Valdez to Cordova V

The options were clear and after much deliberation the travelers came to a decision. Wasatch skiers don't get shut down. Turning back would never be an alternative. Hedgehog was concerned because they were definitely not in the Wasatch.

Phase I of "Operation: Creative Swear Combinations" involved exiting the glacier. Sleds were put on furlough and Ox, Honey Badger, and Hedgehog set out to discover a route. Travel was slow, zigs and zags, back and forth, up and down, and finally a path presented itself through the surreal landscape. They were back on terra firma for the first time in a week, but all was not well. A cliff blocked the way to the bushwhack. Honey Badger and Ox rappelled down in order to survey the landscape from a small hill. It looked doable but their fears about the hateful bush whack had been confirmed. The group decided to make "Crag Camp" at the edge of the cliff and set off to retrieve the sleds. Safe glacier travel protocol may not have been followed to the letter.

Hedgehog and an Ice Arch

Honey Badger Practicing Safe Glacier Travel

Departing "Crag Camp"

The bush whack lived up to the hype.

"Sweet and sour chicken nuts!," declared Hedgehog.

"Rooster cocks!," observed Ox.

"Frozen mixed vegetable dicks!," opined Honey Badger.

"See WAC, they are losing there minds! Just as I had planned!"

"Oh master, you are ever so clever!"

After 6 hours Hedgehog, Badger, and Ox managed to descend the 400' of vertical to the banks of the Rude River. The Rude was mostly open water with precious few snow bridges. When the river bent left, the thicket hugged the right side and the snow-covered gravel bar would be on the left. Cross or fight the alders? This decision had to be made annoyingly often. Sometimes there was a bridge, sometimes not. At first the crossings were novel and nerve-racking but they quickly became commonplace and mundane. The valley began to widen allowing the Rude to separate into a multitude of small channels, many of them still frozen. Crossings became much less hazardous allowing the pace to quicken. Spirits rose and as the light began to fade an idyllic campsite appeared.

The next morning Ox, Badger, and Hedgehog lingered. The sun that was filtering through the high, thin clouds was sufficient to dry the gear in the tents. Things were looking up. Technically they were traveling on the West Fork of the Rude River and the confluence with the East Fork lay a few miles off in the distance. Overnight temperatures had reduced water flow to mere trickle allowing for efficient travel.

Where East meets West, the valley triples in size. West Rude had the good fortune of meandering through a narrow valley blanketed in shadows; the Main Rude suffered no such luxury. River water was not locked in ice and open water returned both wider and deeper. The Rude Valley endured the full effect of the sun. Snow on the gravel bars had all but disappeared. Gravel and drift wood as far as the eye could see. Ski boots and sleds would not make for easy travel over this wasteland.

A Bleak Reality

"Astronaut cocks!," posited Hedgehog.

"Kitten penises!," noted Ox.

"Platypus nuts!," announced Honey Badger.

However, there was no turning back. They had to pull, and pull they did. For hauling sleds, ice is better than snow which is better than river rock which is preferred to gravel which is far superior to wet sand. Gravel and wet sand to the horizon with patches of ice. The siren song of the ice lured them into the wet sand. The Warlock grinned. Muscles strained. Aches, first dull then sharp, howled their displeasure with each step. And then came the rain.

"Operation: Creative Swear Combinations" was in full effect, and spirits were once again leveled.

"Master! Master you have defeated them!," cackled WAC.

"Their spirit was strong but now they are weak. Put on "A Picture of Nectar!" Play it loud!"

"You are a clever and tricksy master!"

But that old Wasatch stubborn "I don't get shut down" mentality was engrained in the psyche of the travelers and despite being far from home progress continued....

-Hedgehog

Valdez to Cordova IV

The Warlock relished in his domination over the travelers. He allowed himself 1 glass of Red Zinfandel, but that led to another, and then another. The Warlock ordered that "Slip, Stitch, and Pass" be played at maximum volume. He finished the bottle and WAC fetched a second, and later a third....

The weary travelers finished digging in for the night when the storm suddenly lifted. Fading sunlight bathed the camp. Gear began to dry. A quick check of the map allowed Honey Badger to pinpoint their location. The mountain in front of them was a nunatak and from this aerie it would be possible to descend down the Cordova Glacier the next morning with no additional climbing. Hedgehog made a quick ski lap above camp. Honey Badger scouted the route for the next day. Haul Ox began to concoct a terrific dinner.

