North Bowl Laps – Keystone, CO

One of the best perks of my job is being able to really get out and explore the mountain. I wake up early, I get first turns on corduroy days, on powder days and on my favorite bluebird days. It helps when knowing what the mountain is actually like on any given day and to help collect photos that I can use on social media.

This morning was the perfect opportunity to ride the bowls and access the hikeable terrain at Keystone (something I had yet to do). I met up with our snow reporter, talked with ski patrol and headed up the hike out North Bowl to get in my earned turns for the day. During the hike, I listened to the Head and the Heart and remembered what it was like to hike at 11k elevation up an easy slope. The first run was with patrol and the upper portion had the best powder turns before riding into the choppier/bumped out lower section and run out.

On our second run, we caught the outback shuttle snowcat for a ride to the top ($5 good deal) and skipped the second hike. This time we dropped in with a traverse that was well worth the brush, rocks and effort to drop into a well protected spot with freshies and my own powder turns to end the morning on. Here’s my line as I looked back at the end of my run.

I made the promise to myself that I would start wearing my beacon anytime I go through a gate and ride hike-to terrain. Our ski patrol wears them in the same terrain and I know that I should as well.

Definitely a good start to the morning. It felt good to get back hiking and accessing terrain in the bowls at Keystone. Looking forward to hiking with more recent snowfall and exploring even more of the mountain I call home.