Long's Peak via Lambs Slide - TR
I've been wanting to ski Lambs Slide ever since a friend mentioned it to me and showed me pictures of this beautiful line right next to the Diamond. I knew I still wasn't in good enough shape to hike Long's bottom-to-top in one day in winter conditions with skis on my back, but I wouldn't let that hold me back. Conditions were finally beyond perfect this weekend and so I set out Friday evening after work on a mission: hike up to near Chasm Lake and bivouac, cutting the daily vert in half, and set out for the summit the next day. So I did.
#1. Hiking up the Long's Peak Trail on Friday evening after work. What a way to end a weekday :)
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...UzXb-Large.jpg
The only time I did Long's before was last summer in running shoes & a camelback.
I remembered the trail from the Ranger Station to Chasm Lake to be much shorter.
But with 50+ lbs on my back (Atomic Big Daddy's in 190cm + Marker Dukes + Alpine boots) and tired from a day in the office, the trail turned out to be much longer :)
#2. Moon rising
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...vwjn-Large.jpg
I finally arrived at the saddle where the trail splits around Mt. Lady Washington. I was already tired and it was getting dark (~8pm) and decided to camp out there instead of pushing for Chasm Lake which would've been colder anyway. Found a big boulder with a nice flat spot next to it, dug some snow out, rollet my thermarest + bivouac bag + sleeping bag out, and made myself comfortable. Managed to take this long exposure shot of the valley before falling asleep.
#3. Valley under Moonlight (Longmont I believe)
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...WsnA-Large.jpg
Next morning, alarm clock set for 4am - initial struggle to get out of the warm sleeping bag into the freezing cold, took 15 minutes of convincing myself, plus another 10 minutes of jumpin-jacks to get myself warmed up. Packed up, stashed a bunch of un-needed gear under a nearby rock, and set out.
#4. Just after 4am at the campsite - ready to depart.
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...uJKX-Large.jpg
#5. Looking back at the sunrise
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...MiHG-Large.jpg
#5. Long's Diamond at the magic hour
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...kzc4-Large.jpg
After my initial plan of hiking to the right of Chasm Lake over to Mill's Glacier, I realized how solidly frozen the lake was and just crossed directly over it. Hiked up Mill's Glacier and headed into Lamb's Slide.
#6. View from Lambs Slide - ??
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...d5QD-Large.jpg
Long story short - I was out of water by 4.30am on Saturday morning, shortly after leaving camp. Don't ask why (Duh), in any case, I started getting seriously dehydrated. Halfway up Lamb's Slide I realized I was getting weaker from the lack of water, and started eating some salty peanuts with melted snow. This got me up to the top of Lambs where I stashed my skis and kept hiking around the Loft, hoping to still be able to summit. At ~13,700ft, seriously close to the summit, legs started cramping up from dehydration & exhaustion, and I decided it would be safer to turn around now and still be able to ski Lambs. A little bummed that I didn't summit, but still totally happy I would still get to ski the line I've been wanting to ski:
#7. Ski tracks down Lambs Slide
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...FQjQ-Large.jpg
The skiing down Lambs Slide was absolutely AWESOME. A little hard and wind-slabby on the top, but absolutely awesome cream-cheesyness from 3/4 down.
#8. Looking back at the diamond (and my tracks on Mill's if you look closely enough)
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...QXqJ-Large.jpg
#9. Chasm Lake
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...fgRW-Large.jpg
#10. Looking back - What a day...
http://bernardo.smugmug.com/photos/2...fV8U-Large.jpg
This was an incredible journey for me. My first ski descent of a (part of a) 14'er in Colorado/USA AND my first solo trip out here.
I've done several solo ascents before, back home in the Italian (and Swiss) alps, but never a solo ski descent.
Snow & Weather conditions couldn't have been better, and I'm stoked to have had the chance to take some pretty pictures :D
Enjoy!
_Bernardo
