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Geneva Park

Trip

Backcountry Nordic Skiing – Geneva Park

This is one step above an Easy I ski tour to be an Easy II trip. The length is a little longer at 5 miles RT but over gently rolling terrain, taking 3+ hours versus 2+ hours for an Easy I trip. There are a couple of short but steeper hills.

Contacts

Tom Waymire
Tom Waymire
Primary Leader
  • Easy
  • Easy
  • Mileage: 5.0 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 200 ft
  • Pace: Easy

Meet at 9:00 AM at the Park & Ride Lot at the SW corner of Wadsworth and Hampden (look for a Toyota Camry with a ski rack and open trunk). No toilets. It's about a 1.5-hour trip to the TH. We will stop at the Loaf & Jug before Crow hill and Bailey for a pit stop (nice to buy a snack for the privilege of using their toilet).

The round-trip car mileage is 100 miles.

We should be back to the Park & Ride lot by 3:30.

The TH is on the south side of Guanella Pass. We will drive on US285 to Grant, turning R onto Guanella Pass Road. We will drive past the Abyss and Burning Bear THs to the end of the plowed road with a closed gate. If plowed, we will turn left a short distance to the Duck Creek Campground parking lot with room for ten cars.

Sometimes we are "breaking trail". This means that we will be making new ski tracks. The normal procedure is for each person to take turns leading and cutting a new ski track. I will make sure that the "new" leader knows where the trail might be.

The creek we will be crossing is Geneva Creek, but the campground is called Geneva Park.

Route/Place

Geneva Park

Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

I recommend applying a "glide" wax to your ski bottoms in front of and behind the herringbone scales area using a flat cork to smooth out the wax. A hard wax like a green hardness seems to work best.

We will stop often for water and resting and will plan on an early snack/lunch when we reach the totem pole (which is NOT on the trail, but in an unmarked meadow nearby). So, pack some sort of siting pad if choosing to sit down in the snow. Plan to fill your water bottle(s) with hot water or cocoa (tomato soup?) before leaving home.

The trail is through trees but also open meadows, so bring your sunglasses or ski goggles.

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