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| Report Type |
Full |
| Peak(s) |
Mt. of the Holy Cross - 14,007 feet
|
| Date Posted |
03/16/2009 |
| Modified |
12/03/2009 |
| Date Climbed |
03/14/2009 |
| Author |
doumall |
| Cross Couloir Winter Ski Descent |
3-14-09
8 mile (16 RT) Snowmobile Approach using Tigiwon Road
Climb to Halfmoon Pass, Descent to Cross Creek, Climb of North Ridge
Ski Descent of Cross Couloir and Cross Creek
5600 vert
11.5 miles
11.5 hours
Crew: JCWhite, doumall
Holy Cross has been skied in July from the summit, but not in POW. After Jordan chewed my ear a bit about getting it while it was good, I took the bait. The short drive and prospect for another winter teener were the frosting on the cake.
Holy Cross from the Gore:
Photo: iskibc 3-14-09
We unloaded the sleds at the gate and zipped up the groomer 8 miles to the summer trailhead. I would have felt like such a bad ass mountaineer walking up this road.
Photo: doumall
At the trailhead, we found light and dry. Some breaking was in store.
Photo: doumall
We quickly set track to Halfmoon Pass...
Photo:JCWhite
...where the Northern Sawatch came into view:
Photo: JCWhite
The traverse over toward Cross Creek involves an extended trip through the slide zone. Today the snow was behaving:
Photo: JCWhite
Photo: doumall
The goal came into view just past the open snowfield, which was still a long ways off:
Photo: doumall
After a trap crust ski down into Cross Creek we skinned up again and began the breaking toward the North Ridge. This area must have been heavily glaciated at some point; pillowed boulders and cliffs populate the landscape.
Photo: JCWhite
Once on the ridge, the plowing got serious, 12-18" of steep plowing. I actually felt like we earned our winter stripes on this one despite the unseasonable temps. At treeline, we finally felt like we were getting close.
Photo: doumall
Photo: JCWhite
We fiddled around trying to keep the skins on:
Photo: doumall
Eventually giving up the ghost on that thought, we switched to booting.
Photo: doumall
Back to skinning as the peak draws near:
Photos: doumall
And finally some talus hoping (kicking, screaming, yelling, cussing, coughing, pissing, burping, farting, lots of farting, etc..):
Photo: doumall
Had us to the summit; a snowy summit.
Photo: doumall
We ate lunch and I took a stroll over to the top of the Cross Couloir. Holy Cr... this was going to be good. There was no cornice, no sign of heavy loading, and no sign of baking. I tossed a large rock at the roll over and nothing but plop. The smiles grew:
Photo: Summit Boulder
We started our ski at 3:30pm.
Jordan dropping off the summit:
Photo: doumall
After ski cutting and jumping around for a bit, it was clear sloughing would be the snowpack demeanor. Smiles grew into perma-grins:
Photos: doumall
Jordan got firsts:
Photos: doumall
Check out that slough train!
Photo: doumall
The slough was tough to manage up top due to the limited territory for turns on skiers right and skiers left being a bit sun effected. We found a way to deal with it, he he:
Photos: JCWhite
Photos: doumall
Photos: JCWhite
We played leap frog a bit finding good safe zones in the couloir wall nooks. The only thing that could have made this better would have been better lighting. The pics are a bit dark as a consequence, but hey, it's a free show right?
Photo: JCWhite
Photo: doumall
Photos: JCWhite
Photos: doumall
Photos: JCWhite
We easily found the exit above the cliff.
Photo: JCWhite
Out on the rocky SE face...
Photo: doumall
...we found a mix of crust...
Photo: JCWhite
...and cream.
Photo: JCWhite
Our final turns were made into the sun on the Bowl of Tears...
Photo: JCWhite
Photo: doumall
...and then in powder conditions following Cross Creek:
Photo: JCWhite
An epic day with epic snow. The Couloir from below...
Photo: doumall
...and the sunset on the way out.
Photo: doumall
Jordan's TR can be found over on Teton:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154514
|
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