Alta Gunsight 8-10-08

[Skidog]

In my continuing quest to go straight through til next season yesterday happened to be the day to get my august turns. Met with Jon and new friend Becky at Albion basin parking lot, piled into my truck and headed up to the "vail ridge" parking lot up the summer access road to start the hike up to Gunsight. In the parking lot there were the usual questions from hikers and bikers, "where do you think you'll find snow? You guys are still skiing?" typical line of questioning that us "crazies" are used to this time of year.

The hike was pleasant and mostly consisted of a work road. Gentle, not too steep, all in all easy walking. Heres what we were headed for.

View of Gunsight from the summer road

We made good time. Roughly 45 minutes to the bottom of gunsight and our little patch of snow.

Jon in front with another group of "crazies" already skiing the patch

We hiked up the right side, where there is a "trail" that switchbacks up to the top of the patch. I think entering from the "proper" in season entrance this time of year would be foolish at best. The pitch at the top and the scree at the entrance would make for a rather tricky descent in VERY exposed conditions.

Becky pre ascent

Jon working his way up (die hard in the backround)

Becky enjoying the August turns in surprisingly smooth soft corn...

Becky hike out.

Local Fauna...

All in all it was a great little hike. 1:14 from parking lot to top of patch. It was approximately 300ft and about 6 feet wide at its widest. There were some loose rocks peppered throughout, but nothing anchored so not to worry. Snow was smooth well skied corn. There were 3 others when we arrived and I know its been skied a bunch during the last week so that made things even nicer.

Met a new core "rider" in Becky, who incidentally skied 129 (maybe 130 with yesterday) days this season, and was on her 25 month including yesterday. Talk about CORE...ladies take notice...we need more of you like her ripping it up....

Good people, good weather, good skiing, GOOD TIMES..

Looking forward to Timp in August guys and gals.

M

 

[icelanticskier]

nice report and pics! our last snow on the rock was gone two weeks ago. last good skiing a month ago. september should be easy to get with some late month snow to cover brightons upper mtn work roads with enough base to ski. if i could i'd be doin the same thing here but, november/december it'll have to be.
rog

 

[Skidog]

nice report and pics! our last snow on the rock was gone two weeks ago. last good skiing a month ago. september should be easy to get with some late month snow to cover brightons upper mtn work roads with enough base to ski. if i could i'd be doin the same thing here but, november/december it'll have to be.
rog

Timp snowfield should hold snow long enough to make Sept and it could even snow up there before we go. If not like you said something up high will likely have gotten a dump by the end of sept. Im going to go until I can't go anymore.

M

 

[icelanticskier]

nice report and pics! our last snow on the rock was gone two weeks ago. last good skiing a month ago. september should be easy to get with some late month snow to cover brightons upper mtn work roads with enough base to ski. if i could i'd be doin the same thing here but, november/december it'll have to be.
rog

Timp snowfield should hold snow long enough to make Sept and it could even snow up there before we go. If not like you said something up high will likely have gotten a dump by the end of sept. Im going to go until I can't go anymore.

M

that's the spirit!
rog

 

[Tony Crocker]

Gunsight looks smaller than when admin skied it 3 years ago in August. Anyone know what Pipeline Bowl (admin's Sept. 2005 turns) looks like?

 

[Skidog]

Gunsight looks smaller than when admin skied it 3 years ago in August. Anyone know what Pipeline Bowl (admin's Sept. 2005 turns) looks like?

I didn't head over there obviously, but i'd be it still has a decent amount of snow in there....it really loaded down at the bottom of that chute this season.

That was choice #2. Couldve ridden the tram too Ha..

M

 

[icelanticskier]

Gunsight looks smaller than when admin skied it 3 years ago in August. Anyone know what Pipeline Bowl (admin's Sept. 2005 turns) looks like?

pipeline bowl is definitely superhero craigs go-to spot to keep his now 229? months goin. problem with pipeline is that once craig has stitched the place from t2b, wall to wall, his tracks get fossiled as all of the dirty snow around his tracks melt down more rapidly leaving his tracks there for a long time. and if ya know craigs tracks, there's no room to fit in anymore once he's done. while i was gettin 30 turns out of each run in sluice on july 6th, craig would've gotten 60 at least and most mortals would only get like 10-15. AF twins could have some potential and ain't too far from the top of hidden.
i am slightly envious. :mrgreen:
rog

 

[Skidog]

Gunsight looks smaller than when admin skied it 3 years ago in August. Anyone know what Pipeline Bowl (admin's Sept. 2005 turns) looks like?

pipeline bowl is definitely superhero craigs go-to spot to keep his now 229? months goin. problem with pipeline is that once craig has stitched the place from t2b, wall to wall, his tracks get fossiled as all of the dirty snow around his tracks melt down more rapidly leaving his tracks there for a long time. and if ya know craigs tracks, there's no room to fit in anymore once he's done. while i was gettin 30 turns out of each run in sluice on july 6th, craig would've gotten 60 at least and most mortals would only get like 10-15. AF twins could have some potential and ain't too far from the top of hidden.
i am slightly envious. :mrgreen:
rog

I believe craig and "turning pete" ski together...