The Storm Breaks

The thermometer plunged that night, but the trio slept great. The clear and cold dawn arrived early and tempted our friends to linger in their warm, dry sleeping bags. Weather like this was a rare misstep by the Warlock, and such an opportunity can not be wasted. With bellies full and spirits lifted, camp was packed quickly and they were off!

Easy Travel

With the benefit of clear skies the team made excellent progress. Honey Badger led them down and around the nunatak and back on course. Navigation meetings were frequent but consensus was easy. They confidently descended off of the minor ice cap and onto the Cordova Glacier. Exhausted and jubilant, the trio stopped for the evening. They marveled at their luck and progress. The next day would be treacherous because a jumbled ice fall waited patiently just beyond the camp.

The Ice Falls Lie in Wait

The Warlock awoke late in the day with a throbbing skull cramp.

"Arggggh!!! WAC what time is it?"

"It is dinner time!"

"Is eating all you can think about? You're a fool! How have the travelers fared while I slumbered?"

"They are doing quite well, Master. They are happy and nearing the toe of the glacier!"

"Excellent, my plan is working. Their spirits will soon be crushed!"

Morning was grey but the visibility was decent. Early morning scouting missions gave Ox courage for the ice fall. With probe in hand he led Honey Badger and Hedgehog into a life-size version of Marble Madness. They negotiated fins, heaves, crevasses, and other surreal features. Sometimes down, sometimes across. Progress was slow but palpable. The glacier rolled over revealing a large smooth portion before them. The pace quickened and toe of the glacier came into view. The horrible vision stopped them in their tracks.

The glacier had receded back several miles. Where the map stubbornly displayed an exit ramp of ice was in reality a deep chasm with the sound of churning water rushing through it. Impassable on skis, impassable on foot, impassable anyway you looked at it. There was a route down to the river, but it was not pretty. It involved leaving the glacier early and voluntarily entering into a soul purifying bushwhack down to a river that had open water. The easier option would be to retrace the track back up the Cordova Glacier and descend back towards Valdez. Defeat or willingly take a 3 day beating? They stared in disbelief at the course forward.

The New & Improved Toe of the Cordova Glacier

The Chasm Begins in the Bottom Right

Will the Warlock win? Will WAC get his dinner? What path will our friends choose? Find out tomorrow unless Hedgehog is too drunk to write.

- Hedgehog

Valdez to Cordova III

While our friends slept in their comfy burrows forces were conspiring against them. Far away in another place, a fading beauty named the Warlock and his henchman, WAC, were following the trio's progress closely.

"Make them suffer, Master!!"

"Patience, you dolt," snapped back the Warlock.

Dawn broke slowly and snowy. 18" blanketed the ground by the time Ox got breakfast going. The route up to the glacier was steep, so the team decided to scout the route that morning leaving the camp set up. After a few hours of deep trail-breaking, the glacier was in sight and it was time to peal the skins. The turns were soft and quick as they raced silently through the trees back to camp. Snow continued to pound throughout the night. The storm showed no signs of letting up at the next dawn, but Ox, Hog, and Badger broke camp determined to make progress. Snows had erased all evidence of yesterday's skinner, so they opted to jettison some food to make weight. With the sleds loaded the uphill slog commenced. Honey Badger broke trail while Hedgehog and Haul Ox took the two sleds.

Pepper Jack: You are dismissed!

Snow continued to fall, but visibility was good in the trees. Badger had to help pull the sleds up the steeper sections and Hog and Ox had to swap in and out of the power sled position (1st sledder). As vertical grew between them and the camp, vegetation was getting smaller and more spread out. The route chosen the day before led onto a thin strip of land separated by two chasms. Above tree-line visibility went to zero. After a short deliberation, Chasms Deep camp was carved into the snow.

Chasms Deep Camp with Meteorite & Satellite in the Background

That evening after 48 hours and 30" inches the snow let up and visibility returned. Badger and Hog used the window to put in the skinner (again) to the toe of the glacier. This scouting mission not only established the route for the next day, but was important for breaking a wide trail for the sleds. Flurries continued through the night, but in the morning the trail to the ice was still in good shape. However, visibility was decidedly poor. Despite this, Honey Badger, Haul Ox, and Hedgehog headed up into the white.

