As the storm ended a north wind had picked up and our first blue day we realized that the perfect widespread stable pow we had, was no more. Wind had scoured the landscape, glaciers had hard wind rippled snow and faces that once looked cherry now had a rough scoured texture that was anything but enticing. After a half day of scratching around we decided to send one group back to base while the second crew hunted the range for a protected pocket. I went in early, frustrated, cold from the glacial wind, and seriously disappointed with my tail between my legs. Hanging back at base with blue skies above seemed wrong, so Ian, Adam and I went for a round of disc golf at the local Haines course. After our best round of 18 so far in the trip we had unanimously decided that all was not lost, we would go back out tomorrow and make the best of what we had. We were convinced that there was pow pockets stashed somewhere and we could find them.
The following morning we found ourselves flying into a small secluded zone we call Hotel room after a line that Jeremy Jones had ridden in 2005 after a long stint of laying low in the captains choice. we landed near the zone which is a massive spine wall that has only a few clean lines down, and tested the near by snow on a free run. To our surprise we found killer snow, but the temps were rising and the face was getting prime light. At the bottom after talk of interest in the line between riders I decided that I would ride the small flank and Seth was going for the horizon line.
Flying up we got a good look at the lines, and as we rounded the face and had a side look at the zone the true beauty of the line stood out. the spines of snow attach themselves to the east side of a thin flake of rock, the backside is so steep that its a vertical cliff but the front is slanted just enough to hold snow. The crest of the peak was a muffin top cornice hanging off the backside almost across the entire massif. in the middle of the zone the cornice was vertically supported enough that we decided we could get out onto the slope safely. The heli toed us in and we gingerly crept out of the ship onto the snow. As the Helli lifted Seth and I felt slightly exposed on what felt like a island. After some time to evaluate the snow we decided to move forward and commit to the line.
the hotel room
first light on the Hotel room, mostly rock, only a few lines go and even they seem like a fantasy.
Seth and I were both fairly gripped up top, and getting to the bottom felt so good. our lines after execution. Seth on the horizon, mine down the middle.
After riding a line like this I was blown away and fairly mentally spent, without much energy left I took it fairly easy the rest of the day and decompressed. The next morning we found ourselves in a similar situation, starring at another protected pocket of snow and another line pioneered by Jeremy Jones, this one called Dr. Seuss. Again I stepped out of my comfort bubble and stepped out on top of this line. Again, at the bottom the feeling of elation and amazement of survival overwhelmed me, adrenaline reserves tapped, I coasted through the rest of the day beyond content.
Dr. Seuss
Ian McIntosh moments after getting dropped off on a massive double drop pillow line in the Seuss area.
Fly on the wall, photo by Seth Morrison
Entering the shower curtain. At this point Ive made it above all the exposed lines and its now time to get into the knife thin curtain of spines. photo by Seth Morrison
