Narrative:

Landed in tex in marginal VFR conditions due to scattered snow showers in the vicinity. The flight ahead of us departed right after we landed and reported 'very marginal' VFR conditions down the valley. We taxiied out a few mins later and sat on the end of the runway considering our course of action. A call to the station with a relay to dispatch continued we could not get an IFR clearance until we were airborne. The visibility was about 5 mi looking down the valley on the departure path, but clouds were obscuring the mountain tops and a large snow shower was blocking the entrance to the valley. There was a blue hole directly over the airport. I decided to depart and attempt to find a hole to climb through and get on top before we picked up our IFR clearance back to den. There was enough room that I could maneuver back to the airport if it was not possible to climb out past the end of the valley. After takeoff and proceeding about 3 mi down the valley, there was a large open area to the southwest where we were able to climb VFR and get on top at about 14500'. We then picked up our IFR clearance from center and proceeded toward den. Later, center asked if we had a problem departing tex as we popped up on his screen quite a bit southwest of where we normally. I mistakenly replied that it was 'marginal VFR' on departure, then corrected myself to say that we were 'able to maintain VFR condition on the climb out'. The tone in the controller's voice suggested that he may have been fishing for a violation, when in fact we were legal the entire time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER DEPARTS TELLURIDE, CO VFR, HAS TO DO SOME MANEUVERING TO AVOID IMC CONDITIONS IN CLIMB TO ALT WHERE HE CAN PICK UP HIS IFR CLRNC. ARTCC RADAR CTLR'S QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS LEAD TO THIS CYA REPORT.

Narrative: LANDED IN TEX IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS DUE TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS IN THE VICINITY. THE FLT AHEAD OF US DEPARTED RIGHT AFTER WE LANDED AND RPTED 'VERY MARGINAL' VFR CONDITIONS DOWN THE VALLEY. WE TAXIIED OUT A FEW MINS LATER AND SAT ON THE END OF THE RWY CONSIDERING OUR COURSE OF ACTION. A CALL TO THE STATION WITH A RELAY TO DISPATCH CONTINUED WE COULD NOT GET AN IFR CLRNC UNTIL WE WERE AIRBORNE. THE VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 5 MI LOOKING DOWN THE VALLEY ON THE DEP PATH, BUT CLOUDS WERE OBSCURING THE MOUNTAIN TOPS AND A LARGE SNOW SHOWER WAS BLOCKING THE ENTRANCE TO THE VALLEY. THERE WAS A BLUE HOLE DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT. I DECIDED TO DEPART AND ATTEMPT TO FIND A HOLE TO CLB THROUGH AND GET ON TOP BEFORE WE PICKED UP OUR IFR CLRNC BACK TO DEN. THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM THAT I COULD MANEUVER BACK TO THE ARPT IF IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO CLB OUT PAST THE END OF THE VALLEY. AFTER TKOF AND PROCEEDING ABOUT 3 MI DOWN THE VALLEY, THERE WAS A LARGE OPEN AREA TO THE SW WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO CLB VFR AND GET ON TOP AT ABOUT 14500'. WE THEN PICKED UP OUR IFR CLRNC FROM CENTER AND PROCEEDED TOWARD DEN. LATER, CENTER ASKED IF WE HAD A PROB DEPARTING TEX AS WE POPPED UP ON HIS SCREEN QUITE A BIT SW OF WHERE WE NORMALLY. I MISTAKENLY REPLIED THAT IT WAS 'MARGINAL VFR' ON DEP, THEN CORRECTED MYSELF TO SAY THAT WE WERE 'ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR CONDITION ON THE CLBOUT'. THE TONE IN THE CTLR'S VOICE SUGGESTED THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN FISHING FOR A VIOLATION, WHEN IN FACT WE WERE LEGAL THE ENTIRE TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.