Lone Peak revisit

A bunch of the boys got together to head up to Lone Peak and ski the south side, the massive snowfield that is visible from I-15

Jake in the second hammagog

 

The same theory in the summer as in the winter: run in the sun, stay in the shade

On the ascent Bighorn looked amazing, but it soon would be engulfed by clouds

The summit poked out for a few seconds

The descent was poor visibility, and tricky crust powder.  It was still a good social outing.   A good day in the mountains, a good day to be a boy.

I'm not the smartest guy in the world...

But I'm not dumb enough to noodle into an aspect that slid 15 minutes prior.

Strong work off of Tincan at Turnagain Pass.

-Sawyer

The Shreddy and the Monte Cristo

Sunday night after working the weekend and its time to ski something.  I made a desperate text message to Shreddy in need of a partner to go ski, it was past 12:00 p.m.  He answers my text and I tell him my objective:  hook, line, and sinker.

The sun coming up on Cardiac, still looking a little bare.  We moved higher up the ridge to get the Monte Cristo.  This line sits up next to Mt. Superior, and has itching at me for a while especially because of it's good view from white pine. Plus ever since eyeing the face shots in the footage from Hollywood and Kid Buffalo skiing this last year in deep conditions (you s.o.b's).  I've been wanting to ski it. 

Crossing over from Superior, some of the first couple inches were slabbed together and shed off as we skinned.  It was a little early in the season for this line and would have been a little more straight forward with a deeper snow pack.

Shreddy dropping in to the edge of the world.  The photos are much more dramatic when shot from superior.  The upper bowl was excellent creamy powder our best turns of the run as we would find out a little later.  Across the street patrol was bombing baldy and the sound was reverberating off the massive walls, kind of an uncomfortable sound.

Unfortunately we had to traverse this slope, just like the ski school do to the backside.  Rock ridges blocked the direct fall line descent.

Aaahh, breakable crust nothing makes you feel more awkward on your skis.  That's me trying to hold forward pressure on my boots and flailing.  The middle of the chute (more south facing) had the toughest snow.  The bottom part was actually was in better conditions, more like chalk skiing where you can stay on the surface.

Shreddy skiing the exit chute I never thought about rappelling the cliff.  Why rap when you can ski.  For those who like the directissimo, good for you.  It's like what this old climber named Frank told me at Devil's tower.  When I asked about the ethics of the early climbers and their routes going to the top of the tower. "Ethics are like taking a piton hammer and smashing yourself in the balls." Well said Frank.

AK Update '010

My recent absence from the cyber world does not equate to a lack of adventure. We have achieved much in the preceding weeks. The Maker has provided us with motivation and safe conditions. Conversely Old Nick has cursed us with poor route selection and short days.

First, I will update you, gentle reader, on our preparations for MTV Alaskan Shore: Neacola Edition. A production schedule has been set: April 16-25. A site has been selected and the necessary contracts are in place. The target drainage has yet to see the shadow of a human. This lends to multiple 1st ascents and descents and trascents. I have also finished a draft for the Hans Saari grant. Our copy editors are in the process of reviewing the document as the deadline draws near.

One fortnight ago, GB6K and I endeavored to schuss some new terrain. We headed South of Turnagain Pass and ascended the Silvertip Creek Drainage. We espied Twin Peaks and made off for them posthaste. The buttress was scoured and the angle continued to escalate. The damned black hound began to get the shakes. From our aerie we enjoyed 3,000' of continuous steep skiing back to the motor coach.

Just last week, again GB6K and the Uncle decided to find the steepest, shallowest, shadiest snow pack. We aimed for Madonna's Tits but ended up on the North Face of Pioneer. Blue ice forced a deviation from the drainage and our detour led into ever steepening terrain with ever thinning snow pack. We descended and salvaged the day by sending a booter at Hatcher and ticking off a steep North facing couloir with an intimidating entrance. 2 ranges 1 day.

3 weeks of high pressure produced a bounty of hoar frost the size of quarters. Queue the blizzard: 12 hours, 60 mph wind, 2" of moisture. The dangerous conditions are no excuse for the situation I found myself in come Saturday morn: Nordic gear. Alas! I donned the neon lycra, yellow tinged spectacles, and skull cap with pompom and set out to experience the Great White North. I gave witness to nature's version of David versus Goliath: wolverine versus rabbit. Lo! This time there would be no victory for David. I took the death of the Lepus hard and ale was my crutch.

