TR Replies
As a mostly solo explorer, kudos to you for farming out that choice terrain! Gotta calm it down a bit (solo), but creativity and no constraints, definitely enhances not bagging the more lucrative objectives. :)
author=RonL link=topic=27926.msg117503#msg117503 date=1363465601]
Great! I love it when the mid fork gets some attention. Believe it or not, Bessemer even appears in a handful of guide books for skiing (usually old ones). It was probably more popular with the skinny skis. If that only got you interested in the peculiarities of this terrain then look into the green ridge lake trail or Dingford. Plenty of miserable approaches for marginal gains but also some uni...
Saturday also did not suck:
The rest of the story: htt...
The rest of the story: htt...
We started by skinning up to 6370' to the top of a Northwest aspect of the peak that sits between The Castle and Unicorn Peak (not sure of its name). Here is a view of it from The Castle:
Foss peak .It seems you crossed all you T's and dotted all your I's. That's a nice tour.
almost changed out tour plans on Saturday when we skinned by the slot and saw no one had hopped in it yet...we figured someone would be along shortly and get some tracks in it. Looks like y'all had a good time.
That looked like a lot if fun. Nice Video!
author=cchapin link=topic=28036.msg117993#msg117993 date=1364246896]
Probably this:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130323/NEWS01/703239862
Wow. Hope the skier heals well. That's quite a video. Big thank yous to the dispatch, patrol, rescue, and medical folks involved.
Hey thanks, my wife and I put in that track. Then went for the NE side of McCausland and out the gap. Fun day.
author=Charlie Hagedorn link=topic=28036.msg117992#msg117992 date=1364244948]
We saw a rescue-looking helicopter head north from I-90 over ~Low/Granite and continue northward out of sight at perhaps 11 am.
Anyone have an associated story? I'd like to think that they were out enjoying the beautiful day!
Probably this:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130323/NEWS01/703239862
We saw a rescue-looking helicopter head north from I-90 over ~Low/Granite and continue northward out of sight at perhaps 11 am.
Anyone have an associated story? I'd like to think that they were out enjoying the beautiful day!
Anyone have an associated story? I'd like to think that they were out enjoying the beautiful day!
author=khyak link=topic=28046.msg117987#msg117987 date=1364242013]
That was my group of three. Glad someone else could make use of our skin track. The middlefork descent is pretty awesome, but that climb out seems like it never ends. Kevin
Thanks! Definitely a long slog out, but made much easier by your track.
author=John Morrow link=topic=28046.msg117988#msg117988 date=1364242244]
Did you all hit the north slopes east of Crooked or something else?
Thanks,
John
Disregard! I see the pics, thanks Charlie
Also, if this is of you (group of two dropping from Chair Peak Lake at ~2:50 pm) - give a yell via email/PM; I've got more photos.
author=khyak link=topic=28046.msg117987#msg117987 date=1364242013]
That was my group of three. Glad someone else could make use of our skin track. The middlefork descent is pretty awesome, but that climb out seems like it never ends. Kevin
Did you all hit the north slopes east of Crooked or something else?
Thanks,
John
That was my group of three. Glad someone else could make use of our skin track. The middlefork descent is pretty awesome, but that climb out seems like it never ends. Kevin
Were you the group ahead of us that skied down towards the MFK to ~2900' and back out Thunder Creek? If so, thanks for the track out!
We skied the same route yesterday (3/24) minus dropping off the backside. Indeed, S facing exposed faces were covered in a knee busting wind crust 2-3" deep. Virtually unskiable. Lots of hardened slide debris in the open fields near the crest. Snowpack felt stable. Once we dropped into the NW facing trees in line with the PCT, the skiing was incredible.
Looks great. Where is Crooked? Still trying to map out the place-names. Thanks!
Some more pictures from our trip:
Kenji following the ridge:
Slopes on Union Peak:
Chris skiing off Union in style:
Kenji following the ridge:
Slopes on Union Peak:
Chris skiing off Union in style:
That first picture just captures the magic perfectly.
Way to go big & totally get it, fellas. Strong work.
Hmm. Now you've got me thinking about a ski camp traverse.
Ski in, camp and sleep, ski lines and return to the same camp to sleep, move camp, repeat.
Ski in, camp and sleep, ski lines and return to the same camp to sleep, move camp, repeat.
Great trip meeting Ray. We toured on the south side and meet a family with kids touring in to spend the week at the cabin. Great snow. We had our camper and only met the family. A great place. ;)
Boy Jamie that looks like a great trip. Nice shots of you skiing. You sure got the good snow!
