Aspen Area skiing beta needed

[leroy jenkins]

Ok, so I still have the itch to ski, and since I have Thursday and Friday off, I was thinking of doing a solo trip.

I hiked up to the top of electric pass not too long ago, and saw the W face of cathedral was still holding snow




so I decided to hike up Conundrum to get a better look. Well I don't think you can actually see Cathedral from the valley floor on the Conundrum side, but I did see this (the obvious line on the left peak):



Heres a closer view:



Its the obvious sort of s shaped line right off the middle of the peak. I can't tell if it really goes all the way to the top or not, but I figure it wouldn't be the end of the world to drop in early.

I was thinking of doing this as an overnighter, hiking in on Thurs, and bagging the line early Fri morning, then hiking out. Honestly, this line is a bit more than what I had in mind, but as soon as I saw it, it started calling my name. In fact, this line scares the crap out of me, but I think that’s why it’s so appealing.

What do you guys think? Am I an idiot for even considering attempting this as a solo trip with no hardware other than an ice axe?

I was thinking of just getting to the base of it and taking a better look, and if it looked too far out of my league for a solo trip, then just skiing one of the several other little chutes (that aren't quite as intimidating) in that area like this one:



I’m open to doing something else though. Does anyone have any other suggestions of something that’s still holding snow that would be a fun descent? I was thinking the chute on the East face of MT Daly, although I haven’t been up to Snowmass in a while and have no idea if its still skiable. I have an outback, so I can do most acces roads, but nothing to gnarly, and I don't mind suffering a decent number of miles or vert.

Thanks for any beta anyone can supply, about this or any other lines.


EDIT: Sorry about the crappy pics, there were tons of bugs down in the valley when I took these, and they attacked you every time you stopped, so I didn't really bother with those fancy things like trying to hold the camera still and all that.

[Mountain Junkie]

I think you're looking at the W. Ridge of Castle. Bonus is that you get to check out the springs up there. Minus is it's a haul back there and the scree in that cirque sucks big time.

And no, you're not crazy. Looks fun!

[iskibc]

No, you are not crazy at all. That sounds and looks fun. The Cathedral spires seem to hold snow into July, but I haven't been around those parts for a while, so no recent beta. The ridge of Gendarms off Castle also hold snow into the summer months and is a bit easier of a hike to access.

Found a peak with some big, wide open lines just west of north Mt. Massive and was thinking of heading that way sometime this week possibly. Top to bottom, 1,500' vert or so, but tricky access.

[leroy jenkins]

And no, you're not crazy. Looks fun!

I guess I should have included the fact that I'm pretty much a BC jong. The only real BC trip I've ever done was skiing Grizzly earlier this year with Joey Joe really long name, so this would definitly be a step up for me.

Let me ask you guys this though, I'm not sure that the snow really goes all the way to the top, so I might have to put on my skis below the top super narrow part. Thats really the only part of this that really scares me, is that precarious moment of trying to get your skis on.

What is the prefered method of doing this? Achoring yourself/pack to an ice axe and trying to stab your tails into the snow? I've seen that done on winter snow, but I'm not too sure how it'd work on corn. Or do you just hold on with your ice axe, and try and put your skis on by hand?

[skideeppow]

Think twice before doing this, you are not getting any freezing, west facing slopes are taking lots of sun (although it looks like it is going to puke right now) and this snow is rotten and runneled (sp?).
Go down to south america or head up to Montezuma basin. The snow is suncupped and fucked, but it might help with the heavy jones.

[Knockneed Man]

I guess I should have included the fact that I'm pretty much a BC jong. The only real BC trip I've ever done was skiing Grizzly earlier this year with Joey Joe really long name, so this would definitly be a step up for me.

Let me ask you guys this though, I'm not sure that the snow really goes all the way to the top, so I might have to put on my skis below the top super narrow part. Thats really the only part of this that really scares me, is that precarious moment of trying to get your skis on.

What is the prefered method of doing this? Achoring yourself/pack to an ice axe and trying to stab your tails into the snow? I've seen that done on winter snow, but I'm not too sure how it'd work on corn. Or do you just hold on with your ice axe, and try and put your skis on by hand?

I'd recomend a bike ride instead....

[leroy jenkins]

Ok, I realize this might be a bit out of my league at this point, but I think I'm going to give it a go. I am just going to keep telling myself not to get too fixated on skiing this. I will go up to the base of it, take a look, and just very cautiously see how high up it I can get, while still feeling comfortable and keeping my options open in terms of being able to downclimb or sit down.

