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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Minturn
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    732

    1st TR: Eisman Hut 1/16 & 1/17

    Greetings TGR community! Believe it or not I didn't know about this forum until this winter and the 'stoke' is rad. Just hoping to contribute some Eagle County representation from a local snow enthusiast.

    So without further ado here are some shots from the latest adventure - a hut trip I reserved to celebrate my Dads 50th! Action shots are lacking but the Eisman hut area is great for skiing. Everything from low-consequence 250' mini-golf lines to the faces off of pt. 12,300 (up to 1000' vert) where we skied the South bowl. The hut is cool too - very communal - and we met some cool (and lucky) people.

    A snowmobile is the best way to get the goods to the hut. 8.1 mi. up Red Sandstone Rd. on a good road network and you're there, only having to skin 15 min. up from the snowmobile limit. My dad insisted on carrying the booze:



    We got there at 3 the first day and took a few glade runs right below the deck of the hut.





    Myself, enjoying the sunset skiing:




    The crew in front of the South face of pt. 12,300: My dad's two friends bailed a week prior...no problem finding replacements among my buddies
    (Also my girlfriends first big backcountry adventure)


    First tracks in the bowl:


    Camo girlfriend:


    One of those mini-golf lines, but it got too warm just about when this pic was taken and everything started to crust up...next time


    This N aspect line, however, was skiied without hesitation:


    No action shot - but tracks to show the huck:


    Backside of Bald Mountain:


    These pillows are waiting to be skiied...who's in?


    South bowl of pt. 12,300 once again:


    Sunset skiing again:

    **If you've heard about the complete triple burial that happened near the Eiseman hut during these same dates, you are looking at the slide in this pic. The descending tracks can be seen coming from the right from pt. 12,300. After the guys put their skins on in the bowl behind the trees they were working their way up right to left and made a kickturn above the biggest 'nose' rock (kickturn in the toe of the debris). Once they stepped from the flats above the nose rock onto the steep face, 600 yards wide by 8' crown released down upon them. They think they were swept about 30 ft. and all fully buried. Insanely they could all communicate while buried as they were within 20 ft. of each other when buried. These guys were super lucky, and also super good guys, so we were all glad they made it back to the hut. If we would have seen the release we would have been over there asap. We were skiing the same aspect...only 35 deg. instead of their (est.) 41. It was a deep release on an Oct. rain crust. It's just a matter of a few degrees sometimes...



    Skiing into the sunset, night II:


    Sunset action shot, Hansen in the alpenglow:


    Day III:


    Max and Ziggy (my dad) on top of pt. 12,300:


    Bean close behind:


    Beautiful Gore Range peak "The Spider":


    My tracks in the middle of the South bowl: (It was breakable crust so I directed the rest of the group to better snow lower in the trees to the East, on a SW aspect.)


    "Dad, why did you traverse uphill away from the powder apron? Everyone followed you too..."
    "This whole turning 50 thing is more complicated than you think."

    **his friend Stiggy looks out retrospectively

    After 3 days of awesome skiing we packed up the toboggan behind the sled and got one last glade run to the cars. Found a 15 footer on the way: (Sorry for the lack of action shots, future TRs will hopefully have more. I hope this TR helps anyone planning an Eiseman trip scout the terrain.)

    **no gloves?

    edit: flickr sucks & dropped my pics...i'm workin on it
    Last edited by Goatski; 01-29-2009 at 07:35 PM.
    o--/\
    --/(. \
    -/ .) ' \ go with respect, get to know your mountains
    /' (. ' |'\
    ' ' .) ' ,'

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    NorCal
    Posts
    2,573
    Awesome first TR. Looks like a really fun trip. Cool that you get to experience that with your father.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    5th Switchback
    Posts
    394
    Great TR and pics of one of CO's best huts. I am still confused as to where the burial happened. Can you make it more apparent in the pic, perhaps using photoshop to circle the area?
    -You can't get hurt if you are in the air.

