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Still Clinging on to Old Man Winter
Most people are over it…I know.
Forecast is calling for snow in Carbondale tomorrow, yet for some folks that doesn’t really matter. They’ve said goodbye to “Old Man” winter and have signed up for spring. It’s time for shorts & flops, longer days, outdoor BBQ’s, float trips, bike rides and of course, weekend trips to Fruita and Moab. I’d bet the chances are good that these same people will be clamoring for winter come July?
Instead of fighting the tide, I decided to join some friends recently on an atypical spring pilgrimage to the desert. With temps at home flirting near 70 degrees, I packed up my skis and all my warm clothes and headed for the La Sal Mountains. The La Sals are located near the eastern border of the state of Utah, rising above the town of Moab. The maximum elevation is at Mount Peale, reaching 12,721 feet (3,877 m) above sea level. The range contains three clusters of peaks separated by passes. The peaks span a distance of about 18 miles (25 km). Having spent a majority of my winter preparing for the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse (for a race report), always having some sort of training objective in order, it felt great to be headed to the La Sals with only a few goals in mind: to explore a new mountain range & have fun skiing with friends.
OK, I have to be honest, we had some goals. Our first one was Little Tuk – 12,048 feet. Not the tallest peak that we climbed in the La Sals, but in my opinion one of the nicest ski lines. And then off to Mount Tukuhnikivatz – 12,482 feet (3805 m) – aka Big Tuk. Can you say Tu-kuhn-ik-ivatz really fast 10 times?
And lastly, it was off to Mount Mellenthin – 12,645 feet (3854 m), the second highest peak in the range.
For sure this was my best trip to Moab ever. And I was skiing. So cool to be looking at the desert floor from the peaks above! So for all of you like me, still clinging on to “Old Man Winter,” if it’s getting a little to warm where you are…keep an adventure like the La Sals in mind. Time to plan for my next ski trip on Saturday. Sounds like we will have some fresh POW…
