Telescopy!

This Nagler is the finest eyepiece ever made and costs more than either of the telescopes in the background

Nya Nuki Directimus

When skiing the steepest lines, a partner's fear may cause one to doubt one's self. Conversely, a partner's confidence may cause one to overlook certain realities. Hence, steep skiing is often done solo.

 On this route I once again recognized a duality of steep snow couloirs. When viewed as a climb, looking up, It was the steepest, most continuous snow I've climbed unroped and a little scary. But, every time I looked down I was comforted by the familiar vista of a steep ski descent. How steep was it? I've often marveled at how at the start a route may seem steep, but after hours of climbing and gradual steepening the climber become comfortable with greater and greater slope angles, rendering the start of the climb not-so-steep. In this case, looking down from the top, I was impressed with how not steep it looked. Surely, many factors go into our perception of slope angle.

While descending, regularly placed boot tracks whizzed by in my peripheral like highway lines. Awareness of the precise aggression necessary to initiate safe turns crept into my mind as did the concept of the folding pole plant and smearing the end of each turn to keep momentum down the slope, rather than into the wall. An exaggerated low stance and an active return of the ski to the surface after initiation to ensure maximum control. Full awareness of sensations being sent from the entire length of both edges (my homunculus has skis on, for sure!) as well as a visual awareness of the snow surface for the next 5 meters, continually updating. Recognize when adrenaline gets too high, slow heart rate. Was I reminding my self to do these things and then executing, or was I observing my self doing them and then commenting?

climbing up

Gallatin Valley June weather

Looking down before dropping in

linked turns over rock

looking down at crux roll-over, icy due to shading from high wall on right

After completion.

On the hike out

On the drive out

The Hive in June

Matt enters 4th of July Couloir

After shredding 4th of July Couloir, Matt and I skinned up north of the Beehive to this high point.

Matt weights the uphill ski

nice line north of the Beehive

Devil's what?

Devils's Bed Stead East up Kane Creek. This was a good one! After botching the approach really bad (two extra hours at least) I found myself 700 feet above the place I needed to be. I had been post holing and scree crawling so this snow slope wasn't the worst thing I'd dealt with. The surface was new, but how deep, and did it bond? A quick ski cut set 10 inches of wet snow in motion which began propagating downhill at 45 degree angles left and right. In a second or two there was a full on avalanche boiling up around trees like class 4 whitewater! Red flag! I skied the soft bed surface down to my prospective bivy spot, set up shop, made water and  took some pics.

DDB one the day I hiked in. 

From the parking spot

The views on the way in were very encouraging but the new mobile snow left a big question mark. The picture below was one of many similar slides, ubiquitous at all elevations. The good news was that none of these slides triggered anything deeper, suggesting stability down deep.

Some of the day's activity in spectacular natural light

These bed time views assured me that the route would go no problem followed by a soft snow descent.

This is about 2,500 feet of relief.

View looking north from bivy spot at bed time

Summit day dawned in a fierce gropple; I wished I had set my stove up within arms reach. Eventually the  upward slog began with me wishing I had brought skins. Because I had forgotten a helmet, a planned ascent of the class 3 North Face turned into an attempt on the class 3/4 Northeast Ridge. Three fastballs in the big gullies vindicated my decision. Oddly, high humidity slowed my progress. Three times I almost quite, exasperated by the rotten snow pack and stream of perspiration. I was eventually stopped by either class 4 wet icy rock or 50 degree post holing in dubious snow, you pick. Avi danger can be somewhat mitigated on skis from above, but climbing into it is asking for trouble. What I needed was to start dry tooling on belay.

High point and top of ski descent

I clicked in out of thigh-deep post holes and quickly found the surface not only supportable but dangerously icy for steep skiing. Lose lose snowpack! After a little side slipping I hopped back on the bike and shredded between the safety rocks. Through increasingly soft snow, I skied all the way to camp, 1,800 feet below. The correct way out to the car took less than two hours.

DDB on the way out on the yucky day that I tried to summit

I'll be back!

