This past Sunday Aaron Miller and myself headed up to Rocky Mountain National Park to check out the snow conditions near the Dragon Tail couloirs above Emerald Lake. With the recent warming temps I think we both were very intrigued on what we might find.
It was definitely warm on the approach....Aaron getting ready for a dip in emerald lake?
The snow conditions actually felt a little spring like, not too heavy to make turns, and super fast...Although it looked pretty tracked out from this past week there was still plenty of untracked lines to be skied....It was good!!
After two laps near the apron of the Dead Elk couloir we decided to go check out the snow under the north face of Hallett which was still in the shade.
The massive 1000ft North face of Hallett looms over us....
But of course as the day got warmer the glop factor ( snow that sticks to climbing skins when the temps rise ) was in full effect.....Time to get the scraper out...
The snow that was being preserved due to the shade under the N. face of Hallett was really good....Super soft and winter like ....It made for some great turns and an equally impressive show for the spectators down at Emerald lake....never before had I skied a slope and got a standing ovation from the onlooking snowshoe'rs upon our exit.....It was a little weird I admit, but probably not so out of place if say we were in Europe or something.....
Peace, Jason
