Rock Climbing – Ice Climbing – Ski Mountaineering
Three days, three classic peaks and lines. The first of a three part series detailing an eight day ski mountaineering trip to the Pacific Northwest. A sunrise panorama of Mount Hood from the top of the Mount Hood Meadows Ski Area Shortly after knocking off a ski descent of Wyoming's Grand Teton, a surge of... Continue Reading →
Devil's Bedstead's North Face viewed from Trail Creek Road Idaho's finest, 12,667 foot Borah Peak, viewed from the southeast Our trip to central Idaho had absolutely nothing to do with the famous "Fifty Classic Ski Descent" Devil's Bedstead, and all to do with skiing off the Potato State's tallest mountain, 12,667 foot Borah Peak. Also... Continue Reading →
Pre-Sunrise view from the saddle of Darby Canyon's South Fork I first heard mention of the Big Four Traverse, albeit not by that name, five years ago while picking the brain of a veteran lift mechanic over morning coffee at Grand Targhee Resort. He spoke of the four remote, seldom skied and closely grouped peaks,... Continue Reading →
Our first look at the North Face of Mount Baird (unfortunately thrashed by snowmobile-skier traffic) with the "test-piece" of the face, the North Couloir, coming directly off the summit. The West Ridge, our first ascent route, to the right. The North Ridge, our second and third ascent route, to the left. At 10,025 feet, Mount... Continue Reading →
Our first views of Bell Mountain from the access road just off the Little Lost River Highway, with the west ridge in the left foreground relative to the summit. (April 18th, 2020) Bell Mountain, one of the prominent peaks in Idaho's incredibly remote Lemhi Range, was a sight to behold as we watched the sun... Continue Reading →
Carl getting a second cup of coffee and watching the sun rise over Baldy Mountain. At 4:00AM Easter morning, Carl Osterburg and I met at the pitch black and unsurprisingly empty Pole Canyon trailhead in Victor, Idaho. We both live in town, so the drive was less than five minutes from the confines a warm... Continue Reading →
Ten Thousand Too Far 