Pfeiffer-Porn

Last week there were compass-wide green light conditions in the Northern Wasatch.  For many this meant the free rain to ski any and everything.  With a closing weather window and a single day to burn, the Lizard and I made a break for a much sought after climb that had been in our black book for some time.  The North Ridge of the Pfeiferhorn offers up about 1000 feet of moderate 5.fun climbing.  Linking it up with the Northwest Couloir makes for a well rounded day of ski mountaineering in Was-Angeles.  

The crux of the day comes at 6:30am.  Living in Alta without a car is a double-edged battle axe, covered in the blood of a thousand beaters.  You’re spitting distance from one of North America’s most classic ski descents, and skin tracks shoot out in nearly every possible direction leading to numerous untracked pockets of Utah’s legendary pow, but the easy access of White Pine trailhead, Mineral Fork in Big Cottonwood, or the playgrounds of the Provo mountains all seem an eternity away.  Considering our options, which included borrowing car’s do drive the roughly 3 miles, we opted to add the approach to the trailhead into the adventure, nothing new for you other car-free folks out there.  Leaving Alta’s base we weaved our way down cat tracks and between condo’s.  Taking off the skis to walk a couple of times and eventually  just shredding the plow bank from Snowbird’s entry 1 down to the TH.

Elated with our resourcefulness and stoked for the amazing power of skis as transportation we arrived at the trailhead with only two other cars present.  How bout a new bumper sticker, Share the Road, but with picture of a skier?  Anyhow our stoke quickly gave way to silence as the miles-long, thousands of vertical feet approach ensued.  But we made good time, passing the only other party on the skin-track (also headed for the Pfeiff by way of the SE Ridge), and getting up to upper Maybird in a few short hours.  Decision time. 

Hoping to move fast and make it back to the trailhead in time to catch a ride back up-canyon before dark, we opted to by-pass the first, and what looked to be the most difficult climbing, portion of the ridge.  The North Ridge Chute offered a steep shortcut to this first obstacle.  Skinning gave way to booting which gave way to wallowing in near-vertical sugary-facets, definitely the most insecure climbing of the day.  I gained the ridge and threw an appreciative Lizard the rope. 

Skinning up the North Chute.   Liz wallowing her way up some vertical sugar.

Once we were both on the ridge proper the real climbing began.  Liz took the first lead, which turned into a solid block of simul-climbing. 

Liz on stone and in the zone.

We swung leads a few times, climbing till we ran out of gear or just felt like high-fiving.  Whichever came first.  The climbing was moderate for having skis on our backs, and overall quite pleasurable, with mostly quality granite, a few sections of loose or friable rock, and some exceptional exposure, setting, and aesthetics. 

Heading up towards the "lightning-bolt" crack, where we found some of the more exposed and challenging climbing on the route.

Front pointing to glory!

We gained the summit, snacked fast, and made for a quick turnaround. 

Obligatory Summit Photo.

The NW couloir had already been skied by a few parties, by the look of it,  so we were able to check out the other tracks and suss out the best way in.  Although it looked as if some folks had skied, downclimbed, or rapped in from the shoulder of the North Ridge, we opted for rapp in directly from the summit.  A full length dropped us off with just enough room to get our skis on and make a few turns before we were at the choke. 

 

Liz on the first Rappel. 

Another full length rapp landed us on snow once again, after which we enjoyed making some relatively low-stress turns, without relative exposure for the first time in the last few hours. 

Liz sending it below the choke.    Getting Smaller.

After we exited the couloir we b-lined it for the Red Pine drainage and the trailhead below.  We managed to keep a good pace and make good time all day, with plenty of daylight left  before we made it to the trailhead, even finding some quality turns on our way back out. 

More turns below the choke.

Amphitheater of Stone.

Not much traffic heading back up the canyon after 4pm on a weekend, but lucky for us the bus driver was feeling nice and actually swerved to pull over and picked us up right from the trailhead, unexpected treats like that can really make your day. 

It’s day’s like this that really set the rest apart, and make me recall a Thanksgiving prayer my uncle used to recite often.

Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub.  Yeeeaaaaaaayyyyyy GOD!

~Shagnasty

White Pine the Hard Way

So far this season lots of work has made for few days of ski touring.  But as I adjust to a routine of working in the resort and less scrambling in the mountains,  I've been adequately compensated with many deep turns, as Northern Utah is off to a great start to the winter.  Last week alone, I was lucky enough to open up the Patsy booter, twice, taking some extended work laps from the Supreme top shack.  Once I was even smart enough to bring my skins and touring setup, but some deep-seated inner urge compelled me to thrash, hip deep, leaving a vertical boot pack straight up the Tuscarora Ridge.

This past weekend I was able to get out on my first extended tour, and with thousands of acres of quality powder to choose from, again, some masochistic urge compelled me to make a day that would be heavily lop sided in the hike-to-turn ratio.

A Cloudy 'Merkin Fork.

With a day to burn and an insatiable appetite to hike, The Lizard and I agreed that the solitude of the upper reaches of American Fork Canyon would do good to clear our minds and harden our legs for the months of hiking ahead.  So with an alpine start we caught the 100th chair of world-famous Collins lift, Ski-linking to the nearby Sugarloaf/USA-Snowbird Interconnect Dick Bass Memorial RFID Scan station.  After securing the proper paperwork and undergoing a full body scan, we were granted permission to pass through the knee-bashing gates of hell and slide our way into the upper reaches of Mineral Basin.

Once past the chairlift and out of the ski area boundary our adventure began.  Snowmobile tours are in effect, so as Liz and I glided and skated our way out the first bit cat-track, a skier-cross vs snowmachine race ensued, with Liz and I coming out well ahead.  After a few miles the grade eased and we found ourselves skating and polling more then gliding.  With thick trees and a low cloud cover, it was tough to identify how many drainages we'd passed, but breaks through the haze showed us that Timp and Box Elder appeared closer than before and we agreed that it might be time to turn right and start hiking.

Mining roads make for good skin tracks.

Although it was a cold morning in Alta, we'd lost so much altitude that we found ourselves shedding more and more layers as we climbed, skinning through the thinner snowpack south of LCC.  Hoping for some views to help us figure out exactly where we were, we continued on, higher and higher.  Summiting our first hill, views were scarce but we had enough to figure we were somewhere west of Mary Ellen Gulch.

 

Approaching the Twins.

Continuing on we gained the next ridge and the clouds began to break.  The landscape around us opened up and the views were stunning.  Ahead lay American Fork Twin East, and some tempting steep coloirs fell away to our right.  After summiting both of the American Fork Twin's, we made our way to the White Pine divide, where we finished the rest of our food and water and prepared for our descent to the valley below.

Lizards love snow.

With multiple storms of light density snow and little wind, it was surprising to find our only skiing of the day with a challenging wind crust.  But we struggled through it and as we continued to lose altitude, the snow got softer and the turning easier.  Before we reached White Pine Lake we hung another right and made to find a skin track that would afford us some easy gliding back towards the trailhead.  The light was fading but we paused to take in some of the beautiful sunset over SLC, a thick inversion made sure that the city was invisable, making our wilderness experience all the more complete.  In fact, after leaving Snowbird and passing a party of 5 snow-machiners, we encountered and heard no one until looking down from the Twins into Snowbird, and didn't even really see anyone except for passing a lone skier making his way back to the trailhead.  Not to bad for a day of hiking in Was Angeles.

 

Reasons to return.

The day ended up being great, giving the legs a stretch and reminding me why I love to explore and giving me plenty of reason to return to the Mary Ellen/Major Evans area, although I'd have to say that hiking up from 210 is prrobably the easier option.  

 

As a side note we didn't partake in the mass-Sugarhousing of Mt. Superior late last week, in which nearly a third of SLC appeared to have skied its south face.  We did, however, manage to motivate New Year's Day and claim some good turns on what was most likely her first descent of the new year.  Sorry, no pictures from that as the wind was pounding enough to make the ridge walking pretty miserable.

