First Day of the Ice Season: Hillside Pillars

I forgot the packraft at home, so I was pretty psyched that the river was frozen enough to cross on foot, one never knows this time of year. There was a lot of snow and no one had been up the route as far as we could tell. I half climbed, half shoveled myself up the first easy pitch.

The climbs were in great at the top. I told myself I didn't really need it or want it and gave Bill the lead on both pitches. Its weird how this always bothers me in retrospect.

Bill on the Right Pillar

 

Whenever I get the screaming barfies to the full effect it makes me question  the pain vs reward ratio inherent in ice climbing.  My pinky was so frozen I couldn't feel it in my glove.  I had to pause on a ledge and try not to cry and vomit at the same time.  Although after that my hands burned and were quite hot....and running laps is pretty fun.

Bill on the Left Pillar

 

The sun didn't shine for long on us, but it sure was pleasant. 

Bill Heading Down

 

What happens when you have nothing to prove anymore...not even to yourself?

Turnagain Pass

I had the unique opportunity to go skiing with the Okonek sisters. It was Erin's first time backcountry skiing...its been a while since I've been out with a true newbie, and it brought back my own memories of early learning opportunites on skin tracks.

The Girls Leaving the Car

 

True to Okonek genetics, Erin was able to smile through the pain, but I don't think I have ever seen anyone suffer so badly on a skin track. One sister gliding effortlessly uphill, the other sister sliding backwards, desperate, and out of breath. (Erin is a former Olympic weight lifter, now a cross fit trainer, clearly a fit individual)

Erin

 

We made it to the ridge and skied one lap off the backside...not super impressed with the run, then skied back to the car off the front...that's the side we should have lapped.

 

I always consider myself a non skier and definitely behind the curve, today reminded me that its all relative. I ski with really good skiers often, but if I skied with bad skiers more, I would feel like a better skier. I've come a long way since my first days on a skin track.

Turnagain Pass

Its been a while since I've skied with my good friend Kellie. Kellie is to skiing, like I used to be to ice climbing....dedicated/obsessive, go until dark, and don't mind bad conditions...its hard for me to ski with someone like that. But the new Kellie (she claims), is much more mellow and content to ski powder runs with me on Magnum....just as me, the new Sherrie, hasn't even climbed once this season.

Kellie at the Top of Magnum

My Beautiful Tracks, and Kellie Coming Down

The thing I like the most about skiing with Kellie is the company. We literally chatted up and down that mountain all day, its so fun.

Me and Kellie

Turnagain Pass

Doug and Ryan Skinning

 

The snow was deep, light and glorious, pure joy.

 

Turnagain Pass

The skiing has been phenomenal this season.

 

Lots of angry looking glide cracks on all the mountains. Surprised by how many skiers there were on Magnum.

 

Tree Skiing at Summit

It was dumping snow when Ryan and I drove through Turnagain pass and it didn't stop by the time we parked at Summit.

 

It was clearly a day to stick to the trees.

 

All the new snow made the skiing extra soft, it was glorious.

 

Attempt on Strelshla Peak

I love staying up at Betsy and Bill's yurt, and watching the whole family cross the river in the morning reminded me of being in Thailand where the whole family rides a moped together, super cute and highly entertaining.

Our plan was to try and hike up Strelshla peak, we parked down Victory Bible camp road and headed up a large drainage.

We got out of tree line fairly easily, and once we were in the gut it was my favorite combination of 2-4 inches of snow over scree, lots and lots of scree. There were patches of thin wind slab which were nicer, but overall highly unpleasant uphill travel. Luckily the views only got better.

A rare phenomenon

It was another good recon mission in the sense that next time we will probably bring a rope and light rack for the snowy rock section at the top we didn't climb. We enjoyed the views on the saddle while sitting in the sun, good compensation for the uphill scree battle. Fantastic views of the big peaks on the other side of the Matanuska valley, lots of possibilities out there.

Walking the Climbing Pack

I went North to visit Bill and have a look at conditions up at the Puritan Creek pillar. It was a pleasant 2 hour approach starting on four wheeler tracks, then a plethora of game trails through the brush.

 

It looked huge and fat from far away, upon closer inspection it was more thin and detached.

 

We decided to let it grow instead of knocking it down on top rope, leading it was a no go. When it comes in it will be a sweet, wicked steep pillar.

 

We drove down to Caribou Creek afterward and hiked up the trail to Kids Corner....it was a no go too, lots of water streaming down, and very little ice around it.

Palmer Creek

We didn't have to hike very far till we hit the snow line. It wasn't deep but the word of the day to describe it was, "supportable".

 

It was cool to ski somewhere I had never gone before. The mountains back there were pretty sweet. The road closes sometime in early winter, but with a snow machine the access could stay good all season long.

Ryan at the top of the Ridge, unknown peak we skied for lap 2 in the background.

 

Super fun to get out and do some skiing with Raina and Dan

 

The last run of the day was truly amazing. A sucker hole opened up and bathed our run in golden alpenglow. The snow was smooth and creamy, the angle perfect. Such a reward for the long skin up.

 

Early Season Ski at the Snowbird

I never thought the Archangel valley gate would still be open, but it was, and Doug and I had big grins driving through the snow to the Reed Lakes Parking lot. We put our skis on at the car and although there was probably only about 5 inches, it was enough to avoid walking!

 

The fog rolled in from the valley, it was awesome to climb above it back into the blue bird day. I tried to stick to the summer trail and managed to avoid most of the large boulders, pretty pleasant tour overall.

 

We stashed our overnight stuff in the moraine and headed up left of the nunatak to get a run in before dark. There was probably 8-12 inches of snow and it was surprisingly creepy with loud whumphing on the low angle glacier. I guess it was delusional to think it would get better higher up.

I know I've said this before, but I love the Snowbird Hut, with its oil heater, stainless steel counters, and beautiful windows...Ahh so much better than camping!

Early Morning View from the Hut

 

Conditions weren't much better the next morning with the same whumping on the low angle glacier. It didn't seem like it could slide so we watched our angle and toured above the nuntak, stopping a few hundred feet shy from the top where it got steeper.

 

The powder was unbelievable light and fluffy, such a beautiful feeling, and unbelievably tempting to keep doing. Doug and I had a good conversation about the snowpack, the 'red light' factors and were both able to live with our decision to ski conservatively.

 

It was amazing early season powder without all the rocks.

 

Amazing skiing for October!

First Day of the Ski Season!

I never would have believed that I would be skiing beautiful powder 4 hours after we parked on dry pavement at Sunburst Parking lot. The snow line was 1200 feet above the car. But I suspended disbelief and walked up the tundra in my ski boots.

 

We skinned below Sunburst and went up Taylor Pass at the end of the ridge. The snow just got better the farther up we went.

 

Pastoral peak was beautiful, plenty of snow up top.

 

The best snow of the day started about 500 feet below the summit and continued to be creamy smooth all the way back to Taylor pass. Our tracks are in the sun behind Ryan, and Pastoral Peak is directly behind him.

 

This was probably the best day of early season skiing I have ever had, despite the initial approach. Skiing powder under blue skies is unbelievably fun.