So this last Wednesday, I again did not have work and although the forecast has been pretty rainy, overcast and warm, the Front Range got a brief window of sun and overnight freezing temps. Gotta take advantage of the weather when you can! Unfortunately Dani couldn't sneak away, so Keith and I skipped out of town early and headed up to Silver Couloir (aka Elvis Couloir) on the Buffalo above Silverthorne. The Silver is one of the 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America and a line I have wanted to give another try after being turned around a few years ago due to weather and food poisoning. Its been warm so we were on top and skiing by 9:15 after a 1.5 hr drive from Btown, 2.5 mile approach with 3k of gain with punchy snow on the south facing approach. Keith was a champ, putting up with my " I think we are just about there" rhetoric and after a hefty boot pack we got a great ski in followed by a heinous bushwhack back to the car. We met a new friend named Erin (who was booting up from the bottom) about 1/4 way down the line and she joined the adventure for the rest of the ski, bushwhack, bear tracks, getting lost, finding the "trail", realizing it was the wrong trail, kicking out in some random neighborhood, hiking down the road and discussing some of the finer points of living in the Front Range and mountain town life in general. The best part, for such a popular line, skiing it mid week, we saw 3 other people. Again sorry DP, we will go back and ski it again for sure!
Above Photo Credit: Penn Newhard. www.mountainonline.com. "Trip Report: You Got the Silver." May 7, 2014.