Good to see Peter having some fun despite his cold. Looks like a great area.
Prior to noon every aspect except for SW skied well, afterward staying north of west was still great 8-14" fluff, on open slopes and in trees. Perfectly calm weather and warm sun was very nice at mid-day on the ridge crest, even though the official temperature was only 27, wow.
https://vimeo.com/63220236
https://vimeo.com/63220236
The perfect tour in what looks like near perfect conditions, totally jealous.
author=Powderhino link=topic=28015.msg117906#msg117906 date=1364008277]
Where I fish I stare at an unskied volcano with plenty of lines to choose from.
This one?
Glad to here is so good back there, I
just love those back bowls!! Steep, deep,
and so fun to lap! Have fun!! I wish my knee
wasn't faulty!
just love those back bowls!! Steep, deep,
and so fun to lap! Have fun!! I wish my knee
wasn't faulty!
author=scottb link=topic=28015.msg117910#msg117910 date=1364011030]The best way to get the bang for your buck is to use Alaska Air miles to get to False Pass.
That works?! Awesome. I've got enough miles at the moment, I think.
Will get in touch if a plan gets real.
Weather was the most daunting foe on our Unimak trips. The first time we went was late April and the next effort was in early May. We wanted to go before the snow melted out in the valley bottoms to facilitate towing our sleds. Which worked out fairly well on the way in, but the way out was a different story when a lot of the snow had receded. Its hard to string together enough consistent weather days to get anything done out here, we simply ended up running out of time and patience. Summer affo...
So cool.
What were your primary difficulties on Isanotski and Shishaldin? I've spent time staring at maps, and comparing my bank account with Penn Air's pricing; couldn't quite figure out how the glaciers would go, the logistics would work, and whether bears would be a large or small concern.
What were your primary difficulties on Isanotski and Shishaldin? I've spent time staring at maps, and comparing my bank account with Penn Air's pricing; couldn't quite figure out how the glaciers would go, the logistics would work, and whether bears would be a large or small concern.
Very nice shots.
Sometimes it is the view alone that powers one through an aleutian gale while fishing with the thoughts that the money made on the boat will translate into powder turns in the mountains.
I have been on mighty Ballyhoo. Where I fish I stare at an unskied volcano with plenty of lines to choose from. Getting there is the only issue.
Good luck and good fishing.
Sometimes it is the view alone that powers one through an aleutian gale while fishing with the thoughts that the money made on the boat will translate into powder turns in the mountains.
I have been on mighty Ballyhoo. Where I fish I stare at an unskied volcano with plenty of lines to choose from. Getting there is the only issue.
Good luck and good fishing.
Nice! That looks amazing!
Hard to believe, but yes that is sunshine from the top of Ballyhoo. Good eye, you must know the view from experience.
OK, a couple more....Isanotski and Shishaldin from the top of Roundtop. And the last one is Progromni Volcano as seen from the boat, Bering Sea side.
OK, a couple more....Isanotski and Shishaldin from the top of Roundtop. And the last one is Progromni Volcano as seen from the boat, Bering Sea side.
Looks photoshopped to me....Sunshine in Dutch Harbor?
Are you on Ballyhoo?
Are you on Ballyhoo?
Yes Shishaldin and the torturous Aleutian weather. I have been completely shut down twice trying to summit Shishaldin and Isanotski. Its a long walk to those two from the Village of False Pass. Someday I would love to give it a go again. We were successful climbing Roundtop Volcano on our first trip to Unimak Island. And I had the good fortune of summiting Makushin Volcano here on Unalaska Is in the Summer of 2011.
Lots of unclimbed peaks in the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula.
Lots of unclimbed peaks in the Aleutian Islands and the Alaska Peninsula.
You win! I'd love to ski the Aleutians.
Shishaldin has been on the list since the day I saw it on Amar's page.
Shishaldin has been on the list since the day I saw it on Amar's page.
author=scottb link=topic=28015.msg117872#msg117872 date=1363969488]
done time in the fishing industry
Not a bad way to think about fishing.
Still “doing time” after 30 years in Bristol Bay, but we only get to see distant volcanoes on the occasional clear day and the tundra is full of bugs our time of year.
A little jealous … Thanks for the report.
Nice work Randy and crew :) Looks like some sweet terrain up there.
I love it! I'm drooling over this. You guys did it right.