Happy new year boyz!  Lets make it a good 'un.

~ Shagnasty

December in AK: Deep Winter

The are 5 seasons in Alaska, and we are currently in Deep Winter which is oft confused with Regular Winter, but they are quite different. Deep Winter is eeriely similar to beyond the wall in the "Game of Thrones". Deep Winter has a unique mood and feel that makes one long for the salad days of Regular Winter. Deep Winter grabs hold in mid-November and hangs on until the merciful release into Regular Winter in late January. 

Tommorow marks the celestial mid-point of Deep Winter. The sun will rise at 10:14 AM and set at 3:41 PM for about 5.5 hours of daylight, but this is misleading.  The real kicker is that the sun only gets 23° above the horizon. When the sun is up, it is low in the sky and produces similar intensity as you'd expect just after dawn. Sure, it's nice, but it does not warm. During the brief daylight hours, the city is covered in perpetual long shadows cast by buildings. Entire neighborhoods and some towns (Girdwood) receive no direct light for months.

Our pathetic Northern star leaves the streets covered in ice and packed snow; there just isn't the oomph to kick start any melting. Overnight frosts stay on parked cars day after day, just getting thicker and thicker. Deep Winter brings the coldest temperatures of the year. This week's low at my place was -17°F.  This morning's temp was +14°F for my ride into work and I swear I could feel the warmth in the air, that is until the wind kicked up. 

Hunk of Junk Pathetic Excuse for a Star

It is truly a relief when Deep Winter finally yields to Regular Winter.  The sun regains its ability to warm. Icicles begin to form on trees. Snow begins to melt off of parked cars and the glazed roads slowly give way to pavement. February brings those pleasant winter days that I loved so much growing up in New England and bumming at Alta.  Full days of skiing in the sun, a sun that will warm your face as sit down and actually relax on a ridge.  The sun that warms the late afternoon air and makes for a pleasent transition into driving clothes after a day in the backcountry. In just a few short months I will be able to leisurely sip a beer at the trailhead with the car doors open and the radio blasting while my ski boots effortlessly slip off.

This winter has been tougher than most.  Long stretches of below zero weather coupled with a serious lack of snow have made motivation a rare commodity. The weather pattern so far has been the perfect advertisement for Fat Bikes. Cold temps and scarce snow have at least doubled the moutain bike terrain around Anchorage. Swamps and lakes are now set up perfectly for this method of travel. Muddy trails are frozen solid and the bears are asleep.

The Noodler on the Middle Fork Loop
(photo by Eric)

On the Sunny Side of Campbell Creek Canyon
(photo by Eric)

There is more snow at Turnagain and Hatcher Pass but the long stretches of cold and clear have made for uninspiring alpine skiing. It is always fun to get out and tour around, but it currently leaves much to be desired. The highlight for recent outings is finding a nice aerie in the sun and basking in the sun's faded glory.

Snow Beach

Home runs back to the car are always after sunset. The vehicle is frozen solid and it fights the starter. You wrestle your frozen, stiff boots off your cold sweaty feet and quickly take shelter in the car.  The heater blasts an icy wind. You put on your "car-puffy" and shiver and as you choke down your almost-frozen "celebratory" beer and relive the day's highlights.

Sorry, Taco, but we're driving now despite your cold oil and stiff clutch.

So far its been the winter for ice climbers, fat-bikers, and skaters. Although these activities are super fun diversions, they are just that: diversions.  Diversions until a weather change can facilitate my passion. The weather change will come, sooner or later and until then I will find distractions wherever I can.

 - U.K.

12 Days of Christmas

On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me....

12 inches of base,

11 Horsemen Blowing,

10 sparkle toes,

9 bucks off a day pass,

8 skis in a bonfire,

7 centimeter depth hoar,

6 weather guessers guessing,

5 feet forecast,

4 Facebookers proactively bragging,

3 storms lined up,

2 bad it won't happen,

And an angry inch on ice moguls.

