North Cascades Ski Trip

After our winter work wrapped up, we took a road trip out to the Pacific Northwest. After a long and snowy winter, we heard the weather there was usually nice this time of year. Not.

We intended to do the 4-day Forbidden Traverse in North Cascades National Park in Washington. We figured we needed 2 days of good weather out of the planned 4 days to negotiate the complex glacier sections. We got one. Oh well, we still had a great time and took full advantage of the bluebird day skiing in Boston Basin.

Crossing a pile of trees blown over in an avalanche in the low elevation rain forest.



The incredible vertical relief on the NE face of Johannesburg Peak.



The Quien Sabe Glacier and countless peaks.



Rapelling down from Sharksfin Col.



A happy Sara in front of Forbidden Peak.



Good turns on the shoulder of Sahale.



Sunset on sweet turns below Sahale Peak.

Why we live here...

Now that things are finally slowing down with the house, Sara and I actually had some time to go skiing. We skied from the house two days in a row, altough it was hard to motivate in the sub-zero temps. The second day, we got going early and climbed above the inversion before it burned off. Beautiful!

Bozeman Crew Nailed It - Part 2, Lundy's Backyard

The start to our next adventure was very civilized. We put our ski boots and skinned our skis in the comfort and warmth of the house. Then we clicked in on the driveway and started hiking. A few mile approach took us up Goat Creek, then up through Le Couloir Poubelle into Goat Basin proper. A challening route took us over hill and dale until we finally skied a couloir back into Goat Creek. Once again, the snow was uniformly good. A quick cruise brought us back to the house for a Special Finish!

Entering backyard basin.

Looking up to the head of Goat Creek.

The reason it's called Goat Creek. These guys were showing off for us, jumping gaps on a knife edge ridge.

Dan congratulating Ben who almost didn't make it due to exhaustion.

Ben thoroughly disgusted by his swig of the "Sawtooth Slut" - a blend of Red Bull and Yukon Jack and the energy drink of choice for backwoods atheletes everywhere.

Dan just another piece of white trash in Le Couloir Poubelle (Garbage Chute).

"Peace out," or Dan pointing the way to home and beer.

A satisfied crew after skiing four days of powder.

Bozeman Crew Nailed It - Part 1, Braxon Peak

The Bozeman crew visited us in Stanley this past week, February 20-24. Ben and Elissa brought Dan with them, along with the mutts Zinnia and Sampson. After a few warmup days, we took advantage of perfect conditions in the Sawtooths to do some bigger tours. The snowpack was mostly stable, the powder perfect, and the weather bluebird.

On this tour we snowmobiled in -15F temps into Redfish Lake, then set out up the trail to the Bench Hut. We continued on up to the 5th Lake below the Heyburn Couloir, which we had hoped to ski but looked horribly out of condition. We continued on over the Heyburn Saddle to the Silver Saddle. The descent from the Silver Saddle into the Monolith Valley was about as good as it gets - a beautiful fall-line pitch in a stunning setting.

We began skinning towards the head of the Monolith Valley en route to Braxon. After skinning up the east side, we summitted about 3:30pm and the views in all directions were incredible. We descended the north side from the ridge between the peak and the Monolith - again perfect powder and an incredible run.

We finished the tour by skiing out the Monolith Valley into Fishhook Creek, then began the long and occasionally frustrating slog out the drainage. We reached the sled 10 hours after it all began.

Ben, Dan, and Sara pysched to reach the Heyburn Saddle and peer into the Monolith Valley.








The Monolith and Braxon Peak. We ascended the looker's left side and skied the right face.








Sara climbing to the Silver Saddle.









Ben at the Silver Saddle looking into the Redfish Drainage.









Heading up the Monolith Valley.









View of the White Clouds framed by the Sawtooths.









Sara climbing the final pitch to the summit of Braxon.









First set of tracks down the north side of Braxon. Perfect powder, perfect mountains, perfect friends!