5-13, 14, 15-2011 Red River Gorge

I had a good/great weekend in the RRG (last one as a local) even though the weather was pretty bad.  We had quite the international crew, Amanda came in from Utah, Thierry from France, Nuria from Spain, Fromke from Lexington and Topher, Nicole, April and Chris from Indy, nice!  I'm actually going to miss these guys (plus a few others) and climbing in the Red, weird. To make things even better, we had access to a cabin all weekend so we didn't have to camp in the rain.  April and Chris found a new dry area called Shawnee Shelter which was good since it was POURING.

Chris at the crux of  Noo-tha

Amanda, Noo-tha

Next up, Great Arch area.  We must have met the ONLY cool people from Colorado, that was a surprise.

April "on-sighting" at Great Arch. Photo by Amanda

The next day we decided to see if the Kia could make it down into a muddy Southern Region and get us to Shady Grove.  Luckily the Koreans make a pretty sweet car.  Chris was the MVP of the day for on-sighting Far From God (12b).  Topher was close to getting the on-sight too, I don't think he milked the lower rest enough... We found another amazing line that I'm sad I won't be able to get back on.  I guess Taste the Rainbow will have to wait. 

My French daddy

Taste the Rainbow. Photo by Nicole

Topher  resting on Far From God with Niki K belaying

Fromke 2/3 of the way up Taste the Rainbow

North Face of Buck Mountain

On Saturday, Brother Sam and I, backed up by Sister Anne, joined Brian Harder for a climb up Buck Mountain via the Newc Couloir and the summit ridge, and then a "ski" down via the Bubble Fun Couloir.

Buck Mountain .Newc Couloir on right side.  Bubble Fun Couloir on the left.   Photo Credit: SummitPost

Buck Mountain stands about 12,000 ft tall in the southern Tetons.  There are three prominent lines off "Bucky's" north face--the Bubble Fun Couloir, the Newc Couloir, and the North Couloir.  Brian wanted to ski all of them, and that's what we set out to do.  As usual, and in accordance with my M.O. of this spring, we tried to bite off a bit more than we could chew.  Still, we had a fun adventure, one that I'll not forget.

A Newc

L to R: Brian, me, Rod Newcomb,
Bob McLaurin, Sam

The Newc Couloir is named after Mark Newcomb who, I guess, made the first ski descent.  After running over a deer, puncturing a tire, and making a tire pit stop in Evanston at 10 p.m., Sam, Anne, and I rolled into the Taggart trailhead at 1:30 a.m.  Sam and Anne put up a tent in the parking lot, and I crashed in the front seat of the car.  I awoke to Brian's voice and the smell of singed deer guts at 3:00 a.m.  Shortly after that, an older model brown Mazda truck rolled into the parking lot.  It was Rod Newcomb, father of Mark Newcomb, and an icon in Teton mountaineering.  Like us, he was going skiing at 3 a.m. in the morning. Unlike us, he was 78 years old.  All the years of experience in that one man is quite astounding.  I'm sure he thought I was a doofus when I asked him if I could have my picture with him.  But he obliged, reluctantly.  "Guess I don't have a choice," he said.

Teton Sunrise

A Bear Booter

Going without sleep, stumbling around in the mountains in isothermic snow, crossing over a lake like Bradley Lake on thin ice, and coming across fresh bear tracks aren't on my list of reasons to get up early to ski.  Seeing the sun come up, however, is.  Seeing the sun light up the objective--Bucky's north face--also is.

Skinning up Avalanche Canyon at first light.  Photo: Sam Inouye

Bubble Fun on the left, Newc on the right.

To the Top

Man Booter up the Newc

Going into our project, we knew that the snow conditions would be a big factor in our success, or failure.  This year, the Tetons have had over 600 inches of snow.  April came and went without a period of high pressure.  Last week, a new foot or so fell.  On our approach, we crossed multiple wet debris piles.  What would it be like up higher, we wondered?  

At about 10,000 ft., we encountered winter-ish conditions.  Bucky's sheltered north face had protected the snow, and booting conditions became firmer.  We appreciated this since we set up a 3,000+ vertical foot booter up the Newc.  With crampons, we kicked steps, and traded pulls.  As we did, fog and clouds rolled in and out.  

As we went higher, the Tetons to the north came into view, including the South and the Grand.  

Endless options!

As we climbed to the top of the Newc, the slope became less sheltered, and we climbed into the sun and onto some steep wet snow.  Each of us brought 1 ice tool.  We plunged them deep as we tentatively made our way over the wet steepness, finally gaining the summit ridge.

Sam topping out on the Newc.

 The expression on Brian's face says a lot.

