TR: Summer Solstice with the Aliens at GBNP

**Xover** · 06-22-2005, 03:43 PM

I apologize right away for the "poor form" of not posting the "original" GBNP TR before this one, but I haven't had time to put together the video yet from the "original" trip on June 11/12.

Anyways, on the "original" trip my buddy JWest spied the lil ditty of a line pictured below. I always like bringing back "projects" for Trackhead so I passed the photo on to him. Needless to say he probably didn't sleep for a week he was twitchin so hard. I got numerous vulgar PM's for beta and threats of an ass kickin if beta was not given

The call came last Thursday and a message was left that it was a good thing I got next Tuesday (yesterday) off because Andrew McLean was coming along also. Oh great, now I not only will get my ass handed to me by Trackhead, but also McLean. Yahoo, lets go.

I was curious if the line would be a first ascent, so I e-mailed the Park Ranger is this is what he had to say back:

Mr Xover,

Thank you for your question. At this time, I am not aware of anyone skiing that particular chute.
It wouldn't be advised due to extreme safety concerns. The rock in that area is very unstable, as is most of the ice and snow. I was in the cirque this weekend, and witnessed several small rock falls/avalanches in that area. The snow pack is melting rapidly, taking down small sections of the wall with it.
There are several other ski options in that area, with varying degrees of difficulty. Climbing up the slope towards the glacier and skiing down from there would be a definite challenge, with great views and a step angle.
If you have any further inquires, please feel free to e-mail again, call the park @ (775) 234-7331, or check out our website @ www.nps.gov/grba.

Thanks again,

Andy Marchand
National Park Service
Park Ranger
Great Basin National Park

With the thoughts of a first descent up for grabs, that only made Trackhead twitch all the more and get a small chuckle outta Andrew.

We rocketed outta SLC Monday night after work and roll into the Wheeler Peak Campground parking lot at dusk and hit the hay shortly after that.

Awoke the next morning and were skinning by 5 (4 am pacific coast time) and were a little wary as the snowpack had not frozen at 10k.

A shot of the line, dubbed Alien Chute by Trackhead, taken on June 12, 2005 from the West side of the cirque

A shot from yesterday on the East side of the cirque

Pink sunset in the middle of the Great Basin on the drive down...

that turned to orange as the sun set for the day...

with the moonrise over the mountains to the east.

Trackhead was twitchin' so damn hard the next morning for me to get around he was virtually putting my boots and pack on me. He and Andrew skinned outta camp in a blaze of headlamp light; apparantly they didn't hear me yell the proper bearing to be following to the cirque cause they ended up one ridge over to the West. Friggin' wankers

A quick radio call had them skiing this "lil" warmup slope down into the cirque.

Where's the skier??

TH and Andrew booting up to meet me just as the first rays of sunlight hit the cirque behind them.

After they reached me, Andrew took a quick look at the line and started pulling gear outta his pack to leave behind. Of which included, the rope, the pro, his harness and 1 ice tool. I looked at him and asked, "so, how far are we planning to go up?" His reply was one of the quotes of the trip, "the whole way. we just don't need all that - it's not that steep." I looked at TH and saw him leave behind even more of what I would call "essential" gear. So, at that point I left about the same behind except both of my ice tools and pretty much realized that barring growing some huge nuts in the next half hour I wouldn't be climbing that sum-a-bitch to the top without a rope which Andrew so "spicely" chose to leave behind.

I also think at that point I realized that TH and Andrew are not human; friggin Aliens they are

2 Aliens booting up the lower portion of Alien Chute

The line itself is about 1700 +/- vert that starts out at 40-45 degs then transitions to 50-55 degs about a quarter of the way up it and then meets a 20-30' vertical ice wall that TH rated at water ice 2-3. It then rolls over back to 50-55 degs of a little more ice back to the snow which steepens to 60-65 degs to the top which is blocked by a big phat cornice that Andrew said if he had a rope would've climbed also.

