Pow in the Dead Dog Couloir - 5/11/08
My second TGR offering.
On Sunday, May 11 JS, N and myself hiked and skiied the Dead Dog Couloir off of Torrey's Peak. We exited the Bakerville exit off of I-70 at around 6 am and we were hitting the trail by 6:30. We were suprised to find that there were still several inches of new snow, still cold and crisp, even at the start of the approach (~9,800').
Near the beginning of the approach with the objective in view
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/10185814.jpg
It took us 1.5 hours to hike the 3 miles to the summer trail head at 11,200'. From here, the approach got significantly more difficult. We were heading directly into the wind that was gusting 50+ mph. I've not got a nasty wind burn on my face.
We reached the bottom of Torrey's and saw Mountaindog and a friend trying to make their way directly up the Couloir. Due to large amounts of new snow, they were post holing up to their waists. So, they turned around while still on the apron. After much hemming and hawing about which approach would be faster, we decided to take the summer trail to the saddle, and gain the summit from there.
N at the bottom of Torrey's. If you squint you can see Mountaindog trying to make his way up.
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/10185827.jpg
The hike to the saddle was longer and more exhausting than my previous experience due to the new snow and the wind. But, now that I know what was in the couloir this was undoubtedly an easier approach so I'm glad we did it.
JS breaking trail directly into the wind.
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/10185838.jpg
We finally summitted 8.5 hours after leaving the car.
JS and N the last few feet from the top.
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/10185855.jpg
As is my strange tradition, I took my pants-down picture like I do at the top of every 14er that I climb.
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/10185915.jpg
Then we scoped getting into the Dead Dog from the peak. As the picture below shows, there was massive wind loading, and we thought it a better idea to stay away from that enterance to the couloir.
Scouting the entry into the Dead Dog. Notice the wind loading forming on the edge of what is usually a pretty calm roll over.
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/10185907.jpg
I just like the perspective of this shot. You can see the parking lot where we started the morning.
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/10185860.jpg
We decided to ski down to the enterance a little further down along the Kelso Ridge. It looked like it was in decent enough shape to go.
JS standing above the Dead Dog's enterance along Kelso Ridge.
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/10185918.jpg
I was the first to ski the couloir. As many of you who have skiied it know, it is a pretty mellow line. However, the new snow and wind loading made it a little bit sketchy at the enterance for us. I ski cut it 3 times and was not able to get anything to move. I stopped at a save zone about 100' vertical into the couloir and had N and JS ski down to me.
From there, it was a very entertaining ski to the bottom with no more stops.
I had the deepest turns of my season. On the shaded skiers right of the couloir I literally got CHEST DEEP pow turns. It was the most fun I've had doing sluff management since being in AK. In fact, it was the best sluff management that I've done outside of AK, and rivals what I did there. Not necessarily difficult or intense, just fun. 2 or 3 turns, check over my shoulder, slow down and let the sluff pass, do it again. I got a LOT of snow to move.
When N and JS went they got deep turns, but I think I knocked a lot of the snow out of there. They didn't have any instances of spitting snow out of their mouths like I did.
Although the wind was the bane of our existance on the way up, it kept the shaded slopes cold and unconsolidated (i.e. no slab avy activity) for the day, and moved a ton of snow into our line. So, in hind sight, it was a blessing in disguise.
JS and I at the bottom of the Dead Dog.
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/10185920.jpg
Sorry, I was the only one with a camera and since I went first, I couldn't get any shots of the skiing.
We were able to ski almost the entire way down. We made it back to the car at 5:30 pm, 11 hours and 13 miles after we started.
I think if we hit it a day later, the snow would have consolidated and the slab avalanche would have been a huge concern. It was about 60 F at the car when we got there. Fortunately for us, our evaluation at the top of the line showed that the new snow was still unconsolidated and cold. The ski cuts yielded nothing and it bonded decently to the rock hard snow underneath it. The new snow took what was going to be a mellow corn run and made it a much more fun pow run for me. Rare conditions on a 14er for sure, espically at this time of year.
Welp, see ya later.
