Backcountry Ski Adventure or another fun ski adventure

I know the blog says it is about the house project, but I did mention changing it to the adventure blog. So if you're looking for house info you'll need to go back to the oldest posts. Otherwise I hope you enjoy some of the photos from our part of Idaho.

O. K. this winter has been one, that, as a backcountry ski person I don't really like. The reason is, there is a layer of unconsolidated snow down near the ground. We had storms come in cold, then go out warm and wet. The other way around is preferable. We've had surface hoar buried under new snow and be slow to bond. This adds up to some rather complex situations for safely getting around, up and down the mountain while sledding and skiing. Unfortunately we've had some avalanche deaths in the past couple of weeks in and around some of the areas we like to play. One at Sun Valley, a skier. And then a snowmobiler from Fairfield was killed in a large slide last Thursday. The sled one really should have been avoided.

I feel bad for the family and friends. It has to be horrible to dig your friend or relative out and not be able to revive them. I can't even begin to imagine. The ride out would be horrible. The danger in the Soldiers, and other mountains north and east of there has consistently stayed around the considerable, to high range, most of the winter, so it really is a huge drag that someone has died while out having fun. So much more I can say, but that's enough. My thoughts go out to the victims' families and friends, because they now have the toughest part to deal with.

That said we've had the avy radar on extra high this winter. We've been skiing low angle stuff, always one at a time to a safe zone, continually monitoring snow conditions as we tour and the such. I don't need to get into a dissertation on snow safety. And so far so good.

Here come the latest batch of photos from our fun yesterday.

The transportation shot. 3 types, correct? Pickup, snowmobile and skis.

Heading out after parking the sleds. If you click on any of the photos, they should enlarge to the size of your screen, as I tend to shoot them in a larger, slower for me to download format. Give it a try and let me know how it works. Steve T. taking off clothes. He had some kind of thin mesh back warm front looking vest on. Interesting. Yeah I know how it works. : )

This is a look at the sawtooths from where we parked the sleds.

The photo below is of us digging a snowmobile trap? No, digging a pit to do some shear tests so that we know how stable the snowpack is. Well for that specific spot in which we are standing. It does give a person a good idea as to how volatile things are.

The clear view of Wolf Mountain.

And now we have the wild life shots. As I came trudging up the skin track I looked down and what did I see? A spider crawling along in the snow in the middle of the track. It (couldn't decide if he/she) soon crawled up the side of the track wall and went on its way across the snow. No one else seemed to excited about it. I thought it most interesting. Anyway click on the photo and get a better look at it.

And then a little further up the mountain I hear some rustling above me and what do I see, but a large grouse sitting in the tree. So at this point we are about 8500 feet in elevation. I'm always amazed at animals and things that live in some rather inhospitable enviroments, well at least for me they're inhospitable.

Next up is the lunch view of Warbonnet, definitely click on this one and enlarge. I never get tired of looking at this part of the sawtooth range.

More Sawtooth views.

The sun came out and from where I was standing, the snowy contours of the hillside looked like whipped cream.  I might have been hungry.

Eric dropping in on the fun run.

Steve T headed down  the fun run.

See Steve H. standing way down there in the burned trees. I made the photo xtra large for you.

The maps are out. This can mean one thing and one thing only. More climbing. Look! There's a lake down off the other side of this ridge. I bet we can slide over here and then down there and come back up either here or over there where you were pointing. So the big question is will we get to use the headlamps on the way out to the snowmobiles?

The happy bunch up on top.  Steve, Steve and Eric, photo taken by Steve.  Maybe we make Eric an honorary Steve. I believe he'd turn us down. Makes me wonder what all the Steve's moms and dads were doing or thinking at the time they decided to name their kids Steve? Probably standing in a hospital somewhere. Well maybe not. No offense Mom. Steve McQueen, Steve Allen, Steven Stills, Steve Lawrence, Steve? I know all about my namesake but that is a whole nother story.

Interesting thing is there is what appears to be a fumarole up on the top of Tyee kind of near where we are standing and where we sat to eat lunch. Or just a spot that has warm air coming out of the ground. Air is gas sort of, right? Didn't take a picture, maybe someone else did and I'll add it later. Anyways Eric added some snow on top of the rocks that are down in this hole and when we came back up it had melted off. Interesting.

See link. http://volcano-pictures.info/glossary/fumarole.html

And so we did go down to just above the lake for the third run. As we climbed out the sun broke onto the peaks of the Sawtooths. click it.

And this last photo, of me, I shall title "Searching for oxygen while sucking gas at 8700 feet".

Last post I mentioned something about funny how the sled engine heat feels. Hmmm?   It didn't make much sense to me when I read it later.  Must of been full body fatigue.  Last night  as  I was sitting on my sled doing 15 mph,  following a newbie sled rider, I remembered that thought. See why my mind wanders?  What I was trying to say is that the heat feels comforting on my feet and I think what a great red sled I am so lucky to be riding. It takes me into some of the most beautiful places on earth as well as to some unbelieveable fun. I think that is what I was trying to say. Oh look! A straight away and room on the left! "Red" can go to 60 in about 50 feet or less I think. So sorry Steve, hope I didn't roost you much.

We did manage to make it back to the sleds just before sundown. Yes we did ride out in the dark, again. But that is part of the fun. It can be quite pretty riding out with the moon up and the lights off. Or with the lights on.  I highly reccomend it.

So for now that is all I can come up with. Enjoy the photos and remember to click on them for added value and viewing pleasure. Send out all your happy thoughts of goodwill for all the living things out there in this big old world. Can't hurt.

Steve

Ski Day

Nothing about the house, just fun in and on the snow. Funny how good the heat feels coming off of the snomo's motor onto my feet when making the 20 plus mile ride back to the pickup at 5:30 p.m.

