Can I ski with you?

[stalefish3169]

Wow! You almost made me want to ride the ferry again.

[carpathian]

^^^I just started working with someone yesterday who works at Seaba and she told me to talk to you/them about a guide job later this winter...? Are you Sonny? No wait, big guy from Montana?

I did the guide course with Seandog back in 03. PM?

[carpathian]

Speaking of Haines:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keKcI7NXLrw"]YouTube - Haines Heli Powder[/nomedia]

[carpathian]

We decided it was time to pop the cherry on the 2010/11 ski season. Started driving towards Turnagain Pass but were deterred by the low hanging clouds so turned around and chased a promising sucker hole above Crow Pass.



It is pretty thin coverage down low so we opted for easy walking in hiking boots to cover ground.



Still hiking...



The objective: Jewel Mountain, we circle around the left hand side there and spiral around up to the summit and ski the north side




Hiking...



Jewel Mountain is the classic early season Girdwood Valley ski. After a few more feet of snow the long pass you have to traverse up is a sure avy terrain trap so there is only a small window to ski the area in October and November.

More hiking, actually only about an hours worth.



Finally enough snow to skin



Getting there



Only a few more steps





Time to ski!



Did I mention that it was thin coverage?

[Chugachjed]

Nice! way to get after it. So you guys were skiing the glacier on the north side? No shit about the traverse around Barnes Mtn. to get back there I've been turned around there in the spring trying to get on the Raven Glacier super sketch to traverse across a big open ~35* slope with a gorge at the bottom.

I was going to head up to Hatcher this weekend. Should be more snow up there.

[carpathian]

^^It snowed all night and into the morning. I was hanging around working on shelving units and stuff when Sean drove up with his ski gear. There was a growing hole in the clouds south towards Turnagain so we decided to make a run for it.

As we started driving the clouds completely burned off revealing the surrounding hills.

Pyramid and carpathian in far distance


There was so much moisture still in the air and in the snow that you could see it vaporizing out of the snow pack.

Tombstone and Petersen Headwall


North face of Big Chief in Seattle Creek drainage


Wolverine


I know, it's like being a kid in the candy store. But you have to be patient and wait for the season to come together. Days like this are quickly becoming more rare as we loss 7 minutes of daylight every day. Soon it will be dark and stormy and all of these gems will get plastered for a few months...

We were on day 2 so Sunburst it is!


The alders were not too bad down low



The air continued to warm and it started moving snow



Magnum



Climbing up under hang fire...?



Relative safety of the ridge with Tincan Proper in back ground



This little dog caught up with us from the group behind us. This ridge proved to be somewhat irksome as it kept wumping underfoot.



Well we made it to the top, time for some solid hip wiggling





2000 feet of knee deep to the car







Good one!

[carpathian]

Mmmm, tasty!

[carpathian]

I can't believe we had that window yesterday!

[grskier]

Looks like you could have a good early season this year, keep the stoke coming.

[rogue killer trout]

make me some skis already. i decided it's time to turn pro. with my recent stint of long term unemployment i haven't squirreled enough dough to eat my way through the winter. so in the interest of my own psychological wellbeing i decided i need to justify the poverty life i live with. like thoes artsy puffs in the city with there fixey gearbikes and book of misunderstood poetry stuffed in a back pocket, thoes fuckers make being broke look fucking cool suffering to legitimize their misunderstood art. this is why it's so apparently obvious that i need a pair of carpaithians. like seriously Dude sponsor me

sincerely

Mark D Houston

ps give PO bear a sweet belly rub and let him know its from me.

[carpathian]

^^^ RKT!

Sounds like you're keeping it real in Pemby, suffering the ski bum malaise.
Any snow down there? I saw Pierrot's fresh DOA shot in Powder, that was sweet.

My shop is in a half functional state as result from the long haul there last week. I thought you were going to get a press together? I can't promise you more then a couch to sleep on right now. Maybe if you do make it up here I can give you a pair in person? Maybe find you a nice Alaskan girl and a green card and you could build bike trails with me?

