# Winterpark back/side country suggestions



## mjd (Mar 13, 2009)

so i'm heading out to denver sia show tomorrow for three days and then spending the next eight at winterpark. after the demo days i'll definitely be looking for some out of bound hikes and side country terrain. has anyone been there and/or know of any b/c areas around the mt or nearby mts that have relatively good access. i'll have my avy gear of course. i'm contemplating spending the extra money to bring my splitboard along too if it's worth it.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

I don't think any of the sidecountry runs at Winterpark are going to be worth doing. They just go too low down the mountain and with the super faceted sugar snow we have, they are not going to be any fun anyway. 

Second thing is that the snow pack sucks so bad, everything is hair trigger. A skier was just killed at Winterpark park in Topher's trees. Yep, in the trees, in an area that I normally would not equate with avalanche danger. 

You do drive over Berthoud Pass on the way to Winterpark. In fact you can see the Panaromic lift at Winterpark from various spots on the pass. So it's close by to Winterpark. It is also a world class backcountry riding area. Normally lots to do there at this time of year, but again, we are having a very dangerous year with a thin snow pack. I managed to get buried to my knees in a spot that in most seasons is not even a worry. So yeah it's tricky.

All that said, I'll probably be splitboarding on the pass this Saturday or Sunday. I will be at SIA on Friday and either Saturday or Sunday. I also may take Monday off to go ride the pass. After that, the next time would be the following weekend at the end of your trip.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> I will be at SIA on Friday and either Saturday or Sunday. I also may take Monday off to go ride the pass. After that, the next time would be the following weekend at the end of your trip.



Kill - whats the deal with SIA?

Worth going to?


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## mjd (Mar 13, 2009)

thanks for the info on that K. are all the single tracks back on to wp really flat? easy to get stuck? 

and thanks for the info on topher's. slides in the trees are not ok. makes me think of the beating joe pesci and his brother took in "casino". 

i checked the caic and it looks like a whole lot of considerable ratings as you were saying- i'm not extreme enough for that. but the weather forecast looks pretty stable with the exception of maybe friday. i really want to go but is it worth it to drag the extra board, binders, skins and poles for one day that may be a bust anyway? not sure.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

It's hard to say. The choice day for riding is looking to be Saturday if the snow comes in like some of the forecasts are saying. Of course the avy danger is going to spike *sigh* yet again because of it. Still there are zones that are reasonably safe to travel and ride in. A lot of them just off of the pass, so quick easy laps. Ride down to the road, hitch to the top, skin up, and repeat. 

I'd be happy to show you around if schedules can work out for that. 

As far as Winterpark goes, it has a few longish flat trails. Corona Way is the worst, but it's the way out from some excellent runs. It's one of those that if your board is waxed and you point it, you generally make it to the Challenger lift. 

Turbospartan, unless you are in the industry or media in some way, SIA is a closed event. It's where manufacturers generate a good portion of their sales from retailers for the next year.


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## mjd (Mar 13, 2009)

cool. pm me your cell. i'll give you mine. i'll text you on friday at the show if that's when you'll be there.


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