... Undoubtedly, former flatlanders bring a ton of stoke to the uphill effort.

These TRs & photos you keep posting Adirider are really making me regret that I didn't move to CO when I was your age.

Adk Jeff wrote

These TRs & photos you keep posting Adirider are really making me regret that I didn't move to CO when I was your age.

+1

Eh...I pretty much have just as good a time skiing at Hickory and Gore.  It's all sliding downhill with wood planks on our feet.

ADK Jeff-  I still read your blog all the time, even living out here.  I'd wager to say that there are few, if any, people out west that check east coast ski conditions as much as me.