Needless to say, I got a little behind them and they started in on the ice, without a rope mind you, before I could catch them. After that, the next hour or so could be summed up as me down below getting baraged by a continous schrapnel of snow, ice and small rocks as they were dealing with their own "fun" above the ice fall. I had nowhere to escape to as I was in the upper portion of the chute just below the ice fall and so had to hunker down and thank BD for making such a bomber helmet.

This a shot of TH (courtesy of Andrew McLean) "skiing" down the upper portion of the Alien. They later told me that they never made a single turn up here as it was 60-65 degrees of double fall line, frozen hard ice and snow. Note the "whippet-ski" technique of TH.

Another photo of TH (courtesy of Andrew) downclimbing the ice back to the top of the 50-55 degree snow where I awaited just below the rock to skier's left.

**Xover** · 06-22-2005, 03:44 PM

I was glad to see these 2 back safely from above as I'm sure they were too. I expected a body to come flying outta the thing from above at any time the whole time they were up there. Both TH and Andrew are athletes in a whole different league that I'll never see and I have huge, huge respect for the both of them. They both pulled some of the gnarliest moves I've ever witnessed and did it all un-roped; that's confidence in your abilities for sure.

However I do recall hearing some more funny quotes like: "that was the most screwed up thing I've ever done" and "don't ever tell my wife I did that" and "you'd have to have HUGE balls to make a turn above the water ice"

Trackhead cranking down lower on the apron of the Alien trying to match the "Alta" turns below him

Andrew gs'ing the lower portion of the Alien. From all the pics I had seen of him before, I just assumed he did jump turns down everything. Needless to say I was blown away!! He has a very tight, smooth and technically sound style. His racing background has served him well. You can also see the Alien off to the left of him; note how narrow it looks from my vantage point.

Once down at the bottom of the Alien, we had a great view of the monstrous Wheeler Peak face

We then headed for a line dubbed the "Vortex" by the ttippers on Memorial Day of this year; I had looked at it on the "original" trip and wanted it too. Needless to say, it didn't take a twist of the arm to get Andrew and TH to start the bootpack. This line is about 1600 verts that starts at around 35 degrees, transitioning to 40 degs for the middle 1/3 and then onto 45 degs at the top.

The 2 aliens at the bottom of the Vortex

Looking back at the bottom 1/3 of the Vortex

Aliens headin for the sun

Aliens approaching what we dubbed "penis rock". I think the ttippers should've given this chute a more "fitting" name myself.

The top of the Vortex looking down. That little ridge don't look like much, but Andrew and TH just had to put the friggin bootpack right on it. A fall backwards would send you over Penis Rock and a fall to climber's right would send you down a chute over some pepper at the bottom of it.

Needless to say, I was pretty focused and don't really recall Andrew or TH razzing me from the top.

TH turnin and burnin 1/2 down the Vortex

I snapped this shot as we were packing up to head on out of the 2 aliens and their line just above TH's whippet.

Don't quite really know what to say as I am still mentally processing some of yesterday. I can say though that it was both a pleasure and honor to ski/climb with one of the greatest ski mountaineer's of the world in Andrew McLean; his stories and humor were both entertaining. We ended up having some un-belivable turning conditions (far from what we thought at the start of the day) for June 21. I saw TH step up his game (maybe just combine all the disciplines) like no other time damn near to the level of world class athlete. There is no place like GBNP anywhere in the Wasatch or its surrounding ranges; I can't think of any other word to describe it but mind blowing. Plus, we beat Powder to the punch for bringing it all to you; that is priceless

**MOHSHSIHd** · 06-22-2005, 03:56 PM

TFSB

core to the max..

it should be called "CRC"...cock rock couloir

**Woodsy** · 06-22-2005, 03:58 PM

nuggin futz

I miss the old TRs, the ones I could aspire to.
nice work gentlemen.

missed ya @ Remedy and Mikey & the Motor Cars, X.
Bastard sons of Jonny cash this Friday @ Egos? I know our boy Jade is going.....

**stump832** · 06-22-2005, 03:59 PM

Kick-ass, X!

