Today I went skiing

[ak_powder_monkey]

With bluebird skies and a little bit of snow I decided that I must go skiing or I kill myself. After many unsucsessful attemps to sucure a partner I did the only thing that I could and lied to my parents, while they thought I was on a romantic hike with ingrid (who didn't want to come, assumingly because she was hungover FKNA thats the second time thats happened) I was on my way to a romantic hike by myself. Arriving at the parking lot at Alpenglow I don't pay the parking fee (I like ski patrolling) and throw my trusty public enemies on my pack crank up modest mouse and begin to hike.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28113.jpg
Spying less then expected coverage underneath chair two I decide to summit mt. godon lyon, keep hiking
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28115.jpg
I get a clear veiw of the cold war era NIKE missile site
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28114.jpg
Gaining the ridgeline as dramamine came on my headphones I felt like seth morrisen sizing up sick chutes feeling like I'm on top of the world and general stokeness, once on the ridge I get a veiw of my goal
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28116.jpg
I reach the summit and want to ski the couloir but its skinny as hell and filled with avy debris from the cliffs above
Veiw from the top
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28117.jpg
I move off the summit and enter my first zone of the day. The snow was hardpacked but not ice the first turn was awkward but by the second or third it was like riding a bike. Everything came back to me.
The first turns of 2004
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28118.jpg
I traversed a little and hiked back up to the ridge where I dropped into a steep bowl with a nice littlw cornice on top, this time I got after it big GS turns and playing in the patches between tundra speed everything it felt just like last memorial day only better, I was alone on the mountain
the second zone
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28119.jpg

[Ski Beaver]

After many unsucsessful attemps to sucure a partner I did the only thing that I could and lied to my parents, while they thought I was on a romantic hike with ingrid I was on my way to a romantic hike by myself.

Nice pics, great story - thanks for the read.

BUT,

Did anyone know you were up there?

[ak_powder_monkey]

I had the bright Idea of traversing the north face instead of walking the south face back towards the parking lot I crossed an avy path reminding me that avys can strike any time I figured out that I was relitively safe though because this was snow that fell off the rocks when the super wet snow that would stick to anything warmed up a bit
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28120.jpg
The problem with traversing I found out was that there was a fatty cliff in the way with no landing zone so being lazy and not wanting to backtrack I decided that I would climb basically strait up a cliff with a patch of snow and ice a few feet wide. I was exposed, I knew a misplaced step could mean death with night soon approaching and being alone scrambling up the gully I stopped only to take pictures, like this one as I approached the first crux
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28121.jpg
Looking back at what I climbed up
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28122.jpg
On the first crux before taking on the final pitch I captured these pictures
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28123.jpg
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28124.jpg
Making it up the 50°*final pitch I arrived on the ridge happy to be relitively warm and having not falled
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28125.jpg
The walk back to the car was long and painfull with skis and boots on my back and no trail I hobbled along the tundra trying not to rail my knee. i only twisted my ancle once and it didn't get dark
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28126.jpg
Passing chair 2 I begin to think of what the season will hold in store for me, I get free access to the lifts here, I get to learn how to handle sleds and evac chairs, I get to help people who are hurt, and most importantly I get to ski, this is the second year I've started here, both times were special both different let ullr less this lift
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic28127.jpg
and all the little ribblets, all the high speed quads, all the at and touring skis, all the T bars, and all of us, and people who love snow everywhere

[ak_powder_monkey]

Nice pics, great story - thanks for the read.

BUT,

Did anyone know you were up there?

Yeah they did and there were people off somewhere, but I did break most rules of backcountry travel fortunately it all went ok, nobody do what i did, and always have a partner in the backcountry

[Ski Beaver]

but I did break most rules of backcountry travel

So which ones didn't you break?

[ak_powder_monkey]

So which ones didn't you break?

People knew when to expect me back and sorta where I was

[Ski Beaver]

I'm not sure if you are aware but there are a whole lot of people on this board nominating you as the most worthy person here to receive a perfect pair of 189cm K2 Seth Pistols and skins.

Attention Maggots

Maybe the donation should include a GPRS, EPIRB, mobile phone etc.

[ak_powder_monkey]

I'm not sure if you are aware but there are a whole lot of people on this board nominating you as the most worthy person here to receive a perfect pair of 189cm K2 Seth Pistols and skins.

