Highway Lines: Big Horn and Lone Peak

Went down to the County today with Zak and Adam and met up with JD for a mellow run up two more highly visible highway lines.  The South Faces of Bighorn Peak and Lone Peak can be seen from anywhere in Utah Valley, including my parents back deck.  

Photo lifted from grizzlyadam.net (I'll remove it if you'd like)

Back in 1999, I had my first winter "mountaineering" experience trying to "climb" Lone Peak.  With two friends, we ended up on the shoulder of Bighorn after a cold night crammed in a snow cave.  We decided we didn't know what the hell we were doing and post holed home.  

Older and wiser, we were able to hike up from Alpine and tag both summits easily in a half day.  Skis, experience, and going light have made the mountains smaller

Heading for Lone, we "spur of the moment" decided to tag Bighorn since none of us had ever stood on top..  

Adam skiing the crust

Big Horn

Once down from Big Horn, we traversed under it's rocky southwestern aspect and headed over to the notch between the South Summit and Question Mark Wall.  We had intentions of skiing Pete's Staircase down into the cirque if it was filled in.  The ramp looked doable but the standard summer rap wasn't filled in enough to warrant the effort.  Looking back, I wish we'd done it as the cirque is an impressive place in the summer, let alone in winter conditions. 

Blow this kick turn and...DEAD! Jason skinning above the South Summit Wall.

Pete's Staircase below Question Mark Wall

JD ripping skins

While waiting for the other guys to tag the South Summit, we looked over and decided we should probably ski above Question Mark Wall because we thought the pictures would look cool.  I went first while Jason took pics and then we switched places.  

It's not really long enough to make more than a couple turns and it was much scarier for the person watching than actually doing it as the cliff isn't apparent on skis.

Zoom in.  JD skiing above the Lowe Route

After the photo shoot, we had some lunch on the South Summit and debated the descent.   A couple of us had skied the NE Couloir before and while the rest had the desire, we all decided to just take the rolling line labeled Heaven's Halfpipe in the first picture.  The steep stuff can wait, especially with all the tragic accidents of late.  The crust had softened nicely and we all made ridiculously tight 1980s turns while trying not to run into each other.

1980's group ski with tight turns for all

I have a couple more ideas for Lone Peak if it ever stops snowing....

4-27-2011 NW, Pfeif, no rope!

CJ, Has and I got a nice 9:00 start in sunny weather.  The plan was to leave the ropes and harnesses in the van and head for the rarely filled in NW couloir of the Pfeifferhorn,  We had the privilege of breaking trail most of the way and right around Red Pine Lake we were caught by A Okeefe.  He wanted in on the ropeless descent and the breaking, who were we to say no?

The boys on the ridge

Weather stayed pretty amazing throughout the day, mostly sunny, still.

The upper section was a bit icy but throughout the majority of the chute we found nice heavy powder.  I haven't skied with many tele skiers but Has and CJ skied!  REAL tele turns throughout the entire NW, even through the steep icy choke that's normally rappelled.  Almost made me want to buy a pair of those heavy awkward boots and bindings, almost.  

Has rallying

CJ towards the choke

Adam skiing the rappel

The lower apron was ridiculous.  Deep, fun.  Overall, an amazing day.

4-24-2011 The Great Chimney

Today turned out to be a spicy little Easter.  Having been recently turned back from the Great Chimney we figured we better go give it another go. If we would have known how steep and icy the "skiing" was, maybe we wouldn't have gone.  The climb up was pretty fantastic though, I wasn't expecting to climb any real ice since the weather has been warm but...

ICE!

Photo by Andy

Looking down after the steepness eased a bit

After getting through the ice bulge/chimney we turned right and headed up an icy chute.  Andy measured this at anywhere between 58 and 62 degrees.  Turns out that is STEEP, especially when it is NOT soft.

Andy and Lars, hard to tell but this is 60+ degrees

We were a little scared to ski this icy death trap (happened to have a double fall line too) so we built a mini anchor and skied the top part belayed.  Once off belay we made approximately zero turns until we rappelled past the ice bulge. From there the high 40 degree to low 50 degree slopes felt tame.    

Knifeblade anchor

Lars, 60+ degrees

Lars, no rope, a bit of fear(Andy's photo)

Andy

Lars past the ice, still steep but less icy and much less scary

Down by noon with enough time to enjoy Easter! Once again, Lars earned an A for climbing.

4-23-2011 N. Ridge, Pfeifferhorn

photo by Jared
Annotated by Andy

Lars was in town, what a treat.  We decided to head up the N ridge of the Pfeif and then down one of the unnamed chutes to the NW.  Our idea of hitting a few other lines in the area changed once weather rolled in.  At least part one went as planned.

Lars gaining the ridge 

The start of the roped climbing

Lars nearing the crux

Andy's leg, our line below him, and a bit of air

Andy pulling past the last of the difficulties

Andy and Lars close to the summit

 Once on top we chatted with few guys from the county, ate some food, and got psyched to pick our way down terrain that was unknown to us.  A little bit of gear and two 60 meter ropes led us to a nice NW facing shot that provided a mostly clear exit.  An icy choke with rocks down the middle of it was the only interruption.  It led to a little bit of "freeride" practice.

