Jan 24/10-Mt. Fitzsimmons-North Face-Storm chasing

Mt.Fitzsimmons skied the West to North Face

Where you guys going?Sky replied "We're going to the whiteout" The weather was calling for clouds and snow by the afternoon so we're hoping to pull off our ski, but we knew from prior experience when you get in a whiteout in the Spearhead area, it's tough to get anywhere too far. We made quick time on the musical bumps and up towards Whirlwind Peak. Crossed the Overlord glacier and up through the notch into some strong winds to the Fitzsimmons col. We skied through the col and steep snow climb to the exposed summitt.

Fitzsimmons had been on my list for many years to ski, a very asthetic ski line.Originally I had cut out the list of four ski descents that Trevour Peterson had skied first with Eric Pehota, and Fitzsimmons had been one on that list. But I had been obsessed with doing the Spearhead Traverse for a few years when I got into ski mountaineering racing. But after too many traverses I knew I had to ski some of the steep skiing again. One of the Flett brothers Neil pointed to the line one time on the top of Decker and said that's the line you gotta ski, but you have to make sure you do it in good style and ski right from the top. Starting on the west side and traversing over to the exposed North face. So I kept that in mind.

From the summit we had epic views and great turns on the west side. The first turns on the north side produced some 10 cm slabs, which got me a little nervous for the 55 degrees.
Sky was pumped as usual to hit it,so he did one traversing to ski cut to rocks and a safe zone. While the rest of the four of us followed very tentavley. Once at this rock zone it was tense, but we managed to ski some powder down the rest of the face down to the Overlord glacier. We skied the rest of the Overlord glacier down to the trees and creek,then it was a bit of a slog up to Russet hut. Pulled out the headlamps at the top of Cowboy ridge and got sweet powder turns on cowboy ridge in the night. Some people take 14 years to ski a line and some people 1 day in there first time to Whistler like Louie,and John.

duration 10:38 Photos Mike Traslin Andy Traslin
Asc 7130 feet
Dsc 11090 feet

Skiers: Andy Traslin, Mike Traslin, Sky Sjue, Louie Dawson, John Schleder, Thomas Brunner