The professor and I went up today for a quick and casually started ski tour. We decided to head up to Brainard Lake for some exercise, and the snow conditions lured us into making a few turns up at Idiot’s Stash. Like an idiot, the park weasel neglected to bring any avalanche
safety gear - “I thought we were just going for a little tour”. But the weasel is a wiley one, and knows a few relatively safe shots through the Idiot’s Stash Wilderness Area. Check the park weasel’s earlier post for some more information on the ISWA.
The adventure of the park weasel and the professor continued as we found great touring conditions on the trail, all the way to Brainard Lake. Then we broke some trail through variably deep powder to get to the base of the goods. The deep snow was a chore to get through on the first lap up the way. The line and the snow on the way down were incredible. In true idiot style, the park weasel had not adjusted his Dynafit bindings to the smaller boots he was wearing; so, he involuntarily freed his heel (and mind, of course) for the descent. Surprisingly, the weasel managed just fine making alpine turns without his heel locked down. Of course, the conditions made for heroic skiing, no matter the setup. As an ex-Teton skier, the weasel rarely expects faceshots in Colorado. The Idiot’s Stash did not disappoint!
The adventure ended after our second lap down and the long trek back to the trailhead. The road was very dry for skiing or snowshoeing, and windy as always.
Back in Boulder, the weasel and professor made it down early enough to grab beers and a burger and make it back to the cave before rush hour traffic.
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