[ak_powder_monkey]

Yesterday I woke up later than I have in a long long time. I stayed out late the night before listening to music and hanging out with cool folks, noon sure rolls around early when you don't get to bed until three, that's for sure. Anyway I get up get dressed and decided to go to the local ski area for some afternoon corn. I walk outside and put my stuff in my car, and its nowhere as warm as I expected. So I called my buddy "hey dude you want to go skiing?" "yes" my first thought was a big north facing face on a 4400' mountain named black tailed rocks. I started towards Sean's stopping at a store to get some new headphones and a few snacks it stared me down from the parking lot. I looked close. How was the snow up there? How'd last weeks wind affect it? How's the stability? Is it possible?

We start skinning, skin skin skin, boot, skin, skin.



We get to a peak we think we should ski and I say "dude we've come this far lets take a look at it!" So skis back on we skin over to the top of the mountain on the right.




We stand of top looking at the line, soaking in the sun, watching the sheep wander around the chute next to it (like avalanche poodles!) Then boot the treacherous top of a nasty snowless chute on the east face to get to the entrance. Looking down, its not as steep as I thought, we'll ay yellow light terrain, but if something breaks consequences of a fall are high, a slide could potentially push you off a cliff if it was big enough. Sean says he doesn't want to ski it, but doesn't want to talk me out of it. So far we've seen no signs of instability anywhere except the first inch of the snowpack, I figure I'd dig a little pit and look. Dug in and there it was, depth hoar way way way down there. Took about 7 hard hits with the shovel to get it to collapse. I really started thinking about my decision. Here it was, a dream of mine for a dozen years. At one point in my life I thought I might never climb another mountain again I was so fat. Was it worth it? We sat on the summit and drank a beer.




I thought about what I've seen in the pit and what the terrain was like. My mind was made up, get in there ski cut, see how it feels, there was a nice little bench above the roll over, and the depth hoar layer was small and the slab was deep and hard. With my heart in my throat I grabbed my skis and headed to the drop in (channeling my inner GSA).


Clicked in and slipped over the edge. I stood there and jumped around a bit, everything felt super solid, like there was no way it was going anywhere, like thick lake ice. Confidence built.



I skied over to my little pit and jumped around above it doing a crude AK Block test, it took a lot to get it to go. One more ski cut and I was good to go.



I aimed my skis at the safe zone and jumped as hard as I could a bit above the roll over. Nothing so much as moved below the surface sloughing. Here I go


The snow wasn't great, a bit of crust on top of faceted snow on top of hardpack, and it was very variable so I couldn't open up and really ski, but I could make nice turns and stop, then make another sweet turn and stop and so on, savoring the moment we'll say.


Heading to the choke point the snow just kept getting shittier, I kicked off a bunch of 2 inch slab (the next storm is gonna bring scary conditions on this aspect I think) but I kept skiing till I hit the exit traverse.


I stopped and looked back totally pumped, I even shed a tear or two. I stood there for a long time, in disbelief of what I had just done.




I traversed around the mountain and looked up to the top and saw Sean waiting for me ready to ski the north face. I skied the bottom half, nice wind buff with the teeniest hint of crust, and got out of the way to watch sean ski in the warm light of sunset. Next we had to skin again to get over the saddle, where I ordered a pizza, and we started picking our way down the shitty refrozen crud that occurs when corn freezes on other peoples tracks. It took about an hour to do what normally takes 15 minutes. In retrospect we should have walked. Got in the car grabbed the pizza and went home.

Made a POV video:
http://vimeo.com/39235381

Next up: The mountain that almost killed me

_________________
Skis: $599
Bindings: $125
Boots: $125
Backpack: $90
Skins For Christmas: Priceless

[ATScott]

Sweet, get on it.
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formerly TeleScott

[robrox]

Man, that had me gripped ....just sitting on my Lazyboy!

Glad you checked it out and got it done. Super pix too!
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"Moderate is not the new Low" - Chris Joosen, USFS Lead Snow Ranger (Tuckerman Ravine, White Mountains National Forest)

[risk.reduction]

Ah, I see now~ nice, Patrick.
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"Well, I sure don't know what I'm going for...but I'm gonna go for it, for sure."

[unib0nger]

everyone has their own "next level"......


Congratulations on finding yours!

[chugach001]

Very Nice! My old backyard.

[phil907]

great post AKPM! You captured the inspiration- enjoy savoring the line and all it entails. Earned well, more than most.

[crumb]

yeah buddy

[Brenda]

Nice TR! Glad you posted it here.

[Co-opski]

907-333-8000

nice job AKPM!
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*********************************
Ptarmigan Hardcore

[ak_powder_monkey]

[Co-opski]

R word in Grrrdwood.
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*********************************
Ptarmigan Hardcore

[ak_powder_monkey]

where's the snow line?
_________________
Skis: $599
Bindings: $125
Boots: $125
Backpack: $90
Skins For Christmas: Priceless

[Norqski]

Looking at the various webcams looks like its up to at least 1500'. Boo Hiss.

[tele.skier]

Riteous.... Don't ever hesitate to open fire with that kind of ammo.....

.... With the amount of meaningless blather that some people post here,... Your post is pure GOLD!!! Way to get after it....

*The picture that you took after you booted was a BC skier's wet dream (even if the snow wasn't awesome)

Again, Well done
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the fall line is your friend.... resistance is futile