Thread: TR: Falling Ice Glacier, Mt. Moran, GTNP, 5/10-11

While sitting inside on a rainy, dreary, May day in Jackson, I figured it was time to go through pictures from last week's glorious high pressure and perfect corn cycle. I had a great week, did some skiing on the pass, including my last Glory run of the year, and then headed up to the park, where the Ellingwood Couloir on the Middle Teton was in order:





At the end of that day, I drove though the park scouting lines, and saw that a line which I have been eyeing for years, the Falling Ice Glacier on Mt. Moran, was still holding snow great, and in fact was one of the longest continuous lines left in the Tetons. Here's a view of the top, and most dramatic, half:





The line may not go from the summit, but with ~4800' vert of falline skiing, I didn't care. It was time. Any potential partners fell through, and this one became a solo mission. The journey started at the String Lake TH, with a full pack of overnight gear, skis and boots, and a dry trail in front of me.





4 miles of on-trail hiking took me to the north end of Leigh Lake, where I was met with a couple miles of full-on bushwacking on a 35 degree slope above the lake (the ranger had described it as "horrendous" and "not recommended". What do they know anyway...). But I put my head down, put one foot in front of the other, and ended up at the inlet to Leigh Lake just before sundown. Dinner of leftover spaghetti bolognese and a couple hot toddies were thoroughly enjoyed while watching the sunset over Leigh Lake, miles from the nearest human.





I always love the view of the Breccia Cliffs from the Tetons. Especially because I had recently skied the one couloir which pierces through the ramparts of rock (the last line in this TR: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...er-Day-4-29-12 )





After a way-too-early wake up, it was time to climb. And while waking up before 4 is never fun, its always worth it when you find yourself in a place like this...





And looking up at something like this...





The Skillet handle getting first light...





The West Horn...





Head down, keep climbing...





It was warm, and my hot steaming body fogged up my lens for this shot, which I still think is badass...





And then the angle lessens, and I find myself in the basin carved out by the upper Falling Ice, surrounded by pinnacles and a big black dike...








More views of the West Horn and its ridge out to the Drizzlepus...







Looking over to Jackson Lake, with Two Oceans and Emma Matilda lakes beyond...





While waiting for the corn to ripen, you can only listen to constant rock and snow fall coming off the cliffs above you for so long.
So at 10am it was time for the harvest to begin.

Solo skiing is a beautiful thing. While I have no pictures to share of perfect turns (and there were many), dramatic backdrops (everywhere), or smiling faces, that right there is what makes it so special. It was just me and Moran. A few fleeting moments of perfection, witnessed by no one, shared only with 'our mother the mountain.' Truely special. Transcendental.

I did manage to stop myself to take a picture of the ice and the horn...





And still had a long way to go...





As Bill Briggs has said, "the beauty of the mountain, enhanced a bit by man"





The lower gully, with other older tracks...





Then a short downclimb around a waterfall...








And then it was another couple hundred feet of avalanche-littered trees and suncups down to within 300' of the lake





Back to camp, where I discovered that rodents like the taste of sweaty leather.





And for lunch, PB&J and the last of the whiskey, in the hot sun, on a lakeside beach.





It doesn't get much better than that!!


I'm not sure if I'll ski again this season. I'd love to, and I'll try to this coming week if we get the weather back, but if those are the last turns of the year, I don't have a goddamn thing to complain about!!!!

very nice...thanks!

Nice!!! Well, except the boots- bummer.

from way downtown


YESSSSSS!!!

Solo skiing is a beautiful thing. While I have no pictures to share of perfect turns (and there were many), dramatic backdrops (everywhere), or smiling faces, that right there is what makes it so special. It was just me and Moran. A few fleeting moments of perfection, witnessed by no one, shared only with 'our mother the mountain.' Truely special. Transcendental.

My feelings exactly. Thanks for the report.

Great TR.

Looks good to me!

Really nice! But the boots=

Good shit!

ah yeah

12345

WELL HELL YEA!

that looked like a good time!

Very freaking awesome.

Amazing solo trip. That takes a lot of resolve.

Looks like another party got it 1-2 days before you? Did you have the scouting report or just knew the thing was good to go?

nice TR, way to get after it.

Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

Looks like another party got it 1-2 days before you? Did you have the scouting report or just knew the thing was good to go?

Didn't get any kind of report. I had just scouted the line from across the valley a couple days prior. Those other tracks were in the lower part of the run, but did not continue up to the true glacier. They seemed to come from the CMC high camp, which makes me think they probably skied the E face of the Drizzlepus, which would exit out via the lower Falling Ice. I had a clean slate on the upper glacier!

well that there is how a TR should go.
perfect read, great photos and awesome terrain in a concise pkg.
thanks 4 sharing
bf

Good writeup & beautiful picks!

Have to say the boot pick cracked me up...

nice! great to see some teton stokeage.

Strong work, PP. You really conveyed the feeling of a solo mission. Boots are a small exit fee, I guess marmots like crown soaked leather.

bingo!!!

Nice one! Too bad about the boots - must have taken you by surprise!

Originally Posted by flowing alpy

well that there is how a TR should go.
perfect read, great photos and awesome terrain in a concise pkg.
thanks 4 sharing
bf

x2 precisely. thanks!

pretty F'ing amazing, especially solo!
thanks for sharing.

hopefully the little critters were smart enough to not swallow the foam padding!

fuck yeah mr dobalina!