I leave you all with this message of hope: Be good to yourselves.... and each other

- Condor

Provo peak & and utah boyz return to blogging

Josh leaving rock canyon and praying to Jobroni that he gets another ski day like that in the golden hills of Provo

  Since our Utah chapter has blogged in a couple months, I finally broke down and posted something.  Everybody must assume were having a crappy season.  Well we had a slow start but things have changed since our 80 inches in a week.  Avalanche danger has been pretty scary, and we've been playing it conservative.   Were hopefully going to get on some lines that aren't 25 degrees in tight aspens.  Not that it hasn't been fun, I just don't think any skier boyz have  been motivated to blog about skiing danny's drop into the aspen meadows, or riding Will's hill with clothes on.

With that being said,  Josh and I headed down south this morning to go have a look at Provo Peak.  It sits back in Rock Canyon, adjacent to Cascade Ridge.  I saw it last year when we were plucking some cascade couloirs out.  It's impressive looking west faces was our objective.

 

It was good trek just to get up to the West ridge.  It looked like the best ascent route, there it is looming over Josh.

After finally gaining the saddle, the ridge still went on some 3000 vertical.  

I'm not going to lie I was pretty psyched to get to the summit, the ridge had more false summits then we had expected.

Josh celebrating the upcoming downhill skiing.  We got to the summit around 3:oo, after a long up hill.  We traversed the ridge towards the north to access the northwest bowl.  We skied the West facing side of the bowl avoiding the avalanche gully.  It was perfect creamy powder.

The skiing was  really good and we got to ski like the uncle  for the middle section of the run. I can't write anymore because of this underlining that I somehow can't enable.  Hope your turns are deep

Hatch These Trax!

MLKJ day was good to the Boyz in Alaska. After a couple months of rain crusts and/or low visibility and/or gale force winds and/or bitter cold, everything came together at Hatchers Pass. A foot of Mormon quality blower snow was waiting for us; paired with a windless, cloudless day, with temperatures in the low twenties you couldn’t have scripted it better.

A perfect day at Hatchers

The Uncle, Miss AK, and myself headed out from the Marmot parking lot with high hopes for what would turn out to be the best day of skiing up at Hatchers we’ve had all season and the completion of a three range, three day trifecta for the Uncle. With only 9 other people skiing from the trail head there was no rush, no matter what, there would be something fresh for everyone.

Reaching the top of Marmot it was hard to ignore the opportunity to ski in the sunshine. We ignored a steep shot to the North and backtracked a little to an untouched leeward slope. It felt great to ski in the sunshine and without a cloud in the sky you could see far enough ahead to open it up a bit. It was too good not to go back up.

At the top of Marmot

Miss AK Sussing the shady side

The Uncle getting it done

Setting the steep path to 2nd lap victory

We set the skinner up a ridge between the shot we skied and another untouched shot to the South. The light snow made for light work but not without some tough kick turns. We skied the shot to the South and headed back to the car. Another few feet of snow and the Skier Boyz Alaska Chapter will be doing some serious exploratory work in this area. Keep it coming AK…we’re ready.

© GB6K

3 Days, 3 Ranges

Got after it this weekend: Chugach, Kenai, Talkeetna Mountains.  The snow has been great, but the light has been terrible up until Monday.

Marmot 

I think I hit a child at about 0:36.

- Omar Suarez

P.S. EE sent me an awesome photo of a line we got back in '01.

Broad Fork Twins into North Fork of Deaf Smith

Super Bowl and Gold Pan

There is no ski touring map for Turnagain.  The USGS maps have only 2 named features for the 8 drainages that are generally considered to comprise Turnagain Pass.  I have always heard names tossed around in conversation, on avi boards, forums, bars, and blawgs.  I knew the names and not the landmarks.  I knew where I wanted to go, but not how to get there.  I need a guide.

Friday night, the word on the street was the skiing was ass.  I was at the bar pounding $2 drafts and considering going deep.  More beer or call Bass.  At least Bass will have a current ski report. First another IPA.  

It had rained during the week and optimism was low but we decided to make a go of it.  My bender can wait another 24 hours.  We were skinning towards Corn Biscuit by 8:30 AM.  The plan: get some elevation quick and hopefully climb above the rain crust.  We decided on the 4th North Facing chute under mostly clear skies and flat light.   Dave dropped in and it looked good!  It figured it was Dave making some sucker turns through breakable crud but the snow was actually AK super-hero cream.  If only the light were better....

