TR: Pfeifferhorn 12-24-04 - wish I would've had the whippet...

[powstash]

...but I did just fine without it. There we were, my buddy Rich and I,
at the col between Maybird and the Pfeifferhorn looking up at the SE face
and wishing we'd brought our ice axes or better yet, my whippet. "It's not
that I'm scared of falling while I'm skiing down, it's that I'm scared of not
being able to stop should I fall while climbing up - or having something pull
out and pull me with it,” I comment to Rich.

The SE face of the Pfeifferhorn (known on some maps as Little Matterhorn Peak), wasn't really our destination as we set out from the White Pine parking lot that morning. We had talked of bagging a peak, but more than anything I just wanted to explore the upper reaches of Red Pine and Maybird, areas I had never seen let alone skied. But I think Rich knew exactly where we were headed. As we gained elevation and spotted many glades of creamy untracked powder, I'd suggest stopping to make some turns but Rich would just say, "Oh let's keep this in mind for later". Yea, later.

The vistas were amazing, with untracked peaks and steep rocky slopes all around. The lack of people in this slice of paradise was even more amazing. The higher we skinned, I couldn't help but look back at our skin track searching for the inevitable party of skiers, but the inevitable never came. In fact, after the bridge at Red Pine, we'd not see another person until we got back to the car, 6 hours later.

Coming out of the trees


We emerged from the trees to a sub ridge that led us around the lake to the upper reaches of Red Pine. The route we would take to the ridgeline at the back of the bowl was obvious, so Rich and I skinned in silence, just the sound of the wind drifting snow to keep us company. Off to the west we could see the tip of the Pfeifferhorn, a craggy imposing peak. The view we had offered little encouragement or opportunity to actually ski the thing, let alone climb it.

Up and beyond


The target


The wind picked up the higher we got, until it was a full-fledged 25-35 mph wind, with gusts around 40. Near the ridge we shouldered our skis to boot up the rocky rib where alas we hoped to gain refuge from the blasting of graupel and ice particles that were putting the hurt on any exposed skin, primarily our faces.

Once on the other side of the ridge, we were basking in the relative calm of this the lee side. I just so happened that this was the south side and with the bluebird skies we dug in for a bit of some needed lunch and sunshine. Now that we were on the ridgeline, I wondered what our target would be as an entirely new world had opened up to the East, South, and the West. "Go West young man," took on new meaning with the SE face of the Pfeifferhorn looking ripe for the taking.

We skinned as far as we could go, and then put our skis on our packs and negotiated the knife ridge of that defines the ground between Maybird Peak and the Pfeifferhorn, all the while the SE face looming above us. I'm not sure if it was the face itself, looking icy and firm, or if it was the enormous cliffs that guarded the bottom of the face making it a certain no-fall zone. A slim and narrow passage on the skier’s right of the face allowed the only entrance and exit, one not to be missed. Either way, we tentatively started up the face, keeping close to the East ridge.

Rich at the col


Rich - halfway up the face



Kicking steps up the skiers right of the face, just off of the East ridge, we made our way towards the summit, being greeted along the way by a firm crust with patches of wind deposited snow. Although we didn't take a reading on the slope angle, we estimated the top near 55-60 degrees. Alas, the journey was half way over. Unbeatable views of the Wasatch was our reward, as far as Nebo to the South, Deseret Peak to the East and the Salt Lake Twins just beyond our reach to the North and beyond.

Me on the summit


Rich on the summit


NW Coulior from the summit - the next objective (Xover - you ready?!?)


Rich - first turns and more






Those first few turns were actually quite fluid, particularly surprising given the fact that it was the first turns for my new Kahru Jaks. Not a bad way to break in a new pair of skis. Exhilaration! As I arrived back to the col where Rich awaited, we shared the traditional "click, click" of the poles, as skiers, our version of the "high-five".

