That A-HA! moment

1

121Dispatch

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Denver, CO
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FltPlanner
So there I was catching a ride to the top of Breckenridge Mountain today. This time instead of the chair lift, we decided to hit the T-Bar up to the expert terrain. As I was being PULLED up the mountain, I realized that it would not matter if the mountain was moving backwards, or at what speed becuase the reason I was moving forward was a force pulling me along.

Kenny, you better not post anything on this thread unless it has something to do with your time in Colorado and skiing!!!:rofl:
 
121Dispatch said:
So there I was catching a ride to the top of Breckenridge Mountain today. This time instead of the chair lift, we decided to hit the T-Bar up to the expert terrain. As I was being PULLED up the mountain, I realized that it would not matter if the mountain was moving backwards, or at what speed becuase the reason I was moving forward was a force pulling me along.

Kenny, you better not post anything on this thread unless it has something to do with your time in Colorado and skiing!!!:rofl:
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You mean to tell me that you kept moving up the mountain despite the avalanche moving all that snow downhill under your skis even FASTER than your engine was pulling you uphill?!?:dunno::rofl::yes:
 
121Dispatch said:
Kenny, you better not post anything on this thread unless it has something to do with your time in Colorado and skiing!!!:rofl:
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I'm quite familiar with the vertical component of lift on that T-Bar. :)

I wouldn't call most of that terrain "Expert", however. :D

Besides, it was the sixty feet on the east face at A-Basin that took out my knee and hip. I loved Breckenridge and Copper Mountain in that area. Winter Park is for wimps. Matt Teller would like it. :) The only other area I thought was great and affordable was Crested Butte.

Keep going... lots of great spots around there. You can spend a week on Breckenridge alone and hardly run out of new trails. Enjoy!
 
KennyFlys said:
I'm quite familiar with the vertical component of lift on that T-Bar. :)

I wouldn't call most of that terrain "Expert", however. :D
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Yeah, I was a bit disappointed at the top...all the signs on the lift said "this lift serves expert terrain only" Needless to say, I surely didn't feel it was all that difficult
 
Make sure you take your pulse oximeter with you skiing at A-Basin. Man that air is thin. And I had trouble after living in the Denver area for 4 years. :D
 
Never skied there, but I biked past there while going over Loveland pass. the air gets pretty thin up there....

Pete
 
vontresc said:
Never skied there, but I biked past there while going over Loveland pass. the air gets pretty thin up there....

Pete
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Over the pass? Not through the tunnel, right? Heck, that pass isn't even twelve-thousand feet!



:D
 
Yeah but when you are a flatlander from WI pedaling up to 10,900' you do get kinda winded...

Pete
 
KennyFlys said:
Over the pass? Not through the tunnel, right? Heck, that pass isn't even twelve-thousand feet!



:D
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IIRC, the parking lot at A-Basin is at 10,000 MSL. But, it was 25 years ago that I skied there, so my memory may be off a bit.
 
Ghery said:
IIRC, the parking lot at A-Basin is at 10,000 MSL. But, it was 25 years ago that I skied there, so my memory may be off a bit.
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I can't recall when the tunnel was completed but I'm sure it was long after you were there. By the way, the pass is 11,990 feet. I told ya it wasn't even 12,000! :D
 
Ghery said:
IIRC, the parking lot at A-Basin is at 10,000 MSL. But, it was 25 years ago that I skied there, so my memory may be off a bit.
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1593312986_c985b206f2.jpg


A-Basin is lower than this.
 
vontresc said:
Yeah but when you are a flatlander from WI pedaling up to 10,900' you do get kinda winded...

Pete
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When I first moved there, it took close to a year to become acclimated to the higher elevation.
 
KennyFlys said:
I can't recall when the tunnel was completed but I'm sure it was long after you were there. By the way, the pass is 11,990 feet. I told ya it wasn't even 12,000! :D
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Eisenhower Tunnel was very much in use when we lived near Denver from 1979 to 1983. And it was definitely the way to cross the divide.

woodstock said:
1593312986_c985b206f2.jpg


A-Basin is lower than this.
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Parking lot, yet. Top of the slopes, I don't think so. Ski area goes up from the parking lot.
 
Curiously, anyone know why the continental divide is marked on the Albuquerque sectional? I've flown over it many times, its not like you can actually pick it out from the air...
 
