TR: Telluride's Heavens Eleven #3

[honeybadger]

Hey everyone, so this is my first post on TGR. Kim Havell here from Telluride and learning the ropes with a TR from this past season..hopefully it provides a little September stoke.

On the evening of Sunday, March 13th, I had just arrived back to town and called into one of my main ski partners, Dan Hehir, to get an update on conditions. Dan said that a short window had opened again in Telluride for skiing the Little Wasatch ridge couloirs. We decided to rally for the mega classic “Heavens Eleven” that next morning, Monday the 14th.

(green arrows mark Heavens 11, red arrows mark Grandfather Direct)



It was our third time trying to ski the Elevens for the season and it was my third time actually skiing the route, and we found it in the best conditions yet as the first folks in there for the year. The top of the ridge is close to 13,000ft and the route is about 2k down to upper Bear Creek.

Our team grew that morning from ski partners Dan Hehir and Dave Marcinowski with the additions of super alpinist Vince Anderson and his friend Mark Beverly. It was a perfect bluebird day with nice warmer temps and a cool breeze that kept the snow safe from sluffing due to likely increasing afternoon temps. All in all an ideal day for skiing was one of the burlier lines in the San Juans.



Off the top, the entrance and upper section were wind-buffed and a bit thin but as we got lower into the heart of the route, the snow was more protected and proved to be great skiing. We had harnesses on and carried a rope, crampons, and some gear in case sections did not go through.



We had a few tricky moves through the narrows of the main couloir with a duck-walk stem to get through the choke, and otherwise we encountered ideal soft snow and powder conditions once down in the tight and protected part of the route. The exit had some rotten snow but it was fairly straightforward to traverse out to the Upper Bear Creek basin down to the Waterfall exit chute that empties into lower Bear Creek.



It’s looking like another La Nina around the corner. If Telluride has another low tide year, we’ve learned that even when the meters are low, with the right conditions, the right team, and the right gear, the descents can be done over on the ridge.

[powdork]

such a big line. such tiny pics. why do you hate us so?

[honeybadger]

just learning! good to know..didn't want to bore the crowd. will do on the next round. thanks for the feedback powdork!

[SILENCER]

Just read your article in Powder this morning coincidentally, awesome stuff!

Ditto for big pictures, but solid first post and welcome to the insanity here.

[honeybadger]

Thanks a ton Silencer! Big photos it is..or will be. Really appreciate the guidance here..

[Grifski]

what a tease!

such a big line. such tiny pics. why do you hate us so?

big lines deserve big photos, and maybe if you really want to score some points here, and I'm only saying if, then maybe be just a little naked in a couple of them. But hey, it's up to you.

JK
Thanks for posting

[Buster Highmen]

Saw your tracks. Choice quality stuff. Don't pull a Stryker.

[rippinstyle]

welcome kim!! glad to see your post and look forward to future mag stoke!

keep up the good work, ive enjoyed following your worldly travels...

[montanaskier]

Welcome!!!!!!!

[The SnowShow]

sickeness...lots of good T-Ride stoke this week

[skier666]

Gnar Bar!

But I agree....re-size the pics to at least 800X600 pixels

[yemntftb]

yes, epic.

[Tap]

Solid ski.

Tell Carlos that Tap says hi.

[honeybadger]

thanks everyone! and.. @ grifski - thanks for the nude vote of confidence but I might lose some partners due to unhappy spouses.

[covert]

"most fearless animal in all of the animal kingdom, it really doesn't give a shit"

[OphirPow]

Nice one KB. Sweet honeybadger video too. The funny part of the day was how we got such a big group together. HB, me and climber Dave M were gonna try this regardless. We bumped into Vince and Mark at the bottom of chair 8 and they were super interested but couldnt do the route because they were busy that day. Mark had done every part of his full AMGA certification (rock, ice, alpine etc) except proven himself on skis. Turns out at his ski exam the weather had been too rough and noone actually got to evaluate him on skiing skill. Route finding, avy stuff etc he was checked out on, but noone got to see him rip. So Vince was there to do the final examination and to make sure his skiing skills and technique were up to par to be a fully certified guide. Which meant some on piste bumps, groomers, steeps etc but they didn't have the time to come with us. Well, by the time we got to the top of chair 9 and took a good look at the run they were in. This made me a bit nervous because noone had ever skied with Mark and there are a bunch of great climbers and alpinists who aren't that great of skiers and I was hoping he wouldn't be one of those but he assured us he was confident skiing that stuff. Officially they postponed their skills evaluation and hopped on with us. Mark definitely ripped and was rock solid with his skiing. Later on that day they had to go back and run some groomers and stuff for the official evaluation but really, after ripping the 11's with confidence like Mark did of course he passed. Way to up the ante on the AMGA skiers test Mark!

[skiingislife]

Just read your article in Powder this morning coincidentally

Me too..... good stuff.

[Bob Loblaw]

way to bring back a beautiful spring day, now bring on the early wintery deepness!

[honeybadger]

@Bob. It's not pow yet but here's a quick shot of "OphirPow" skiing high above Telluride on September 22, 2011. It's snowing right now in Tride so folks should be getting after it in the near future...