dmc
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Wednesday began with the best of intetentions - work from home and start my 5 hour drive to Tucks at 4.. Well - i didn't leave until 6:30. So instead of hiking up I met my friends and stayed in the hotel...
Thursday it was foggy - we got to Pinkham early - had a quick breakfast - bought our shelter tickets($10 a night) and headed up. I totally overpacked and was probably carying around 75lbs. But lot's of it was beer so no problem.
The hike up the Tucks trail was wet - it had rained for 2 days before we arrived. It switched to snow just after the last bridge. By the time we made it up to Hojos it was nothing but sunny.
We selected our favorite shelter and there was nobody in it.. In fact there was really nobody anywhere... There were empty shelter spots into the weekend.
Our first day is usually a hike or two up Hillmans and maybe a dabble into the Lower Snowfields. This year - it took us a while to get to Hillmans. The bottom third is either to undermined to hike or all scrub. We climbed up Hillmans just as the sun was shading it. All the bootpack lines were gone from the rain so we had to kick every step fresh.
The snow on the top third was sublime - creamy corn! The middle was pretty nice too - but way more baked. And the bottom was just pick your way through bush and around holes.
PJ On Hillmans
A nice mellow afternoon at Hojos followed - We just watched the sun go down over the headwall and went back to start dinner. We turned in early so we could hit it hard the next day.
Friday morning was bluebird - we motivated up to the bowl. There was MAYBE 6 people there - we were amazed. Earlier at Hojos we ran into a guy that was a photo-journalist doing a story for the AP. He asked if he tag along with us - we of course said "yes". He basically photographed our every move - followed us everywhere - it was awesome! I also gave him M@'s name - aparently he was in the ravine but missed all the nakedness...
Our day constisted of climbing Right Gully(The elevator) and yo-yoing the snowfields - which were absolutely gorgeous!
Paul in the Snowfields
Tracking up the corn
After we had our fill of corn - the group headed over to do either the LGully or the Chute. After we all met up in the bowl we watch just skied around the bowl. One note - the Chute has a serious cravasse above it now - there's no direct route straight down into the chute - you gotta go around this sucker..
Rob next to the lucnh rocks under the Sluice.
We didn't even make it over to Hojos that night - we just drank and smoke cigars at the shelter. Which strangley even after a bluebird day - was still only filled with us on a Friday night... the place was still empty...
Saturday - we made it up to the bowl late - it was drizzling and foggy. We staked out a sweet rock under the Chute area and just hung out and watched. PJ kicked some steps up to the Center Chute and dropped into the Chute variation north. The slough was insane!! He got picked up and dragged a couple meters. I have a video if it - I'll post it up later.. You can hear the AP photog guy fireing off shots as some kid yells AVALANCHE!!!!!!
it was a great time - awesome weather - just a little tolerable rain yesterday.. otherwise blue skies...
A great way to celebrate my 20th year of going to the ravine..
Thursday it was foggy - we got to Pinkham early - had a quick breakfast - bought our shelter tickets($10 a night) and headed up. I totally overpacked and was probably carying around 75lbs. But lot's of it was beer so no problem.
The hike up the Tucks trail was wet - it had rained for 2 days before we arrived. It switched to snow just after the last bridge. By the time we made it up to Hojos it was nothing but sunny.
We selected our favorite shelter and there was nobody in it.. In fact there was really nobody anywhere... There were empty shelter spots into the weekend.
Our first day is usually a hike or two up Hillmans and maybe a dabble into the Lower Snowfields. This year - it took us a while to get to Hillmans. The bottom third is either to undermined to hike or all scrub. We climbed up Hillmans just as the sun was shading it. All the bootpack lines were gone from the rain so we had to kick every step fresh.
The snow on the top third was sublime - creamy corn! The middle was pretty nice too - but way more baked. And the bottom was just pick your way through bush and around holes.
PJ On Hillmans
A nice mellow afternoon at Hojos followed - We just watched the sun go down over the headwall and went back to start dinner. We turned in early so we could hit it hard the next day.
Friday morning was bluebird - we motivated up to the bowl. There was MAYBE 6 people there - we were amazed. Earlier at Hojos we ran into a guy that was a photo-journalist doing a story for the AP. He asked if he tag along with us - we of course said "yes". He basically photographed our every move - followed us everywhere - it was awesome! I also gave him M@'s name - aparently he was in the ravine but missed all the nakedness...
Our day constisted of climbing Right Gully(The elevator) and yo-yoing the snowfields - which were absolutely gorgeous!
Paul in the Snowfields
Tracking up the corn
After we had our fill of corn - the group headed over to do either the LGully or the Chute. After we all met up in the bowl we watch just skied around the bowl. One note - the Chute has a serious cravasse above it now - there's no direct route straight down into the chute - you gotta go around this sucker..
Rob next to the lucnh rocks under the Sluice.
We didn't even make it over to Hojos that night - we just drank and smoke cigars at the shelter. Which strangley even after a bluebird day - was still only filled with us on a Friday night... the place was still empty...
Saturday - we made it up to the bowl late - it was drizzling and foggy. We staked out a sweet rock under the Chute area and just hung out and watched. PJ kicked some steps up to the Center Chute and dropped into the Chute variation north. The slough was insane!! He got picked up and dragged a couple meters. I have a video if it - I'll post it up later.. You can hear the AP photog guy fireing off shots as some kid yells AVALANCHE!!!!!!
it was a great time - awesome weather - just a little tolerable rain yesterday.. otherwise blue skies...
A great way to celebrate my 20th year of going to the ravine..