Here is some incentive:

We barely made it out of the driveway but decided to venture south to the pass to see how deep DEEP really is



Tincan is good for storm days in the backcountry



Half hour climb later



Heavy precip in all directions. Up down and otherwise.



Get those arms up to reduce drag!



Vesna laying the jump turn





Like I said, heavy precipitation





Fly like an eagle into the future.

[XXX-er]

you picked a good year to bail still no snow at valley bottom and minimal up on the praire

[Chugachjed]

damn I drove to seward this weekend and it was looking good. wish I didn't have the kids with so I could have stopped now. There's always this weekend and it's still snowing. I'm insanely jealous of your ability to get childcare.

[carpathian]

^^ Grandma is the key!

[Chugachjed]

My Grandma's taking care of my Grandpa and his broken hip now

[Alaskan Rover]

We decided it was time to pop the cherry on the 2010/11 ski season. Started driving towards Turnagain Pass but were deterred by the low hanging clouds so turned around and chased a promising sucker hole above Crow Pass.



It is pretty thin coverage down low so we opted for easy walking in hiking boots to cover ground.



Still hiking...



The objective: Jewel Mountain, we circle around the left hand side there and spiral around up to the summit and ski the north side




Hiking...



Jewel Mountain is the classic early season Girdwood Valley ski. After a few more feet of snow the long pass you have to traverse up is a sure avy terrain trap so there is only a small window to ski the area in October and November.

More hiking, actually only about an hours worth.



Finally enough snow to skin



Getting there



Only a few more steps





Time to ski!



Did I mention that it was thin coverage?

Yep....That all looks VERY familiar. Lately, I've been going to the hills just outside of Portage for early season half-day stuff (but NOT this season...wwwaaahhh). Super easy to get to. You can park right by the train-car loading zone and hike in. No trails of course, but not too much brush. The great thing about early-season is that there is really no avi danger yet. For half-day trips...anywhere along the Seward highway all the way to Moose Pass you can find stomp trails leading in to the pow. Bird, Indian Creek, Ingrahm creek...it's all good...it's all paradise. I usually stay away from Turnagain Arm Recreation Area though because of all the blasted snowmachines, at least on the weekends. It DOES have some great bowls though and only feet from the parking lot.

Beyond Moose Pass and before Seward, another really good half-day spot is Carter Lake Trail...it's at milepost 33 and usually has plenty of parking at the trailhead. Up trail are some great little chutes.

[carpathian]

I had to go to work but Vesna went skiing and met up with some random snowboards dudes and they decided to shred!

[Loon]

Random Skunk Ape siteing!

[RootSkier]

whenever i check this thread i get inspired to do cool shit.

[carpathian]

^^^That is what I want to hear!

Girdwood is wet these days so we took a chance and made the run south to Summit Pass. It is usually a bit drier so we hoped for at least a glimpse of the sun.

Upper Summit Lake


The light opened up just enough and there was snow in the air. We climbed and the skied little mountain there on the right.



STOP! Heavy powder this way...



At the top of the old ski hill



Time to shred!







Good thing I have these water skis on my feet!





Good Day Summit!

[snow walker]

hey man just got out on the new skis again yesterday and they are proving to be super fun!img/file:///C:/Users/Drakken/Pictures/2010-11-14%20ski/ski%20001.JPG/(img)

[snow walker]

just giving this picture thing another try, if it doesn't work can you post how to post them, word
(img)/file:///C:/Users/Drakken/Pictures/2010-11-14%20ski/ski%20001.JPG/img

[carpathian]

Snow Walker I sent you private message:

Jed and I made an early start in Summit Pass. Once again the light was all right!



The Eagle said 'the powder is this way...'



Hiking surrounded by eye candy



Pointy ones



Round ones



Lots of these uglies



Still hiking



A stiff south westerly picked up for a bit



Lots of options with ocean in far background



The top: How far away is that?



Beer thirty and Jed's first turns of the year.



Creamy turns on endless rolling ridge in flat light



Jed laying her down





To the car

[Chugachjed]

What a great day. Good weather good snow. No carnage despite my flailing around.

[Mathematics]

Beer thirty and Jed's first turns of the year.

nice!!!

glad to see you guys got some already