Sioux Pass Powder

Sioux Pass Powder
Southern Wind River Range
April 25th, 2009

Mandy skins above Sioux Pass.

Mandy and Shad Powder Flick

Mandy leaves the sled in search of pow pow.

The latest storm cycles seem to be working our pretty well for skiing the Winds above Lander. Though temps in Lander for most of the week were in the 70s. Friday it started snowing again. It's getting trickier to get the sleds up high to the good powder- all the trails down low are melting out. It can be done still though. We did it. Dunno how many more times we'll have the chance. Judging by the weather today, as I write, it's looks like maybe I guy might get away with a run in May next weekend. Again though- it was a lot of work getting the machine in there and out. Great day though- I'll take it!

Perched on top of a good looking run.

Time to ride!

First turns initiated an interesting little new snow slough slide.

Enjoying the view as I transition for another run.

"Look out! They're everywhere! They're everywhere!"
Little green Mandys kept gobbling up the pow. I couldn't keep up!

Looking back on Mandy's first run.

I do a quick boot pack up to the top of a good looking little shot.

A look back at a couple of runs.

Mandy tears it up!

Skiing off into the trees near the bottom of the run.

Mandy enjoys the tree skiing back to the sled.

Back at the sled, packing up for the ride out.

My thoughts on the day...
before I tipped the Polaris over and got it stuck three or four times on the way back.

Tried to dig out a trail for the Polaris on a side hill. It didn't work. I cussed alot.

Turned out that getting back to the truck was much harder than I had anticipate. We were only about 10 or 15 miles away, but the snow had warmed, and I was punching through it whenever I got off the main trail. There hadn't been any traffic on it either- probably for at least most of the week. The side hill above gave me lots fits too. I didn't have to deal with it on the way in- I was able to go straight over the hill. The way over the hill on the way out is much steeper, and the Polaris with all of our crap on it couldn't do it. I had to try the road instead. I ended up getting suck down off the road in the bottom, where the snow was soft. We pretty much had to dig pack and build a road for the polaris out of the bottom and back onto the main road. Only took about an hour or so. Long story short- it took just under an hour to get to where we skied. It took us over 3 hours to get out. My arms are rocked from lifting that heavy machine and shoveling my brains out. It was fun though! Glad we got out. We were late picking up the kids- but not as late as I thought maybe we would have been at one point. Several times I figured we'd be waiting till dark for the snow to firm up as the temperate dropped, before we'd be able to get out. Glad we didn't have to do that. Mandy was thrilled too. Always and adventure!

Spring in the Winds

Southern Wind River Range

April 19th, 2009



Matt skis the Southern Winds

On top of The Notch

Left Lander early thinking maybe conditions would be similar to the conditions I had on Big Mountain a week earlier, especially since it snow another foot or so the day before. It was a little different this time. Eventually the weather cleared and we got some classic warm pow spring snow. When we first got up there though, it was snowing and winds were strong and out of the North. Which took me a while to figure out. After a long tour and traverse, some of our first runs were on south facing slopes protected and loaded from the wind. It was good. Eventually the weather cleared though and things warmed up, the southern slopes got too warm, but other aspects turned from the wind crust into great soft spring snow. Before it was over we racked up nearly 6000 vertical feet of skiing in around eight hours. Great day!

Matt traverses his way across the Winds above Christina Lake

Climbing up The Notch.

Looking up the Range towards Big Mountain and Atlantic Peak.

A profile of our first lines, Christina Lake in the background.

Looking down on Matt's line through the bottom.

Carvin' it up!

Matt cruises in for a break after good run down the peak in the background.

A better look at some of our lines (click to enlarge).

Going up for more.

Matt prepares to drop The Notch.

One of my favorite shots yet, in the Winds this year.

Matt series in The Notch.

Weeehoo!

Pausing for a quick look back.

The last few turns of a 1000 ft run.

Not done yet!

Matt poses on another little peak.

Matt shows off his custom Tele/ AT bindings in Tele mode.

Looking a back on some of our earlier lines, later in the day (click to enlarge).

Looking back on the last hill of the day.

A look back into the canyon/ drainage we were skiing.

A look back at The Notch Mountain as the sun begins to set.

Another view of The Notch from across the lake.

Shad Teaser


A final look back on much of the range and terrain around Christina Lake- red arrows indicate places we skied from.
(click to enlarge and read labels)

Big Mountain Powder

Big Mountain
Christina Lake Area, Southern Wind River Range
April 10th, 2009

Big Mountain

Wouldn't be a complete ski season without a run from the top of Big Mountain. After another small storm looked to have dumped about 6 inches of fresh snow in the Winds (without much wind) I figured conditions might be ripe for Big Mountain with powder. I figured right. It was definitely a Good Friday!

Looking at the mountains I'd be skiing, from about 2o miles away.

Yup, I'd say the new snow as of late sure has improved the coverage on the trails.

Looking back as I make may way up through the tree toward Big Mountain.

Flying solo this time.

Making progress.

Looking back about an hour later (click to enlarge).

Hooeee! This Mountain's alot of work- especially when it's loaded with fresh pow.

The summit is in sight.

Looking back down the ridge line as I make my way to the top.

Almost there!

Oh yea!! Powder all the way up!

Rockin' on the summit!

Looking down across my boot pack. Boy the snow looked good!

Scoping out the line.

Time to ride!

Rock on! The best conditions I think I've ever dropped from the top in.

Awesome!

Big lines, on Big Mountain.

Another look a the run from a different angle.

Yet, another view (click to enlarge).

Looking down towards the bottom of my run as I make my way up for more.

Big Mountain profile.

Conditions were getting pretty warm, so I decided to play on aspects that were a little less exposed to the sun...

The snow was still great!

Bottom half of the run was good too.

While climbing up for yet some more, the weather started to get a bit more over cast. Lighting on the open slopes was tricky, so I began to ride the treed pow more and work my way be back to the sled.

Looking back on Big Mountain shrouded by clouds, from across Christina Lake.

The bigger picture.

Back at the truck, celebrating a Good Friday!