Skiing and Snowshoeing Leadville area, January 14-18

MLK Weekend - the long weekend in January - is an excellent time of the year for winter adventures, whether on groomed ski slopes or in the wilderness backcountry. We haven't done a Leadville weekend for a few years, so I'd like to try one again. We will rent a house in Leadville and use that town - the highest city in the U.S. - as a base for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing. The highest peaks in Colorado form the western skyline for Leadville. Outings will range from moderate/intermediate to more strenuous and specialized outings; each outing will be treated as a Mountaineers trip with a designated leader and signout sheet. Downhill can be done at old-fashioned but spacious Ski Cooper (3 free days with a Pajarito pass), or world class Copper Mountain, just 25 miles and 40 minutes away. Alpine skiers might venture to Breckenridge one day, also. If we can assemble a good-sized party, we are likely to have options each day for downhill, snowshoeing, and even perhaps mountaineering - our crew climbed a 14er during the 2013 trip. Ideas for Nordic skiing around Leadville can be found in several places, for example http://www.leadvilletwinlakes.com/cross-country. Another interesting destination is the Independence Pass highway, closed for the winter, but a nice path for snowshoes and cross country skis. We will drive to Leadville the afternoon/evening of Thursday January 14th, spend 4 nights in Leadville, giving us 3 days for adventures, then return to Los Alamos on Monday the 18th, the MLK holiday. I'll secure  a house based on the size of the party. I'm hoping for a price of $150-200 per person for the whole weekend, depending on how big a party we can assemble. Please write Bill at bill@priedhorsky.net to sign up. A $100 per person deposit will hold your spot.