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  1. #1
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    TR Huron Peak 4-30-07

    I normally wouldn't even post this up as there was already a Huron descent a little while ago and a much better TR than this as I was solo and have no skiing pics, but with all the drama on here in the last day I figure lets get back to the friggin stoke so anything is better than another "lets shit on PM gear" thread right? That, and a little conditions beta never hurt anyone so... here it is.

    As some of you may remember from the previous Huron thread, here is the east face as taken from the summit of mt belford:


    Needless to say, its melted out a good bit since that photo was taken, but more on that later. I really wanted one more solo 14er to clear my mind for finals this week and Huron was the ticket. With a thunderstorm predicted to move in sometime after noon I knew it would have to be a VERY early start so I departed Boulder at 11pm on no sleep(sleep is for the weak anyway right?) and was geared up and ready to go at 2am. Most 14ers dont have me starting off in sandals but with a cold, cold stream crossing within the first two minutes of the hike I figured itd be better than having wet feet all day. In the night time, the stream only came up to my shins, but by the time I had returned in the afternoon, it was a raging torrent up to the knees, but I was glad to have relief from the heat so I didnt mind.


    After a good twenty minutes of drying and warming my feet I was ready to hit the trail. The time passed quickly and before I knew it I was at the Cloyses lake and the sun was beginning to peek through the sky. The forest above the lake was some of the worst bushwhacking and postholing I have ever experienced in my life. Every single step even on skins you'd go to your knees or worse. Making slow progress to Lois lake I arrived just in time for some photos of true sunrise.
    First sun on Huron peak in the distance:


    Missouri's western flanks:





    I got bored with skinning/sinking so decided to negotiate this little rock pitch above Lois Lake:


    East aspects have really been melting and sliding good in the afternoons recently:


    A good view of the quickly melting east face of Huron:


    Cant, find, words...:


    OK, heres a question, this was a wet slide and there was more debris below me. Did the wet slide cause a step down to create this smooth bed surface? Most wet slides I have seen do not have a bed surface like this.


    The rest of the climbing route up the big snowfiled climbers right and then up the ridge:


    Staring up the debris, my ski line straight up the middle and makes an S through the little opening to the summit:


    Please dont fall Mr Cornice:


    Nap/tanning time on the summit at about 1030am:


    and the real one:


    Register:


    I think we all know what this is:




    Theres just no snow in CO, might as well break out the bikes and quit with all the traffic on 70


    Sorry Splat, I tried. Looking down my ski line with beer goggles on(how can I get photos like this to come out in focus?):


    All in all it was a sweet day except for the whole post holing thing. I got back to the car right when I heard the first smack of thunder and felt the first drops of rain so it could not have been timed better, although it took me 12 hours car to car instead of killingcokes and doumalls 10 hours, oh well. I would be off eastern aspects by 10 or 11 around these parts, as by that time of day I already saw some small rocks falling and small roller balls. Where did winter go?


    EDIT: yay 500 posts, now I can post again. It was hard saving this for a TR with all the drama that happened recently.
    Last edited by couloirman; 05-03-2007 at 10:51 PM.

  2. #2
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    Nice solo outing. Good work!

  3. #3
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    Thumbs up

    sweet
    let's see more of this

  4. #4
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    nice shots. the dust layer rearing its ugly head?
    Quote Originally Posted by Roo View Post
    I don't think I've ever seen mental illness so faithfully rendered in html.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rontele View Post
    nice shots. the dust layer rearing its ugly head?
    Bingo bango, wasnt too bad to ski on though for now...

  6. #6
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    Thumbs up

    Really good!!!
    Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.
    Henry David Thoreau

  7. #7
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    So HOW was the groomer?


  8. #8
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    Salad!!!

  9. #9
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    Good to see you got it. Nice pics

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by couloirman View Post
    OK, heres a question, this was a wet slide and there was more debris below me. Did the wet slide cause a step down to create this smooth bed surface? Most wet slides I have seen do not have a bed surface like this.
    No, that isn't a step-down avalanche. The avalanche debris below you was very wet when it slide. Its just scraped out a smooth bed surface. I have seen this kind of bed surface plenty of times.

    Halsted
    "True love is much easier to find with a helicopter"

  11. #11
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    Damn, that looks familiar, uhh I mean different. That face really shit the bed Nice tr

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hacksaw View Post
    No, that isn't a step-down avalanche. The avalanche debris below you was very wet when it slide. Its just scraped out a smooth bed surface. I have seen this kind of bed surface plenty of times.

    Halsted
    Yeah, I guess if it was a step down it would have crowned on the sides instead of being even with the surrounding area that didnt slide. thanks

  13. #13
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    Very nice! Glad to read about stoke again.

  14. #14
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    Wow what a mess up there. That dust layer is surely making it heat up even worse than without.

    My guess is its just sliding off the top wet stuff that was new in the last 2 weeks down to old crust.

  15. #15
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    What peak is this? It isn't Huron, is it? Looks similar...but when I compare the "old" photo that is first in the TR, it looks different (more than just a matter of less snow)...but maybe it is Huron...


  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by spthomson View Post
    What peak is this? It isn't Huron, is it? Looks similar...but when I compare the "old" photo that is first in the TR, it looks different (more than just a matter of less snow)...but maybe it is Huron...

    Its definitley not Huron, that was taken from the summit of Huron. If I remember correctly it is pretty much due west a couple of valleys over if you can find a good map to look at.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by couloirman View Post
    Its definitley not Huron, that was taken from the summit of Huron. If I remember correctly it is pretty much due west a couple of valleys over if you can find a good map to look at.
    Thanks. Didn't think so...but I was questioning myself.

    My eyes aren't working well on this one...I'm having a hard time also translating your close up shots to the far away view...did you ski the same line that killingcokes & doumall got? If not...could you tell if that line was still in? Thanks.

  18. #18
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    Yep skied the same line(I think)). Its in but barely. There was a huge wet slide out the bottom of it and the choke was getting smaller by the hour(220 cm about). I didnt stop anywhere where I could take a better picture because I was worried about rockfall and the snow was getting wet so I just wanted to get the hell out of there and skied it all without really stopping at alll. You can kind of see it here

    follow the main chute and make an S to the summit, its thin but doable for now, not for long though unless we have a good storm:
    Last edited by couloirman; 05-03-2007 at 09:57 PM.

  19. #19
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    Thanks again. Very helpful. Bummer, though, on the quick deterioration of conditions.

  20. #20
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    Nice solo !

    (And thanks for posting some stoke and not other bullshit.)

  21. #21
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    Awesome! Love the solos

  22. #22
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    The fridge is looking sick! I need to get back there......

  23. #23
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    Nice stuff, there! hey, it still has more snow than when mbsc and I skied it last June, so that's good. It's been sad to watch how fast everything is melting lately though. thanks for the stoke.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by couloirman View Post
    Yep skied the same line(I think)). Its in but barely. There was a huge wet slide out the bottom of it and the choke was getting smaller by the hour(220 cm about). I didnt stop anywhere where I could take a better picture because I was worried about rockfall and the snow was getting wet so I just wanted to get the hell out of there and skied it all without really stopping at alll. You can kind of see it here

    follow the main chute and make an S to the summit, its thin but doable for now, not for long though unless we have a good storm:
    From what I can tell it looks like the same line we did. WE NEED IT TO FREEZE

  25. #25
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    Super Thanks for sharing!
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