    Caleb Wray Photography

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Minturn
    Posts
    732
    No photoshop here, but to be more specific the burial area is in the center of the photo where the slide slid the least amount of vertical and it looks like the biggest pile of avy debris.
    o--/\
    --/(. \
    -/ .) ' \ go with respect, get to know your mountains
    /' (. ' |'\
    ' ' .) ' ,'

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    coloRADo
    Posts
    2,116
    Great shots, great stoke! Welcome to the community, JONG!
    Eiseman is definitely one of the coolest huts to ski out of ...

    I'll control myself, but expect some maggots to be asking for nekkid pics of your sister very soon ...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Hanging out with Yodie and Grison
    Posts
    1,000
    Nice pics...

    ... but using a sled to shuttle gear to a 10th mtn hut is weaksauce. Toughen up buttercup!
    A lot of people earn their turns. Some just get bigger checks.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Vail
    Posts
    30
    Nice TR goski, it looks like the mission was successful!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Reno
    Posts
    2,434
    Wow, looks like a great trip.

    I think I had some buddies heading to that hut (I could have the wrong name). Did you meet Mike (boarder, 33 but all grey hair) and Eric Duncan (skier)? They werent the guys in the slide were they?
    Donjoy to the World!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Skiattle
    Posts
    7,764
    Quote Originally Posted by Goatski View Post
    This N aspect line, however, was skiied without hesitation:
    id sure as hell hesitate before skiing that line any time of the year
    multiple rollovers, starting around 32, then to 35, then to right about 38.

    we skied that back in mid december after a long assessment process only to find everything else lookers left and right had ripped out...including where you hucked off of.

    regardless, looks like a great time

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Minturn
    Posts
    732
    Quote Originally Posted by pechelman View Post
    id sure as hell hesitate before skiing that line any time of the year
    multiple rollovers, starting around 32, then to 35, then to right about 38.

    we skied that back in mid december after a long assessment process only to find everything else lookers left and right had ripped out...including where you hucked off of.

    regardless, looks like a great time
    I guess i will have to be more careful with my wording. Safe avalanche protocol is never abandoned when I am out in the backcountry. We scouted the line from below and dug a pit to the E on our first run before we found ourselves at the top with the green light. Once we were to that point, we then skiied without hesitation - and fast. Then we did it again the next day.

    It is an alternative to the first downclimb on the ridge that runs North, and totally worth the extra 20 min.
    o--/\
    --/(. \
    -/ .) ' \ go with respect, get to know your mountains
    /' (. ' |'\
    ' ' .) ' ,'

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Skiattle
    Posts
    7,764
    skiing that run is always worth an extra 20 mins

    especially when you circle up and around after you get to the bottom to ski that other chute that goes back down to the road

    glad it was safe for you guys to hit on your trip!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Colorado Cartel HQ
    Posts
    15,932
    Great TR man.

    REALLY glad you posted the pic of the slide......

    Anyone that says Colorado is flat hasn't been in the Gore. What a rad range.
    Been exploring up there all week.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    coloRADo
    Posts
    2,116
    Quote Originally Posted by BlurredElevens View Post
    Been exploring up there all week.

    ... aaaaand? Find anything we can use for a 2-3 day long bluebird & night photo session? Ride sled up, get some barbeque shots n shit

  14. #14
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Colorado Cartel HQ
    Posts
    15,932
    Quote Originally Posted by BurnHard View Post
    ... aaaaand? Find anything we can use for a 2-3 day long bluebird & night photo session? Ride sled up, get some barbeque shots n shit
    Spent the night out there last night doing some recon.
    Going in on sleds tomorrow to get to an area I've been looking at for years....
    After spending about 3 days up there this week looking for a way to get in, found access.

    (cutting trails with a chainsaw in a wilderness area is a bitch...no open area anywhere)
    Let you know after tomorrow.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Avon
    Posts
    32
    Not a bad way to spend #50 with pops.....nice TR.

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