2008.07.06-Mount Maude-North Face

Nice work fellas.  As always - way to style it for the cams!

That looks awesome!  I live up North; that looks like a great run.  Where do you start for that trip?  Any descriptions of the route? 

US 2 -> Chiwawa River Rd -> lots of dirt road, take the right that says "Phelps Creek."

Hike ~4 miles until you cross a big creek where your feet will get wet.  Turn right from the main trail and hike an obvious crazy steep trail.  Follow said trail up the south side of Mt Maude.

If you're comfortable with the slope from the top, then you should be mostly all right.  There was a short section of rock about 2000' below the top/1000' above the valley floor.  Head home with a ~1700' climb/traverse toward/above Ice Lakes back whence you came.

I have no idea of your experience, so this could be very bad advice.  Take it cum grano salis.

Very Nice!!!!!!!!

I've always wanted to Mt. Maude....

Nice work!

Strong work. 

We were the skier,  boarder, and backpacker group that met you on our way down the trail below leroy basin on sunday.  You definitely brought good weather with you.  Our "two summit in a day" plan didn't work out.  We bailed on Maude after trying to wait out the rain and 7K thick cloud layer on the South Shoulder on Saturday.  Robin and I then settled for a very fun, early evening ski/board down the couloir on the west face of 7FJ (located about 7300-8100 ft, with low angle rock dodging below down to 6500ft, almost to camp).  It is a nice, straight fall line run on perfect corn, with only a couple "spicy" areas around 45 degrees.  I think it would be a nice warmup the day before doing the NF of Maude.

Nice work... we talked to you very briefly as you two were headed up, and the three of us were headed down near a col.  We went up North Spectacle Butte on Saturday in less than ideal conditions, but gosh, what a nice area. 

Think we talked to you Skinup at the main creek crossing lower on the trail.  Saw the area you skied and thought it looked good.  Long ways to haul gear up and sounds like the group forgave you!

Nice work as usual and crazy awesome pics!  Sweet turns, nice weather...nailed it.

That has been on my list to ski for some time, way to get it done in a day!!  8)  I may just have to head in there this weekend and give it a shot, glad to hear conditions are still good, thanks for the inspiration once again Sky!

author=skinup link=topic=10604.msg43050#msg43050 date=1215572127]
Strong work.

Our "two summit in a day" plan didn't work out.

I know how that goes.  I was once humbled by a 'Three summits in two days' with Gordy Skoog, when he knocked off Mt. Furnow & 7 Finger Jack in a day, then Maude the following day without skis nearly ten years ago, as only a Skoog can do.   While the other three mere mortals that we were accomplished only one.

The n. face of Maude looks quite amazing--great photos!! It's definitely on my list, but it seems like a good move to do it in a day to avoiding carrying tons of camping gear up that gnarly steep trail.

author=skinup link=topic=10604.msg43050#msg43050 date=1215572127]
Strong work. 

We were the skier,  boarder, and backpacker group that met you on our way down the trail below leroy basin on sunday.  You definitely brought good weather with you.  Our "two summit in a day" plan didn't work out.  We bailed on Maude after trying to wait out the rain and 7K thick cloud layer on the South Shoulder on Saturday.  Robin and I then settled for a very fun, early evening ski/board down the couloir on the west face of 7FJ (located about 7300-8100 ft, with low angle rock dodging below down to 6500ft, almost to camp).  It is a nice, straight fall line run on perfect corn, with only a couple "spicy" areas around 45 degrees.  I think it would be a nice warmup the day before doing the NF of Maude.

Indeed that was a pretty fun line we found. Thanks for letting me tag along last weekend!

author=Robyn link=topic=10604.msg43057#msg43057 date=1215584623]
The n. face of Maude looks quite amazing--great photos!! It's definitely on my list, but it seems like a good move to do it in a day to avoiding carrying tons of camping gear up that gnarly steep trail.

Indeed that was a pretty fun line we found. Thanks for letting me tag along last weekend!

good to see you fellow sliders up there.  that couloir looked v. sweet--on our trip up, we'd mulled coming down that way.  would be an efficient home stretch from N Face of Maude if we were willing to forego the continued ski to the valley, and traverse out via the Maude/7FJ col...instead we signed up for an E-side hemi-circumnavigation of Maude.  purty back there!

Looks significantly less runnelled than our independence day blitzkreig back in 05...

I take it there was less worry about the cornice that missed us by 15 minutes last time?

There was no cornice - it was long gone.  The top was rather thin compared to when we skied it.  But the rest of it was incredible - hardly any runnels and fantastic snow the whole way.

Lookin' fine!