TR: Castle Peak, East Face, 14,265' 5.28.06

[ski_faster]

Nice Work! Gotta love the spring time.

[Hicks]

You guys and gals delivered a nice job again.

[ak_powder_monkey]

can i get a what what!

[Greguar]

Nice work guys! As usual an awesome TR!

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

Sweeet! Nice TR. I was wondering how you found out Lincoln Creek road is opening this weekend? Some years it is the middle or end of June but if it opens this weekend that would be sweet. If you guys have never stayed at the Tagert or Green-Wilson Huts(in the Braun system) that is a fun basecamp for Castle and all the sweet coulies on the Ridge of Gendarmes. They sit like 200 yards up the road from the entrance to Montezuma Basin and stay open until the end of May. Yes I work for them and that makes me a shameless promoter/whore to my job, but hey if I am gonna be any companies whore it's gonna be this one. http://www.huts.org

[FrankZappa]

Thanks iskibc for another of your excellent TR's. And thank you MBSC for your great contribution too.
As goldenboy put it, it was good to put some faces to folks around here and a good time was had by all!
This "old guy" appreciates the inclusion on this lil' outing. It's a great feeling to ski with and watch a group like this one turn 'em!

[iskibc]

Sweeet! Nice TR. I was wondering how you found out Lincoln Creek road is opening this weekend? Some years it is the middle or end of June but if it opens this weekend that would be sweet. If you guys have never stayed at the Tagert or Green-Wilson Huts(in the Braun system) that is a fun basecamp for Castle and all the sweet coulies on the Ridge of Gendarmes. They sit like 200 yards up the road from the entrance to Montezuma Basin and stay open until the end of May. Yes I work for them and that makes me a shameless promoter/whore to my job, but hey if I am gonna be any companies whore it's gonna be this one. http://www.huts.org

Those are some of the best huts in the system IMHO. Can't ask for better location. We cruised by a few of them on the way down and we all commented on how well kept and maintained they are. Will be booking a winter trip there for sure. What do you do for the Braun huts Joey?

[huckasoreass]

Well done. Can you imagine getting those in winter snow like in Dav's aerial photo? Of course, you'd be scared as hell. Oldtimer got engaged atop Castle, and about an hour ago I was looking at the Conundrum Couloir (we dubbed it the Scot Schmidt Chute) in Walls of Freedom, when they skied it on September 20 way back in 1993. Looks like it's fat enough to survive the summer again. Is that typically the case?

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

Those are some of the best huts in the system IMHO. Can't ask for better location. We cruised by a few of them on the way down and we all commented on how well kept and maintained they are. Will be booking a winter trip there for sure. What do you do for the Braun huts Joey?

I guess technically I work for the Tenth Mountain system but we take reservations for the Braun huts and the Friends Hut as well as the Summit Huts(Janets, Francies) and sometimes we help with field work so we get all the same benefits at them as we do our own huts. I work in the office mostly taking reservations(when you call you may talk to me, my real name is Pat, if you ask for Joey they may think you're nuts) and working on different admin projects. I get out in the field a couple times a month at least. I wish it was more but even one day a month where I get paid to backcountry ski makes most of the boring office days worth it.

[iskibc]

Well done. Can you imagine getting those in winter snow like in Dav's aerial photo? Of course, you'd be scared as hell. Oldtimer got engaged atop Castle, and about an hour ago I was looking at the Conundrum Couloir (we dubbed it the Scot Schmidt Chute) in Walls of Freedom, when they skied it on September 20 way back in 1993. Looks like it's fat enough to survive the summer again. Is that typically the case?

I think a mid-winter descent of Castle east face could be doable. The trickiest part would be the upper face where it goes from a big convex roll to a concaved terrain trap into the smaller chutes. Once you reach the spines, about 200' down the face, you can play it safe by staying on top and working your way down carefully.

From my understanding the montezuma snowfield is skied year round and on a good year the conundrum couloir stays in skiable condition through much of the year.

I gotta get my hands on a copy of Walls and check that segment out. Don't remember that part, but it's also been several years since I've seen it.

[lemon boy]

"Worthy of the name Scot Schmidt Chute?"

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

Montezuma is skiied year round and is where many an aspen local can get in skiing 12 month's straight, although not awesome skiing. Conundrum Couloir does stay in condition pretty late but many years the bottom melts out fast which really sucks 'cause then the consequences for a fall are much higher(not that any of us have to worry about that ) and you have to take your skis off at the bottom to walk on the rocks to the rest of the snowfield.

[Kya]

Excellent TR Dave.

It was great to meet some new dudes and finally ski again (been like 3 weeks).

My wife was pissed and jealous when she saw the steller sunrise photo. All they woke up to was a howling wind.

[Blurred]

"Worthy of the name Scot Schmidt Chute?"

"I named it".......(I've watched that movie wayyyy too many times-thanks Huckasoreass and Oldtimer )

Killer TR D! Looks like quite the crew that day. Strong.

[FigureEleven]

I think a mid-winter descent of Castle east face could be doable. The trickiest part would be the upper face where it goes from a big convex roll to a concaved terrain trap into the smaller chutes. Once you reach the spines, about 200' down the face, you can play it safe by staying on top and working your way down carefully.

I fully agree. The top couple hundred feet would be brown trousers time. You would have to really really trust the snowpack up there. There are a lot more safety zones and hiding spots the lower you get.

[MakersTeleMark]

Thanx mang,
I had heard the 9th, but I'll check it out this weekend and see what's up. I'll let y'all know how it is.

I just called the FS in Aspen and they said the 9th. You can hike the road though, but I'll wait a week.