Hanging Canyon, North Couloirs

Last day of April, 650 inches this season, a record amount here in Jackson, WY, and more is on the way for awhile. It certainly is the never-ending winter.

Hanging Canyon in center, the proposed line, Symmetry Couloir, on the left

Hanging Canyon with The Jaw at the terminus, and Mt. Saint John on the right

Conor Mulroy setting his funky split-board skin track

The first chute of the day

The view of the Cathedral Group from the top of the couloir

The second chute, a bit steep near the top

The north side of Teewinot. Travis and I skied one of the chutes a month previously.

The Cathedral Group in the early morning light

The Spooky Face on Nez Perce, do you see the alien looking face near the top of the peak?

Timing is the most difficult part about spring skiing. It varies so much due to the power of the sun in the morning and if any clouds will delay its effect. One day the time to start skiing may be 7:30 am and the next not till noon or later. Peter and I were lucky for the morning clouds on Static, delaying the start till 10am. But today, as we were skinning up Hanging Canyon, the snow felt perfect at 7am. We knew we were going to be late.

We didn't do the line we wanted. It was east facing so it was too late. We would have had to get a start at midnight to be on time for that. But the way into Hanging Canyon was safe even in the warmest conditions, so we weren't worried about coming back out the way we came in. So, with time on our side, we bootpacked up north facing couloirs that were not affected by the sun or heat like everything else was. Everything that was affected was avalanching, and every few minutes we'd hear a "crack!" and we'd crank our heads around to watch one come down.