As Brian crested, I pointed at the foreboding west ridge and said, "Brian, the ridge is full-on; I think we might be hosed."  Sam simply said, "I'm not climbing that."  Brian reasoned that our stance portrayed our desired route in the worst light possible, and urged us forward, and so forward we went, up the ridge.  As I worked up the ridge, I gave myself a pep talk: the guidebook says that this in only 5.7 . . . Because the snow was rotten, and in no way afforded any measure of security on the exposed ridge, I chiseled away ice and snow to find good holds.  Luckily, the holds revealed themselves.  And soon, we were standing on top of Buck Mountain.

Good hands?  Brian and Sam traversing to the summit of Buck Mountain.

Bubble What?
So, who named the "Bubble Fun Couloir"?  Seriously.  Perhaps the name-giver was demented.  Or perhaps the name-giver employed the same strategy we employed in calling Buck Mountain "Bucky."  Using a more endearing or comical label somehow made the otherwise scary mountain a little more palatable, more friendly.  I have to admit though, as I dropped into the Bubble Fun Couloir, I wasn't feeling the love.  At the top, there was a thin layer of slop over a firmer layer.  Luckily, it got better as we descended.  And it was steep!  Added to the "fun" was the fact that the chute terminates at the precipice of a 200+ foot drop.  Completely undeserving of the name "Bubble Fun," completely.

Brian Harder descends the Bubble Fun.

Our Crude Anchor

Me and Brian downclimbing to a rap station. 

I was scratching around, looking for a crack.  We were a bit nervous because the sun was starting to heat up the Bubble Fun headwall.  Small chunks were zinging past.  "Hey Brian, where are the pins?"

Brian was scratching around, looking for a crack.  "You have them."

"No, I don't."

We both looked at each other.  And then Brian said some things that I cannot repeat on my blog.

I had a rack of pins, but I left them in the car, thinking for some reason that Brian had a rack.  As it turned out, he didn't.  Fortunately, he had a rack of nuts and I had two Pecker Pitons.  And fortunately, after significant foraging in the snow, we found some placements.  We put in two nuts, and drove a Pecker in sideways.  And then we rapped off two nuts and a Pecker.  Sorry, very crude--in a number of ways.

Sam 

I take the blame for the questionable rigging.  In hindsight, I should have used a double fisherman's to join to cordelette ends, and we should have put a figure 8 in the cordelette to prevent shock loading if a placement failed.  But, it had been a stressful few moments, and we were anxious to get out of there.  Brian committed first, and informed us that cliff was exactly 200 ft. and that our cords reached, just barely.

Time to Go.
Our adventure in the Bubble Fun took too much time.  While we ascended the Newc in less than 1 hr 30 min., the climb up the summit ridge and setting up our rap took more time than anticipated. By the time we were at the bottom of the Bubble Fun, it was 11:00 or so.  Temperatures were climbing, and we reluctantly skied past our booter up the Newc, descended to the bottom of Avalanche Canyon, and skied out.

Bradley Lake with the Grand barely visible through the clouds.

Ciochetti's Ribbon in May

Yesterday, Adam and I decided to try our luck on Friday the 13th.  Somehow, we ended up at Alta looking up at Devil's Castle and Ciochetti's Ribbon - the ultra thin uppermost strip of snow. 

Side view of the Devil's Castle and Ciochetti's Ribbon (upper snow ramp from right to left) 

We weren't sure how the conditions would be since it's been so hot lately with poor overnight freezes, but the skin up to the Castle was on firm consolidated snow.  We wondered if we might have to sit around to wait for a thaw but then realized it was going to be 80 degrees in the Valley and if anything, we'd be racing the massive impending thaw.

The Devil's Castle viewed head on.  The ribbon is the obvious upper strip of snow traversing from left to right. 

 The Ribbon is more like an alpine rock climb than a ski descent.  But, we had our skis on so...

Getting started, looking down the untracked Ribbon

My partner for the Day was Adam O.  He doesn't have much climbing experience so I got to go out in front and place all the protection and build the anchors.  Oh yea, we skied roped up.  I don't think it would be too unreasonable to ski it without a rope for 99.5 percent of the way, but there's this one section...

Here's what hundreds of feet of exposure look like.

Adam belaying as I take a break from trying to figure out  how to get around the "block".

Skiing around the "block" is probably the crux of the descent - or maybe just mentally wrapping one's mind around the constant exposure is.  Anyway,  I decided a 6 inch strip of snow on the very edge of the cliff to be "unskiable" and looked for an alternative way around on foot.

Still trying to figure out how to get around the "block" (photo courtesy of AO)

Eventually, I figured I brought crampons for a reason and just climbed across.  Just on the other side I had some difficulty finding a suitable anchor but reasoned 2 pins and 3 cams in iffy rock ought to do the trick.

Adam being forced into some rock moves that suited him just fine.  

