Author of The Black Book: Select Lines from Grand Teton National Park

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

On the Shoulders of Cannon and Cashmere


The spectacular Stuart Range











Colchuck



Colchuck Peak (8,705 ft.) and Argonaut Peak (8,453 ft.)



N Faces of Sherpa Peak (8,605) and Mount Stuart (9,415)


Peter Mullen on the way up Cannon



N Face of Mount Stuart



N Faces of Sherpa and Stuart



Stuart



Sherpa







Glacier Peak poking out



Smoking Couloirs



Tomorrow's objective: north facing chutes on the shoulder of Cashmere, center right



Peter nearing the end of the 5,000 foot climb.
Thank God some extremely fit locals put in a skin track!







North Face of Cannon Peak (8,638)



Peter getting some of the season's best powder!



After nearly 2,000 feet of turns like this,
you'd be crazy not to go do another lap.
So we did.



The Mullen ski hut



A sub-summit of Cashmere



Sherpa Peak



Dragontail and Colchuck



Colchuck Glacier with evidence of previous skiers



Dragontail from the NW (8,840)



Colchuck North Face



Argonaut



Asgard Pass, Witches Tower, Dragontail



Our line of choice, steep and deep north facing chutes and trees on the shoulder of Cashmere



The West Face of Cannon Mountain, where we skied the previous day, offering a 5,000 foot fall line from top to bottom.



Asgard Pass, Witches Tower, Dragontail



North Face of Mount Stuart



West Couloir of Cannon, with evidence of skiers getting some turns in the stable powder



Colchuck Glacier



Asgard and Witches Tower







Peter, a long way up from the valley floor



Asgard with the weather moving in







"And miles to go before I sleep"







Peter watching Erin get fresh tracks



The spectacular Stuart Range

Pilchuck Pics


The weather forecast was off on this day. Everybody predicted sunshine all day. Wouldn't it be so great to hear the weathermen just say, "I don't know. It could do anything." That way you just go and you have no expectations. Sarah and I chose Pilchuck for something close and with great views, with easy road access. But the snow level was another 1,500 feet above the parking lot. Insane for this time of year! So we had a bit of a hike in. Tons of people on the trail too.



We encountered some nice, smooth snow in flat-light conditions. And due to Sarah's great attitude, we still had a pretty fun day!



Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Mt. Pugh Straight Glacier


The Powder Highway: Straight Glacier of Mount Pugh



North Face of Mount Pugh



The Batcave on Mt. Pugh



Three Fingers



Jason Hummel coming up to Stujack's Pass



Looking down the glacier



East Face of Mount Forgotten



Del Campo?



Whitehorse from the east



Kyle Miller dropping in



The powder highway of the Straight Glacier of Mount Pugh







Mount Shuksan



?



Whitechuck Mountain from south



East Face of the Three Fingers



Skiing down from Stujack's Pass was buttery smooth