Wolf creek ski pass7/2/2023 ![]() If the trail is not broken, follow the trail shown on the map. When the trail reaches the road, it crosses it and heads east, south east (140 degrees) up to the unnamed peak. This is a great tour for beginning skiers because the slope angle is moderate and the powerline cut is, for the most part, free of trees.įollow the same approach as Lobo Overlook. After a gradual 600' climb, the powerline drops 1,800' back to highway 161 on the east side of Wolf Creek Pass. Don't let the powerline feature turn you off to this amazing descent. The route generally follows a powerline cut starting on an unnamed peak (11,503') north-west of the Radio Tower (11,364') on the north side of the pass. The Powerline run is a perfect introduction to this wonderful area. Where the powerline crosses the road, follow the road south towards the saddle and then either head east along the powerline cut, or head up to the top of the peak as described in the Powerline route. To combine with the Powerline run, ski down towards the powerline from the top of Lobo Overlook. There are many variations depending on the steepness you want. From the top, ski down the direction you came up. Follow the powerline up (or go slightly beyond it) until the slopes open up and then take the easiest way to the top. When the trail reaches the road, turn left and follow the road for about a quarter mile until you come to a powerline going up and left (north-west). This unmarked trail is usually broken, but if not, follow the right side of the drainage. Plus, you can combine this tour with the Powerline tour for a longer run.įrom the Wolf Creek Pass parking lot, the route follows a drainage north-east up to a saddle. The Lobo Overlook slopes are moderate, open slopes and a great place to practice your downhill turns. Road and powerline at top of saddle Route 1: Lobo Overlook If you have a digital camera, please take pictures of the snowmobiles or snowmobile tracks. If you see snowmobiles, or snowmobile tracks anywhere other than the road, please file a Backcountry Experience Report Document (BERD) on the BSA web site. Note - The north side of Wolf Creek Pass is off-limit to snowmobiles according to a voluntary agreement between skiers, snowmobilers, and the Forest Service the snowmobiles MUST stay on the Lobo Overlook road. The other method involves yo yo skiing the top sections of the runs and then skiing back out the Lobo Overlook road to your car at the top of the Pass. One method involves skiing from the top of the run all the way down to the exit onto highway 160 (set a shuttle car or hitch hike to get back to your car at the Pass). And keep in mind that the south faces of these ridges can be good if you get to them before the sun or warm temperatures create a crust.įinally, there are a couple methods of doing these runs. You will have to determine for yourself which lines you like the best. There are dozens of possibilities on all the ridges. Once you hit the drainage, you make a flat traverse back to the ridge and repeat the process. The trick to skiing these ridges is to ski down the ridge until you see a good line down the north side and then ski it to the drainage below. Very little sun hits these slopes between November and February, and they are protected from the prevailing winds. ![]() The north-facing slopes on the ridges are refrigerated snow magnets. As a result, you can find excellent runs down the north-facing slopes of these ridges. ![]() Just enough trees to keep the sun and wind out and plenty of space to initiate turns.Īnother unique feature of Wolf Creek is that most of the runs start from ridges that run northeast. ![]() But up close and on skis, you can see that these forests are perfect for skiing. From a distance, the forests look like any other Colorado forests: thick and impenetrable. To the joy of skiers, the thinning created perfect glade skiing. Instead of clear cutting, the Forest Service removed enough trees to "thin" the forest. But at Wolf Creek Pass, in the Rio Grande National Forest, the US Forest service implemented a tree harvesting program, affectionately called the STEP program by local skiers-Selective Telemark Enhancement Program. Normally, the forests in Colorado below timberline are too thick to ski through. Wolf Creek Pass is unique in Colorado in that the best skiing is in the trees. In most seasons it has double or triple the snowpack of the northern or central Colorado mountains, and often has a 50-60 inch base by Thanksgiving. Wolf Creek Pass is known for its deep, stable snowpack. OverviewFirst of all, I want to thank the person from whom I am plagiarizing a big part of this write-up for all the work that they did at the link at the bottom of this section. ![]()
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