So the Colorado hiking season is off with a hell of a delay. May 24th and we were in snowshoes with snowboards on our back looking for some back country riding!
here is our track
https://www.google.com/maps/ms?msid=216389344331023168113.0004faa0f2bfa13ed4fc6&msa=0

I have to say that yes Eddy and I are crazy and we were the only 2 up for the challenge. we were hoping for a sweet summit ride off of Helen but we were met with a section of snow that may bury us and a rock route that even Jack could not figure out :(so we settled for some open ride into the trees and then down the narrow trail in super soft snow, but you know what, it was our first try and we had fun so it was worth it, oh and the dogs had a blast!
This was also the first trail that i have let them off leash from the parking lot and back, S&J did great, it also helps to have Eddy's pack there to keep them all together.
ok on to the really fun stuff, pictures and video!


Eddy starting out on the trail


Mt. Helen, plan was to take the track to the right in the rocks up


fork in the trail head right


Eddy said there was a trail somewhere in there...




Ridik, trees were opening up


im making my way up


well the snow route up was out, on to the rocks we said!


angle of the slope


snowshoes off, foot work it was






and we were stuck in the rocks


and we had to turn around, thats me up in the rocks


Jack was sad


Sierra enjoying the break


time to ride down!


slow on the soft snow


the start of the ride, let Eddy go first, he almost ran Limbaugh over!


down in the slow section

and that was our first adventure for 2014! stay tuned for more

jbealer wrote:

Sierra enjoying the break

This is probably my favorite pic of Sierra ever. She looks like a wolf!

Now I am sure you have gotten this question before but how do you manage with them off leash?

Wow am I understanding correct that you still have snow? Beautiful pictures!

I am glad that its hiking season for you again, cause I love seeing all of the pictures! This looks like it was an awesome day. I agree with Sara, that picture of Sierra is awesome!

Jenn - thank you for posting these pictures - to me, this would be a once in a lifetime, all time high, wonderful experience! What a great day you must have had  

Sara, i love that pic to
Elise, it has taken yrs of practice. This is our 5th yr in the mountains with them. I normally keep them leashed till we are above treeline but with the snow conditions and the added pack weight it was safer for me to keep them off to start.
Melissa, yes we still have a ton of snow in the mountains. ..
Erica and Amy, im always happy to share our CO adventures with everyone, glad you like them. My plain is to keep at it as long as my body lets me!

Looks like a nice trip! It's so fun, isn't it? Having the dogs running with you when you're on a snowboard. I'm planning on going snowboarding with Polar next weekend, but I haven't been up there since that late snow storm in May, so I'm worried about the condition. How is the snow up high? Getting pretty thin, or still deep enough to last till next weekend?

This makes me think maybe I could let Bodhi off leash while I ski if his pack is weighted down. Right now when I skijor with him, I use XC skis without metal edges. He's on a lead, and I wouldn't want to cut his tendons if I inadvertently hit him. Above timberline, I'd definitely want my metal edged backcountry skis.

Polar, Eddy said at least the next 2 weeks should be good still depending on where your headed. he did square-top mt this past weekend.

Michael, when we skijor they are attached for the fun of it and i have my X-skies, but we are also on a packed trail. that falling through the snow shit sucks worse for them then it does for us!

jbealer wrote:

Polar, Eddy said at least the next 2 weeks should be good still depending on where your headed. he did square-top mt this past weekend.

I haven't decided on a place yet, square Top would be one of my choices, although not my first choice since I've done it once this winter, so I want to try somewhere new. I'm thinking the Jones Pass/Berthound Pass area, or Mount Parnassus. Although the beginning portion of the trail to Mount Parnassus will probably be snow free, so it would suck to carry both the snowboard and snowshoes...

I have hiked parnassus in the summer i guess eddy is looking around the Arapahoe peaks area. he sent a text asking how i was on blacks and double blacks, i have no idea what he is thinking for sat but it should be epic!

Blacks and double blacks? I think I've seen that on t.v. Isn't that where you ski about thirty feet fall off a ledge and then roll for 5000 feet?