Once on the glacier with the yesterday's scouting trail behind them, the real work began. Slow, deliberate travel through deep, untracked snow all whilst in a whiteout. A 12' piece of thin cordelette tied to a ski pole functioned as a whip. The trail-breaker would use a fly-fishing technique to slap the snow producing a distinct mark in the snow that was used to locate where the sky ended and the earth began. Higher they climbed with no landmarks. A break here and there would reveal large land forms prompting our friends to hastily correlate the features to the map. Two days of whiteout travel brought them to the cusp of the high point of the quest. Evenings typically cleared enough to reveal the grandeur through which they traveled. It would also reveal an inefficient zig-zag skin track.

Ox Navigating / Breaking / Whipping

The next morning spirits were high as they were only 400' from the high point. Armed with a compass, map, and whip; Ox began to navigate. We quickly gained the apex and were heading down a gentle slope. The hard earned vertical began to melt away slowly, but not slow enough. Something was not right. The GPS was consulted. The gizmo whirred, beeped, and clacked. Diodes flashed on and off in brilliant colors. It's gears toiled together as it ground out the answer:

"Beep, boo, beep, beep, ANALYSIS: You are fucked," it said in it's best robot impression.

The course was corrected and the team climbed East, paying closer attention to the compass.

"ANALYSIS: You are still fucked."

Fortunately the batteries quickly died on Know-It-All. Ox held steady on the easterly course. They climbed up out of the drainage back to the high point of the planned route, 4,850'. The whiteout would not yield, and Ox's gaze was fixed upon the needle. But East kept climbing: 4900, 5000, 5100, 5200, and at 5300 a large mountain appeared out of the fog, wind, and snow blocking the way forward. It was time to regroup. Defeated, Haul Ox, Hedgehog, and Honey Badger began the arduous task of building another camp for the night. Spirits were low.

The Navigator and the Power Sledder

"Excellent work, Master! Listen to them swear. They suffer! They suffer!," WAC cheerfully exclaimed.

"Stop your non-sensical rambling, you idiot, and put on "Hoist," growled the Warlock.

Hurt and humbled, WAC complied.

- Hedgehog

Valdez to Cordova II

A Honey Badger, a Haul Ox, and a Hedgehog walk into a bar accompanied by an EMT.

Ox and Badger get Irish Car Bombs while Hedgehog proceeds to crush beer after beer. After too many beers Hedgehog orders a round of Baja Fogs. Honey Badger passes out on the bar. Eventually the EMT leaves. Ox and Hog continue to slay beers. Bar Maid calls a taxi and the 3 stinky beasts load up. Ox advises the cabbie to pull over to facilitate a Badger vomit session. The cabbie drops the 3 at the cabin where Badger vomits 3 more times much to the delight of Haul Ox and Hedgehog. Soon after they all pass out in their own filth.

Sorry if you were expecting a punch line, but this is based on a true story. How did our furry woodland friends find themselves in this predicament? Well, let's start at the beginning...

The plan was to ski from Valdez to Cordova starting at Browns Canyon (250'). There would be ample time to set up multiple base camps to attack large ski objectives. From Upper Browns Basin, they would ascend a glacier, cross a small ice-field, and descend the Cordova Glacier to the Rude River. From here it would be an effortless trek to the sea on the frozen river. A quick 2,500' climb followed by a sublime ski descent would bring them to the front door of the Power Creek Cabin. Mother Nature didn't care much for this plan.

Our friends went "Into the Wild" on March 24th with 2 fully loaded sleds with considerably more gear than that archetype of failure, Alexander Supertramp. The sleds were heavy, but the snow was supportable. The beasts' muscles struggled with the new assignment. Progress was steady and the sounds from the road faded. The walls on either side of the creek grew steadily and the 3 soon found themselves in a small canyon. Haul Ox and Hedgehog dropped weight and scouted upriver. Impassable. Honey Badger espied a gully on the looker's right that would go. With saw in hand Badger sent the booter. After 3-4 trips each, the load was shuttled to the top and the sleds rebuilt.

