glory-ous view

**upallnight** · 10-21-2006, 03:38 PM

well, i haven't been ready to give up the bike just yet, but it was snowing at el. 6200' yesterday (for a while it was a full-on whiteout).

when i woke up this morning to bluebird skies and a view of a nice blanket of snow on the peaks up around teton pass, i realized i just had to go and test the snow (and my knee).

scraped the summer wax off the skis, grabbed the pack, overdressed and hopped in the truck. most folks headed south of the pass for some short laps on the north facing stuff; it looked good. (they were hitting the ridge in the lower-left of the first photo, below.)

i headed in the opposite direction. in about an hour from hatching the plan, i was standing atop glory. passed a bunch of folks who were on their way down without skis/boards (why??).

all-in-all, it was better than i thought it would be: the snow was very good in spots, OK in most, and thin in others. was fun to get out and test the knee. i was amazed at what a mental game the hike turned out to be. i had a long time to think about that first turn and wonder how my knee would hold up.

here's a view (nothing spectacular):

**lax** · 10-21-2006, 03:40 PM

ok nice preview....now lets see the pics and report...cmon i'm almost there

**Trackhead** · 10-21-2006, 03:45 PM

Looks nice.

So did you re-re-repioneer Glory this year?

First 06/07 descent, right down the guT?

**upallnight** · 10-21-2006, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Trackhead

Looks nice.

So did you re-re-repioneer Glory this year?

First 06/07 descent, right down the guT?

Trackhead:
It was definitely a nice day out..esp for October when I have low expectations and wasn't even planning to go out. Nice to be able to look up into the hills and just make a quick call based on your gut.

I think it was a first descent by a severely retarded man (me) wearing black underwear and a lace camisole.

No...no attempt to re-re-re-re-pioneer anything at all...but nice to have my first turns post-injury right at the site where it occurred. Just wanted to deal w/ the mental issue immediately.

The gut was not the place to be...tons of chocolate chips. N-ish-facing aspects just beyond a windlip held the "best" snow...although the deepest spots were only ~8" deep. It was fairly heavy, so that made it ski a little better.

**Pow4Brains** · 10-21-2006, 06:14 PM

Good to hear the knee passed the test and your monkey is gone. way to get some UAN!

**Trackhead** · 10-21-2006, 06:41 PM

So you repioneered your knee, and all went well. That's cool.

We should hook up for some turns up there this winter.

**rideit** · 10-21-2006, 06:55 PM

Hunh. I passed first turn at about 6:00 last night, and a boarder was just coming down, to the road. He was in hard boots, I believe. Where did you descend? It looks like he did the whole enchilada....I was skeptical as to his sanity, how scoured/shallow was it up there?

**Froman** · 10-21-2006, 07:21 PM

Damn - That view off the top of Glory is my favorite view in the whole world.

I still don't know why I ever left that place...

**StormRider** · 10-21-2006, 08:11 PM

Nice work Up!

**BushwackerinPA** · 10-21-2006, 08:40 PM

cant wait for the full TR, sweet view dude.

**Lexi-Bell** · 10-21-2006, 09:10 PM

Returning to the scene of the crime, no less!!!

Good show.

**upallnight** · 10-21-2006, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

Hunh. I passed first turn at about 6:00 last night, and a boarder was just coming down, to the road. He was in hard boots, I believe. Where did you descend? It looks like he did the whole enchilada....I was skeptical as to his sanity, how scoured/shallow was it up there?

i skied it top to bottom. i stuck, more or less, to the basic hiking route, as i know the depth around the bootpack, except dropping off the N/NE-facing aspects before riding back up to the ridge. Definitely hit some rocks, and there were a couple short sections where i stepped over or across rocks. the bottom section was the most fun as it was pretty continuous, and skiing over the shrubs was pretty good.

otherwise, the snow was surprisingly good for october. the texture (a little heavy) was really good...particularly for early season.

fun to get out there, for sure, but my perspective was that the hike would be good and the descent was a bonus.

for better snow, heading S and the N-facing descents off the ridge toward elly would've been the better choice - but i wanted a longer hike.

**upallnight** · 10-21-2006, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by lax

ok nice preview....now lets see the pics and report...cmon i'm almost there

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA

cant wait for the full TR, sweet view dude.

sorry...no "TR". just one dude going out for a hike & ski. shots of tracks from below often come out as lame with a small digicam as there's often no frame of reference (esp when you're solo). [yeah, i know, zooming in can capture the pitch by foreshortening.]

usually when i'm out i don't stop for too many pics. sorry to disappoint...

**freshies** · 10-21-2006, 10:12 PM

way to git after it dude, and glad to hear that the knee is a-ok. it's mostly mental, those forst few months back, so go get 'em! good stuff and positive vibes.

PS, also insanely jealous of you (and the CO mags) getting after it! No snow in Tahoe (yet).

I am hoping to make it to JH for 3-4 days this winter, it's been too long...hopefully you will be willing to drag my ass on some BC jaunts? (I will never forget my first run on a pow day on endless colouir, before the gates were open - wow - i have been dremaing of that line ever since and want to hit it again)

**BushwackerinPA** · 10-22-2006, 06:11 AM

Originally Posted by upallnight

sorry...no "TR". just one dude going out for a hike & ski. shots of tracks from below often come out as lame with a small digicam as there's often no frame of reference (esp when you're solo). [yeah, i know, zooming in can capture the pitch by foreshortening.]

usually when i'm out i don't stop for too many pics. sorry to disappoint...

eh no frown still cool, I am not dissappointed...