TR: LCC delivers 10.30.04 - Toledo Chute & Holy Toledo
All last season on each dawn patrol I would crank Slightly Stupid from start to finish (just about how long it takes to drive from Park City to LCC) so with the first day of the 04-05 year just under way I find myself heading down Parleys with Slightly Stupid cranked and a beaming smile on my face. Stoke meter is rising and I'm flooded with memories of last season's epic pow days where SS is playing in the brain as I'm skinning up and skiing down. It's gonna be a great day.
I meet up with PowHo and Z in the LCC parking lot and we're off to Our Lady of the Snows. With Wildcat parking lot as full as a mid-week day we look upward toward Toledo Bowl. "Toledo Chute looks nice" I comment and with a nod from Z and PowHo it's decided. As we don boots, beacons, packs and head off to the skin track, Z says, "Hey powstash, do you have poles?". Oh yea, better go back to the car and get my poles! First day JONGness.
Weather was chill with overcast skies. Breeze? Not really. On the way up we could see Toledo was fresh, ripe for the taking. I figured we'd head towards Pole Line and then skin under the chute to dig around and check snowpack. This approach is out of the question on high avie days, but after making our way to the base of the chute and digging a pit we found it was good to go. Got a couple of shots along the way.
PowHo and Z starting out.
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...oledoChute.jpg
Getting a bit of light
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...kin_tracks.jpg
Crossing the apron
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...o_crossing.jpg
Looking up the chute from the base can be a very nervous undertaking, as well as one filled with anticipation. Spying ribs, rocks, rollers all the while making mental notes of the little tree or the bulging rock wall, etc where you'll be certain to slash that perfect turn. We continued skiing up the bowl to gain the ridge and entrance to Toledo. Moments later while checking to see our target we realized that we were about to be robbed. "Early bird...." Yea, they got the worm, and firsts. We watched as they entered the chute and put our heads down while we continued to skin upward.
A couple of switchbacks and a fun ridge traverse found us on the top of Toledo Chute. Since I had the camera I headed down first to "take the photos". I dig carrying the camera sometimes. The snow was old pow on a firm base, about boot high in the best spots. First turns of the season...what a great place to get things rolling for 04-05. 200' lower and I'm perched on the skiers right edge of the main chute watching Z and then PowHo rip. Photo snapped and stoke on the rise. Finishing up the chute I venture right to a side chute where the line is clean. My thighs are feeling it but I manage to get into a rhythm of arcs.
While catching my breath at the bottom I realize that the coveted shots I just snapped with my camera are over-exposed. Okay, so we were in the white room, but I swear Z and PowHo were there somewhere. After messing with the settings I snapped a "Been there, Done that" photo.
Looking tough:
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...ledo_chute.jpg
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...edo_chute2.jpg
I think we were all thinking that Toledo Chute was good enough to call it a day, but none of us were ready to admit that to each other so when the enevitable question came up it was, "uh, yea, I suppose we could go up for another lap" all around.
As we found the ridge again we looked into Holy Toledo, off the backside. The higher, skinier entrance was looking tasty, unreal for OCTOBER?!? Here we go.
PowHo entering the chute from the ridge
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...ledo_ridge.jpg
Just inside the chute
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...olyToledo3.jpg
Down lower
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...olyToledo2.jpg
I won't tell you about the digger the PowHo took lower down but I will tell you that the photo didn't do it justice so I'm ommiting it from the TR. :D
I skied halfway down and took these. The snow was awesome and not a single rock. It was completely mid-Jan conditions.
Z feeling Holy
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...olyToledo2.jpg
Z in style
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...olyToledo3.jpg
Z sluttin'
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...olyToledo4.jpg
We nailed the apron with Z and PowHo ripping huge arcs all the way down. I pointed out to PowHo that he straighlined the last 1/4 of it. "Nah, I...oh, yea, I guess I did" seeing his signature.
Holy Toledo - can't see the tracks - flat light
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...HolyToledo.jpg
The skin back up to PoleLine pass about did us in. For my first day out for the season this was a lot of skinning. As we neared the top we were treated to a tasty view of Cardiac Ridge as the sun came out. It was hammered, at least as hammered as I had ever seen it. Probably 30-40 lines with an army of 5-6 headed up the skin track for more. The Wasatch was in full swing today, in October. Unbelievable.
Coming down Cardiff the conditions weren't as sweet as we had been growing acostomed to where a thin breakable crust greeted us. We made the best of it and I got a couple of final pics while making our way down the final 1500' to the car.
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...Z_Cardiff3.jpg
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...Z_Cardiff4.jpg
http://www.feedthehabit.com/pics/ski...y_Cardiff4.jpg
I'm sure we were a sight as we dragged ourselves up the road to the car. Out of gas for sure, but full of stoke and anticipation for another season in the white room.