Just after the block though, AO stated that he was at his wits' end.  He stretched em a bit further. 

Difficult anchors seemed to be the theme as one of them ended up being off both my skis buried as pickets and backed up by a shady cam.  I had heard there are numerous bolts along the traverse but only saw one.  Adam saw another after I already went by at ankle level.  Many were probably covered by snow.  Part of the dilemma was trying to find a protected area to belay as the day was warming up and the upper face was shedding small projectiles.  

I think this pick helps display the foolishness of the day

It felt like the Ribbon would never end because adding rope work to skiing makes the pace more akin to climbing.  We finally made it off the Ribbon and into the gully on the looker's left of the Castle.  I thought we'd be able to open it up and enjoy some turns but I only got in two.  A bit more side slipping and I was through the cliff bands, rewarded by slushy turns through old debris.  

Adam is the black dot, still high on the Castle with some cliff bands to negotiate.  Felt good to be back on the apron. 

Really good.

My ski days are numbered.  I predict only 4 more this season...

5-7-2011 Red River Gorge

Meaghan, not happy

Frenchman

It's fun to be back in the Midwest, I got the go to the Red with some good friends (Eric, Thierry, Sarah, Dave, Meagan) for the weekend.  Turns out skiing isn't the best training for long, endurance-heavy sport climbing.  Grades weren't the hardest but it was still fun to try hard and pull a few climbs off that didn't seem likely after the first couple goes.

Eric underneath Superfly at the Solar Collector (rope still hanging, pretty steep!)

After the first day at the Solar Collector, Sarah was nice enough to invite us over to the cabin where we found a pretty amazing spaghetti and homemade meatball feast hot and ready the second we walked in the door.  Maybe one of the best post-climbing meals ever!  The next day I finally made it to the Chocolate Factory.  For the past year whenever I heard the name I pictured these guys, dancing by the rock. They weren't there, disappointing.

Sarah,  7th day in a row!

Fromke on the group's high point for the day of Cat's Demise

Thierry

About to fall. Photo by Thierry

Pretty fun, "It's cool, I love it." -TM

Grand Teton Recon

Nate slipping on race skins

I've been itching for a bit of a change in scenery so for my day off this week I made a quick trip up to the Tetons to see if I could add fuel to my already intense desire to ski some of that stuff.  I joined local NB and our plan was to climb the North Ridge of the Middle Teton and then ski off the SW Couloir in an effort to smooth out part of a future traverse.  We figured that would be the most fun way up and the safest way down since there seems to be some lingering instability in the snow pack, although the consensus appears to be that up to around 11,500 feet conditions are decently safe.  

The day dawned clear but the predicted overnight freeze failed to occur at the lower elevations making the approach to Garnet through the isothermic mess a real time sink.

Once at the Meadows, conditions hardened and we were able to move quickly.  By all signs, it looked like we'd have a fabulous day.

Nez Perce and the Middle Teton

Spooky Face

As we traveled through the Meadows, a solemn feel took the air as we passed by the site of the huge recent SAR recovery effort.  It's sobering to realize that such a mistake could be so tragic.

The Spooky Face high on Nez Perce did not help the mood.

After booting up though a punchy lower headwall, we were greeted by incoming clouds, high winds, and snow flurries.  It didn't take long to agree to bail on the idea of spending the morning high on the Middle, trying not to get blown off.  Instead, we headed for the Teepee Glacier so I could get a better look at some future projects.  

Nate in the talus heading for the Teepee with the Middle Teton in the background

The evocative Grand Teton hiding in the clouds

We traveled up onto the Teepee where still finding seemingly stable snow, I began to become intoxicated by the allure of the Grand.  I wanted to "just keep going until things got sketchy" and turn around there.  It took multiple attempts for Nate to talk me back to reality. 

In the Wasatch, we often push through bad weather, climbing or skiing in storms, and are familiar with the snowpack.  The Tetons seem to merit more respect.

As a consolation, we decided to ski the Dike Couloir into Glacier Gulch to make a scenic tour out of the day.

Nate dropping into the Dike Couloir

Nate hiking back out of the Dike Couloir

We made about 5 turns and pulled over above a steep rollover.  The aspect was slightly NW and the snow felt a little more slabby than everything else we had encountered thus far.  We reasoned that Glacier Gulch would look about the same as Garnet Canyon so we played it safe and booted back out. It's that damn Rando Steve's fault for putting the fear of the avalanche in us. 

The ski out transitioned from hardpack to corn (briefly) to isothermic slop.  Conditions are approaching a transitioning point and with a bit of high pressure could lead to some big goals finally being realized.  

NB skiing out Garnet Cayon

For all of you out there still praying for snow..STOP IT!  It's ruining my spring.