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ELK MOUNTAINS | COLORADO | UNITED STATES

Summary | 300+ inches a year

Aspen Highlands webcam
Aspen Highlands web cam
Courtsey of http://www.aspensnow...
The Elk Mountains are home to some of Colorado's finest ski descents. Located in the western part of the state, the crowds are few and the snow ample. With such peaks as Castle, Pyramid, and the Maroon Bells, this is a great place to be for spring ski mountaineering.

Snowpack
Continental

Mountains

SKI HAYDEN PEAK (1) Elevation: 13,250 ft

With a relatively safe and quick approach and lots of varied terrain, from chutes, steep faces, and mellow glades, Hayden peak is a good choice when in the Aspen area.

STAR PEAK (0) Elevation: 13,521 ft

Star Peak offers some amazing couloir backcountry skiing. Star Peak is situated near Pearl Pass in the Castle Creek area. The Peak is surrounded by complex avalanche terrain and is best accessed during the spring. The great thing is that the Friends Hut sits very near Star Peak making it a great ski destination. Which is nice because it can be a ten plus mile venture to get to Star Peak.

The southeast face is what draws most skiers' attention with a couple couloirs at perfect steep pitches to choose from.


Photos

December 23, 2011
Submitted By lukelubchenco
December 22, 2011
Submitted By lukelubchenco
February 10, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
February 10, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
February 10, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
February 10, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
February 10, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
February 10, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
February 5, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 26, 2011
Submitted By powderjunky
January 26, 2011
Submitted By powderjunky
January 26, 2011
Submitted By powderjunky
January 25, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 25, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 25, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 25, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 25, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 23, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 23, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 8, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 8, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 8, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
January 8, 2011
Submitted By powdermonkey
December 20, 2010
Submitted By powdermonkey
December 20, 2010
Submitted By powdermonkey
December 20, 2010
Submitted By powdermonkey
December 5, 2010
Submitted By powdermonkey
May 25, 2010
Submitted By ungrounded
January 7, 2010
Submitted By wiscokid
April 6, 2010
Submitted By wiscokid
May 10, 2008
Submitted By LePistoir
December 31, 2009
Submitted By NickMalik
December 31, 2009
Submitted By NickMalik
December 31, 2009
Submitted By NickMalik
January 27, 2010
Submitted By powderjunky
Submitted By powderjunky
Submitted By powderjunky
Submitted By awesomepatrol
Submitted By awesomepatrol

Videos

       
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Vert Tracker

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6,374
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Lukelubchenco: December 23, 2011 Uphill: 3,300 ft. | Downhill: 3,300 ft.

First big day of the season. Hiked a bunch, but it was worth it. Sloughs are getting bigger tho and the final descent was a little hairraising even in north facing slopes. Point releases that would pr...[view]
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6,256
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Lukelubchenco: December 22, 2011 Uphill: 2,800 ft. | Downhill: 2,800 ft.

Snow is holding well up high in north facing slopes. Seemed fairly stable, but the layers are definitely starting to turn for the worse. set off a couple sloughs and saw a large slough/avy on a north ...[view]
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8,358
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Powdermonkey: March 5, 2011 Uphill: 1,434 ft. | Downhill: 10,000 ft.

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Powdermonkey: February 10, 2011 Uphill: 4,300 ft. | Downhill: 4,300 ft.

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9,570
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Powdermonkey: February 6, 2011 Uphill: 1,434 ft. | Downhill: 15,964 ft.

Great frontcountry day on a mountain that has a great backcountry feel. Sweet powder to be had all over. Super fun day!!!...[view]
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9,121
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Powdermonkey: February 5, 2011 Uphill: 1,810 ft. | Downhill: 3,810 ft.

Hiked Buttermilk before joining the fam for some lift laps while teaching the little one to ski. She's rockin' it! Great snow out there. Only 2" on the report this morning but as of 10:00 there was ea...[view]
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15,566
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Gripnrip: January 26, 2011 Uphill: 2,400 ft. | Downhill: 2,400 ft.

fun, bouncy snow with recycled pow on top. saw a big avy on the north face of anthracite....[view]
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13,865
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Powderjunky: January 26, 2011 Uphill: 2,700 ft. | Downhill: 2,700 ft.