Merry Christmas

Late November Update: Alaska

South Central Alaska had the wettest Fall on record and everyone expected this moisture pattern to continue into the winter, which starts up here in the middle of October. Unfortunately for the skiers, Mama Natura had other plans. A huge high pressure has been sitting over AK for the better part of 2 months.  There have been a few some drive-by storms, but 6"/pop separated by 7+ days does not build the base. 

Between storms it has been cold and clear: great for our Northern version of the Aurora Australis, but bad news for the snowpack.  There was a glimmer of hope when a warm front pushed through with some rain and warm temps and for a brief window facets were going to rounds.  But since this, it has been a steady march to square powder that will not consolidate. 

Thus, I was left with two options: bitch about the snow or find something else to do.  Now don't get me wrong - I love me some good bitch sessions, but I'd rather get out and do something.




Thin Snowpack at Turnagain Pass

Skiing
The skiing has been good, but it is still early season conditions which has a higher potential for injury. It's not the rock you hit; it's the rock you land on. I've been going out every so often to check on the snow: see what it's been up to and find out how it's feeling. It's been cranky.

Self Improvement
My medical training has always been an area that has been severely deficient, severely. I was fortunate to take a heavily subsidized WFR class this month. It was an awesome class and now with my card, I shake my head in disdain at the outdoors men and women that have neglected this personal responsibility. 

Getting Out of Town
Road tripping in AK does not get you to a big city or a warm desert or even to a different weather pattern.  Generally, it's more of the same.  So many Alaskans take their PFD kickback and hand it over to the airlines for a brief respite in Hawai'i. 


The Dragon's Nostrils: Blowholes near Makapu'u Point

Kiliouou Ridge Trail and East Shore

Nordic
It pains me to say it, but the Nordic skiing has been pretty good. The trails in Anchorage are still in poor shape, but the cold temps have frozen the lakes solid. Going around a flat lake can get pretty boring unless there is a glacier that calves into that lake. So we head South to Portage which is situated in the valley that divides the mainland from the Kenia Peninsula: Chugach on the left and the Kenia Mountains (Turnagain Pass, etc.) on the right.

There is about a foot of snow in the Portage Valley and signs of Nordic activity are everywhere. Tracks lead in and out of the woods and up the 20-Mile Drainage. There's not enough snow for the snow-machines, so enjoy the tranquility while it lasts. Today's destination is the Portage Glacier. 

Sheep Kicking Rocks onto the Highway



Portage Valley

The state built a visitor's center in 1986 with excellent views of the face of the glacier; however, the glacier promptly receded around the corner and out of site. The visitor center is closed in the winter, but the car park is still plowed. We followed the established track on Portage Lake towards the glacier.

Once the ice is thick enough, the biggest issue is overflow. Water expands 6% when changing to ice. As the ice thickens and expands, it puts pressure on the water below.  Eventually, this water will force it's way to the surface though cracks in the ice. This creates a slushy spot in the snow until it freezes on the surface.  Often this slush zone is hidden under the snow and you don't realize it exists until this slush rapidly freezes on your skis. At this point, your skis will slide as efficiently as snowshoes. Bring a scraper. 


The Face

The glacier is in constant motion although it moves at a glacial pace. It creaks and groans and pops and snaps - all evidence of the massive weight above forcing the ice to carve up the landscape. The glacier can and will calve off the 40' face without warning. A large calving event has the potential to punch through to the water and send a wave that can buckle the ice. And even scarier, the glacier can calve under water, sending a berg up though the ice. Evidence of smaller calving events litter the ice near the face along and the glacier is quite talkative today. Creaks, cracks, and groans originated from within echo through the valley.  Something collapses inside, more creaks, shots, and snaps. We stay well back from the face. 

Daylight is short, so we don't linger. The temperature is dropping so the pace back to the car is brisk. Ice fog is hanging low over the Turnagain arm, but clear skies greet our return to Anchorage. The silhouette of the Tordrillo and Neacola Mountains are in sharp relief over Cook Inlet. Alpenglow in the sky reflects in the water between ice flows, making for a picture perfect end to another days among the mountains.


Chakachamna and Spurr

Next up: the ice is in fat

 - U.K.

