Twin Peaks ascent/descent TR 2-4-05

**Trackhead** · 02-04-2005, 06:38 PM

Made another effort this week to ski Twin Peaks (11,300ft.) of Salt Lake. The day started at 2:30 AM stumbling around 7/11 looking for some nasty donuts and coffee to drink. Powstash showed up a bit late because his Camel Back exploded, so we started hiking around 4:30 AM

Ascended 'Bonkers' and traversed the North ridge (green). Descended the north and east faces(red). East Couloir of Twin (yellow) looks excellent, perhaps the best line on the mountain. We didn't really look for it from the summit. But I will ski that next time.

Powstash halfway up Bonkers.

Looking across Stair Gulch and into the SLC valley.

The north ridge of Twin.

Powstash psyched to see the sun.

The views were absolutely terrible.

The ridge was exciting in places. Not too bad, but you didn't want to tumble into the abyss.

North Face of Twin. We booted up the face just to the left of the couloirs. Came into the face about mid level from a traverse from the N. Ridge.
We summited this, then skied half the face and traversed to the East Face.

**Trackhead** · 02-04-2005, 06:38 PM

Powstash counting steps before the summit.

The power of a "Reverse Mullet". Powstash huffing and puffing the final steps.

Me, posing for grandma. It is a 5,000 foot ascent. It took us about 5.5 hours to summit. Putting us there around 9:30 AM?

Coalpit over Powstash's right shoulder, Y couloir by his right elbow, Lone Peak East Face above his left hand.

Powstash being blessed on the summit by the Bluebird Gods.

East Ridge of Twin. There was a boot pack up this. This is the ridge that looked ominous on our prior attempt with APD and Gramps. Turns out it looked pretty easy.

First turns into the North Face of Twin.

Powstash enjoying himself, and the view.

Looking down the East Face, after skiing half of the North Face and traversing over.

**Trackhead** · 02-04-2005, 06:39 PM

The East Face was NIIIICE.

Very nice, and very exposed.

Some interesting terrain features, and glide cracks to negotiate.

Goodness o' plenty.

Powstash with 2,000 feet of unobstructed fall line skiing in front of him. And some nice views behind him.

Yeeeee haaaaa!!!!

Mang, that sucked!!

More pow, more turns.

**Tyrone Shoelaces** · 02-04-2005, 06:40 PM

YES!!!!!!!

**runethechamp** · 02-04-2005, 06:43 PM

CHAMP!!!

**Telenater** · 02-04-2005, 06:45 PM

ohhhhhhhh

**Lurch** · 02-04-2005, 06:49 PM

NICE

567890

**gramps** · 02-04-2005, 06:53 PM

AHHHHHHHH!!! Hot damn, that's beautiful, but I gotta say it's like a punch in the gut seeing that after I've been denied on my last two outtings. And you should have let me know you were doing a dawn patrol, I could have made it. So nice, it's painful to look at.

**gramps** · 02-04-2005, 06:56 PM

ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH. It's still sinking in...

**altachic** · 02-04-2005, 06:57 PM

Ok, this is siiiiick. Nice work boys.

**gramps** · 02-04-2005, 06:58 PM

This one has me near tears at the moment.

**divegirl** · 02-04-2005, 06:59 PM

That was the BEST trip report I've seen thus far on this board. I'M SERIOUS. It REALLY makes me want to ski that someday. I will put this in my bookmarks. Maybe next year someone can show me around.

**Trackhead** · 02-04-2005, 07:03 PM

Gramps, sorry man. Would have loved for you to be along.

That skin track that you and I worked so hard for came in handy today. There was also a partial boot pack along the north ridge. The east ridge had a boot pack too. The east ridge looks easy from above, not too bad at all. Although I doubt the conditions were good enough (clouds, visibility, etc) the day me, you, and APD were up there.

In the future, I will ascend to the saddle and boot the east ridge. We booted the N. Face, which was fine, but could potentially suck.

I would love to go back and ski the East Couloir from the summit, then down the East Face. But the couloir isn't obvious from the summit. You have to ski down a bit to find it. We kicked ourselves when we saw it from below. But it was mucho fun to ski half of the north face.

**Duker** · 02-04-2005, 07:03 PM

SCHWEEEEET

**gramps** · 02-04-2005, 07:08 PM

No worries, in all honesty I probably would have pussy footed around if you had called yesterday and said you wanted a 2 am departure anyway. Now I know better, and I'm on a mission to get this one. Once things calm down after this next storm cycle, it's on like donkey kong.

**PowderPig** · 02-04-2005, 07:11 PM

Out of five.

Beautiful.

**sherpahigh** · 02-04-2005, 07:24 PM

Sweet!! Nicely done!!

**Blizzard7763** · 02-04-2005, 07:39 PM

Beautiful pictures, nice work.

CS · 02-04-2005, 07:47 PM

Fack me that was nice. Some of the sharpest pics I've seen. Nice freaking job fellas.

**Twoplanker** · 02-04-2005, 07:47 PM

BONER!

**AltaPowderDaze** · 02-04-2005, 08:07 PM

work gets in the way of stuff like this. maybe i should just stop going and see if they notice. i wish i was on this one.

when i looked at the ridge from the saddle the day we were there i though it was doable but i would have liked better conditions and vibram soles. i'll go back for this in a couple weeks after my father leaves town.

**AfroMullet** · 02-04-2005, 08:12 PM

That's what you get.

**extreeski** · 02-04-2005, 08:17 PM

Amazing!

That's why I want AT equipment.

There was only one other old, most filled in track.

**iskibc** · 02-04-2005, 08:22 PM

Very, very nice. The pics say it all. I don't think there's anything better than looking down at the valley/land just as the sun is creeping up in the morning.

Nothing like letting it all hang out (exposed):

This TR made my day. Thanks for putting it together.