San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
HUT-TO-HUT • For trek guide, snow stability is an ongoing concern
E11 beacon that can send and receive electronic signals — a must when traveling through avalanche-prone terrain.
“We’ll be constantly assessing things as we go,” Disser said, referring to the myriad factors that make up snow stability.
Everyone in the group had skied many times at resorts, but our backcountry experience varied. This would be the first hut trip for Doug Wojcik, 56, of Mclean, Va., who came with his son, Christopher Wojcik, 30, of Seattle; to prep, the pair had taken a weekend backcountry course at Stevens Pass in Washington. Likewise, it would be Bettina Eckerle’s first hut experience, though the New Yorker skis at her vacation home near Vail, Colo. On the other hand, Kat Siegrist, 38, of Dillon, Colo., frequently backcountry skis with friends.
Hut No. 1 and a steep climb
That first morning, we set off on the relatively easy 3.5-mile ski to the Opus Hut. Tucked among trees on a knoll, the hut, which sleeps 20, is three stories high, with hand-hewn beams accenting the dining area. A separate building houses a wood-fired sauna.
The winter’s abundant snowfall had created huge drifts around the hut, and a shoveled-out tunnel led to the entrance. All that snow meant that the staff had already gone through much of the firewood hauled in during the fall. Hence, no fire crackled when we arrived, and the hut was chilly; I kept on most of my ski layers and didn’t warm up until I ate two bowls of soup in the late afternoon. That night, after filling up on pad thai and coconuttopped fudge bars, I gratefully pulled up the bed’s thick comforter in the room I shared with Eckerle and Siegrist.
At breakfast, Disser, tall and wiry with a long saltand-pepper beard, laid out the day’s route: We would start by skinning from the Opus Hut to the bottom of a basin, then hike — skis strapped to backpacks — to a 13,040-foot mountain pass, attaching crampons to our ski boots if the snow was slick.
I’d been dreading it. It wasn’t the mountaineering that worried me. I was battling a personal demon: exercise-induced asthma that has gradually worsened, putting a crimp in my recreational endeavors, if not my ambition. Adding another medication had provided newfound stamina, and I was hopeful I could once again tackle a multiday ski trip. Yet I worried I’d be slow on the trek up to the pass or, worst case, unable to finish it.
At first we skinned in long zigzags up the slope; as the terrain got steeper, Disser and Ormond demonstrated kick turns (changing direction on skis in a few fluid movements). Eventually we took off our skis and hiked straight up the slope, kicking the toes of our boots into the snow to gain purchase and using our ski poles for balance. I don’t know if it was the inspiring scenery or the camaraderie that spurred me along, but I felt better than I had in ages. Later, I watched a video a fellow skier took of us finishing the climb and heard myself say, “I feel like a million bucks.”
We topped out on a narrow ridge overlooking Columbine Lake, which in summer glistens Caribbean blue, but now was frozen solid. One by one, each of us skied 300 vertical feet down to the lake, scribing symmetrical S’s in the pristine snow. In this remote landscape, I felt very alive and very small. Later, James Pettifor, 38, who lives near Denver, would comment on
the serenity: “I had a spiritual experience up there. It’s not something I get with my resort experiences.”
Our final descent through Porphyry Basin was my favorite of the day —- creamy powder on a steep but not intimidating pitch. We worked our way down, skiing wide-open slopes and narrower gullies in conditions that ranged from winter powder to sun-softened snow. We ended up alongside Route 550 near Red Mountain Pass, a popular area for backcountry skiers.
Laid-back luxury
Home for the next two nights was the Red Mountain Alpine Lodge, less than a quarter-mile off the road, but requiring a ski in. Opened in 2018 and owned by San Juan Mountain Guides, it’s a luxurious chalet, with a soaring wood ceiling and a wall of windows that frames a view of forested hills and higher peaks. Up to 20 guests can sleep in the loft area or in one of three private bedrooms.
Small bags we’d packed pre-trip had been transported in, so we all had a fresh change of clothes. Also, hot showers!
After a seven-hour day on skis, it was a treat to sink into a leather couch by the wood stove, cold beer in hand. Another treat: decadent three-course dinners, which one night included elk tenderloin and homemade honey-lavender cake.
By day three, we were all red from the sun and slightly sore, but tempting as it may have been to lounge on the deck, we set out for Red Mountain No. 3, a peak that measures just a hair below 13,000 feet. The ascent included a sketchy section of thin snow and sharp rocks that necessitated a skis-off hike and underscored the benefit of having guides.
