While much of the United States prepared to protest recent political affairs, I stared at the snow incessantly falling outside my apartment window. My thoughts drifted away from academia and to adventure-emia. West Elk Wilderness, one of Colorado’s largest and most immaculate wilderness areas, lies just fifteen minutes away from the campus of my university. While only featured on our blog once before now (found here), West Elk Wilderness’s proximity to Gunnison made it one of the Overcast Adventurers’ favorite getaway spots until Ty graduated.

The beginning of January marked the arrival of an epic snowstorm in the Gunnison Basin. Crested Butte, a neighboring ski town just north of us, received over one hundred inches of snow in the first few weeks of the month. School systems in the valley shut down for the first time in decades, or maybe longer; the mountain passes that make the Gunnison Valley accessible to the outside world closed temporarily; terms like “snowmageddon” and “snowpacolypse” were tossed around the local media like so many snowballs the emancipated children were throwing. It heralded bliss for the many skiers and snowboarders that inhabit this strange place.

Following an invite from my friend Alex, the same Alex I had the chance to climb El Diente Peak with (a blog for which can be found here), we decided we would venture to the southern border of West Elk Wilderness. Here we would complete a small “backcountry” loop that was suitable in parts for his snowboard. After Friday classes, we hopped in his car and took off toward the trailhead.

We expected that recent snowfall would necessitate us breaking trail around the loop—adding arduous difficulty to the trip—but we were fortunate enough to find a freshly broken-in trail just beyond the parking area.

Knowing the route better, Alex stayed ahead of me, snowboard strapped to his back, using his approach skis for the uphill. We immediately headed south from the parking area. Reaching Cunningham Reservoir would be our first goal in the short trip and it would take roughly one mile and four hundred feet of ascent to attain. I often veered away from the already groomed powder, looking for photo opportunities.

Alex waited for me at the high point near Cunningham Reservoir while I indulged in a photo-frenzy.

From here, we continued through a mix of forests, clearings, and meandering trails. Several social-tracks could be seen breaking off from the main trail but we had no time for further exploration.

The sun threatened to set. Scattered clouds sent intermittent bursts of snow from the empyrean to nip at our heels and dampen our hats. Still on skis, Alex waited for me at the turnoff for the Little Mill Creek Trail. From here, we traversed a narrow track of trees to a slope where Alex could finally trade his skis for his board.

I ran ahead as he swapped his gear. I tried to angle myself to get an action shot of him shredding powder through the forest. Sadly, on top of the tricky logistics of photography in the presence of snow, the setting sun afforded sparse light to work with.

What’s that well-known aphorism? Something like, “a fast shutter speed, which is only really at hand during broad daylight or with artificial light, is absolutely imperative to action-esque snowboarding shots…” Wait, that’s not common? Well, it was racing through my head as I struggled to take pictures of Alex looking mighty majestic as he careened down the slopes.

What would take me several minutes or longer to descend on my snowshoes would take Alex mere seconds on his board.

With darkening skies, we knew the end of our adventure drew near. Back at the parking lot, we remarked on the fun of our excursion and teased our stomachs with thoughts of dinner.

Snow, especially treacherous in the mountains, provides an adventurer with many challenges: it’s cold, it shortens trips, it’s exhausting to wade through…but we prevailed nonetheless in our exploration of the southern gates of West Elk Wilderness. I look forward to learning more about snow and ice travel as I continue adventuring this snowy season and preparing for a return to Nepal.

Until next time, my friends, stay frosty and adventurous!