🧗‍♂️ At 20, Breaking El Cap Records

Good morning, Stoke Crew. Is it still fall, still summer, or winter? In Golden we can still bike and climb, but up in the mountains the ski resorts have started to open. Some people don't like this time of year in Colorado, but when you can ski and bike in the same day, that's pretty cool. The short days are the worst though, I think we can all agree on that.

In today's report

• New record on El Cap
• Electric Pisten Bully
• Climbing accident in Eldorado Canyon

Local Stokelight

⛰️ High Country Headlines

At just 20 years old, University of Colorado student Will Moss just pulled off a sick climbing achievement by climbing El Capitan's Nose route in a single day, becoming the youngest person and fourth person ever to accomplish the feat in 11 hours and 48 minutes! Moss's November 1st ascent puts him alongside legends Lynn Hill, Tommy Caldwell, and Connor Herson. The route is 3,000 feet and rated 5.14a. This achievement comes on the heels of his groundbreaking flash of El Capitan in 22 hours earlier this year, making him the first person ever to flash El Cap in a day and cementing his status as one of climbing's most exciting young talents.

Check out his Instagram here

Colorado's ski train is back with the Amtrak Winter Park Express announcing its return for the 2025-26 season starting December 19th after a record-breaking year that saw ridership surge over 150%! The beloved alternative to congested I-70 traffic is expanding to 57 total roundtrips this season, running on a Thursday through Sunday schedule from January 8 to March 29, 2026, plus special holiday weekends in late December and early January.

The two-hour journey from Denver's Union Station departs at 7 a.m. and drops skiers right at the base of Winter Park Resort by 9:11 a.m., with passengers able to bring skis and snowboards as carry-ons at no extra charge while enjoying panoramic mountain views through the Moffat Tunnel. Best of all, the pricing remains incredibly accessible thanks to CDOT partnerships, with one-way fares starting at just $9 for adults and $4.50 for kids. Making it cheaper than gas for the drive while eliminating parking hassles and I-70 stress!

Mountain Briefing

⛷️ Electric Pisten Bully?

Palisades Tahoe just added some serious green tech to their grooming fleet with the PistenBully 600 E+, the world's only diesel-electric hybrid snowcat that cuts emissions by up to 20% compared to traditional machines! The cutting-edge groomer uses an intelligent drive system that keeps the diesel engine running at optimal speed for maximum fuel efficiency, while electric motors actually act as generators when driving downhill to recuperate energy and further reduce consumption.

Beyond the environmental benefits, the hybrid system delivers more grooming performance with constant high torque providing up to 16% more thrust on inclines, allowing operators to push more snow. The snowcat is also equipped with SnowSat LiDAR technology that measures snow depth in real-time, helping crews place snow precisely where it's needed and reducing the number of passes required, which saves even more fuel and resources! No wonder a ski ticket is $300!

Telluride Mountain Village voters just sent a message to ski resort owner Chuck Horning by approving a 5% lift ticket tax with overwhelming 77% support after he backed out of a gondola funding agreement at the last possible moment! The tax, which will generate approximately $2.5 million annually from visitor lift tickets (local season passes are exempt), forces Horning's resort to either absorb the cost or pass it along to customers, with funds going to the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation to replace and maintain the iconic gondola connecting Telluride to the mountain.

The measure became necessary after Horning pulled out of a signed contract in March that would have contributed $1.5 million per year, abandoning the deal right before county approval and claiming the final contract included conditions his company couldn't accept. Mountain Village Town Manager Paul Wisor emphasized the gondola is "the region's most vital shared asset" and the vote ensures the resort contributes its fair share to infrastructure that defines the region's success. I've enjoyed many free rides up this gondola to access some of my favorite mountain biking. I'm looking forward to this gondola staying free and safe!

What else is going on

• Seven climbers killed from avalanche in the Himalayas
• 6th Canadian wolf dead in Colorado
• 18 year old climbs v17
• Rope cut leads to 70 foot climbing fall in Eldorado Canyon

Trailhead Trivia

In what year did Union Station open?

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June 1, 1881