Heres a pic that shows a bit better view, and it looks to me like there is a decent place to sit down and rest/put on skis where the red circle is, and definitly where the green circles are. Skiing this line from where the green circles are would actually be fairly mellow I think.



Worst case scenario I take a look at it, hike 10 minutes up it, decide its a little too much for me, downclimb, and go ski something mellow like this: (about another 15 minute hike up the same basin)



I just read IskiBCs gore range tr, and now I REALLY want this line, although his description of slipping and almost falling was pretty sobering and caution inspiring too. I think if I aproach this the right way, as only the slimest of possibilities unless it looks completly doable to me, then I will be fine. Or maybe I'm just making excuses, and the summit fever has allready taken hold.

Oh, and skideeppow, were you mostly just saying that you think this line is a bit too much for someone with so little expeiriance, or were you also saything the this line, in the current conditions doesn't look like a go for anyone?
As far as avy danger is concerned, I was hoping to be able to be on the snow by sunrise, since I will be camping right at the base of this thing.

[skideeppow]

Ok, I realize this might be a bit out of my league at this point, but I think I'm going to give it a go. I am just going to keep telling myself not to get too fixated on skiing this. I will go up to the base of it, take a look, and just very cautiously see how high up it I can get, while still feeling comfortable and keeping my options open in terms of being able to downclimb or sit down.

Heres a pic that shows a bit better view, and it looks to me like there is a decent place to sit down and rest/put on skis where the red circle is, and definitly where the green circles are. Skiing this line from where the green circles are would actually be fairly mellow I think.



Worst case scenario I take a look at it, hike 10 minutes up it, decide its a little too much for me, downclimb, and go ski something mellow like this: (about another 15 minute hike up the same basin)



I just read IskiBCs gore range tr, and now I REALLY want this line, although his description of slipping and almost falling was pretty sobering and caution inspiring too. I think if I aproach this the right way, as only the slimest of possibilities unless it looks completly doable to me, then I will be fine. Or maybe I'm just making excuses, and the summit fever has allready taken hold.

Oh, and skideeppow, were you mostly just saying that you think this line is a bit too much for someone with so little expeiriance, or were you also saything the this line, in the current conditions doesn't look like a go for anyone?
As far as avy danger is concerned, I was hoping to be able to be on the snow by sunrise, since I will be camping right at the base of this thing.

I just think it is an unecessary risk, especially going it alone. YOu not only put yourself at risk, but others who would have to do a resue. Avy danger is non existant, it is the skiing in this variable snow where you would posthole, crack your head and bleed out. It does not matter how early you leave, temps up therenare in the 80's above 12,000 feet (95 in town and subtract 3 degrees for evey 1000 feet).
YOu see the signs when you leave the ski area, this is your decision point? When you step out of the car and start walking, that is your decision point.

[leroy jenkins]

I completly respect your guys opinions, and have listened to what you have to say about the dangers of a trip like this for someone with as little BC expeiriance as me. I know its a pretty jackass move to ask for advice, then not listen to it, but I think I am still going to at least go and ski a few patches and get a better view of this line. If thats all I do, I still think it will be well worth the effort. This line has been calling my name since I first saw it, and I know I will ski it eventually, its just a matter of when. There is absolutly no rush.

As it is looking now, I will be hiking the aproach on Friday, and probably skiing one of the mellower chutes while scouting this line on Saturday. This seems like a better time to me anyways; having my skiing day be on a weekend when there are plenty of people up there is reasuring.

As a side note, this site has really changed the way I look at backcountry. A couple years ago once the lifts closed, I would constantly think that someday I would really get out there and start skiing bc, but the idea just seemed way too daunting. After seeing all the TRs on here, it almost seems so commonplace to go harvest some steep corn, that I find myself trying to motivate people to join me on lines I wouldn't even have considered before.

Thanks for the reality check guys, I will definitly play it safe out there, and I will post a TR about it, even if I just ski some lame three turn long patches.

[Meadow Skipper]

Skiing bc solo is like climbing solo - completely indefensible, ultimately challenging, intimately educational, potentially catastrophic, and insanely rewarding.

Have a good trip and be careful. In case something happens to you, what size are those boots?

[mtnbikerskierchick]

Leroy, thanks for the beta w/ the pics and I'm glad you at least tried to go for your line It does look SWEET