Dave off of Corn Biscuit

Uber-skinner Dave on his Karhu Guides and Dynafit one buckle boots came out of the gate hot.  Alright, let's go. I gave chase up to the head of the drainage. We took a left at the pass and summited Super Bowl Peak. The North Face off the summit starts steep and slowly mellows out into the valley below.  Roller balls gave the slope some definition and I was able to open it up a bit.  "Man, if only the visibility was better."

We hooked up with the skinner Dave had just put in.  We summited Super Bowl again, but this time Gold Pan called. The possibilities in the Gold Pan Cirque are endless.  Steeps, couloirs, glaciers, faces and completely untracked.  

Dave nearing the crest of Gold Pan

From Gold Pan Peak looking South

(Grand Daddy Chute on the far left)

Unbelievably it was Dave's 1st trip into this corner of the Kenai as well.  We sussed a line from the summit.  The cornice shrank to a manageable size above a small spine creating the perfect entrance.  The aspect had a bit of South going for it so the light was working for us.  The snow was excellent and the skiing effortless.  Sublime.  

We exited via Bertha Creek drainage.  The snow slowly changed finally settling on rock hard rain-runneled concrete.  Loud and fast.  Perfect for the tra-scent back to the auto.

Neacola's (left) and Tordrillo's (right) on the drive home

Cus D'Amato

South Face of Tincan Proper

Tom and I went out on Saturday. I spent the week on the North Slope where they are in the middle of 55 days of night. Nothing but a faint glow on the Southern horizon for a couple a hours. I needed sun and Anchorage was socked in with fog, but tales of an inversion had me thinking high alpine bluebird.

As we drove South the fog was showing signs of weakness. Just past Girdwood we broke out of it. We were above the fog, but not the cold. Hoar frost was pushing 2" at the trailhead. Good skiing now, but not after the next storm. As we climbed it warmed considerably. We gained the ridge and the sun peaked out from behind Sunburst. Sunrise: 1:00 PM. Better than nothing at all. We saw a steep face that we joked about skiing, but our perspective changed as we neared it and it looked good to go.

Tom set up low and I went for it. It sloughed pretty good. It was fun to be in the room where everything is moving. I did my best Mark Holbrook impression and was through the steeps.

By the time we reached the bottom of the gully, the sun had set on the upper ridge. Only about 2 hours of direct light on this shot in December, but we lucked out.

As we drove back the fog made for some amazing visuals against the unusually calm Turnagain Arm. The fog thickened and we knew that we had made the right choice to get out of A-Rage.

Thanks to Tom for the photos.

- David Chappellet

Tincan Proper & Todd's

The people that bitch loudest about snow are usually doing so from the couch.  If you can get over their dire predictions and your own doubts, you will never regret your decision to go out and play. 

The snow may not be epic, but it sure as hell beats hanging in the house.  I headed South to Turnagain expecting some low snow, low elevation storm skiing.  During the drive it became apparent that the storm had fizzled.  The flurries gave way to sun.  Time to change the plan.  How about some high elevation blue bird wind crust?  I decided on Todd's, the big ass slide path highly visible from the road. 

Todd's from the Seward Highway

I was the first one to the trailhead at 10:10 AM.  The folks in AK are not known for Alpine starts even when the sun rises mid-morning.  I started off skinning up towards Tincan.  Once I got above tree-line, I could see the trailhead was filling up.  I kept going at a medium pace.  At the top of Tincan Bowl there was about 3" of fresh and no one around; then a dog showed up. The poachers were closing in.  I was enjoying the solitude, so I continued out the ridge a little further. The views were amazing. 

Looking SW at Turnagain Pass and the Seward Highway

Looking NW at Eddie's and Turnagain Arm

Todd's being North-facing is completely in the shade until early March.  Sunshine is a rare commodity this time of year so I decided to play on the sun-soaked ridge for a while. Tincan Proper would be a worthy objective.  It looked spicy but doable.  I ditched the back-pack and skis and pushed on towards the top. I took my time, tried to stay on rock, wished for my ax, and eventually made it.  There are some amazing shots off if this peek: the South Face and the North Couloir are now on the list.  

Looking back at my route to Tincan Proper

While on the peak, two folks got to the top of Todd's and skied it.  I was secretly relieved not being forced to open that run solo.  Todd's starts in the high 30s and maintains its pitch for a good 1,500' before relaxing a bit in the form of an endless run-out.  Up top the snow was breakable but a little speed took care of that.  The snow was still a little scratchy but a little more speed took care of that. Then the snow was great and there was nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile. Unfortunately there are few options from the bottom of this schuss run.  

