December 26th and 27th, 2009
Evicting the Holiday Gluttony - PowHouse and Tallac
Joe, Todd, Brian, Bob, Chris, Toby and Buddy
POWDERHOUSE - 12/26/09
With a good enough holiday snowpack out there we set out to evict those holiday demons from our bodies.
First was powder house on the 26th, which was Brian's first time on skins. Still good powder out there.
Bob and Tiko:
Winter's version of single track.
Summit:
Brian finds good snow with Ollie on his heals:
Then he found a rock, and then he found himself immersed:
Bob and Tiko:
Chris:
Todd:
Brian skiing below coach Mac:
Chris found a nice line:
3 laps up top and then fun bouncy pillows to the meadow. I think Brian's found another addiction:
TALLAC - 12/27/09
Toby, Buddy and I set out on the 27th for a day on Tallac. No one else on the mountain that day, just a bit of soft new snow and stormy skies to accompany us.
Beauty views start right at Sweat Hill:
Hanging Snowfield lines are getting there:
North Bowl's firm base below the fluff made for some tricky skinning:
Finally nearing the summit with Gilmore Lake, Cracked Crag and Jacks beyond.
Then it cleared up a bit for us, just in time to ski:
Skiing towards the Cross - what would it behold?
LOW-TIDE. The usual easy snowfield (chick's) entrance was still a series of cliff bands, with one gully that went. Looked good from here:
gimpy goes. The southerly aspect of this chute had made for an icy sun cooked base below:
After a bunch of consecutive left turns, the snow got a bit better down low:
Then we skied too low (to the big trees in this picture). That usual entrance into the gut of the Cross was still a 25' cliff with sugar snow over slick rock. Not an ideal option. So we booted....I mean wallowed...back up hoping the upper entrance would go and take us into the chute. Fortunately it did. Here's looking back at the hardest 200' I've climbed all year.
Toby Dyna-fiddling one more time before dropping:
A shot of Elevator Shaft. Not quite ready to go....
And then just as Toby was ready to drop into the entry line my camera battery died! So the money shots in the Cross, on the apron and the pow turns down low were only captured in our memories.