Mt. Aire TR: 1-13-06 (Wasatch backwoods goodness)

[Particle]

Well it’s about time I posted another TR…and fortunately this time I brought a camera with fully charged batteries.

Today was one of those days that just felt right. Powstash and I knew it. We were just over an hour into our Friday dawn patrol, and the pre-dawn light was starting to suffuse throughout the Wasatch skyline. Interstate 80 curved 2,000’ below us, and the brap-pop-p-ping of semis engine braking down Parley’s canyon floated up through the tangled maze of scrub oaks we’d just navigated.







We were on top of a mid-elevation knob on Mt. Aire that we’d skied the year before. Every time we’d been there before, we lapped the lower bowls and stared longingly at the peak behind, knowing that it was a slog to the top—and more importantly, that it was a huge open peak with significant avy potential.



Powstash, clearly honing in on the sun-kindled peak ahead, nervously asked what I was thinking, to which I responded: “I’ve got a good case of summit fever, dude.” A wave of relief washed over both of us as we realized we were both eager to bag the peak and its fluted 36-40 degree bowls, flutes, and ridgelines. Laughing with the rush that only comes with a sunrise high on a powder-flanked mountain, we skinned on and up. The last few hundred feet were rough. It was almost impossible to get an edge in on several wind-affected areas, and the final summit push was just plain steep as hell.



We dug a pit as we approached the peak on a slope representative of what we hoped to ski. We discovered a heavy rain crust about 30-36” down, but the pack above was solid and well bonded to the crust. It was something to be aware of, but we both felt comfortable making the decision to proceed.

To be continued...

[iskibc]

Dawn patrols make me happy.

Good work guys.

[Particle]

The trip was also a nature class…we observed three moose trucking around the ridgelines and hollows below us, as well as some crazy bird tracks on the ridgeline. Check out the shot of the bird taking off, its wings imprinting the snow:



The goal drawing painfully close:



Obligatory ski tip photo from the true summit:



After hiking up to the true summit, we decided to return to a false summit and ski from there. We cranked a few turns before the rollover, then stopped to plan our routes.

Rossignol ad on the upper couple turns:


Powstash dropped first, arcing fat, medium-radius turns all the way down the gut. Every time I thought he’d peel off to a subridge and wait, he just kept cranking out beautiful turns. A couple times, he’d disappear underneath a roller and a sunlit powder cloud would erupt seemingly from nowhere. Then he’d coming ripping out of the turn and back into my field of vision. It was almost as fun to watch him as what was up next for me…but not quite.

Powstash’s turns (looker’s left) and me starting my run:

[Particle]

I dropped into the dead center of the gut. After watching Powstash tear it up, I knew it was good to go in terms of the snow’s creamy, speedy consistency. I didn’t make a turn for about 80 vertical feet, then started cranking giant lazy ‘direction changes.’ I wanted to just rip the hell out of it, and on the off chance that the mountain decided to rip back with a slough or slide, have the speed on-hand to get out of the way fast.

You know in one of TGR’s movies where Jeremy Jones was talking about the electric buzz coming off of Johan Oloffson (sp?) after he ripped a big descent? It was there this morning. This is what it’s all about.





Powstash’s turns on the lower mountain:




Checked off the list (you can’t quite see the turns, but it’s the peak looker’s right of the main peak):

[lemon boy]

yeah buddy!

[Hutch]

Nice work, guys.
I look lustfully at that peak every morning on my way down the canyon.

[CS]

Nicely done fellas.

Particle, I was wondering if you got out this morning to test your new boots. Kickass pictures man.

[El Chupacabra]

Verrrry nice.

BTW Pope - Chiefs are ready to go to Tom - awaiting Paypal notification, then they'll get shipped out to you.

[stump832]

Nice! Good to see that conditions were nice on the other side of the range as well

[Particle]

Nice! Good to see that conditions were nice on the other side of the range as well

Thanks. It's especially nice having the 5 minute drive to work from Lambs exit versus 45 from Alta...

[Crinkle]

the front of my pants are tight again. SWEET!!!

[powstash]

still stoked from this morning. I think anyone who is a skier has looked at that peak while driving down Parly's, particularly on a blue bird day, and thought/dreamed about doing what we did this morning. Not that the peak is anything to write home to mom about, but it commands your attention for so much of that drive that it's impossible to not let your mind wonder about the possibilities. The scrub oak at the bottom makes you earn it, that's for sure.

I was really quite surprised to see the lack of rotten snow/sugar at the bottom of our pit next to the groud. Great prose Particle - summit fever - classic moment!

[Particle]

Oh by the way CS...the boots (and the whole new AT setup) were siiiick! Super comfy on the way up with an excellent walk mode. Then they cranked down and stiffened up to the point I felt as comfortable as my alpine boots on the way down. The Sickbirds were money as well.

[Bodhi]

Pretty cool picture.

peace,
D.

[hemlock hiker]

Nice pics and write-up, THANKS for that.

[grizzle6]

Nice work boys. Verrrry nice.

[CS]

Oh by the way CS...the boots (and the whole new AT setup) were siiiick! Super comfy on the way up with an excellent walk mode. Then they cranked down and stiffened up to the point I felt as comfortable as my alpine boots on the way down. The Sickbirds were money as well.

Great, now you're going to be even faster on the skin up.



But glad you're diggin on the boots.

[truth]

That looked fun.

[Hutch]

this thread inspired me to pull off at Lamb's tonight so I could see your skintrack before it snows again. I found it.

[bcrider]

looks like a great day!

the bird pic looks like it might have been swooping down on some prey. Cool shit.

[Xover]

glad you two pc turners had a good, safe morning

J, those sickbirds look shorter than my dick - what up wit dat?!?!

[coastal]

great photogs... Nice work!!!

[Particle]

X - I know what ya mean...they are the 185's tho, go figure (which is short but in those pics they look shorter). :shrug: I bought em for touring, no worries. I still have more than enough big guns for the resort

Pope, cool to hear you checked it out. The first 2-300 vert are pretty heinous. You climb that first ridge just off Lambs, then descend into the valley between that one and the next looker's right ridge. Getting up that is a chore - it's freakin steep and brushy, making switchbacks a trick getting your skis maneuvered between the snags.

And CS...if you're touring will all these guys you must have your legs back by now. X, phil, grizzle, powho...all those guys can crush it on the climb.

[skifishbum]

Nice tr thanks for the stoke

[Xover]

how long did it take you "East Siders" to get to the top of that thing??

i am assuming it faces e/ne so what i'm asking is what time would you have to start to be on top by 7:00 for the alpenglow??

also, from the last pic it looks like one could spin a couple of laps in that thing using the ridge just right of center for a safe travel path back up; no??

oh, and btw, "fat medium radius turns"?? powstash don't even know what those are; he can only make tighter than a Mormon virgin Park City turns