An Epic Backcountry Adventure in Colorado's San Juan Mountains

In the darkest hours of winter, while a pandemic rages on, can there be any goodness and light?

The wilderness has a way of ignoring all the news, the umbrage , the stress of day-to-day life. Which is why it was so exciting to be returning to the mountains.

The mountains of southwest Colorado, the San Juans, are imposing and beautiful.

Rising up out of the desert, they conjure images in the mind of enormous gates, guarding the evergreens and ski resorts of Colorado from the dusty encroachment of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

For those unfamiliar, the San Juans are an outpost of mountains tucked into the very furthest corner of Colorado. They are far from the metropolitan reach of Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, or Albuquerque – you don’t pass through by accident. Which means the people who call these mountains home are typically isolated and self-sufficient.

The people are as rugged as the mountains. A blend of skiers, ultra-marathoners, mountaineers, river rafters, anglers, and cowboys and cowgirls.

Pardon my poetry. But if you can’t tell, I love these mountains. So, when I set out to explore the San Juans for an upcoming episode of Epic Trails, I was very eager for the adventure.

First stop, Durango.

Durango has a familiar feel, like my home base of Flagstaff’s brother who went off in search of gold and silver.

It’s sizeable and has a charming downtown with excellent restaurants, breweries, and food trucks. But more importantly (for me), it’s the perfect jump-off point for adventure in the San Juans.

Durango is home to the terminus (or beginning) of the Colorado Trail, a 567-mile thru-trail that runs from Durango all the way to Denver. Several years back, my brother hiked it in its entirety. I wanted to get a taste of the trail, as well as to acclimate to the elevation and the conditions.

I hiked about 1% of the trail, more than enough for me to know it’s one I absolutely must do in my near future.

New Challenges

From Durango, I set off to meet up with Willi and Dave to try my hand at ice climbing.

While I’ve technically done a (very introductory) course to ice climbing before, this would be my first go at climbing a real pitch. With the temperatures at -10F, the three of us climbed the coldest and coolest route. Set in a canyon surrounded by massive mountains, the waterfall had long since frozen in the fall.

Ice climbing, while extremely intimidating looking, was far more inviting and fun than I had expected.

Willi and Dave were great guys who kept everything jovial and light. I sessioned the ice, climbed the pitch repeatedly and gained comfort with the tools and the technique with each successive swing of the ice tool and kick of the crampons.

Next stop, Telluride.

The following day, I met up with Ryan from Telluride Mountain Guides. Together we would explore deeper into the backcountry outside Telluride.

Unfortunately, this year’s snowpack has been difficult. It’s been unseasonably dry, and the snowpack they do have has been extremely dangerous for avalanches. With several deaths already this year, we were being very cautious in our choices of terrain.

Ryan has been guiding in the area for more than a decade. Few people know these mountains better than him. We dug a snow pit to learn about the local avalanche conditions and skied some very fun, and very safe, low angle terrain. The day was really about touring for wonderful backcountry scenery and improving my avalanche knowledge and safety skills.

Final stop, backcountry heaven.

After a day of touring deep into the backcountry, I arrived at last at a remote backcountry hut. The isolated hut provided cozy refuge from the wild.

Waiting inside was Chef Eric (not me) from Hayden Backcountry Huts, who was working away at conjuring a fantastic meal — no small feat when cooking in rustic conditions. It felt as if I was whisked away to a five star restaurant. Outside the foggy window was nothing but mountains, snow, and the ever-darkening night sky.

With the arrival of a new day brought the arrival of new friends. Elly and Andrew of Third Eye Backcountry met us at the hut for another day of ski touring.

As there is no shortage of amazing terrain, we spent the day picking out ridges to ascend and powder to shred. We found new fresh lines to ski and safely enjoy. We soaked up the sun, ate good food, and wiggled our way down beautiful pristine powder.

Not to be intimidated be the previous evening’s five-star meal, Andrew and Elly cooked up truly incredible tacos with skirt steak and fresh veggies over a campfire. The tacos were amazing and rivaled any tacos I’ve ever eaten (and I’ve eaten a lot!).

With the heavy dose of adventure in my back pocket, I am truly thankful for the people who made experiencing the San Juans possible, as well as safe, in such difficult conditions. With this extraordinary destination located not far from my home, I know I’ll be calling up my new friends again soon.