Impassable Chasm the First

After the shuttle, the friends quickly came upon a snow machine trail and progress improved. Honey Badger picked up the smell of a campfire and pushed on to the source: a Valdez High School wilderness survival class. Josh, the instructor, gave the 3 advice regarding the route and other possibilities. Soon after, the team made camp under Meteorite.

The North Ramp of Meteorite (5,000' from Summit to Creek)

The next day witnessed a futile attempt on Meteorite. After about 1,800', the snow became very firm and cramp-ons would be necessary to ascend further.

Turns Low on Meteorite

The team descended quickly to Camp 1, but Ox noticed his binding was amiss. Something about a pin and plate; action was necessary. Back at camp a plan was hatched:

1. Ox would leave post-haste on a mad dash for the road to beg, borrow, or steal a replacement heal piece


2. In the morning Honey Badger and Hedgehog would move camp higher up the valley

The Fellowship was broken.

The duo broke camp and trudged further on up the canyon. The 2nd chasm came into view. Hedgehog and Badger dropped weight and scouted ahead. Open water flooded the narrows wall to wall. They would have to pass high on the right side. Bags were removed from the sleds and shuttling commenced. One bag at a time across three gullies. The arduous task was finally completed and who should appear? Ox! Badger and Hog were not impressed with his tales of salmon dinners and beers. However, they were extremely impressed with his suss. Ox had somehow scored a replacement heal piece on his fantastic journey. The reunited team pushed on passing under many fine looking couloirs. Camp was made at dusk. The flats were behind them and team settled in for much needed rest.

But throughout the night, the snows came and they would overstay their welcome...

-Hedgehog

Valdez to Cordova Camps

For you GPS / google earth savvy folks, here are the locations of our camps:

"Couloir" Camp (Camp 2): N 60°57.444', W 145°55.063'

"Chasms Deep" (3): N 60°56.909', W 145°53.902'

"Bat Wing" (4): N 60°55.440', W145°50.083'

High Camp (5): N 60°53.885°, W 145°45.397'

Lost Camp (6): N 60°52.104', W 145°41.965'

Toe Camp (7): N 60°49.512', W 145°34.305'

Crag Camp (8): N 60°49.135', W 145°33.399'

Upper Rude (9): N 60°46.812', W 145°31.712'

Wet Camp (10): N 60°40.535', W 145°35.387'

Pick-up Point N 60°39.641', W 145°39.760'

Weather, heavy snow, white-outs, low snow, open rivers, heavy loads, and route finding made for slow going. There were multiple times where we had to shuttle gear making it necessary to cover the same ground multiple times. Bush-whacking made for slow going too. Often in the evening after camp was set up, we would set out in the evening to break trail through deep snow, so the track would be in for the next day. Please don't think too poorly of us.

Photos and prose to follow shortly.

U.K.

Heney Range, Cordova, February 20

Day 2 started sunny but the plumes on the ridges let me know that the winds were ripping. The Heney Range raises dramatically just South of downtown Cordova. And like the surly sea captain, I had a bone to pick with Mountain Eccles.

"Yar, damn ya ta Hell, Eccles!"

Eccles and shy sister Shiels aren't especially high (about 2,500') but they are intense. Access to the Heney Range is via a small gated road leading to a reservoir in Heney Canyon off of Whitshed Road about 1/2 mile South of town. The Heney Range lives a small peninsula jutting into Prince William Sound and is is bounded by Eyak Lake to the North and Eyak River to the East.

The approach from the trailhead was quite flat, but it gave me time to study the route. She steepens towards the top and my hope was that the wind stripped away any new snow. The lower flanks held some excellent tree skiing, but I wanted the summit. The West Ridge started gentle and the trees provided a nice security blanket. But above the trees, it got steep and a cliff forced me off the ridge into an obvious slide path. Man balls are in short supply when you have a range to yourself.

The Problem with Eccles

Defeat wasn't so bad. The powder was knee deep and low density down to the creek between Eccles and Heney. Skins on, and Eccles in the rear-view, I set my eyes on Shiels. After trasending about a mile, the climb began in earnest. I was able to stay in some sparse trees and had to alternate between skinning and booting. The pass between the Shiels and Eccles had the biggest cornices I have ever seen at 1,700'. I followed an ancient moraine into an upper bowl just under Mountain Shiels Proper. There was a break in the cornice at 2,300' and it would be an easy walk to the top, but the route went through rapidly steepening wind loaded bowl. A quick probe with my pole handle revealed a 4' slab less than 24 hours old. Solo and lacking man balls, I pealed 'em and had to settle for 2,200' of sun soaked blower with views of the Pacific. Damn! I made a couple more runs in the trees and eventually retraced my track back to the road finally clicking out spitting distance from the Sound.

