Berthoud Powder Guides, 20 February 2002

Berthoud Pass did not open as a ski area for the 2001-2002 season due to cutthroat pricing of season passes at the major areas nearby. Instead, they decided to try operating as a snowcat skiing operation for one year.

Imagine a dozen friends renting a cool little ski area for a day. Gnarly terrain, deep snow, a private cat, GREAT guides, restaurant, rental shop and bar. That's Berthoud Powder Guides. Truly, an incredible experience.

Click each picture for a slightly larger version:

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It was snowing hard and had been for over a day. It never let up. Yah!
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The cat, the clients, the terrain. And snow. You knew it was going to be good when the cat driver said he was getting shots over the windshield on the drives up!
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OK, now starting playing the sound track to "License to Thrill" in your head. Here we go.

(Todd)

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I think that's Rhonda's glove.
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Mike T's wife.
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Bruno in the trees. Kind of an artsy-fartsy shot.
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Sacre bleu! That @#&% Mikey!!

Last time I follow him!

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Bruno was awarded fall of the day. It was some sort of a lay-full-mute-grab thingy. Here is the recovery operation. The French judge scored him highest, of course.
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Todd's in tree jail.

I have no idea.

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Todd's faceshot is my shot of the day. And, this photo was published in the 7 March 2002 Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News as ski photo of the week!
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Some cool tree lines. Some cool snow.
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Randy finding some good stuff, too.
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Bill's happy. Or, maybe some snow got down there.
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Girl poach!
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Brian's smoking!
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Todd getting some steep. They have some GREAT terrain. Some of the terrain needed more snow so we must go back.
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Me shooting

(Bruno photo)

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Me skiing

(Bruno photo)

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A local cutie at the bar.

Meet "Tracks"

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Guide Steve (far left), Todd, Brian, Bruno, Rhonda and Mike's wife. And, beer in our private lounge.
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Administering anesthetic.

Part 6.

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Ski you later!!

(Bruno photo)

Click here to see our other trip to Berthoud on 20 March 2002

All photos were taken with a Nikon Coolpix 775 camera by Mike Saemisch at saemisch@mac.com.

Visit Berthoud Powder Guides

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This page created on a Macintosh using PhotoPage by John A. Vink.