This is the first in a series of posts on my recent trip to Colorado. Over the next couple of weeks there will be more skiing (details further down this post) and a surprise. All I will say about that is that it will be equally outdoorsy and beautiful... and there will be kittens. Let's get to it!
It's quickly becoming tradition. February is ski month and the routine is worked out. Fly into Denver, grab a car, and head through the passes, valleys and towns for Monarch Mountain. If you want to learn more about Monarch and why I fly out just to go there every year then check out my post from last year, Rocky Mountain Skiing for the Rest of Us, but also consider the fact that Monarch has some of the best tree skiing in the state.
This year I was again accompanied by close friend (and fellow photographer) Nate Ryan and my cousin Jens. New to the rotation was my partner in crime, Jackie, who gets major props for taking on learning to ski and being damn good at it. I spent some time showing her the ropes on the bunny slope but she didn't stay over there long. After a good first day of practice (without falling once) she was off exploring the big lifts. Just born a ski bunny I guess.
But I didn't spend all of my ski days on the greens. The fresh powder on the ground measured in feet. It was some of the best conditions i've seen in 20 years of skiing. Only Monarch was getting the snow. Other mountains a few miles away were coming up dry by that's the nature of weather when you've got huge mountains all around; things get very local. We made the most of it. Check back in a few days for a post that shows our best run of the trip, how we made it happen, and how you can too.
