TR: Apache Couloir 7.10.10

[adrenalated]

Last week, I climbed the semi-technical ridge between Little Pawnee Peak and Pawnee Peak in the Indian Peaks wilderness. I thought I was done with ski season, but as any backcountry skier that has been to the Brainard Lake area knows, you can't help but stare and drool over Navajo Snowfield, Apache Couloir, and Queen's Way. Guess I could get one more day in.

Fortunately, skiberly and hippy_prophet are also obsessed enough with skiing to think that hiking 9 miles just to ski one run in July sounds like a good idea.

Every good Indian Peaks ski trip begins with a pleasant stay at Hotel GMC.


Hotel GMC features a world-class restaurant.


A little closer view of the modern and sparkling clean kitchen facilities.


The presidential suite on Hotel GMC's top floor.


We met at the Brainard entry gate at some ungodly hour. skiberly hiking towards Lake Isabelle early in the morning.


Hey! You, water! You're supposed to be snow! Get back to being frozen!


OK, I guess I do like summer scenery.


Lake Isabelle. Our destination is the couloir right in the center. Looks a lot narrower than it really is.


A closer view. Navajo Peak is the cone on the left, Navajo Snowfield starts from the saddle just right, Apache Couloir is in the center, Apache Peak is the summit right of center, and Queen's Way is the diagonal couloir that no longer extends to the upper snowfield. This has to be one of the most scenic spots in the Front Range.


A closeup of the couloir.


hippy_prophet navigates a boulderfield.


skiberly elects to take the 4th class gully variation rather than the easy, grassy slabs visible behind her.


After a few hours hiking, we reached the base of the couloir. Time to get with the vertical program.


skiberly climbs the wide, lower section of the line.


From the top, looking back down the valley we climbed. We were able to ski nearly continuously to the small tarn at the bottom of the photo - 1700' of skiing overall.


Navajo.


The remote north face of North Arapahoe. WANT (with more snow, of course).


hippy_prophet and skiberly on top of the couloir. We decided to forgo the actual summit. You can see why in the upper left. It snowed on us moments later.


skiberly drops in.






hippy_prophet (for the first time in several years, he's skiing the skis that gave him his screen name).




He's happy with the line.


Walking back to the car.


Tired skiberly.


A great day with great people. Maybe that will be my last day until the snow flies again... or maybe not. We'll see.

[Pow4Brains]

I'm pretty sure I'd marry that girl.

skiberly elects to take the 4th class gully variation rather than the easy, grassy slabs visible behind her.

[goldenboy]

Way to keep it alive, looks pretty good, too!

[montanaskier]

skiberly is a cool chic to be sure....but she needs a new shovel

[Meadow Skipper]

You gotta want it.

Nice TR.

[DeeAre]

Lovely! But you forgot your fishing rods

[tone capone]

Very nice summer skiing.

[Slaag Master]

a great day with great people. sez it all. most skiers love to hike in the summer. why so many don't carry their riding gear is a puzzle. it is my goal to do my part to make summer riding widespread. there are turns to be had! remember your deathbed - when you are looking back over the whole mess - pretty sure i want to see a check in the box for earned summer turns.

[melotime]

nice TR, been staring at that area a few times lately, way to get after it

[skiberly]

skiberly is a cool chic to be sure....but she needs a new shovel

Yea, that plastic POS doesn't make the team this time of year

[Slaag Master]

#1 fan.......................

[Grape_Ape]

That's fucking awesome. So fucking jealous. fuck

[khakis]

was that Sunday or were you guys the third group on Saturday?

We did Queen's Way and it was a good time...there were a couple of guys up there who climbed and skied Apache then climbed and skied Queens Way and almost caught us on the way down. Freakin animals!

[montanaskier]

Skiberly- CB biking and skiing and then skiing this...props to you for not working. I sent NPG some info on a nice line that is still in off of Clinton, if you decide to ski this weekend.

[adrenalated]

was that Sunday or were you guys the third group on Saturday?

We did Queen's Way and it was a good time...there were a couple of guys up there who climbed and skied Apache then climbed and skied Queens Way and almost caught us on the way down. Freakin animals!

We skied it Saturday. If someone skied it before us, they got up REAL fucking early. The only tracks in the couloir before us were already there when we first glimpsed it from Lake Isabelle ~8am. As for other groups behind us... we did not see any other skiers on our way down? And didn't notice any other tracks in the couloir from a distance later in the day? Pretty sure we were the only ones that skied it Sat.

We did run into a group of 2 leaving the parking lot just before us around 7 that skied Queens Way... coulda been you guys?

[khakis]

Nope we were on the trail @ 6am. The guys you ran into in the parking lot...one from Ned and one from Boulder, skinny skis and tiny packs? Those guys passed us at Long Lake, climbed and skied Apache couloir, then were about 100ft from topping out on Queens Way as we were dropping in. We stopped and chatted with them for a minute and they said they had already skied apache. They were fast. Pretty sure we saw you guys getting close to the top of Apache as we were on our way down

[adrenalated]

Yeah, skinny skis and tiny packs, that was them. I guess skinny skis don't leave tracks
Good day to be up there for sure.