Ill assume you're speaking of those tight zipper lines i tend to see ALL OVER SNOWBIRD?

Thats some turning for sure...

 

[icelanticskier]

i don't know turning pete but, that doesn't mean that craig doesn't ski with him. craigs tracks are very, very unique. kinda like a tightly spaced deep tractor tire tread pattern. during our super exotic le grande target basin tour in late jan it was a goal of mine to match craig turn for turn and the nomads made that a fun and doable but, i also got one helluva anerobic workout. you'd be more likely to see craigs tracks in the b.c. surrounding the bird and not inbounds but, i'm sure he skis at least once a week at the resort or at a resort i should say. craig gordon=one turn for every vert foot skied!
rog

 

[Marc_C]

Gunsight looks smaller than when admin skied it 3 years ago in August.

Yes, significantly so. And Skidog should study his topo maps more carefully. Gunsight, from the very tip top to the very bottom of the chute, might be 900' in February. In August? Three years ago, we estimated, with aid of a topo map, that we skied about 500' vert., max. This year there's at least 100' less.

 

[Sharon]

Way to get those August turns! =D>

I think I saw a lot more snow here (Oregon and Washington), besides the snow on Mt Hood. We just got back from the Olympic Peninsula where we saw (and boot-skied) a few nice north-facing patches. Had I known that decent snow and vertical was so easy to access I would have brought my skis...but I left them at the kid's house, since we didn't expect there to be any skiable snow and our mission was actually to get to the ocean, as well as the mountains. Did a bunch of hiking, and enjoyed the abundant wildflowers and camped at the ocean. We saw a lot of bald eagles. I will post a full-on trip report with photos when I get back.

Tmrw is my last shot at windsurfing The Gorge. Fingers crossed.

-Sharon

 

[Tony Crocker]

I probably should have reminded Sharon that Mt. Hood had record snow in 2007-08, so there was likely to be a lot of accessible backcountry. I also talked to Amy Howat at Mt. Baker today, and they have had a very cool spring and summer up there. So the turns-all-year crowd in the PNW should be having a relatively easy time of it this year. Perhaps icelantic should check it out .

 

[icelanticskier]

I probably should have reminded Sharon that Mt. Hood had record snow in 2007-08, so there was likely to be a lot of accessible backcountry. I also talked to Amy Howat at Mt. Baker today, and they have had a very cool spring and summer up there. So the turns-all-year crowd in the PNW should be having a relatively easy time of it this year. Perhaps icelantic should check it out .

tempting, but i'm in full summer mode now. i'm happy to be skiing all 4 seasons out here verses being a monthly streaker. amy howat, now there's a name from the early days of snowboarding. shared a lane w/ her at hood in 89' when we were both ridin for gnu-good times indeed.
rog

 

[Skidog]

Gunsight looks smaller than when admin skied it 3 years ago in August.

Yes, significantly so. And Skidog should study his topo maps more carefully. Gunsight, from the very tip top to the very bottom of the chute, might be 900' in February. In August? Three years ago, we estimated, with aid of a topo map, that we skied about 500' vert., max. This year there's at least 100' less.

we estimated it was about 100 yards...I meant to say 300 verts not 900....my bad....I think I let Jon do that math....i wasn't much interested...I will modify the thread... :roll:

M

 

[schubwa]

With Gunsight looking a little skimpy, may I suggest the PNW?

 

[Marc_C]

...I meant to say 300 verts not 900....my bad....I think I let Jon do that math....

Well, that's what you get for letting a sysadmin do non-hexadismal arithmetic!
:mrgreen:

 

[Skidog]

...I meant to say 300 verts not 900....my bad....I think I let Jon do that math....

Well, that's what you get for letting a sysadmin do non-hexadismal arithmetic!
:mrgreen:

Im surprised I got it...I of course converted it to binary first...

M

 

[Patrick]

Had to check this out after ready salida comment about the hot chick ripping.

Met a new core "rider" in Becky, who incidentally skied 129 (maybe 130 with yesterday) days this season, and was on her 25 month including yesterday. Talk about CORE...ladies take notice...we need more of you like her ripping it up....

Careful, cuz if your wife notice...having a baby might not be the only thing that stop you from skiing as much. :lol:

Keep up the good work.

 

[Skidog]

Had to check this out after ready salida comment about the hot chick ripping.

Met a new core "rider" in Becky, who incidentally skied 129 (maybe 130 with yesterday) days this season, and was on her 25 month including yesterday. Talk about CORE...ladies take notice...we need more of you like her ripping it up....

Careful, cuz if your wife notice...having a baby might not be the only thing that stop you from skiing as much. :lol:

Keep up the good work.

You shush!

M

 

[salida]

speaking of when are the beers with said girl?