Ski mountaineering field picks up speed
More teams elevate blossoming sport
Dale Strode
The Aspen Times
Aspen, CO, Colorado

ASPEN — The conditions forecast slower times.

But the ski mountaineers had other ideas.

The participants in Saturday’s 16th annual Elk Mountains Grand Traverse mountaineering race from Crested Butte to Aspen had to deal with a major section of breakable crust — post-holing on skis.

In spite of the slow, rotten snow, the overall finish times were comparable to last year.

“It shows how developed these athletes are,” said defending champion Bryan Wickenhauser, of Crested Butte. He finished fourth this year with partner Brian Smith.

Earlier this season, Wickenhauser and Smith teamed to finish second in the Power of Four Ski Mountaineering Race in Aspen.

“It really shows, that on any given Saturday, anybody can beat anybody,” Wickenhauser said of the elite ski mountaineers who challenge to win on the regional race circuit.

“There’s good gear; people are doing great training,” Wickenhauser said, marveling at the increasing depth of field each year in the Grand Traverse.

“There’s always been high quality athletes in this, now there are just more and more,” said Grand Traverse ironman Pat O’Neill, of Crested Butte.

The most decorated Grand Traverse skier, with more podium finishes than anyone, finished eighth Saturday with partner Jesse Rikert.

“From the whole mountaineering scene, you can see it getting better,” said O’Neill, who will turn 49 next month.

“Like Marshall (Thomson) and Tom (Goth), they skied in Europe together as a team,” O’Neill said of Saturday’s winners, who also hail from Crested Butte.

“I finished second with Marshall last year. And I couldn’t have been more thrilled when I heard he was in the lead (this year),” said O’Neill, a three-time Grand Traverse winner.

He said partners are training better and training together, which is improving the performances in ski mountaineering races.

He and Rikert ran rim-to-rim-to-rim in the Grand Canyon as part of their preparation for the 2013 Grand Traverse.

“You do some cool things leading up to this with your partner,” O’Neill said.

Smith, who won the race last year with Wickenhauser, said the influx of talented ski mountaineers is elevating a sport he helped nurture from its infancy.

“The bar has been raised, big time,” Smith said. “There were five or six teams that had a real chance to win this race.”

Though disappointed with his team’s finish, Smith said he wasn’t disappointed with the team’s effort.

There are just more skiers going faster.

Even though the slog through the breakable crust outside of Crested Butte was a struggle, Smith said it also left him with an indelible visual memory.

“That was some of the most challenging snow conditions I’ve seen,” Smith said.

“But when everyone was all trained up, it was incredible to look back and see the line of headlamps. It was really cool.”

dstrode@aspentimes.com

http://www.dallasnews.com/travel/ski-snow/20130322-deals-and-events-for-the-last-few-weeks-of-ski-season.ece

Tales of the Traverse: From Crested Butte to Aspen
Aspen Daily News – ‎Mar 31, 2013‎

The 16th annual Elk Mountain Grand Traverse on Saturday attracted over 160 teams for the nearly 40-mile endurance race between Crested Butte and Aspen, and a majority of the racers were rookies. The backcountry traverse began at midnight at the base…

Over the years: Grand Traverse race highlights
Aspen Daily News – ‎Mar 31, 2013‎

… Story. • 1998: Travis Moore and Pierre Wille of Aspen won the race, arriving at the finish line at 8:30 a.m. Fifty teams competed. Forty-one teams finished. • 1999: Jim Faust and Pat O’Neill of Crested Butte won, arriving at 6:52 a.m. There was 30 inches of…

Grand Traverse serves up ‘breakable crust’
Glenwood Springs Post Independent – ‎Mar 30, 2013‎

Aspen’s Christy and Ted Mahon celebrate their victory in the coed division of the 16th annual Elk Mountains Grand Traverse, which finished at Aspen Mountain on Saturday morning. Second place in the division went to Sarah and Jason Stubbe. Michael and…

On the Hill: Grand Traverse wrapping up
Aspen Times – ‎Mar 30, 2013‎

Breakdown: Watch the video as host Maria Wimmer interviews Lynden Mallory and Ben Koons as they complete the Grand Traverse that started in Crested Butte at midnight and is finishing at the base of Aspen Mountain today. Snowcast: Weather for the…

Skimo Elk Mountain Grand Traverse Begins
Outside Magazine – ‎Mar 29, 2013‎

Tonight at midnight, 180 teams of skiers will set out from the base of Crested Butte Mountain in Crested Butte, Colorado, for a 40-mile traverse along an old 1880s mail route through the Elk Mountains. Now in its 16th year, the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse is…

Grand Traverse to test mountaineers’ limits
Aspen Times – ‎Mar 29, 2013‎
ASPEN — The granddaddy of ski mountaineering races — the Grand Traverse — will return with a flair this week. The annual 40-mile backcountry ski mountaineering race from Crested Butte to Aspen will mark its 16th anniversary when skiers take off from the…

Snow still holding well considering the warm temps and solar gain.  CBMR has done a nice job grooming the Indian Trail descent to the bottom of East River.  It’s FAST, so just be heads up as you start dropping down.   A handful of sections on the North side of East River (south aspect) were variable with a breakable sun crust over older faceted snow which produced occasional collapsing (non avi terrain).  Only one gully had 2 pockets that had slid previously but the switchback in that section was solid with no indication of stability issues or propagation from previous slides.   All stream crossing were holding with no indication of collapsing.

Should be a fast course!  Good luck all and have FUN!!

EMGT 2013 03 29 AM

Click on link below to view a pdf of Thursday’s snow safety report:

EMGT 2013 03 28 PM

EMGT 2013 03 28 AM

Sorry for the delay – electronic hiccup’s in the field are slowing down the field reports.

EMGT 2013 03 27 AM

crestedbuttemagazine/docs/cbmag_winter_2013/11