Running Timpanogos

I stared up at the Timpanogos ridge line not too long ago and realized there is so much of it that I have not explored. I called up a couple friends that I knew would be down to help me remedy my situation. Parker had been up to the summit earlier in the week and Josh had been trapped at home with a heavy homework load, so I figured we would make a good team.

I had been itching to shoot some trail running photos so we met at the trail head fairly early to try for some good light. I had borrowed a lens from Parker that I wasn't used to and messed up a bunch of photos. We made good time and it wasn't long before we were in the alpine. I made them stop periodically and run back and forth until I captured something I was happy with.

These shots are the few that turned out. I shot over 300 photos so I would say it was a bust, but all it takes is one photo to make shooting worth it for me. Not to mention that photography is now pushing me to get out and do something different and new. We hit the ridge after about three hours and started our traverse toward Bomber Peak. After shooting a few photos we hit our turn around time. Josh took off so he could make it to work as Parker and I trotted our way back to the car. All in all it was a fun and successful outing. I hope to get up high again before we get too much snow.

Grunge Couloir

The Grunge Couloir is one of those lines that I seem to think about a lot and I am not sure why. It might be because every time I have tried to do it, things haven't worked out. Schedule conflicts, snow conditions, weather, and timing never seem to fall into place.

Josh and I ran into a few snags so our 3:45 a.m. start didn't quite happen. We started up the closed road on our bikes in the dark. We were both in a sleep deprived fog and it took a little bit for us to get into a rhythm. Arriving at the base of the ascent into Wooly Hole, I decided to follow the snow thinking it would save us some time. Turns out I was wrong. We ended up in some pretty fun terrain, but we lost a lot of time.

After climbing our way through a chute we named "Death Cookie Couloir" we popped out in Wooly Hole. The sun was already out and heating the cornices that hung over the Grunge. It was only 7:30 a.m. but I knew we weren't going to make it. It was getting hot fast and by 8:30 the snow was already starting to corn up. We hit the base of the couloir around 9:30 a.m. and watched as rocks began to tumble off of the face. We were too late.

The Grunge turned me away again. The entire month of April was filled with days that would have been perfect. The only problem was that they were weekdays. Someday soon I will tick this line off of my list. Just turns out that it wasn't this season.

Photo Credit: Josh Snow

 

Photo Credit: Josh Snow

This is right after I swallowed a bug... I wasn't happy. It was a big bug.

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

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.