“I would have never popped off my skis and boot-packed up that on my own,” Glenn Seymour, 59, of Park City, Utah, said later. Seymour was on the tour with his ski buddy John Kiczek, 70, who spends
winters in Park City.
We were rewarded for our perseverance with an exhilarating descent from Red 3’s summit on the sort of long, open slope associated with heli-skiing. Yet halfway down, I had to stop to catch my breath. My asthma was getting the better of me; I no longer felt like a million bucks.
The final push
“I’m a little worried about my stamina,” said Siegrist on the third night. We all laughed, thinking, “You?” On the uphill segments, she was usually right behind Ormond, who had the laid-back demeanor of a surfer, but moved through the mountains with ease.
Yet her concern was legitimate. The next day we would cover about 7 miles and 3,500 feet of elevation gain, traveling through several alpine basins to reach Hayden Backcountry Lodge. The hut was opened in 2020 by Eric Johnson, a chef who moved from Boulder to renovate the old cabin, which was located, as were the other huts we visited, on a former mining claim.
Gray skies hovered on day four, transforming the mountains and valleys into a monochromatic landscape and making depth perception difficult. We stopped to eat sandwiches at the ruins of an old mining cabin, seeking respite from the wind amid the splintering boards. From there we skied by Imogene Pass, a summer four-wheel-drive road between Ouray and Telluride that tops out at 13,114 feet; improbably, an old mailbox sits there, now so shot through with bullets that the metal looks like lace.
Another long descent led us to the lodge’s front door. The hut, which sleeps 18, includes a new two-story wing with cozy spots for lounging and dining, and spellbinding views of the nearby peaks and Yankee Boy Basin.
The trip’s finale came too soon, on Easter Sunday. We had all bonded in the way that only comes from going up and down mountains together, encouraging each other through tricky sections and hooting and hollering as we each etched our own style of turns in the snow. But before we descended to our everyday lives, there would be one more ski tour.
Leaving Hayden behind, we skinned high up into a basin below the summit of United States Mountain, the only noise our skis shuffling along the track set by Ormond and occasional bursts of conversation or laughter. Sun filtered through snow-blanketed bands of rock that loomed, cathedral-like, above. The skiing was sublime.
I’m not particularly religious, but on that mountain, which by its very name left no doubt as to which country we were in, I had my own spiritual experience. And I certainly didn’t mind having some help to achieve it.
BEST BETS Sunday
“The Love Advisor”: Uptv, 7 p.m. Original film. When a lowly assistant (Rachel Vallori) who has secretly been writing the love advice for her boss’s podcast finds out her favorite journalist (Tyler Harlow) is a fan of the show, she will have to decide if love is worth risking her career for. “The Way Home”: Hallmark Channel, 9 p.m. Season premiere. The acclaimed timetraveling family drama, which follows Kat Landry (Chyler Leigh) and her teenage daughter Alice (Sadie Laflammesnow) as they return to Kat’s Canadian hometown to stay with her estranged mother, Del (Andie Macdowell), returns tonight. Season 2 will follow the family’s quest to find Kat’s brother who went missing in the 1990s, causing their family to fray.
“All Creatures Great and Small”: KPBS, 9 p.m.
Busy and exhausted, James (Nicholas Ralph) and Helen (Rachel Shenton) can’t get any time together. James thinks he’s found a solution when he hires a new trainee vet, Richard Carmody (James Anthonyrose), but things don’t quite work out as he expects. Meanwhile, Mrs. Pumphrey (Patricia Hodge) has a new canine member of her household who has an antisocial problem that she needs addressed urgently, and Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley) takes a big step forward in her relationship with Gerald (Will Thorp).
“Love & Translation”: TLC, 10 p.m. New series. In this new relationship series, three American bachelors travel to paradise, where they are joined by 12 women from nine different countries (kind of like “Bachelor in Paradise”), only these ladies speak no English. Without a translator, the series explores how singles looking for love come together in an attempt to find a connection.
Monday “The Bachelor”: ABC, 8 p.m.
Season premiere. The 28th season of this beloved dating reality series premieres tonight, featuring 28-year-old tennis pro Joey Graziadei and a group of 32 new contestants, including Miami Dolphins cheerleader Samantha Washington.
“Ride”: The CW, 8 p.m. New series. Hallmark Channel’s Western series makes its debut on The CW tonight with the pilot episode, titled “Legend of the Fall,” which follows a rodeo family’s attempt to save their ranch after a tragic event.
