Silver Peak (8,424') - First Documented Bigfoot Descent

steeleman · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 1029 Location: Paradise 94920

The Gear

The Objective

I have been eyeing the east face of Silver Peak for years -- waiting for the right conditions, ample snowpack, stable weather and sufficient self confidence to tackle this tahoe area testpiece. With my kids safely ensconsced in their beds at naptime and the wife having granted me a three hour window to play, I quickly logged onto the Central Sierra Avy Forecast and hoped for good news. The page hadn't been updated since May 2nd, so I ran a quick algorithm to calculate the historical snowdepth, average mean temps and wind speed to extrapolate today's forecast. Today's avy danger is (drumroll...) "Low" Game on!

Since I only had a few hours, this was going to be a trailrunning as well as skiing adventure. I grabbed my pack and ran out the backdoor.

After 20 minutes, I hit the ridge where I gazed over at the untold thousands of people skiing over at KT-22.

Why would all those people pay money to ski crowded packed down trails when they could be skiing the untracked right across the valley? Man I hate those resorts.

As the ridge turned north up towards Silver Peak, I was lucky to escape with my life as I passed through the dreaded Brambles Icefall.

Ridge gained. Phew.

Summit getting closer. Look at that MACKIN' snowpack. This could be one for the ages.

After the Brambles, the chossy scramble up the lower spire is the crux.

Objective danger lurks everywhere.

The summit. Notice the cliff band off the top to the snowline

TONY DUNGY!

A primo day in the rugged alpine environment. Lake Tahoe shimmers below.

From the top, the summit cliff band looked a bit more spicy than it did through the binoculars from 100 feet below. Definitely a mandatory rap. Alas, I had left my rando rope down at the house, and now I was facing a ski mountaineer's worst dilemma: I could either downclimb the face to snowline, or I could huck off the summit risking certain greivous harm. The first option was a non-starter. Everyone knows that if you don't ski off the summit, it doesn't count. And I hadn't waited years for this opportunity to be denied. So I put on my skis and started ripping right off the summit, gingerly stepping over rocky obstacles for about 50 vertical feet.

At snowline, I didn't stop to catch my breath; the adrenal glands were working overtime. I proceeded to arc monster bigfoot slalom turns down the face.

I paused momentarily at the headwall to assess the hazards, then scralped it. FKNA!

Then into the gulley, where I found at least another 200 vertical feet.

End of the line.

Tri-Ungulate · Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 5:45 am Post subject:

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKK!!!!11111!!!!!

(edited to add tripreport search term to thread)
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RW · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 181 Location: CA

Any frostbite?

builttospill · Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 171

Haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Nice work.

soulskier · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 475 Location: The Last Frontier

Nice one! The only way you could top that is to go to Squaw on a powder day and ride KT with the big feets and be subjected to the locals giving you the business! I guarantee it would be quite the ear full, the heckling over there is part of the game!

seki · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 6386 Location: Gone

Another Steeleman classic. Funny, funny shit!

Baaahb · Joined: 07 Jan 2005 Posts: 15772 Location: Ponderosa

NO HELMET! Twisted Evil

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Other vegetables have a hard time competing with potatoes.

robrox · Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 2:14 pm Post subject:

Stone cajones....hucking the gravel and choss like that....

Props!
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"Moderate is not the new Low" - Chris Joosen, USFS Lead Snow Ranger (Tuckerman Ravine, White Mountains National Forest)

Berko · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 1536 Location: Fort Front Range

Quite strong.
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Something's got a hold on me, and I don't know what .

jfb · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 2404 Location: Buzerkely

Dude!
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"It's turns! 'Course it's worth the hike" -MrP

Rontele · Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 10:04 pm Post subject:

what we all want to know is, venturing out alone, did you bring a probe?
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Boulder is the new asshole

YourMom · Joined: 10 Nov 2005 Posts: 291 Location: Bellingham, WA

Damnit! You should have brought a tripod! How sweet would it have been to get some action photos of you carving that sick epic gnar on the BFs! Cool

granpa · Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 11:52 pm Post subject: Choice of gear

Totally inspired choice of gear.....I've gotta have it...You're the master.....Weight per pair, length, sidecut...don't keep it a secret....did the bindings hold up? Hope my wi....er accountant doesn't read this post!
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.....clueless....

bmiller · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 1174 Location: BV CO

A single water bottle? You are a man of steele, man.

jjue · Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 250

Hey Steelman , that was SWEET !! Only thing missing is some cool action shots on them BIG FEET !! Smile

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