Sunday, July 6, 2008

Skiing in july






Well, I think I might have to call it a season now. Even though there is still a lot of snow here, by the time I get back from Utah it will probably be all gone. I skied into July though so I am happy with that. On Wednesday morning me and Dylan headed up to Bridger at 3:30 ( dad was kind enough to drive us that early in the morning) and headed up the mountain. We went up to the top of Alpine, changed into ski boots, headed up the Apron until we reached the nonexistent traverse, and then went up Hidden a little ways before we took a left up the Fourth Virtue. At the top of the virtue I unstrapped my helmet from my backpack and was holding it by the ear flap when the flap suddenly broke off. I was left standing at the top of one of Bridgers steepest, tightest chutes as I watched my helmet tumble out of sight ( I'm very annoyed about that as I now have no helmet that actually fits me). Fortunately for me the run wasn't as hard as it was made out to be by my ridge book. It wasn't as steep as it felt climbing up and the straightline at the bottom was only about thirty or forty feet long before it poured out into the gut of Hidden Gully. That was a very fun trip. Yesterday me and dad hiked up to pine creek lake because I wanted to get at least one more outing in before Utah and dad wanted to do some fishing. I do not recommend toting skis and boots up 5 miles of switchbacks in the same day as heading a mile to the base of the mountain and up the chutes. I skied the skiers right fork of something that some of the locals we talked to called the "Y". It is appropriately named as it is shaped like a Y with a big rock fin dividing the prongs at the top of Mount Black. The chute was definitely the steepest thing that I have ever skied. I was so tired going up that I didn't think that I as going to be able to summit but I made it after all. Towards the top I was really wishing that I had previously invested in climbing crampons and ice axes because it was so steep. After taking some pictures at the top I headed down the well over 45 degree steep slope. avalanche conditions weren't to bad but I did have to watch out for my sluff as it poured down behind me. once I got back down to the lake a huge thunder storm rolled in and I got pretty wet from that. I was so tired hiking back down I thought I wasn't going to make it but I eventually did. When I took my pack off at the car I felt like I was going to fall over because of the weight difference. In the pictures Mount Black is the one in the middle with a huge cliff butte at the top and a Y shaped line of snow coming down on the right side of it. I skied the prong that is on the upper left in the picture.

3 comments:

Scott said...

markus, that is a sick line! congrats.

my blog said...

Mark, Izzy and I (Savvy) think that you are CRAZY! In a good way though! We've been lazy butts all summer long and we can't wait to see you soon! Are you up for the county fair? I hope you're having fun!

<3 Izzy & Savvy

Montana Raymonds said...

Wow Mark! (Please try to eat more - you need the calories.)