All Star Matt Johnson or "The Mutiny has Begun!"

A rare visitor. First things first, I showed Matt some of our aquatic fauna.

This trout's first Montana angler and Matt's first Idaho trout

Landed, photographed and released in seconds.

On day two Matt, our new friend Lloyd and I skied from the South summit of Breitenbach, however, I had no camera on that day. Matt and I then committed to summiting Mt Borah and skiing the West face on Sunday, which we crushed with devastating efficiency!

At the start of Chicken Out Ridge

On the ridge proper

Matt Johnson traversing just below the ridge on the South side.

Matt Johnson stepping down onto the snow bridge

Matt Johnson launches into an aggressive jump turn over a rock band at 12,500 feet on Mt. Borah's West Face

Where's that mid-mountain chalet? 

More shredding on the lower West Face

Fist raised in defiance of the rotten snow, Matt Johnson approaches the water ice crux.

Check out Matt's take on this adventure at: http://engineeringwater.blogspot.com/2013_05_01_archive.html

Breitenbach

On Sunday I went back to finish what I started on Friday. Here's the view from the  South summit.

Looking South

Looking South East

Looking North West. See anything worth skiing? After hanging out on the summit of Breitenbach for an hour, I glissed the main South facing 1,000 foot 40 degree coulie. 6 inches of new wet snow was very reactive, but predictable.

This PLB is lighter than a probe, beacon and shovel, and never has an opinion, but it will not dig me out!

Bazinga!

A day of hard labor can turn a two hour hands-and-knees bushwack into a pleasant ten minute stroll.  This has really opened up some possibilities. The stock handle on the lopper only lasted one mountain man hour!

After a day prepping the trail and lots of rest I headed out to ski a line I've been looking at for a long time. This picture represents the last crux on the descent, marked by the lowest red arrow in my final photo. On the ascent I stayed climbers left in the wider passage which had melted out.

about 1/3 of the way up

At the middle red arrow, looking down. Uhh...?

At the middle red arrow, looking up.  Above this began sustained 50 degree firm snow, a joy to swing tools into!

At the top red arrow, I found this hidden 200 cm wide slot on the descent which allowed me to avoid the 15 foot WI 3 step which was the crux of the climbing on the way up (blue arrow). This WI crux came at the top of several hundred feet of 50 degree firm snow which I ascended on front points using two technical axes. For me, this was way more pushy than any part of the descent.

Bazinga! Descent marked by green dots. This photo was taken in mid winter when avi conditions where high. By the time things stabilize, there's not much snow left. The obvious big couloir off the summit was my objective, but its snow pack was too unconsolidated to climb. Contrary to its appearance from this angle, it is in fact a perfect 50 degree plum line. I attempted an alternative route to the summit but was stopped by steep wet rock. Clicking in here at 11,400 feet was pretty wild!   My camera stopped working mid descent, but who cares! The whole face is about 2,000 vertical feet and beneath this was another 1,000 feet of perfect corn! My stoke was so high that I skinned up canyon to summit Mount Breitenback, a 12,000+ foot giant. I was stopped when the snow pack began to refreeze forcing retreat. From there, it was 2,000 feet of non stop high speed 25 degree corn, awesome! (Ty, I stand corrected)

SW Aspect of Invisible mountain into Closed Canyon

Looking Westish. The top of Macaleb is in the upper right

2/3 up the ascent gully.

Start of descent gully. All of Mackay is visible in the valley. With the wind picking up and clouds forming, I passed on the summit in favor of skiing fine velvet over boiler plate.

Ascent marked in red, descent at green arrow
These routes lie between 8,500 and 11,000 feet on the South West Aspect of Invisible mountain. I had actually meant to ski the thin line leading into my ascent gully, oops!

The route as seen from town the day after I skied it. Overnight a spring storm had left a dusting and dropped temps back to below freezing soli. Pardon the low quality IPod photos.

Wired!

Dare to roast yer own! All aboard the tasting train!