Another great day! Fast soft snow and surface hoar! Got to ski with gripnrip, so you know, we ripped while gripped. Saw a medium slide on antracite peak's north face.Seems like the skiers right side o...[view]
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15,571
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Powdermonkey: January 25, 2011 Uphill: 5,400 ft. | Downhill: 5,400 ft.

Good time in Marble with powderjunky. On on!...[view]
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14,053
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Powderjunky: January 25, 2011 Uphill: 2,700 ft. | Downhill: 2,700 ft.

Got out with powdermonkey, and since that rhymes with powderjunky, chuck norris materialized and carried us up the mountain.Great snow, getting a little tracked, but still places to find fresh. No vis...[view]
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14,611
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Powdermonkey: January 23, 2011 Uphill: 2,700 ft. | Downhill: 2,700 ft.

Much fun to be had on the fresh snow on Marble Peak. Classic bluebird day!...[view]
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8,945
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Powdermonkey: January 8, 2011 Uphill: 3,300 ft. | Downhill: 3,300 ft.

Awesome day. A lot of people in the Marble area but nobody, but us, on Justice and no tracks since about 10 days ago. Sweet pow with really fast skiing, huge crystal on the surface. Fun today but coul...[view]
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8,709
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Powdermonkey: December 20, 2010 Uphill: 2,300 ft. | Downhill: 2,300 ft.

A bunch of new snow but wet and heavy. It was raining a few hundred vertical feet below McClure Pass. Skiied really well up high although it was sticky, of course, down low. New stuff was bonding fair...[view]
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7,169
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Powdermonkey: December 18, 2010 Uphill: 1,323 ft. | Downhill: 1,323 ft.

Great fresh snow. 100 cm of snow in our pit at the top of Bears Gulch and snowpack was quite stable. More snow on the way. Yeah, yeah....[view]
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6,159
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4mileskinner: December 13, 2010 Uphill: 1,000 ft. | Downhill: 1,000 ft.

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Noliftlines: December 11, 2010 Uphill: 2,000 ft. | Downhill: 10,000 ft.

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Powdermonkey: December 11, 2010 Uphill: 2,000 ft. | Downhill: 10,000 ft.

Great opening day at Highlands...[view]
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10,196
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Gripnrip: December 11, 2010 Uphill: 2,700 ft. | Downhill: 2,700 ft.

fantastic, 6-10" of new on top of a firm base....[view]
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10,177
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Powdermonkey: December 5, 2010 Uphill: 5,230 ft. | Downhill: 5,230 ft.

Great stuff in the Marble area. Some wind effect and variable in spots but you could pick your lines for a ton of fresh pow. Great day with a little snow and a little sun poking through the clouds now...[view]
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6,891
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Powderjunky: January 27, 2010 Uphill: 1 ft. | Downhill: 1 ft.

That's right one whopping foot. As soon as we stepped on the slope it collapsed. Instead of getting molested by snow, I went home and molested a pizza....[view]
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6,516
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Powderjunky: January 26, 2010 Uphill: 1,800 ft. | Downhill: 1,800 ft.

Much needed excerise after a long tradeshow. The snow in colorado is looking primo....[view]
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12,574
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Nickmalik: December 31, 2009 Uphill: 4,000 ft. | Downhill: 4,000 ft.

Last POWDER DAY of the year! Theres no way to bring in the new year like some deep powder. Never before had i skied in snow so deep that i would go nipples deep if i tried to tele turn. All that epi...[view]
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Alpine Ambitions leads educational, adventurous, ski experiences in some of the most quintessential ski locations on the planet. No matter where you are on the spectrum of skiers - from accomplished, expert skier ready to ski from the summits of big peaks, and in off-the-beaten-path locations to a novice skier with the desire to ski all-conditions and all-terrain, Alpine Ambitions creates the right environment for you....Hire this guide
Alpine World Ascents
Alpine World Ascents is a professional ski and mountain guide outfit based out of Boulder, CO, offering instruction and guiding year round locally and around the world: Rock, Ice, Alpine, Ski, Avalanche Safety. AMGA and IFMGA certified guides only....Hire this guide

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Web Cams

Aspen Highlands webcam
Aspen Highlands web cam
Courtsey of http://www.aspensnow...
 

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