Double Day

My hopes for a big line Saturday were trumped by weather and a snowpack that made me feel apprehensive. I called Josh Snow to see if he was down to squeeze a short tour in. He had been trapped inside all week studying for finals and was more than happy to escape. 

As we started our tour the familiar thumps of artillery making the resorts safe reminded us that we needed to keep on our toes. There was significant wind loading and we were able to pop out small pockets along the ridge. We decided to just goof off on a small cliff, something I haven't really done all season, and not to go after any bigger lines. After we had our fill we hiked up for one more little run and headed home.

As soon as I got home I switched into fishing mode and headed out the door. We hit the lower Provo River on one of its prettiest stretches. The fish were really active and before too long I hooked into one of the biggest fish I have landed. Steve nabbed another two big ones and Josh brought in a bunch of little guys. It was a beautiful day to be out and it is always fun to squeeze in two hobbies. I love Utah in the Spring. 

Brothers

Morning Shots

Another round of snow came through just in time to celebrate Parker's birthday. I wasn't sure what the conditions would be like as I drove toward the canyon, but as soon as we hit the trail we realized it was going to be good. We headed up to Cardiff Pass and took turns behind the lens. It was a great way to celebrate life with a good friend.

I have been trying to learn more about photography lately. I am learning a lot by watching Youtube videos and reading articles, but there is still so much I don't know. I am realizing how much the quality of your images can change the perception of the words you put to paper. Guys like Jimmy Chin, Jim Harris, Cedar Wright, etc.. really get me excited to sit behind the lens and to try to tell stories.

Parker in deep! 

Devil's Castle

Parker

Photo Credit: Parker Alec Cross

Photo credit: Parker Alec Cross

Lone Peak Cirque

 

I fumbled my pack together before crashing into bed around 1 a.m. Saturday. Three short hours later I was up and on my way to meet Forrest and Caroline. The moon kept the trail lit as we started our way up Bells Canyon. We bobbed and weaved our way through the thick vegetation and eventually hit snow. 

As I unpacked my split board I noticed my heel strap wasn't connected... I had lost a bolt. Thanks to a few Voile straps my day wasn't over. The frozen snow made skinning easy and with a lone coyote yipping away in the background the North East face of Lone Peak came into view. We skinned out of the mountains shadow and the towering face was nearly blinding in the early morning light. Pictures can't really do it justice. 

We continued to the base of the North East Couloir. The temperature seemed to be climbing faster than we were. Before long we were halfway up the chute and about to climb out over some exposure. We had noticed a few wet sloughs and after some debate decided to pull the plug. 

We rode to the base of another couloir that was on a different aspect and that didn't have any exposure. Not knowing if the chute has another name we decided to call it "consolation prize". Forrest was able to put it into a gear that I don't have and he kicked in a solid boot pack to the summit ridge. We topped out and took a break. We talked about going for the summit, but decided against it due to time constraints. 

We dropped in and had a nice long ride to the summit valley. I was a little timid on my makeshift binding, but ended the set up worked out pretty well. We were all amping when we regrouped, we talked about how awesome that was and how much we wanted to just stay up there. We didn't realize that getting out of Bells would be almost as difficult as getting in. 

The trip out was a mix of fun and torture. That area is full of so much amazing terrain, but then we would find ourselves in thick trees, long sections of flat, thigh deep slush, etc... as we fought our way back to the car we all seemed to forget how amazing everything was up high. I don't think I have ever been more dehydrated. 

It took a good night of sleep to help me remember how awesome the tour was. There were quite a few things we could have done to make the tour easier on ourselves, but that is the point of exploration. It was good to just be out with two great people. Forrest and Caroline make a great couple and it is always a treat when I get to hang out with them in the mountains. It was fun to check out a side of the Wasatch none of us had been to. 

 

Superior: Good morning, bad afternoon

I hopped out of my car at the base of Mount Superior a little after 6 a.m. to check the snow. I expected to feel a hard sun crust when I pushed my hand into the snow but found it to be soft. I couldn't believe it. We suited up and quickly started up the skin track toward Flagstaff. I continued to check the snow as we climbed higher thinking there would be a crust somewhere. The soft snow and stable conditions made us rethink our destination. Josh hadn't bagged Mount Superior yet so we set our sights on the summit.

We found a good rhythm and made Cardiff Pass before the sun was on it. I knew the day was going to warm up fast so we hurried up the ridge to avoid a warming snow pack. We hit the summit a little before 9 a.m., snapped a few photos, and dropped in. We passed up some better snow to hit the summit, but it was worth it. The line was tracked but we found some good turns amongst the tracks. 

Later that day a report came in that the same line had avalanched. The slide carried a skier roughly 1,700 feet. He suffered a dislocated shoulder, bumps and bruises, not to mention lost skis. The avalanche popped around noon. The daytime warming had created instability in the snow and the unlucky skier hit the trigger.

There is always the possibility of something going wrong when you are out in the mountains. The trick to spending time in them is minimizing your risks. I don't doubt that the party that was caught in the avalanche was experienced and that they followed protocol. The problem they encountered was failing to beat the fuse that the sun had lit as soon as it hit that south facing slope. I readily admit that I was lulled into a sense of security with the amount of tracks on the line we skied. The difference for us was that we were on the right side of the clock. The snow was stable and we rode it without incident.  Springtime in the Wasatch is a touchy time. Get up early and get off it early.