Lars

Andy about to jump off a rock, guess how that ended...

Lars heading home

For some reason grades were given out today.  Lars gets an A- for his climbing and an A for his "freeride"skills.  Not bad.

Mount Olympus: Great Chimney Climb and "Ski" Descent

Mission accomplished.  Lars got scared.  Earlier in the week the patriarch of our family of skiers, the Samurai, wanted to climb and ski the Great Chimney on Mount Olympus.  His run of bad luck was extended as we never even found the entrance.  It's a line he's wanted to do all year so I feel bad poaching it without him.  Sorry Jared.  

The Great Chimney as seen from the Neff's trail head on April 24, 2010

For Lars' second and last day in town, we wanted to up the ante from yesterday's adventure on the Pfeiff and this seemed like the perfect outing given the mediocre weather forecast.  Up with the birds at 7:00, we started hiking on dirt around 8:30.  Found snow 15 minutes later and skinned up a debris choked couloir until the Great Chimney came into view.  The lower couloir (below the chimney itself) was icy, runneled, and fairly steep at 45-50+ degrees.  But, the chimney was almost completely filled in with a mix of snow, ice, and snice.  JD and I soloed the short 40 foot pitch and then brought Lars up.  

Looking up the Great Chimney

JD eagerly getting started

Fun, unnecessary stemming

After gaining the upper hanging couloir, we were surprised to see how continuously steep it was.  An initial reading with the inclinometer read 58 degrees on the double fall line.  Hmmmmm.... Just the kind of slope that inspires confidence in icy conditions over an icy chimney.  

We quickly booted up doing our best Ueli Steck impersonations in the firm snow

At the top of the hanging couloir, we were hoping to climb a final bit of rock/ice to gain the summit ridge but were turned back by the polished rock coated with an illusion of ice.

The final slab before the summit ridge

 Now for the scary part...

We put our skis on and timidly debated whether or not we should just go for it.  Repeated slope measurements came in at 57, 58, 61, and 62 degrees, getting steeper near the top.  Realizing that this slope rarely sees the sun and wasn't likely to soften any time soon, we lost some style points by making tentative turns for a rope length belayed off a single knife blade.  

Once off the rope, I side slipped the sustained icy 57-58 degree pitch until able to pull off skier's right and clip into a small tree.  I tried to get the other guys to ride the below pictured spine because I thought the pictures would be nice.  They declined.  

Urban Alpinism at it's finest

 Lars took the easy way and side stepped down to the tree of safety.

Lars, about to become a father for the second time...that he knows about. 

Psyched not to have fallen off the mountain and into someone's yard in Olympus Cove, we rapped 25 meters down the chimney and found that we had a whole new perspective on slope angles.  The lower couloir which had previously seemed steep, now looked comparatively flat.  

JD avoiding the runnel and patches of ice

Escaping from the lower couloir, the snow turned to corn, and then to an isothermic mess, and then to mud.  Grateful to have made it up and down in the best style we were capable of today, we rushed off to give thanks at church and then a scrumptious Easter dinner.

Lars got his fix for awhile but plans to be back next month....

A New Line (for us) on the Pfeiff...and Lars

Viking Lars came to town again and wanted to get a little scared. I thought a new linkup in Hogum Fork that might be deserving of the name, "Spicy Hulk," would be a good way to go.  Each line was to involve a bit of climbing and rappelling.  First up was the ever inspiring Pfeifferhorn.  We wanted to climb the North Ridge again and then ski the upper section back to the rock bands and then rap into a NW facing couloir lower on the ridge.  

Old photo by Jared with our descent labeled

 The day dawned partly cloudy and we were hopeful for Mother Nature's blessing.

JD and Lars heading toward the Pfeiff

 We booted up the North Couloir again, shortcutting the ridge a bit and then jumped on the rock.

JD got to lead the fun stuff this time since I got to do the majority last time

Here I am giving JD an attentive belay

Lars is from Nebraska and doesn't get a chance to do this stuff that much.  He did an admirable job and we gave him a solid B for the day.

Lars just after he got caught pulling on gear 

Looking back down the ridge

Past the difficulties and about to put away the ropes

Still looking for the summit

We sat on top for a few minutes hoping the visibility would improve.  It never did so we skied down the ridge until there were cliffs on three sides.  From there we slung a rock, threw a couple 60 meter ropes over the cliff and hoped they'd get us down to the couloir that we had spied on the way up.

Lars going over the edge

 The rap ended up being about 45 meters validating the extra weight of two ropes.

The viking on the lower portion 

 I know this line has been skied before but I doubt it gets done very often. Not sure of its name but viking themes come to mind given the company.    RPP?

Lowing down to where we put the skis back on

For those interested, the upper ridge is part of the NE Face/Couloir and is probably in the low 40s but with BIG exposure.  After the rap, the couloir starts in the upper 40s/low 50s and eases after a narrow choke that may not be filled in during lean years.

Oh yea, the skiing was good too

The skiing was a bonus even though Mama Nature frowned on us.  We decided to bail on the rest of the day rather than grope around in the soup trying not to fall off cliffs.  We'll be back though.  

And Lars...

He wasn't too scared today so we'll see what tomorrow brings.