Purple Palace, 11.19.06
Goldenboy, Mtnbikerskierchick, non-mag Laura
After the windy and sizeable storm of Nov 13/14, I hadn't had a chance to take a look around and see waht was going on in the Crested Butte backcountry. The storm shut down some of the previously available options like snowmobiling past Gothic, and reports in town were mostly of a thin snowpack that was heavily windaffected. Last year, in similarly wind affected snowpack conditions, the Purple Palace proved to be sheltered enough to still provide good skiing, so we decided to give that a shot.
Laura, hiking up the last few feet to the ridge, with Cinnamon and Maroon behind
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68286.jpg
Slate river valley, CB in the background
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68291.jpg
Still haven't hit this face yet, needs a bit more snow
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68290.jpg
MBSC called the skiing on the upper treeless part "interesting and fun". Others would call it a wee bit windafuckted. In either case, Laura made it look easy.
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68289.jpg
The trees didn't let us down though, and we found some creamy conditions.
More Laura:
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68288.jpg
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68287.jpg
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68294.jpg
MBSC:
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68284.jpg
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68297.jpg
GB:
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68293.jpg
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68292.jpg
We found lots of evidence of cracking and slides from the storm cycle. The snowpack definitely needed a few days to mellow out before stomping around on it too much.
It's dark on N faces now- I think I need to increase my shutter speed just a bit when I am shooting in the shade.
The next day we grabbed ropes and crampons and ventured into the gnarnia found in this photo. Consider that a teaser.
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_68285.jpg
