Ouray - Telluride Trip

     Hello again winter fans. Tyler here, reporting on another spectacular climbing and skiing outing. This time, in the San Juan range in southwestern Colorado. My co-worker Tobin and I had three days off of work and shot like a cannon across the state to get at some ice and snow. Our destinations were icey Ouray, and snowy Telluride. We left Boulder at 5 am on Wednesday, and were planning to spend the next day and a half  climbing ice in Ouray, before heading to Telluride to cut some turns in-bounds style. On Friday, we would head back to town on the other side of the state. Quick trips like these are one of the pleasures of living in a state as varied, but also central as Colorado.

within the ice park, upper bridge area

looking out to some gnarly icicles near the lower bridge area

     Ouray is home to the famous Ouray Ice Park, one of humanity's more creative works. The town of Ouray is encircled by the Uncompagre Gorge, a 100 foot gash in the geography. In the 90's, a local business owner and ice climber thought that farming ice within the gorge would bring a lot of people to the town in winter, when tourism would otherwise be down. Throughout the years, locals have rerouted water to drip over the lip of the gorge, allowing ice to develop over time. The result is more ice than you could shake a pick at. Wall to wall ice through miles of the gorge in good condition is enough to make any ice monkey weep tears of joy.

     The Ouray Ice Park is the premier ice climbing destination in the state. The climbing is strenuous, with most routes tallying in at 100 feet or over. Although I was able to put up one lead on an easier flow, most of our climbing was spent top roping some of the gnarlier ice we could find. The climbing was varied, technical, and very sustained and with generally good quality ice. We put ourselves up in a local establishment, and resigned to studying our guidebooks for more ice. The next morning, we would climb the ice park, then head to Telluride in the afternoon.

heres me climbing in the five-fingers area; the crux is coming up
photo credit: Tobin C.

exploring nearby box canyon falls

day 2: schoolroom area

the great frozen training center; our rope is the blue one hung
 on the right with no one on it

     The weather was clear upon our afternoon drive to Telluride, although skies quickly turned cloudy. Right after we arrived, the snow began. The next morning, we were graced with six inches of wonderful champagne powder. This was my first day inbounds of the season, and I was really able to put my fresh planks to the test. We ripped some aspen glades early on straight off the lift in order to reap the powder harvest, much to our glee. We cruised the mountain for the better part of the day, and met with a few of Tobin's local friends for some turns.  
     Later that day, we packed up and waved goodbye to sweet Telluride and the San Juans. We drove through the waning light and into the night back down the I-70 gauntlet to make it back to town, 70 hours after we had left. And three days and a shotgun trip later, I was back at work. Our trip had gone off without a hitch. We made great time, climbed at skied to our hearts content, and enjoyed ourselves doing it. All within a half-day's drive of the Front Range.

me shreddin' a groomer; photo credit: Tobin's aunt Mary

a moment's clarity on a stormy morning at telluride