I tra-scended back to the car, and met the two skiers that had gone just before me: local legends Kathy and Eric the Viking.  They were telling me about all the epicness of last winter. It seems that they were able to ignore the people at home bitching about the volcano, high pressure, or something else.  They went out and played, and quietly proved them all wrong.

There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Bullit

This is Bull!

Last Updated: Nov 20 at 7:20:06 AM

Snow
New 60 cm; 23"

24 Hours: 68 cm, 27"

48 Hours: 120 cm, 47"

7 Days: 304 cm, 119"

Snowbase 258 cm, 101"

Total cumulative snowfall
* Snow depths are measured at Pig Alley Weather Station - 1650m (Mid-Mountain) on Whistler Mtn.

The Thunderbolt

The 75th anniversary classic.  We need some east coat representation.

I'm looking at you Hilson, Bickford, Slody.

click here

Finally!

Finally I put it in 4WD, skinned it, sent it, and skied back to the road.

Last week's dust on glacier left me empty and hollow.  It felt good at the time, but I knew it was lacking something.  Maybe it was that moment when Tom dropped the knee and his skis came out from under him revealing blue ice. Fortunately he was uninjured because the bolder field on the hike out looked eerily similar to "Touching the Void" and I figure Tom's at least as tough as Joe Simpson. 

A few days later the weather started to get interesting.  Something was getting fired up out in the Gulf of Alaska.  The tempest was angry. Then the winds picked up.  And then they picked up again.  50 mph for 36 hours with gusts to 80. It calmed. I got excited.  Who's with me?  Come on, I think it'll be good.  Nobody? 

The last 7 months had aged the mountains horribly.  They looked bad and were beginning to suffer from hypertension, poor circulation, athlete's foot, and black lung.  So I sent them to a day spa.  Steam room, whale songs, mud-mask, yoga, yerba, massage, and all sorts of other hippie bullshit.  The treatment was a success!

The Kenai Mountain turned heads as they showed off their 4,000' sky to sea faces.  

The Tordrillo's were back to their former glory. 

Redoubt came into view: well rested and no sign of ill temper.  Even the Chugach, that tough old broad, was looking pretty good this morning.  

If the 3" base at the trailhead didn't bring me back to reality, the heavy fog did.   But I wasn't about to let common sense stop me.  Sure, I'll cross that thin ice. Yeah, I'll skin up that narrow ravine with flowing water. What's that you say? The mash potatoes are giving way to a death crust? Sign me up! And up I went, and the fog thinned, and the crust thinned, and the base grew and grew, and before long I was back in Winterland.  

I stayed up high as long as my legs would allow.  High speed compressions, rollers, and big turns. Just say no to squiggles, Alaska. The light was good, the pitch was right, and the snow was super-hero.  Lap after lap and not a thought regarding 1,800' of crust and creeks that separated the goods from the ride.  But I did have to descend. Conditions deteriorated with each turn. That root grind into switch butter granite wasn't styly at all; it was just plain ugly.  I road that junkshow right into the swamp below the road.  The skis took a vicious beating, but like the old saying goes, "Pride cometh before the edges."

You would have done the same.

-Ponyboy

Like Backcountry Skiing?`

Envision Utah is preparing to present the results of the survey held last spring for the Wasatch Canyons Master Plan and a set of possible scenarios projecting different development management policies and guidelines and their impact on the canyons. Scenarios range from resource protection at all costs to facilitating development at any cost. My impression from seeing a draft of the presentation is that backcountry skiers may not have had much input to this process so far and that backcountry terrain and access is at risk.
The presentations will be made and public comments collected at 4 open house meetings:

• Wednesday Nov 4 6:30-8:00 pm: Skyline High School Cafeteria, 3251 East 3760 South
• Wednesday Nov 4 6:30-8:00 pm: Sandy City Hall 2nd Foor multi-purpose room , 10000 Centennial Parkway, Sandy
• Thursday Nov 5 6:30-8:00 pm: West High School Commons Area, 241 North 300 West
• Thursday Nov 5 6:30-8:00 pm: West Jordan High School Media Center, 8136 South 2700 West , West Jordan.