“America’s Most Wanted”: Fox, 8 p.m. Season premiere. The iconic true-crime series “America’s Most Wanted” returns to Fox, breaking down some of the toughest cases with a team of experts representing law enforcement units.
“Antiques Roadshow”: KPBS, 8 p.m. As “Roadshow” winds up its visit to Anchorage, featured treasures include an Alaska belt buckle (circa 1975), an Elvis Presley King Creole movie poster and a Stephen Decatur warrant.
“Battle on the Mountain”: HGTV, 9 p.m. New series. This new competition series takes place in Breckenridge, Colo., where Rico Leon, Kim Myles and Kim Wolfe mentor three teams of up-and-coming renovators. This week’s battle is in the kitchen, and judges Chelsea and Cole Deboer (“Down Home Fab”) will pick the victor.
“Death by Fame”: Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m. Season premiere. Season 2 of this true-crime docuseries begins with the tragic tale of Tara Correa-mcmullen, a young actress known for her role as Graciela Reyes on the TV series “Judging Amy.” At just 15 years old, Correa-mcmullen rose to fame from the tough streets of Los Angeles, but a romance with the wrong person took her down a dangerous path and out of the spotlight forever.
“Bad Romance — A Special Edition of 20/20”: ABC, 10 p.m.
New series. This gripping exploration of love gone wrong takes an intimate look at the complexities that can arise in matters of the heart, aiming to shed light on various cautionary tales of romance by showcasing real-life relationships that went sideways.
Tuesday
“Celebrity Jeopardy!”: ABC, 8 p.m. Season finale. The final episode of Season 2 of this “Jeopardy!” spinoff featuring celebrity contestants airs tonight.
“Extended Family”: NBC, 8:30 p.m.
Craving more personal time with Trey (Donald Faison), Julia (Abigail Spencer) takes it upon herself to find a new girlfriend for Jim (Jon Cryer).
“La Brea”: NBC, 9 p.m. As Gavin (Eoin Macken) and Sam (Jon Seda) search for a secret military base, they are surprised by an old colleague of Gavin’s who just may hold the clues to finding Eve (Natalie Zea). Meanwhile, when Ty (Chiké Okonkwo) and Sam try to figure out how to bring their friends home, Ty becomes sidetracked as he confronts demons from his past.
Wednesday “Six Nations: Full Contact”: Netflix.
New series. The producers of “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” are behind this docuseries that brings fans closer than ever to the 2023 Guinness Six Nations Championship as the best teams in Europe battle it out in some of the biggest matches on the rugby calendar.
“Wild Cards”: The CW, 8 p.m.
A porch pirate case leads Max (Vanessa Morgan) and Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) to stumble upon the murder of a cutthroat sports agent.
“Nature”: KPBS, 8 p.m.
“Nature’s” three-part “Big Little Journeys” miniseries concludes by following a matchstick-sized chameleon in Madagascar that undertakes an epic journey to find a mate and lay eggs before it’s too late, and a water vole in the Scottish Highlands that swims a lake, climbs a waterfall and scales a mountain to find a place to raise her pups.
“Family Law”: The CW, 9 p.m.
A biased judge rules against Daniel’s (Zach Smadu) petition to have a scam marriage annulled.
“Rico to the Rescue”: HGTV, 9 p.m.
Season premiere. In “Two-story Troubles,” when a contractor vanishes midproject, a family is left with very few options for finishing their two-story renovation. Rico Leon and his team must salvage the troubled house and bring the family’s dream back to life, proving that trust can be rebuilt, too.
“Chicago Fire”: NBC, 9 p.m.
Mouch (Christian Stolte) sets out to change his legacy and nickname; Ritter (Daniel Kyri) pushes Herrmann (David Eigenberg) to see a doctor; and Brett (Kara Killmer) searches for the perfect wedding venue.
“Chrissy & Dave Dine Out”: Freeform, 10 p.m.
New series. Featuring model Chrissy Teigen and restaurateur/chef David Chang as hosts, this new unscripted food series will explore the best restaurants and uncover the most hidden culinary gems in and around Los Angeles, with plenty of celebrity guests, such as Teigen’s husband John Legend, Kumail
Nanjiani, Regina Hall, Jimmy Kimmel and many more.
