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so i'm heading out to denver sia show tomorrow for three days and then spending the next eight at winterpark. after the demo days i'll definitely be looking for some out of bound hikes and side country terrain. has anyone been there and/or know of any b/c areas around the mt or nearby mts that have relatively good access. i'll have my avy gear of course. i'm contemplating spending the extra money to bring my splitboard along too if it's worth it.

Take a look at Berthoud Pass. It is the Pass that leads to Winter Park and goes over the Continental Divide. It has some great riding for sure, but can be variable and dangerous, not to mention very windy (regular 100mph wind). We ride there weekly and I have been going there since I was a kid and it was a ski resort.

BP can be great and be dangerous. Quick laps from the road with auto-assist (hitchhiking) to get back to the top, or longer more technical ascents/descents up to 12,600+/-. We have horrific Avy danger right now (2 people died inbounds 1-22-2012) so be safe and try to travel with a smart local.

Bring your split, have fun and be safe.

http://avalanche.state.co.us/index.php

And buy one of these COSAR (Colorado Outdoor Search and Rescue) for $3 a year!

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/DOLA-Main/CBON/1251592090523

Hit me up too if your going weekdays and I will try to make it out with you.

Not much "hikeable" sidecountry at WP. There is Zero Creek and Vasquez Creek. But no real open access to this terrain from the ski area at the moment. You can get to either zone by starting from the bottom though (Berthoud Pass or Vasquez Creek TH). That said most of the good terrain in either of those areas would be a death sentence this weekend.

http://avalanche.state.co.us/acc/acc_report.php?acc_id=426&accfm=inv

http://adamhevenor.com/berthoud/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/berthoudtopo.jpg

http://berthoudpass.org/resources/maps-2/

Pedros right in that Berthoud is your best bet for access and mellow stuff to be had if you are careful. There are other areas near WP but they have longer approaches.