KennyFlys said:
Besides, it was the sixty feet on the east face at A-Basin that took out my knee and hip. I loved Breckenridge and Copper Mountain in that area. Winter Park is for wimps. Matt Teller would like it. :) The only other area I thought was great and affordable was Crested Butte.
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Buh huh huh huh. I've been skiing all of once in my life at Crested Butte, ironically enough. It's the bunny hills for me! But geezz old man, be more careful, pretty soon you're going to sneeze and break a hip.
 
SkyHog said:
Curiously, anyone know why the continental divide is marked on the Albuquerque sectional? I've flown over it many times, its not like you can actually pick it out from the air...
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It's all downhill from there.
 
Teller1900 said:
Buh huh huh huh. I've been skiing all of once in my life at Crested Butte, ironically enough. It's the bunny hills for me! But geezz old man, be more careful, pretty soon you're going to sneeze and break a hip.
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I love Crested Butte! I've been going since I was in the womb (not even kidding). I got caught on the chair and was suspended about 20 feet in the air on Keystone Lift (back when it had two stops). I was about 4 at the time.
 
Teller1900 said:
Buh huh huh huh. I've been skiing all of once in my life at Crested Butte, ironically enough. It's the bunny hills for me! But geezz old man, be more careful, pretty soon you're going to sneeze and break a hip.
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But, there's more to Crested Butte than just the snow and slopes. You find the quality and personality without the snobbishness. :)

In 1987, I went there for the Fourth of July Parade. I had never seen such a fantastic parade with a lot of heart put into by the folks in the region. That night, Gunnison had a fireworks show that lasted nearly three hours. It was listed in a state published book as the best in Colorado. That was not a lie.

On the night of July 3rd, I spent the night at a lake at 10,023 feet, northwest of Crested Butte. I froze my butt off! When I woke up the next morning, there was ice on the lake. The evening before, not a single crystal.

I'd love to fly into a few of those airports, someday. Ya think I could get a Skyhawk over Monarch Pass? :)

The accident at Arapahoe Basin was way back in 1989. It took almost two years for my hip to heal.
 
KennyFlys said:
I can't recall when the tunnel was completed but I'm sure it was long after you were there. By the way, the pass is 11,990 feet. I told ya it wasn't even 12,000! :D
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"It is the highest vehicular tunnel in the world, located at an elevation of 11,013 feet at the East Portal and 11,158 feet at the West Portal. The Tunnel traverses through the Continental Divide at an average elevation of 11,112 feet. ... Construction on the westbound bore (North Tunnel) began March 15, 1968 and was completed five years later on March 8, 1973."

http://www.dot.state.co.us/Eisenhower/description.asp

BTW, here's today's view at the tunnel http://www.dickgilbert.com/eisenhowercdotcam.htm and http://www.9news.com/9live/divide9.asp
 
gkainz said:
"It is the highest vehicular tunnel in the world, located at an elevation of 11,013 feet at the East Portal and 11,158 feet at the West Portal. The Tunnel traverses through the Continental Divide at an average elevation of 11,112 feet. ... Construction on the westbound bore (North Tunnel) began March 15, 1968 and was completed five years later on March 8, 1973."

http://www.dot.state.co.us/Eisenhower/description.asp

BTW, here's today's view at the tunnel http://www.dickgilbert.com/eisenhowercdotcam.htm and http://www.9news.com/9live/divide9.asp
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Greg, I was referring to the top where the HazMat trucks have to go over. I think Kent had indicated he had to bypass the tunnel a time or two.

I've read that CDOT page. The building of the tunnels is pretty interesting. On top of it, there's the Moffat railroad and water tunnel that was built from Grand Lake to the eastern divide. It's under 5,000 foot of rock and was started from both directions in 1922. That's quite a feat!
 
Nah.... I'm not even going to get involved in this thread... The pickings are just TOO easy....

Ya, there is some expert skiing terrain in Colorado. Not a lot, but there is some.

And yes, most certainly a Skyhawk can get through Monarch Pass- I've done it countless times. I have even flown through Monarch Pass in the middle of the summer, through a raging snowstorm! (By the way, there is an AWOS situated right at the top of the pass... ever heard of altimeter settings upwards of 30.60?)
 
KennyFlys said:
Greg, I was referring to the top where the HazMat trucks have to go over. I think Kent had indicated he had to bypass the tunnel a time or two.
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Nope... I don't do hazmat. I had the endorsement, but I gave it up last summer 'cuz I didn't have time to re-take the test when I renewed my license and I never use it anyway.

"The top" you're speaking of is Loveland Pass on US 6. I've always meant to go up there someday, but not in winter and not when I'm pressed for time. So, the opportunity hasn't presented itself yet. :no: :(
 
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