BIG SKY AREA BACKCOUNTRY.
sorry, no pics this time around.
didn't get skinning until 11am. got to the ridge at about 12:30. ate
sandwich. dug pit. we found a 1" ice crust 15" below the surface.
snowpack was about 2 feet. 15 taps with the tap test to get the block to
shear. not to concerned, but still cautious and aware. bombed the first
half of the run so i could lay down some good turns to see if anything was
going to slide. good news. nothing slid. the second half of the first run
was a no worries run. headed down to my big jump to start building that
thing up. pics will be posted at some point during the season of us hitting
this thing. it's rather big. you'll see, eventually. anyways, we dug for a
good hour to get atleast soemthing started. it's about halfway there now.
i'm psyched.
after building a little we bootpacked it straight up the same run we took
down because there was a bootpack trail along the side. BURNER! legs
will be sore from that one for atleast a few days. got back on the ridge.
headed to a chute my buddies were eyeing out from below. we couldn't
find it when we got up there so we decided to traverse the ridge to find a
spot to drop in. about to drop in and i hear a "whoompf" around me. uh
oh! i was gonna cut the slope but there was no good safety zone if it were
to slide. it would've carried me right into some trees, so i decidided to
hike back up the 20 feet or so. it was varied coverage as well. anywhere
from 4" to 12". that's why i decided to hike back up and go hit a line that
had better coverage. a lot more calm of a line, but safer. rode halfway
again until the safe zone where my buddies where standing. then we
traversed the slope until we felt like dropping in. b-lined it from there
down to the flats and kept speed up enough to get back on our skin trail
and rode back to the car. twas dark when we got back to the car. for
starting at 11am we felt like we still got in a full day.
i'm rather upset that i finally put the first scratches on my split today too.
i also hit a good size rock/boulder with the side of my board. a little dent
in the sidewall and a bubble develped from the impact on the base. not
happy, but that's what i get for taking my split out before there's 3' of
base. that was my rule last year. live and learn.
i'll try to bring my crappy camera next time cause i know how boring long
trip reports can be without pics.......especially if it's not in your area.
maybe i just might be able to do reports like madapu sometime. pictures
make the report. IMO
sorry, no pics this time around.
didn't get skinning until 11am. got to the ridge at about 12:30. ate
sandwich. dug pit. we found a 1" ice crust 15" below the surface.
snowpack was about 2 feet. 15 taps with the tap test to get the block to
shear. not to concerned, but still cautious and aware. bombed the first
half of the run so i could lay down some good turns to see if anything was
going to slide. good news. nothing slid. the second half of the first run
was a no worries run. headed down to my big jump to start building that
thing up. pics will be posted at some point during the season of us hitting
this thing. it's rather big. you'll see, eventually. anyways, we dug for a
good hour to get atleast soemthing started. it's about halfway there now.
i'm psyched.
after building a little we bootpacked it straight up the same run we took
down because there was a bootpack trail along the side. BURNER! legs
will be sore from that one for atleast a few days. got back on the ridge.
headed to a chute my buddies were eyeing out from below. we couldn't
find it when we got up there so we decided to traverse the ridge to find a
spot to drop in. about to drop in and i hear a "whoompf" around me. uh
oh! i was gonna cut the slope but there was no good safety zone if it were
to slide. it would've carried me right into some trees, so i decidided to
hike back up the 20 feet or so. it was varied coverage as well. anywhere
from 4" to 12". that's why i decided to hike back up and go hit a line that
had better coverage. a lot more calm of a line, but safer. rode halfway
again until the safe zone where my buddies where standing. then we
traversed the slope until we felt like dropping in. b-lined it from there
down to the flats and kept speed up enough to get back on our skin trail
and rode back to the car. twas dark when we got back to the car. for
starting at 11am we felt like we still got in a full day.
i'm rather upset that i finally put the first scratches on my split today too.
i also hit a good size rock/boulder with the side of my board. a little dent
in the sidewall and a bubble develped from the impact on the base. not
happy, but that's what i get for taking my split out before there's 3' of
base. that was my rule last year. live and learn.
i'll try to bring my crappy camera next time cause i know how boring long
trip reports can be without pics.......especially if it's not in your area.
maybe i just might be able to do reports like madapu sometime. pictures
make the report. IMO