Either Eric is flashing me the peace sign or someone asked him how old he is. :)

Now where in the world is Alan. Oh, here he comes.

Funny all the random thoughts that can crawl through my mind as I'm climbing up the side of the mountain on my skis. Funny how I can't remember all those amusing thoughts I thought of while taking one more step up to the top. I seem to ski with people that always and I mean always, have to go to the highest point possible. I've had this thought of what fun it would be to have a keg of beer set on top of one of these peaks ahead of time. I need to hook up with a heli pilot. I like the thought of just casually walking over to it and saying "hey you guys want a beer?" Maybe I should settle for a case of cans. But they may not believe I just found them sitting there, or yeah maybe so, my pack isn't that big. Although it might explain why I climb so slow.

Gee and to think we were over there on top of that peak directly behind the dead tree just right of center. And the sleds are behind that peak. Gonna be a late day.

What ya have in there? Turned out to be picture time. What, no food?

Look a path through the woods, how nice. At this point I was hoping that just around the corner would be a cabin and hot tub ready to use. Must have been hallucinating. Probably due to all the climbing.

Because instead of the cabin we got this, another climb.

We seemed to do a lot of this, climb.

You'd think that I'd have bunches of ski shots, but nope. I was so busy enjoying the turns that there wasn't time to stand around taking photos. I think I've mentioned that photo taking is my excuse for stopping on the climb. Besides I dredged this one up from a trip into the same area a couple of years back. It was like this. Maybe even deeper this go round.

You know what one of the greatest inventions that mankind has come up with? Pain killers, Ibuprofen, tri buffered asprin. You get the idea. The couch and I are getting reacquainted today while I watch football. Thanks John for not being able to go sledding today, I may just live.

Exercise

Not feeling inspired this evening, way to much holiday cheer and go, go, go has finally caught up with me I think.  I have a few different shots than mk from last weekend, so though I'd just add them.  The wind generators just past Mountain Home always intrigue me.  So I had to take a photo as we drove down the interstate towards the Gooding exit.  These are actually just out of Mtn. Home.

My Saturday a.m. view of the mtns. from the house.

After our guests arrived we made it out to the ski area to see about poaching some runs.  The ski area is not open and rumor has it that it may be January 22 before they are able to open.  Various reasons for the delayed start.  The new lodge may be a large part of it.  They certainly have enough snow now.  With over a foot of new in the past week it is looking very good.  Below is a shot of Steve looking down as Steve comes up the ridge.  Nice thing about skiing with Steve I never get the name wrong.  :)

One advantage of carrying a camera is that I use it as an excuse or reason to stop and catch my breath.  Need to take scenic shots you know.

Some day maybe I'll get more education on how to take photos.  I was a bit slow in getting my camera out as the sun worked behind the clouds and looked like a ball, really cool then, not as good in the final product.

And now Steve is ahead of Steve.  I needed a drink and to take photos.

So after climbing to the top and looking around you'd have thoght that I would have some exceptional shots of us skiing knee deep powder, right?  Wrong.  Yes the snow was deep and fairly light on the north slopes, but one little problem.  Steep.  Not gonna happen today.  The snow pack is in such a fragile state that it talked to us all the way up to the top.  It just kept whumping and shooting cracks out 20, 30 feet away from us as the pack collapsed under the new snow.  As we worked our way up and across slopes it became obvious that skiing just anywhere wasn't to be the grand plan.  There is basically just this rotten base down below that doesn't act like it wants to play nice.  So we stayed to some low angle slopes (wasn't a lot of choice it's Soldier) and as Steve put it we wobbled a few turns down the hill.  Did see some fairly fresh elk tracks down near the creek.  Thankfully the other Steve didn't have a camera on him or we might have a photo of me doing my best impression of a full on face first trail inspection.  Hate it when I forget that my heels are unlocked, look over there more elk tracks, cool, oh crap I'm now flying forward and my skis are not.  Snow tastes good.  At least I got in a nice climb and some excercise.

happy new year!

the most direct route to fairfield was closed due to a snow slide, so we went up the long way on friday- about 1 hour longer, but it was a pretty drive,

and an incredible sunset

we got to fairfield, steve plowed the driveway & i did laundry, cleaned the bathroom & put new sheets on the extra bed in prepartion for friends joining us on saturday. then to the imi for a salad bar & a bit of football.

beautiful pink & blue sunrise on saturday. unfortunately i wasn't set up to get very good shots.

i am now though! wonder what the neighbors thought about me shoveling out this path to the back of the property. but now i can get in better postition to shoot sunrise & sunsets.

here's the snow that accumulated on the jeep overnight

the other project was hanging more photos. the wall is coming along.

Steve & Elena showed up around noon and after a bite to eat we headed out to soldier mountain. the ski resort isn't open yet, but there were plenty of people there to snowshoe, cross country and back country ski.

the steves headed up the hill to find a place to make some turns & elena the dogs & i headed off to the forest service road to snowshow.

it was a beautiful day- warm, sunny, blue skies. the snow was so light that you would sink all the way down if you got off track, as halle discovered below.

the dogs both love snow & had a grand romp. booties make life much easier for echo.

we had dinner & played some cards & drank some vino, laughed and had a nice evening. after breakfast steve & elena headed out, i hit the couch with my kindle & steve finished up a few things.

clearing snow off the storage shed & the porch roof.

checking the snowmobile, which did sputter & die, but is hopefully an easy fix.

there's been plenty of snowmobile activity in the field behind the house.

it was a beautiful day- great to be up playing in the snow in our snug house.

happy 2010! i'm sure that steve will post photos from the ski adventure too.