One last look at her


I wish I could say the turns down the apron of the NE face were knee deep pow, but they weren't. Variable? Something like that. Heading down Maybird Gulch, veering skiers right all the way to make our rendezvous with the Red Pine trailhead, I stopped for one last glimpse of what we'd stolen, knowing full well that the Pfeifferhorn rarely gives up turns on her flanks. Indeed this was the pre-Christmas present I was lucky enough to open before Santa delivered the rest of the gifts.

[phUnk]

Huzzah!
..............

[gramps]

Sweet! The NW couloir looks very tempting. Those must have been some exposed, scary turns on the southerly aspect. Good job, and how was the snow going down into Maybird?

[Squirrel99]

K- so stoked for you. Nice work, mang!

[Ski Monkey]

Awesome work K.

[Darkside]

very nice, sir.

[Karl Stall]

Awesome, Stash!

[Xover]

NW Coulior from the summit - the next objective (Xover - you ready?!?)

SICK!!! Nice work buddy!! And, ya - I'm ready. Lets chat soon

[Trackhead]

Nice work Stash!! SE face is a proud line.

Just for beta for you guys as Gramps has asked before too...

The left arrow points to a lonely piton that you can belay from if you feel you need a belay the last steep 100ft. to the rappel. But the last guy will still have to ski up to the rappel sans belay, unless you were to leave a biner on the pin.
The second arrow points to the out of sight rap anchors.



Anchors at main rappel.



Keep me informed of when you might go back for the NW. Perhaps a week or two after this storm rolls through? I'd be game for the dawn patrol drive down. Maybe Stoy and I could carpool or something.

Again, nice work.

[powderwhore]

Sweet Stash! How long of a skin/hike was it to the top?

[Foggy_Goggles]

Nice! Such a cool area. How'd your left leg feel after the never ending side hill approach?

[powstash]

Sweet Stash! How long of a skin/hike was it to the top?

About 6 hours. Total round trip car-car was 7.5 hours. We stopped for lunch for likely 30 minutes or so.

Thanks fellas.

[Stoysluttie1]

Sweetness! What did you think of the Jaks? At first, I had a hard time adjusting to them, especially since it was my first day at the resort on boilerplate and hard crud. Fast they are!

Can't wait to rock them in the powpow...gonna be surfing all day loooong!

I'd be game for a dawn patrol day down there. Just give me 12 hours notice before we leave

[grizzle6]

B-E-A-yootiful. Nice work fellas. Very jealous at the moment.

[tele.savalas]

Nice work! that's some pretty good coverage for early season. if you do go back after the storm, i'd recommend rapping from the lower rap station - on the right in the photo.

[Trackhead]

Nice work! that's some pretty good coverage for early season. if you do go back after the storm, i'd recommend rapping from the lower rap station - on the right in the photo.

Yeah, I was just saying that if conditions are sketch right up to the rap station, that you have the option of using the higher pin to belay up to it.

The sketchiest turns are right before the rap.

Obvioulsy you wouldn't want to rap from the lonely pin up high. You would need too haul to 60m ropes to pull that off.

[powstash]

I spoke with a guy that works with me whose also skied the NW Coulior. He said he saw the pin but they placed some rock gear to back it up, not trusting the pin, and belay skied to the rap anchors.

Next dry spell there will be big lines skied.

[skier666]

Very nice.....sick TR!

[The Reverend Floater]

Nice, Stash! Thanks for the TR!

[Trackhead]

I spoke with a guy that works with me whose also skied the NW Coulior. He said he saw the pin but they placed some rock gear to back it up, not trusting the pin, and belay skied to the rap anchors.

Next dry spell there will be big lines skied.

Exactly, we placed a #1 tricam to back it up. Then pulled the tricam as we left.

[AltaPowderDaze]

good video that shows the lower anchors on the NW couloir.

[powstash]

sweet vid. I wonder when it was shot - perhaps a couple days after I skied the other side. They made it look easier than it looks from the top - just intimidating from the top lookind down it.

[Trackhead]

Then anchors are now bolted. New from when we did it.

[bcrider]

thanks for the stoke!