Instead of making separate trip reports for each spring backcountry hike and ski/snowboard trip that my friends and I do, I thought I'd just make a page with some of my favorite pictures from various hikes this spring in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.
Snow conditions have been a bit peculiar in the San Juans this spring. A long dry spell in early April seemed to forecast an early spring season, but in April and May, we had almost weekly foot+ snowfalls. These dumps provided some great late-season powder and also really helped to preserve the snowpack. Unfortunately several of the last big dumps in May just sluffed right off the steep slopes, leaving piles of chunder than rendered many of the steeper couloirs unrideable. Though some good steep and smooth lines still remain, the best snow conditions have generally been found on long, lower-angled slopes.