Search activities

Trip

Backcountry Nordic Skiing – Keystone Gulch Road

An Easy C cross-country ski trip following a road from the base of Keystone Ski Area up to the Ruby and Santiago ski lifts. The road follows a beautiful stream valley and has a very gentle rise that gets a bit steeper for the last 50 yards or so.

Contacts

Tom Waymire
Tom Waymire
Primary Leader
  • Easy C
  • Easy
  • Mileage: 6.4 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 730 ft
  • Pace: Easy

The trip is limited to those who are fully vaccinated.

The way back down gives one some glide speed (but never too fast for control) and some flatter sections where we can practice our kick and glide technique. A good combination. If the weather cooperates, we should have nice sunshine for the trip except some tree shading for the last short steeper section.

Count on about 1 1/2 hours going up and about 55 minutes coming back down.

Meet at Pole MM at Wooly Mammoth Park & Ride at 8:00 for possible car pooling. 

We will make a pit stop at either (or both) the Georgetown Visitors Center or Wendy's at Silverthorne, depending on the Friday ski traffic.  There are no portable toilets at the TH.

Drive through the tunnels to Silverthorne and turn left toward Keystone. Go 6.5 miles to the first SL (Keystone Road). Turn R and an immediate L. Then at a "Y" intersection, veer R onto Soda Ridge Road. Just 0.5 mi ahead (just past the 2nd bus stop) is an unmarked L turn onto Keystone Gulch Road. The parking area for several cars is just ahead on the left before a metal access gate.

The round-trip driving mileage is 120 miles.

Route/Place

Keystone Gulch Road

Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

I like to add a hard wax (ex: green) to the bottoms of my skis before and behind the herringbone center, but it's generally not necessary.

For the last 50 yards the road/trail makes a switchback that is skied sometimes needing some sidesteps or a herringbone "V" angle steps.

At the ski lifts there are toilets and a take-out mini restaurant. There are lots of tables and chairs outside with music playing to enjoy a packed lunch. Or you may purchase your lunch and drink here. This is our turn-around stop.

Note: there was a lot of construction traffic on the road this summer, so they might have made some "improvements" at our lunch stop. We'll find out!

Trip Reports