Finding Freedom

Skiing the Wasatch is a blessing.  There's some many lines that hold good snow and so many people that want to ski those lines in good snow.  We probably have the highest percentage of the "herding trend" then any other mountain range in the lower 48.   With all these people its hard to find solidarity, or the untouched canvas in which to slash.  I still love it, it demands more of a skier to find new terrain.  The Wasatch has so many nooks and  flanks.  Its all over the place, some are harder to reach, not as much vertical skiing, and some leave you pulling scrub oak from places that only Jimmy and Stevie enjoy.  There's no reason to give up powder that is this awesome, just look in different spots.   Occasionally one must have to put down the chuting gallery and set your own skin track.  This canyon is in the Southern Wasatch and it gave one of my best days yet this year...it was a much anticipated search for freedom.

My faithful partner that day was Bret, who had been most patient to go to this area.  There he is skinning past the island in the sky.  The clouds and snow cast doubt on our minds.

  

This is the view of the peak that Liam knows all to well.. would we suffer the same fate of being socked in?

This is Bret on the summit.  It snowed the entire time on the hike up the east ridge.  We weren't sure if there was going to be enough visibility for us to descend the chute we wanted.

Luck was with the twins that day.   As we clicked in the sun and wind blasted the clouds away.

Bret exercising is right to soft turns, a liberty that any boy can enjoy.

 America: We'll free the shit out of you

 

We felt like free riders so we took this epic picture.  Now that the sun was out we decided to go back up and ski the chute to the skiers left. 

 

That's Bret coming out of the second chute of Freedom peak.  They say in skier boyz folklore that the skier boy lines of today will become the projects of skier boys of tomorrow.  Find your Freedom  

Thunder ridge

Last Tuesday Slody and I headed out to thunder to check out some of the conditions of the chutes out there.  Some of the best snow was had while descending down the west side Rainbow divide peak at around 7:30, but the needle and the sliver weren't bad either. 

a little rocky up at the top of the needle, a little warm, and a little stressful 

slody in the apron of the needle

That looks good wonder if any skier boys are going to get it soon

Slody earning it on the bootback up the Sliver, the snow was better in here than the needle

Thats me emulating Holbrook once again

Great day up on Thunder especially for a 300 inch season

South Face of Ptarmigan

After having at least one beer too many, I awoke groggy. Tom was already stirring downstairs and I knew we had to ski. The avalanche report and various blogs were all the same: dust on crust. It wasn't looking good. Bass always seems to have the inside line on these things so I gave him a call.

Bass had skied Corn Biscuit 6 times on Friday and said conditions were good, but conceded there was more fresh snow in Anchorage than Turnagain Pass. After 8,000 vert the day before, Bass was looking for a "mellow" day. Ptarmigan Peak above Anchorage would be the objective. The approach involves a 3 miles approach along a popular nordic trail. There was about 8" fresh at the lot and Bass started breaking trail. The wind picked up and we debated whether we should continue. Human factor this... Wind loading that.... As we climbed the wind mysteriously died down. Must have climbed out of it. The wind slowly begin to pick up and by the time we summitted it was back with renewed fury. The couloir was out; the face was the route.

The entrance was narrow and steep. Bass gave the slope a ski cut and whoosh. Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but debris. It failed on the supportable crust and ran about 1,000'. I dropped in and it was steeper than it looked. It mellowed out to the point where I was comfortable getting an angle measurement: 43°. The top of the chute must have been in the low 50's. The skiing was excellent although a bit wind affected.

The South Face

Tom on the way up

Bass on the way down

North Slope Work Trip

Last week for work I went all the way North to the shores of the Arctic Ocean.  The bottom dropped out and the temperature hit -40 F (-62 F with wind).  I had to head out to a drilling island 6 miles north of the mainland.  This is done by driving over the frozen ocean.

The ice road over the Arctic Ocean to the drilling island

Amphibious Escape Snow Cat Type Vehicles 

Arctic Sunrise

Water Freezing at -40 F

Tush her softly

Some of the boyz were lucky enough to get out of the Wastach last week.  The great provider found a nice set up for the boyz.  The Grampon grabbed some sleds.  We loaded up our gear and sleds to head down to the Tushers.  The mountain range right outside of Beaver, Utah.  The Tushers are a cool range with no one in them, except some fellow slednecks.  Most of the mountain terrain is above tree line and is exposed to some strong winds.  There's plenty of glades and lower elevations terrain that has good snow.  It used to have a ski area called Elk meadows that closed down.  We were fortunate enough to stay in a condo right at the base.  That meant as many sunset laps on Thriller (Thats the headline run at the meadows) that we wanted...sick.   

Gramps and Bret gasing up the sleds.

Our first day up in the Tushers, we skied off a southwest aspect of Mt. Holly.  That's Delano peak in the background.

Looks like someone is excited for tomorrows terrain.  The sleds didn't work out for tow ins.  Gramps mentoring about "prabbing" was labor intensive task.   So we ended up using the good old fashion quad power

We were excited about checking out a new snowpack and digging some pits.  When we got into the higher elevations it was thin snowpack and boiler plate, I mean really hard.  So jake aired this cornice instead, sweet landing.

Jake was on a roll that day and he sussed out this chute for him and Gramps to ski on the north bowl of Mt. Holly.  I snuck along for this one but they wouldn't let me go to Delano with them, I think they needed some alone time.

This sub-peak called Delano- Bringham ridge peak was our next ski object.  We skied the chutes in the middle of the peak trying to avoid the rocks.  Although they have been skied we named them Uncle Keith chutes.

Adam and Liam with Bringham in the background. 

Looking towards more Tusher terrain the Pocket and Belknap peak in the background.

Bret dropping into the southwest face of Delano.  This was some of the best snow of the day because the sun had baked it.

The castle size rocks of Delano

Every good day deserves a beer.  The boyz relaxing at the retreat and searching out the next good terrain on the seven minute maps while discussing possible descents of the LT chute.

Off the couch and into the mist

On Friday, Feb. 12th every skier boy in the wasatch felt a disturbance in the force and the snowpack.  Near surface facets accompanied by a sun crust layer and new snow plus graupel made for increasing avalanche danger.   

Bret Beattie out of the mist in white pine chute, off the couch from injury and right into less than ideal ski conditions.  Way to ease it back in.

Slody and Robbie playing tag in the bottom of the chute

The crew at the bottom...makes you wonder what will be skied next week.

The Y-not

Last Thursday I was honored to ski with some skier boy elders and check out the Y-not.  I hadn't skied this line and we heard that the anchors were destroyed by rock fall.   On Thursday morning Powers, Slody, and I headed out with some supplemental rock gear and slings.  We wanted to find out if there was a solution to this anchor problem. 

Here's Powers taking some and not giving it back at the top of the Y-not.  The snow was awesome.  It was nice to ski a steep line in good powder.  It was so good that we almost forgot about the rap and the tight turns right after the rap.

It is true that the one of the bolts were destroyed by rock fall.  The other bolt was scarred up enough that we didn't feel comfortable rapping off just one.  I scrambled around above the anchors and found a nut placement that I could rap off to get down to a tree.  From the tree we did a sixty meter rope rappel to the base of the cave.

Slody hop turning the tightness below the choke

Powers slough riding the bottom of the Y-not.  It was tight but the softness of the snow made it doable.  A classic line for sure, it would be helpful for someone to go but another bolt down there to re-establish the anchor.

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