# Crystal Chute Mt Sopris



## jvwoods (Mar 5, 2012)

Anybody out there ever skied the Crystal Chute on Mt Sopris? Looking for route information, specifically about the egress once the skis are off, thanks


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## whip (Oct 23, 2003)

Dont think there's a way on public land but I have friends who recently bought land abutting the public below. Theoretically you could traverse back north but what a slog.


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## jvwoods (Mar 5, 2012)

For sure, looked like private land was an issue just wondered if there was an easement or a known landowner that was ok with a few people walking across their property.


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## RockyMountainMan (May 5, 2010)

Hey - I'll poke around and see if I can't dig up some info for you..


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## ZGjethro (Apr 10, 2008)

I have not skied it, but I have stood at the top of it several times and opted for the couloir to the right due to better conditions and not wanting to slog out the bottom. It can be pretty thin at the top. 

Now that the public lands at the bottom have been/will be traded, exiting the chute might be trickier. It used to involve a bushwhack back to the Dinkle lake parking lot, or trespassing going down to the Crystal River. Personally I would trespass as needed to get back to the car. I was not a supported of the land swap


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## jvwoods (Mar 5, 2012)

from the pitkin county GIS maps it looks as if you could access a road that comes up from hwy 133 north of the crystal river subdivision, the road winds to the southeast and dead ends at a ranch, not sure if the road is public but getting to it from the chute appears to be all public. Thanks for help, also it sounds like a snowmobile is the best option, does anyone know if sleds can go futher than the dinkle lake/sopris trailhead or is that the point where skinning will start?


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## ZGjethro (Apr 10, 2008)

We sled up the trail from that trailhead up to the top of the first meadow above the switch back in the pines. Park it there and start skinning. That is as far as sleds are allowed. If you are skiing other shots on Sopris, you can take the sled up the Hay Park trail to just under the ridge leading to the east summit. 

By the time the road is open to the parking lot, sleds are not needed.


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