Our 6 day Chicago Basin Ski Expedition travels to the home of the 14'ers in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains. Our objective for this one-of-a-kind trip will be to ski tour from the Endlich Mesa into Chicago Basin, then catch the D&SNGRR train on the way out. Along the way we will spend 3 full days in Chicago Basin, choosing the best lines to ski, some of which may include skiing off of Mt. Eolus (14,034 ft.), Sunlight (14,014 ft.), and Windom Peak (14,055 ft.), though many other worth ski descents are to be found in the basin.
This is a one-of-a-kind trip in Colorado's largest and most remote wilderness area. If you've skied in Europe, Canada, and South America, but haven't yet seen all that Colorado has to offer, then this trip is the perfect fit to get your spring skiing fix right here at home!
Sample Itinerary
Day 1: We meet early to get a head start on the day's tour and drive to the Lemon Reservoir. We'll drive as far as we can go, then get a tow from snowmobiles to the top of the mesa. From the drop off point we'll skin on rolling terrain and then ski down into the City Reservoir for our first night.
Day 2: Again waking early, we'll leave camp headed for Missouri Gulch, and eventually a pass near Aztec Mtn. Once we crest the pass, we'll ski down into Chicago Basin and set up camp in an alpine and ski mecca with no one around but just us!
Day 3: Today we'll skin up and climb Mt. Eolus and ski down off the summit. An incredible 4,000 ft. descent takes us back to our camp.
Day 4: Today we'll head up to Sunlight and/or Windom Peak to assess conditions and determine the best descent. Alternatively, we may decide to ski the West Face of Jupiter Mtn (13,849 ft.).
Day 5: Another ski tour in the Chicago Basin area. Options are many!
Day 6: We'll wake early and head on down the Needle Creek trainl to our pick up location at the Needleton drop off at 3:45 pm. What a trip!!!
Additional Information
Prerequisites: Participants should feel competent and comfortable on "Black Diamond" rated runs at ski resorts. Participants should also be in excellent physical condition. We recommend that participants arrive in Durango atleast 1 full day prior to travelling with us in the San Juan high country.
Trip Cost Includes: Guiding and instruction. Avalanche probe, shovel, and beacon, boots, skis, and climbing skins are available for rent from our shop for an additional cost.
Not Included: Hotel costs before, during or after the courses. 3% land use surcharge, trip cancellation insurance, personal climbing, skiing, or camping equipment, or gratuities.
Registration and Cancellation: You will need to fill out our Domestic Registration Form, cancellation policy agreement, and liability waiver, and send it to us with a 50% deposit as early as possible prior to the trip date. Balance is due on the first day of the course. Please click on our Registration/Travel link to access the required forms.
