![]() ![]() He uses the park as a training ground to prepare his students for trips to the Alaska Range, Canadian Rockies or European Alps. These accreditations make Soucy a go-to expert for anyone interested in taking on the park’s terrain. He’s also a Single Pitch Instructor with the American Mountain Guides Association. He is a certified IFMGA Mountain Guide, holds an AIARE Level 3 Avalanche Certificate and is a Level 1 Avalanche Instructor. Soucy began his guiding career teaching at Outward Bound Colorado. “We provide a full range of services from introduction to custom guiding and avalanche safety education,” he said. Soucy is a guide and instructor with Colorado Mountain School, which offers outdoor experiences centered around the mountains. Guides can help tourers stay safe while teaching them about the park’s diverse landscape. “There’s a lot to learn, and if the atlas and maps are confusing to you, it probably means you should be hiring a guide and taking more education,” said Andy Sovick, the founder of Beacon Guidebooks, in an interview with Boulder Weekly. While Soucy’s book offers detailed instruction on navigating the park, it’s designed for someone who already has some knowledge of the backcountry terminology. Its extreme weather changes can also test them mentally and physically. It offers some of the world’s steepest, most extreme lines, teaching tourers how to survive the elements. Rocky Mountain National Park is a powerful place the deeper one goes. The east face of Flattop Mountain is a fun yet moderate run through tree glades for backcountry tourers. He said avalanche risk is also lower, but not eliminated, in Hidden Valley. Fall River South, Upper Hidden Valley and Lower Hidden Valley all offer great skiing at pitches lower than 45 degrees. “The Estes Park entrances offer easier access to steep ski touring and ski mountaineering terrain via the Bear Lake or Glacier Gorge trailheads.”įor ski mountaineers, he includes some of the country’s most extreme terrain, such as Longs Peak and the Elevator Shaft in Chaos Canyon.įor Level 1 skiers, he describes mellower tours to allow them to experience the scenery, rather than a high stakes adrenaline rush. “The Grand Lake Entrance offers many options for flat, cross-country skiing, with the steeper terrain requiring longer days to access,” said Soucy. Soucy covers 15 zones and 55 runs in the park, from the east side to the west side. The lightweight guidebook is designed to fit into a pack, and includes aerial photos marked with ascent and descent indicators, individual run descriptions, slope angles, Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale ratings and objective hazards, trailhead markers, parking information, and more. Experts can study maps of the steepest lines, like Dragontail Couloir, which offers views of Longs Peak down to awe-inspiring Emerald Lake. The book also maps out Hidden Valley, an old-time ski resort, where historic runs maintained from the 1930s to 1990s cut through the mountain. “The season usually lasts from December to May, with the late winter and early spring months having the best snow coverage and weather to visit most corners of the park.” “Ski touring in Rocky Mountain National Park is a great way to move through the terrain, whether you’re seeking summits, hunting for powder turns, or just out for a stroll,” Soucy said. Still, tourers can stay safe while also accessing epic terrain as long as they educate themselves.Įven on beginner terrain, avalanches are possible, so experts suggest taking certified courses before venturing into the backcountry. ![]() ![]() Ski tourers must prepare themselves for a day in the elements in unmitigated avalanche territory. Rocky Mountain’s backcountry offers acres of landscape unencumbered by crowds and a deeper connection to nature, but the backcountry’s solitude also creates inherent risk. ![]() After the snow sets in, the park’s diverse landscape allows both cross-country skiers and ski mountaineers to explore some of the state’s most majestic features. Snow blankets the park, from the meadows of the Kawuneeche Valley to the craggy summit of Longs Peaks. The warmer months are undoubtedly Rocky Mountain National Park’s high season, but the winter offers a whole new world for outdoor enthusiasts. 2022, Soucy details backcountry skiing Rocky. Mountain guide and author Mike Soucy, a small speck skiing down Mount Cumulus in Rocky Mountain National Park. ![]()
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