Thursday
“Griselda”: Netflix. New series. Sofía Vergara leads this six-episode crime drama as the real-life title character, Griselda Blanco, a Colombian drug lord who created one of the most profitable cocaine cartels in history. In 1970s and ’80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become known as “the Cocaine Godmother” and “the Black Widow.”
“Masters of the Universe: Revolution”: Netflix.
New series. This new, five-episode entry in Kevin Smith’s reimagining of “He-man and the Masters of the Universe” finds a newly mechanized Skeletor (voice of Mark Hamill), armed with the might of Motherboard, attacking the heart of Eternia while Prince Adam (Chris Wood) grapples with a new responsibility and what that means for him as Heman.
“Sexy Beast”: Paramount+
New series. This prequel to the acclaimed 2000 British crime thriller explores the origins of the complicated relationship between Gal (played by James Mcardle here, and by Ray Winstone in the film) and Don (played by Emun Elliott here, and in the film by Oscar-nominated Ben Kingsley) as they first find themselves descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s. Tamsin Greig, Stephen Moyer and Sarah Greene co-star.
“In the Know”: Peacock.
New series. Mike Judge (“King of the Hill”) and Greg Daniels (“The Office’) are among the executive producers of this adult animated comedy that follows Lauren Caspian (voice of Zach Woods), who is NPR’S third most popular host. He’s a well-meaning hypocritical nimrod who also happens to be a stop-motion puppet. Each episode of this series follows a making of Lauren’s show, “In the Know,” in which the puppet conducts in-depth interviews with real-world human guests, while collaborating with a diverse crew of NPR staff (who are also puppets and nimrods).
“Son of a Critch”: The CW, 8 p.m.
Season premiere. Mark (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) is eager to begin his final year of grade school but learns he needs glasses in the first episode of Season 3 of the Canadian family comedy series.
“The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger”: INSP, 8 p.m.
After discovering a river filled with gold, frontiersman Jim Bridger (Rib Hillis) and his fellow trappers believe they are near El Dorado, the mythical Spanish city of gold. But their insatiable greed turns friends into enemies and puts Bridger at risk of a gruesome fate.
“Law & Order”: NBC, 8 p.m.
When a prominent tech CEO is killed, Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) and Riley (Reid Scott) untangle multiple leads to reveal a plot for retribution. Meanwhile, Price (Hugh Dancy) and Maroun (Odelya Halevi) debate whether an overdue piece of evidence should be submitted to the jury.
“Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits”: Lifetime, 9 p.m.
New series. Cameras follow worldrenowned medium Theresa Caputo as she travels the globe connecting loved ones with those who’ve passed, restoring hope and faith in her personal connections she makes. This new series will see Theresa as she celebrates her son’s wedding in Italy, helps her daughter adjust to motherhood, visits with her parents next door and, of course, channels her share of spirits for others.
“Children Ruin Everything”: The CW, 9:30 p.m.
Astrid’s (Meaghan Rath) confidence tumbles after the kids make fun of her during a practice presentation.
Friday “Expats”: Prime Video.
New series. Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee and Jack Huston lead this six-part drama set against the vibrant and tumultuous tapestry of 2014 Hong Kong. It centers on three American women — Margaret (Kidman), Hilary (Blue) and Mercy (Yoo) — whose lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy. The series interrogates privilege and explores what happens when the line between victimhood and culpability becomes blurred.
“Hightown”: Starz, 9 p.m. Season premiere. The crime drama returns for a final season, following Jackie Quiñones (Monica Raymund) in her battle to overcome her addictions as she unravels the intricacies of Cape Cod’s underworld. James Badge Dale, Riley Voelkel, Amaury Nolasco and Atkins Estimond also star.
Saturday “Romance With a Twist”: Hallmark Channel, 8 p.m.
Original film. Luna (Jocelyn Hudon), a former dancer, gets the opportunity to transform a gym into an aerial yoga studio and is discovered by Bennet (Olivier Renaud), a professional aerialist who has returned home from performing around the world. When his partner drops out, Bennet recruits Luna to perform with him, and the two of them must work together to reach new heights in both work and love. “Confessions of a Cam Girl”: Lifetime, 8 p.m. Original film. Inspired by real stories, the film follows 18-year-old fashion savant Kristen (Megan Best, “Dawn”), who is set to become the first in her family to graduate college. Her parents are less than thrilled about her fashion pursuits and cut off her financial support. Forced to take matters into her own hands, Kristen secretly creates an online explicit content page to raise money to attend the program of her dreams when things go wrong.