Late October Update: Alaska

It rained like hell all September and into October.  The snow line came down and we got excited.  It warmed and the snow line went up and we lamented.  Up and down for weeks, but the storms came to an end and the high pressure moved in.  There was enough snow to "ski" South of Anchorage, but around town and North the mountains were mostly bare save 1-2" on North facing slopes.

I wanted this October to be like last October with snow aplenty up high, but it was not to be. Fortunately, I've passed the point in my life where I act like Pouty von Poutypants every time the weather fails to do exactly as I wish.  So it was time to reassess.

Skiing was out, but cold and clear made for excellent hiking: no mud, no bugs, and sunglasses were needed - a rare trifecta in this part of the world!  Above 5,000' things were still a bit snowy, but there were plenty of new-to-me 4,000ers that patiently beckoned.   



Hiking Elliot (Williwaw in the background)

Normally leaving Anchorage for a weekend in October causes a strong case of FOMO, but with a super thin snowpack, I was able to enjoy a weekend in Sitka.

Rebuiding a Forest

I was in Sitka to assist with Army National Guard training. SAR groups from around the state were able to hitch a ride on a C-130 to convene for a soggy weekend in South East Alaska (which is North West of the Pacific Northwest).  Groups from Anchorage, Juneau, and Sitka went over SAR basics and large scale avalanche response. 

I will Never Complain about Coach Again

After drying out the drenched gear, it was back to blue skies, high places, and beautiful sunsets.

Anchorage and Cook Inlet from Kanchee



Redoubt from "The Dome"

After a week of roaming the Anchorage hillside, it struck me that there was even less snow just North of town. 4-Mile Creek above Chugiak was new to me, but that would change. There are three peaks in the 4-Mile drainage on the big list, so I set out with lofty goals.

The Alaska Range from 4-Mile

Day 1 in the 4-Mile was glorious topping out on Mountain Eklutna and Mountain Peak 4009 under a brilliant blue sky. A few days later I returned for Mountain Peak 5505 with the mountain bike. Normally a muddy overgrown mess, the lingering Fall presented an A+ single track.

Biking the 4-Mile

The rapidly setting sun convinced me to turn back well before the summit, but the views and crisp mountain air made for another grand day in the mountains. 

The weather held through the weekend so Ross, Brian, and I convened in Eklutna to attempt the East Twin: 2,000' of trail, 2,000' of steep tundra, 1,000' of Class 3 and 4. A sunny south-facing route with air temps in the low 20's made for an excellent day in the mountains.  We got off route in as soon as we got off the tundra, but no one seemed overly concerned so we kept climbing.  The route quickly got into the 5th Class realm; we had climbing gear but elected to head back due to the late hour and uncertain route ahead.

Brian hooked up with another group and made a successful summitted but returning the car park well after sunset. Next time I'll stick to the planned route.

Looking Down 4,500' to Eklutna Lake

Eklutna Lake and Bold Peak

Today there was 2" of cold snow on the car which signals the likely end of the extendo fall hiking season. It was great while it lasted, but now is the time to switch gears, tools, and clothes.  Leather for plastic; laces for buckles; one layer of down for two layers of down; sunglasses for the yellow lens; 2WD for 4WD. Gravity will morph from our enemy who fights us every step of the way to our trusted weapon who pulls us ever faster. Despite these changes, the overarching goal will remain the same: get away from the hustle and/or bustle and into the mountains with good people and enjoy whatever Mama Natura sends out way! 

 - U.K.

Tincan: 10/18/12

Work gave me the day off and the Amoral Hippy gave the motivation with tales of excellent skiing at Turnagain Pass. I had planned to ski in the Girdwood area, but the allure of a much shorter approach to decent snow drew me towards the pass. There is a nice hiking trail that goes from the road to above treeline at the Tincan pullout. So even if there is no snow at the road, it is easy to get to the alpine.

Sunrise

I was surprised to see 6ish inches at the pullout - it would be possible to skin from the meadow. Skinning was interesting: minor creek crossings, not so frozen mud, steep sections not deep enough to put in a wide enough track, but it beat bushwhacking or hiking with skis and boots on my back. 


