Dedicated Skier Finds And Skis September Snow

Most of us skiing fanatics are looking ahead to the upcoming winter season as we frantically scour the web for news of snowfall at our favorite resorts -- we've officially entered the great in between, the infamous shoulder season that straddles the depths of summer and winter's first inklings.

But for sponsored skier and Freeride World Qualifier judge Doug Evans, the ski season never ended. Earlier this month, he hit an impressive milestone: skiing 263 months in a row.

His September ski streak-preserving mission went down on a late-season patch of snow in Colorado's Front Range.

Here's a video recap.

Initially, I assumed the snow in this September ski trip was unpleasant. Can you blame me? The ski season's technically been over for two to five months, depending on who you ask, and deep, powdery snow is an afterthought no matter how hard you look in North America.

Yet, according to Doug, it was better than it looked.

"The skiing was actually good for September in Colorado. This snowfield typically melts out every summer, meaning that there is no "glacial" ice to deal with and a softer, corn snow surface," he says. "Some years, the lingering snow can be badly suncupped and runneled due to factors such as dust layers and heavy rain events, but this summer's mild weather has made for some smoother than usual late-summer conditions."

As for the specific location of this snow patch, it's in a portion of the Front Range visible from downtown Denver. And, contrary to what you might be thinking, it's not particularly difficult to access. The snow patch is "about a 30-minute drive up a 4wd road, and an hour of hiking will get you to the top of the line," Doug says.

That's much less elbow grease than I'd assume for a September ski mission.

As noted before, Doug has been a member of the "turns all year" crowd for longer than most. His initial inspiration came from encountering a photo in Powder Magazine as a teenager that depicted a skier hiking up a snowless trail with skis on their back. He "was mesmerized by this photo." That summer, he checked out St. Mary's, a popular Coloradan backcountry zone that holds snow into the warmer months.

Doug later obtained additional location beta at a house party in Boulder, Colorado, where he met a crew of knowledgable "turns all year" skiers: "They clued me in to different places to summer-ski in Colorado."

The rest, as Doug says, "is history."

You might be wondering if Doug, after his impressive 263 months on snow, tires of skiing. The answer to that question is yes. Kind of.

Doug explains that after he notches off his September ski day to keep the streak going, he's ready to get back to sports that are actually in season. "By the time September rolls around, I'm usually eager to get my ski day over with and return to summer activities, as the cycle will be starting over again before I know it," he says.

Despite the occasional seasonal fatigue, Doug remains a skier's skier. "Skiing has been a lifestyle since my teenage years," he says. To that, I say, keep getting after it, Doug. Folks like you are what makes our shared sport so special.

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