Yesterday Will-squared paid a visit to Dry Creek. Conditions were perfect for some higher-altitude fun: For the previous five days the Wasatch received 12 inches through continuous very light snowfall. There were a few warming periods that caused the deep faceted weak layers to heal, leaving a very stable snowpack with the benefit of fresh but "packed" powder on top of it all. Over the pass at 10,000 there was some thick clouds early day completely enshrouding the Phiferhorn. We skied down Dry creek to warming temps and clearing skies. On the skin up we kept eyeing the receding clouds on the Phiferhorn. We decided to have a look into Hogum at western base of the Phif where I snapped this photo of the other Will
, showing the very imposing north headwall and couloir. After digging yet another pit, we decided to go for it. With a little rock climbing, some kick steps, and some piolet work, we were on the top.
After a long-ass ski decent from Phif into dry creek. We skined up and back over the pass in the aplpenglow to a dim ski descent into the red pine drainage. Then we had some tree-dodging-by-headlamp fun down to the car.
4 comments:
Did you ski off the summit? How'd you like that? I love that peak.
You around in early March? Looks like we'll be out there over the first weekend (4-5-6 March). Alas I couldn't make it work for powderkeg weekend.
We skied off the summit on the south side, the same way I did with Ben two years ago: There is the hanging snowfield to the south east, which you skirt skiers right of down a small ridge, then go further right down a small chute-like thing, then you are basically in the dry creek drainage.
I'll be around March 4,5,6. Hopefully the dissertation will be submitted by then. Lets ski!
Can't wait for March.
Did you ever see my photos of Aaron Lefohn skiing the hanging snowfield on the southeast side?
http://www.met.utah.edu/jimsteen/jacox/pfeif.html is the trip report, and
http://www.met.utah.edu/jimsteen/jacox/pics/pfeif_aski1.JPG and
http://www.met.utah.edu/jimsteen/jacox/pics/pfeif_aski2.JPG are the action photos.
Finish up that dissertation! Bon chance.
-J
Cool trip report. The hanging snowfield sounds like a fun and intense spring ski. It was not the route of choice Saturday though. We did'nt want to climb that way either. With the perfonderance of small soft slabs giving way at our feet all the way down, the steep terrain would have raked us over the rocks. On our descent we hit many rocks just below the foot of powder. Although there has been above average snow this year, as there was two years ago with Ben (also in mid Janurary), the snow cover was thin Saturday due to the impressive wind events.
See you in March...
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