Torreys

After a fairly mediocre snow pack during most of the winter, we finally got winter in May, and it came with a vengeance.  Low pressure system after low pressure system moved across from the Great Basin and mixed with moisture from the south resulting in SNOW.

Conditions were prime...to die in an avalanche...

But also for some really spectacular spring skiing.  Many barren lines in the front range quickly filled in and were ready to ski...cautiously.

Much of the snowpack settled into a pretty normal springtime snowpack, but it was hard to say what the new snow was doing.  There was some potential big slides, and indeed there were quite a few slides reported on north facing aspects through much of May.

Jordan and I decided to have a go at the area around Grays and Torreys.  Access would be relatively simple with a dirt/snowmobile, and there is a plethora of lines in the area on all aspects with varying degrees of difficulty.  We decided to head up and check out the area and decide on a line based on conditions.

Naturally, all good days in the forest start with choking and eye stinging 2-stroke exhaust.

A short dirt mobile ride, lead to a snow mobile ride up into the beauty of Stephens Gulch.  This made the approach quick and easy.  We stopped just below the bench leading up to the saddle between Grays and Torreys to take a look at things.  The snow was still hard with some new snow on top.  We decided to skin up to the saddle and take a look at the east facing couloirs, and assess snow conditions as we went up.

Skinning up the bench

The east face of Torreys is the very obvious epitome of awesome at the head of the valley.

Jordan approaching the saddle with the group of couloirs known as "the incredibles" behind him.  Later in the day we skied the crooked one furthest to the right in the photo.

We hit the ridge feeling great about the snow, and quickly came to our first couloir prospect.  This one wasn't spectacular and would have been pretty hyphy anyways.  We would have to scoot over large cornice and then immediately drop an eight foot avalanche crown into the couloir.  We decided to keep going because we might actually have a chance to ski the east face!!

Quickly summiting we checked out the situation.  The snow was solid with several inches of storm snow on top.  It looked like we would have to deal with sloughs, but it seemed manageable.

Peering down the east face

We quickly decided on the east face, got ready, and I made a quick ski cut.  Whoosh!!! "That was a big slough!"  The snow underneath had not softened much at all so turns were not overly squishy.  What a spectacular line though!!  The sloughs were big enough to keep things interesting, but as long as we paid attention they weren't going to sweep us over the cliff at the bottom.  We skied cautiously, and made it to the steep gash in the cliff that is the way down.

Jordan expertly works his way down the top of the east face.

My first turn into the couloir through the cliff triggered a small slab.  I didn't realize what had happened and turned directly back into it.  Luckily it was small so it didn't knock me down.  We foolishly didn't take into account the slightly different aspect of this section.  It has a more northerly aspect, and clearly had developed more of a storm slab than the rest of the line.

Jordon gets busy in the line through the cliff.

We had some brief traversing/billy goating, and then we were in the apron and enjoying some creamy low angle turns.  What fun!  This line is consistently steep, and gives the impression of approaching the end of the earth as you approach the cliff.  It is probably better under perfect corn conditions, but this wasn't a bad snag with conditions as uncertain as they were.

Jordan the surveyor.

After wrecking hard after trying to shoot the little gap in this:

Jordan wisely picking his way around the obviously stupid gap on the right.

 

And kindly retrieving my ski

 

We had lunch and labored up one of the north facing incredibles off of Edwards.  The post holing was worth it though because we got to ski and good 4-6 inches of awesome storm snow on the way down while the snow began picking up again.

Jordan exiting the couloir

Spring powder!

The next storm moving in...

A great day!!