Many options are on the table, including different ways of mitigating traffic, different levels of ski area expansion outside of existing boundaries, canyon-to-canyon lifts, requiring permits for backcountry users, reducing the amount of legal trailhead parking in the canyons, and more. If you care about the level of dispersed backcountry access in the canyons and the amount of terrain available to backcountry users, it would be a really good idea to attend one of those meetings or get a copy of the material presented and make your desires known. From their announcement: The Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow process is your opportunity to help update Salt Lake County’s 1989 Wasatch Canyons Master Plan. This plan guides land-use policy for City Creek, Emigration, Red Butte, Parleys, Millcreek, Big Cottonwood, and Little Cottonwood Canyons. With the doubling of the county’s population in the next 30 years, Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow will strive to ensure the long-term health of these treasured canyons, balancing land-use, transportation, and environmental concerns. If you cannot attend an open house, complete the important on-line survey at www.wasatchcanyons.slco.org. Tell a friend!!!

I just did the survey because I'm not in Salt Lake and cannot make the meeting and voice myself. You know my opinion and I know yours. Get involved and give a shit. Show up or do the survey please. It kind of seems inevitable that we will get shafted as backcountry skiers and yes snowboarders (sorry Keith). But giving your opinion might help?!?!?? What it comes down to is money. Expansion of the lifts will give Utah more jobs and more money in return. But fuck that!!!! Seems like another Denver in the making? Just the thought of a lift up Flagstaff or some other place or more beaters make me puke in my mouth and wish I could spit that shit in that asshole Shaaareeef's face who won't leave the boyz alone. That fucktard. He's a fucking pickle smooching twitter'erer. See ya'll soon.

Wavy

Twitter is gay as hell.  But if you must know...

Tom is wasting away to SARS

We skied the Jewell Glacier

Michael Jackson...still dead

Surf New England

Going out to Greet Her

Skiing year round for two years at least once a month hasn't been easy in utah, I would have given it up in the middle of the summer this year if I didn't have the fate of meeting Micah up on the east glacier of Timpanogoos last september.  I haven't met anyone who enjoys skiing year round as much as him. I started for bragging rights, ego, and to prove who was the most hardcore skier of our crew, all of those motivations lose their steam, but not Micah's he just enjoys it.  It's because of his eternal pysch and tireless love of skiing on Timpanogoos that I managed to draft off his motivation to ski every month of this season (some critics don't count a snowboard descent as skiing year round, since I almost died I say f--k critics.) Watching the mountains lose their snow slowly throughout the summer to gain it back inch by inch in the fall is unique.  For a skier to never let skiing in mountains out of his or her mind teaches you something that you can only learn by experiencing.  After skiing the shittiest conditions in August, the glacier looked liked the surface of the moon after NASA luanched the rocket at it, I was willing to wait and hope for some early snow to make september better and so was Micah.  When I got the call from Micah in the last week of september saying "Our september snow prayers have been answered." I got excited for the possibility of schussing across some fresh new snow surfaces and decided to make a little trip out of it.  Packed up the winter tent and gear and started to make the all too familiar slog up aspen grove the eve before the storm was gonna hit. 

The man, the myth, the legend, no skis on his pack because he stashes them there all summer. 

Warm before the storm, thankful to be hiking at night, not too pysched on how heavy the pack is.

Waking up to fresh snow falling, get giddy about powder possibililities, thankful to have brought the tent, the old Hut isn't what it used to be. 
 Micah storm skiing on the last day of september, new surfy snow, between the dark grey old glacier snow, great vis.
Over the second night the wind picked up and the temps dropped sucking the moisture out of the snow provided some nice powder turns and of course utah bluebird. 

I stayed up a second night while Micah hiked down to work. He returned the next morning with Stefan.  After 12 hours plus of sleep I was eager to get out of the tent early. Remembering, that Stefan and Micah were hiking up I deployed some old school powder ethics for my first laps of October.

Stefan making his first powder turns of the year he didn't rust too much over the summer.

Finishing up in the foliage of Aspen grove.  The last half mile of the aspen grove hike sucked because it's paved, but the colors were nice.  Micah was tired after hiking up and down for two consecutive days . . . animal.  If you're a year round skier in Utah then you probably ski on the east glacier of Timp, getting there is easy take I-15 south from SLC exit 272 for Provo Canyon then take the Sundance exit drive up the canyon past Sundance ski area on your left is Aspen Grove parking area and trail head.  The glacier sits between the central and south summit towers and as far as I know, it is the only snow you can find year round. Everyone feels old winter creeping in: ominous text messages from Uncle Keith in Alaska proclaiming "Get ready it's coming," hearing Shreddy ranting around the bon fire, Jon Fay sussing Main Chute, false advertisements in ski movies. It's all exciting so get ready to greet her when she comes.