Attention Maggots

Maybe the donation should include a GPRS, EPIRB, mobile phone etc.

holy shit I wasn't aware of that, and I have a cell phone so I guess thats two rules I didn't break, I had tons of fun and stayed safe (somehow)

[powstash]

Solo adventuring anywhere is stupid but we all do it from time to time, but not giving a definated time and route is just plain brain dead.

Chill, chill. The kid got some turns, some stoke, and the pics to prove it. You sound like a friggin' touron I ran into in the gondola one day as I was shuffling through my bc pack and she said, "Oh, you shouldn't go in the wilderness all by yourself."

Go back to Epic Ski land.

[The Reverend Floater]

Nice pics, dood.

In case you're blind and have alzheimers, I think someone said to tell people where you are going. Then someone said to tell people where you are going. And then someone didn't feel so rad this morning, so they said to tell people where you are going.

Cheers and keep up the stoke.

[TheDingleberry]

Bonus Points! You didn't die! Cool.

[Svengali]

"Maybe the donation should include a GPRS, EPIRB, mobile phone etc."
Those who would like to donate a brain ......Heh this is starting to read like the Wizard of Oz.......Akpm's 1st conquest will be named Dorth....TOTO!


Hey AkPM, save the stupid hero shit for your keyboard..I'm sure the Guys and Gals with the Alaska Rescue Group would rather stay home (and watch a ball game and enjoy a few tasty brews) then scrambling around the backside of Alpenglow in the dark looking for some 17 year old Seth wannabe..Dont be an Shithead! its this kind of thing that creates situations which others must clean up! and think of the grief that you would bestow onto your poor mother and Ingrid!!!!

[supercow]

seriously AKPM, thats just stupid to go up there without telling SOMEONE EXACTLY where you're going and when you should be back. Solo adventuring anywhere is stupid but we all do it from time to time, but not giving a definated time and route is just plain brain dead.

[bad_roo]

Wisdom's wasted on the old.

[Clack]

edit: nevermind

[Crinkle]

I decided that I must go skiing or I kill myself.

We only could have been so lucky.

[The Reverend Floater]

We only could have been so lucky.

Crinkle <=== So cool right now.

[Crinkle]

Crinkle <=== So cool right now.

look i really don't want the kid to off himself, but i just wish he would turn it down a little. Its been said too many times already. 16 pics, 2 were self portaits. Its just overkill.

Honestly what he should do is start his own BLOG, cause that is what this site seems to be for him.

[The Reverend Floater]

look i really don't want the kid to off himself, but i just wish he would turn it down a little. Its been said too many times already. 16 pics, 2 were self portaits. Its just overkill.

Honestly what he should do is start his own BLOG, cause that is what this site seems to be for him.

No worries. Just shootin' from the hip.

[Crinkle]

No worries. Just shootin' from the hip.

[hijack] rev, you pulling the trigger and moving out to CO or what?

[Buzzworthy]

look i really don't want the kid to off himself, but i just wish he would turn it down a little. Its been said too many times already. 16 pics, 2 were self portaits. Its just overkill.

Oh gimme a break, grumpy.

So where are YOUR pics of skiing thus far??? HMMM??? Yeah, me neither.

Granted the kid has enthusiam to the gills, but cmon, he can brag here, just like you can or I can or anyone can.

I would take a self portrait too if I skied this early in the season. Evidence.

[Crinkle]

buzz my pics were back in fricking July, so were yours. Oh yeah and they were pics of us actually doing some action on snow, no self-portaits, and a few of us getting loaded

I like the early season stoke when done right, like ISKIBC's shnizzle. Its great he got out to ski, just call me senior editor of bitch and complain, end note: he still sucks

[Buzzworthy]

buzz my pics were back in fricking July, so were yours. Oh yeah and they were pics of us actually doing some action on snow, no self-portaits, and a few of us getting loaded

I like the early season stoke when done right, like ISKIBC's shnizzle. Its great he got out to ski, just call me senior editor of bitch and complain, end note: he still sucks

Hehe. True, July was damn fun.

ISKIBC does do a hell of a job, tis true.

Senor Bitchmaster, I like it.

[Duker]

AKPM, Nice stoke. I enjoyed it. However I think it is time for you to get out of alaska and move to colorado. Every one seems to love you there. You could get be part of a Summit-Blurred-Akpm love triangle.

[teledave]

with ingrid (who didn't want to come)

Dude, Ingrid ALWAYS wants to come. Trust me on that one, don't get yourself killed before you make it happen.