**boofadeesnutz** · 06-22-2005, 04:05 PM

NICE, must've been a great day out there

**Xover** · 06-22-2005, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by stump832

Kick-ass, X!

TH and Andrew did the kickin'; I just got kicked

**stump832** · 06-22-2005, 04:09 PM

Originally Posted by Xover

TH and Andrew did the kickin'; I just got kicked

Way to take one for the team?

**bcrider** · 06-22-2005, 04:19 PM

I’ll second the TFSB!

Great write up and pics xover. Looks like a memorable day in a sweet area. It must have been really cool to see those two in action. Don’t sell yourself short either…I’m sure they wouldn’t just climb/ski with anyone.

Ps. If no turns are made is it still considered skiing…or is it just side slipping?

thanks for taking the time to share this with us!

**PowderPig** · 06-22-2005, 04:28 PM

Nuts!
I bet it was exciting skiing above that ice fall...

[mental note]
Remember to check life insurance before skiing with Xover, TH or McLean
[/mental note]

**girlski0912** · 06-22-2005, 04:35 PM

Fuck yeah boys!!!!!!!! SUCH a cool TR!

**powstash** · 06-22-2005, 05:19 PM

so stoked for you. great write up and good to see you eat a serious dose of humble pie

**Karl Stall** · 06-22-2005, 07:31 PM

extremely cool - way to git after it!

**Trackhead** · 06-22-2005, 08:02 PM

Xover, thanks for sharing the photos and the beta for that line. That is something you easily could have kept to yourself and tagged at a later date. It was a great day, one of the more memorable days in recent memory because of good company, good weather, and great snow.

Here are a couple more of McLeans pics.

Me at the top of the couloir. Yes, I was somber and trying to concentrate at the task that lie ahead.

Xover at the top of the Vortex Couloir. Smiling as the Paparazi filmed and shot photos.

Xover arcing turns in perfect snow at the top 1/3rd of the Vortex.

McLean is calling the line "Cortex Couloir". Perhaps because it took a significant part of the Cerebral Cortex to not tumble down it and keep the sphincter in check. And perhaps because it is the Vortex's neighbor.

T-tips thread

**Xover** · 06-22-2005, 08:07 PM

you 2 can call it whatever you want
you guys are the ones that had the experience, skills and strength to "get 'er done"

and yes we could have kept it too ourselves (jwest was literally ready to de-friend me when I shared it with you two), but he (jwest) lacks the ice equipment and skills needed for that thing and plus sometimes fun lines are better shared than kept secret - just like good cold beer buddy.

I don't even want to know right now what "my margaritas" line looks like - double cortex

perhaps it will become an "Alta line" where everything has 2 names

**iskibc** · 06-22-2005, 08:34 PM

Great report. Those spires and rock formations are beautiful. This pics says it all:

Way to bring it home safe.

**Tippster** · 06-22-2005, 08:37 PM

Unbelievable. Glad you guys got some and got home in one piece.

**Cornelius** · 06-22-2005, 10:32 PM

looked pretty hairy. impressive TR indeed.

**Pura Vida** · 06-23-2005, 01:07 AM

Looks to be one of those never forgotten type of missions. awesome stuff, stoked for you guys

**tibaher** · 06-23-2005, 01:33 AM

good LAWD!!!
I am not surprised, yet, I am in awe>well done youz three!!! YEAH!

Can't wait to see the "Powder pic's and TR"

1st issue?

**splat** · 06-23-2005, 01:46 AM

Great work, beeeyotch. Nice to see you getting a regular beatdown.

**Xover** · 06-23-2005, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by tibaher

Can't wait to see the "Powder pic's and TR"

1st issue?

sorry, didn't mean we would be getting something in Powder for it (at least not to my knowledge right now); what I meant is that through the grapevine I had heard that about a month or so ago Powder sent a select crew up there to do a feature for next year.

By the wonderful power of the internet, we were able to bring you all some good stuff as well without having to wait for it to be published.