Muddy Underneath - Cold On Top

There was 4-8" below tree line and 12-18" above. It was nice to be in the sun and skinning. Summer was short and rainy; any break from the gloom is welcome. 

Thin

Tincan Ridge

In my mind, the Tincan Bowl would be deep and there would be hours of gleefully schussing lap after lap.  But reality was quite different.  This time last year, multiple storms had laid down great empire-building snow up high by mid-October.  Yesterday on Tincan there was only snow from the most recent storm and the high pressure has sucked out most of moisture needed for effective base building.

The first high pressure in months is ill timed.  The entire (albeit thin) snow pack is rapidly going to sugar with a healthy dose of hoar frost on top for good measure.  It makes a cool noise while skiing through it, but the that noise could be harbinger of problems down the road.  Hopefully the wind forecast for the weekend gives the snowpack a Romney-esque Etch-A-Sketch reset opportunity. 

The skiing right now is tricky to say the least. It would be easy to get injured with not-quite-enough low density snow on tundra, scree, brush.  If you do decide to head out, take it slow up high - there'll be plenty of opportunities to send it this winter.  And don't be too proud to walk out the bottom bit, it's a long season.  You'll get your opportunity to ride it switch into the road soon enough.

 - U.K.

How to Get a J.B.E.R. Recreation Pass

JBER, or Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, is the Air Force and Army Base located in Anchorage. You may ask yourself: "Why in God's name would I willingly enter into a federal government bureaucracy goat rodeo to hike on a military installation?" Good question, and the answer is that unfortunately JBER owns some really cool Chugach peaks and lakes.

• Peaks: Snowhawk, Ship Creek Hill, Kanchee, Knoya, Tikisla, West Tanaina
• Lakes: Tanaina, Long Lake!
• Peaks straddling JBER / Chugach State Park: Temptation, East Tanaina, Koktoya

Many hikers opt to ignore the permitting process. Typically there are no consequences and everyone has a nice day, but there are potential downsides. The fines suck but seem minor compared to hiking into a military training exercise that is using live ammo. The latter happened to a buddy few years ago in Snowhawk Valley. So now he gets proper authorization and yesterday he walked me through the process.  The entire process is fun, easy, straightforward, and not-at-all frustrating! Hooray!

1. Go to the JBER Recreation Access web page: click here
• This page has general information and links to maps you will need later
2. Register for permit: click here
• Enter your name and they issue you a permit number and PIN 
• This will be your number and PIN for the entire year
• Click on "Permit Card" and print
3. Once you have a permit, you now need to go to the base to get vetted
• Are you kidding me?
• Throw something across the room
• Drive to Boniface Visitor Control Center
• Boniface exit from the Glenn Highway heading away from the mountains
4. Now you are ready to sign in for your planned adventure:
• Click here or call 855-703-9176
• Chose your activity and locations from drop down menus
• Location choices conveniently consist solely of numbers between 402 and 431
• Begin to lose your mind
• Put on 590 AM and listen to the smooth hits and try to control your rage
• Link to the map with decoder ring: click here
• Enter in the area(s) you plan to access
5. Everyone in your party needs a permit number
• Start yelling at inantimate objects
• Break something, anything will do, just smash it good 
• Follow Steps 1 through 4 for each person who plans to hike
6. Well, time for lunch now
• Have about 3 beers and 2 shots
7. It looks like there's some weather rolling in 
8. Try again next weekend
9. Don't forget to sign out when you are done for the day
• Click here or call 855-703-9176

Some tips to enhance your fun:

• The Recreation Area is closed from 11 PM to 6 AM, so no camping!!
• Speed limits on JBER property are strictly enforced!!

Phone numbers for additional information:

• 855-703-9176  Automated sign in / sign out
• 907-384-2916  Visitor Center
• 907-552-4029  Security
• 907-284-0823  Fort Richardson Military Police

It is a toss up whether anyone will answer at these numbers and there is no voicemail either.  

Chose life.

 - U.K.