Eccles in Front and Shiels in the Back

Monday I decided to check out the Crater Lake Trail on the Western shores of Eyak Lake. The trailhead is a 2 mile walk from town, but I was in no rush. The forest forms a thick canopy over the trail which prevents the snow from reaching the ground. I walked up the trail until the trees thinned around 1,200' and was skinning merrily along. Summer trails typically do not take avalanche paths into consideration, and Crater Lake was no different. It crosses major slide paths that start high on Eyak Peak. I back-tracked and ascended some old moraines until I could link up with my skinner from Saturday. The wind had really done a number on the exposed slopes, but protected shots were still excellent. After a few hours of poking around, it was time to call it. Beautiful shin deep accompanied me to the top of the ski lift and back into town.

Eyak from the Heney

Another Gorgeous Day

Cordova: February 19-21

The Chugach is big. It is unlike any mountain range in the lower 48. I can't even tell if it trends North-South or East-West. It spills into the Cook Inlet and PWS. It spans from Anchorage to Canada. Valdez, Whittier, Girdwood, Palmer, Wasilla, Glenallen, and Cordova all lie within its shadow.

From my house, the Chugach starts off innocent enough. Rolling foothills with hardly a hint a what lies beyond. From the foothills, the Chugach begins to reveal her majesty. Jagged snow covered peaks dot the horizon. From the jagged peaks, glaciers appear. Big glaciers, and this is still within the Anchorage city limits. From a plane, bigger peaks come into view, 12,000' ridges, deep fjords, glaciers meeting the ocean. It seems endless and from a mountaineering point of view it is.

The recent long weekend provided the time and work trips provided a frequent flier ticket. Cordova sits on the Pacific nestled into Prince William Sound. There are no roads to this town: fly, boat, or glacier trek. AK has a class of commercial aviation that has no security. It seems limited to propeller driven planes. No questions, no pat downs, no metal detectors; guns and white gas are fine, I guess.

"I'd rather have a scary flight than have to deal with TSA" was overheard as we boarded the 16 passenger Havelin.

The Friday night flight was bumpy and runway in Cordova had 3" of fresh. Snow was coming in sideways. PWS is notorious for lousy weather and I wondered if there would be much of a view over the weekend. Saturday dawned grey and snowy, a good day to check out Eyak and their 1939 single chair imported from Sun Valley. I arrived at Eyak to realize first chair is at noon, but if I wanted to hang out for 15 minutes they were going to fire up the lift for a few pre-public laps. Nice suss! There are no marked trails, no groomers, and not much bamboo despite hazards aplenty. Eyak has an open boundary policy and the runs above the resort off of "The Ridge" are stunning. From the top of the lift start skinning with Eyak Lake on the right, Orca Sound on your left, PWS behind you, and Eyak Peak towering above you.

The storm had run its course and the snow was A+. The shots off of "The Ridge" were skiing fabulous. Snow ghosts, pillow lines, drops, compressions, rollers all set against a glimmering Pacific. Above tree-line was a different story: the wind was ripping. The day had gone full blue and the sun dared me to venture higher. Mountain Eyak beckoned.

I headed up the ridge above the trees and into the wind. Howling and cold, but brilliantly lit. There were definite wind slabs forming, but the ridge is gentle until about 300' from the summit. I wanted it, but common sense dictated that I use some common sense. Damn you to hell, common sense! I was able to ski through a steep pitch on a wind scoured ridge punctuated by stunted pines hiding under rime. After 5 nice laps above the ski hill, it was time to head back. The lift had closed by this point and the sun was setting over the sound. The slopes under the lift were still skiing nicely which allowed me to enjoy the view. It was time to fuel and rest for tomorrow.

- James "Jim" Lahey

Mountain Eyak from High on "The Ridge"

Sunset over the Harbor

Mountains Eccles and Shiels from Downtown

Eyak's Single Chair and Orca Inlet

PWS from "The Ridge"