Feb 21, 2011, Iodine Gulch, via Bear Lk/Mt Loop Hwy
2/21/11
1901
0
Iodine Gulch - skiing
Mt Loop Highway, FSRD 4020 Bear/Pinnacle Lake Trail
Feb 21, 2011
Dicey, VickL & fwb
Anyone ski Iodine Gulch? We glissaded down it a few weeks ago and couldn't resist returning to ski it.
Full TR here:
We approached via a 3.7 mile warmup road skin (FSRD4020) up Pinnacle Lake trail to a white out and deteriating weather on the ridge above Bathtub lakes.
At the top of the gulch we sheltered in a tree clump for food and adding layers. I wallowed into the gulch to a steeper section that seemed to represented what we hoped of the route down.
Dug a 6-7 feet deep pit for a little snow study. 11-12 fresh light powder over consolidated (2 finger push) layer down to around 3. At three feet a ½ thick soft ice layer and below to 4 non-layered consolidated snow (pencil push hard).
Winds from the West, pressure falling, moderate compression test (CT16) of only the upper powder (11) layer. Beyond that did not fracture (CTN). Some more food and snowpack and route option discussion before we repacked and began a route down the gulch (3:45, 7m, c4746). The main top was soft, veering skiers right hard where the snow had sloughed. Further right the snow deepened in a gentle slope (25+ degrees). Bottoming out we moved a right traverse to exit the gulch over a ridge to avoid the narrow trap of the lower gulch and creek. From the ridge to the lake was premium skiing. Winds blocked, smiles back on faces. Vicki had a few release checks for no real reason of her old Silverettes. I remember those pre-releases well.
At Pinnacle Lake we skinned back our route, new snow covering the track quickly. Cloud still dropping with poor visibility.
Past the tarns at 4:30 (8m, c3730) we de-skinned and dropped skiers left toward Bear Lake.
Only took video in places so image quality not so great
Knee to thigh deep light powder in widely spaced trees. Taking turns and keeping an eye on each other we stopped at c3410 to find a route without a cliff drop. Left was the creek gulley, very steep and cliffy. To the right a doable drop, nice terrain, but then what. We skinned 50 feet up and east over a cliffy area to a gentle terrain that gave up its stash of fluffy goodness to three sets of curving tracks. Another notch east for more turns and views direct to Bear Lake. Easy weaving slide alder, then no more down. Skinned to the lakes SE end with a quick four minute crossing near shore to the NE end past the outlet stream
Happy turns and trails!
fwb
stats: 12.9m, 3429vert, 10h50min.
gear: probe, shovel, transceiver, ice ax, skis, skins, chains for all four tires and hot chia.
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Mt Loop Highway, FSRD 4020 Bear/Pinnacle Lake Trail
Feb 21, 2011
Dicey, VickL & fwb
Anyone ski Iodine Gulch? We glissaded down it a few weeks ago and couldn't resist returning to ski it.
Full TR here:
We approached via a 3.7 mile warmup road skin (FSRD4020) up Pinnacle Lake trail to a white out and deteriating weather on the ridge above Bathtub lakes.
At the top of the gulch we sheltered in a tree clump for food and adding layers. I wallowed into the gulch to a steeper section that seemed to represented what we hoped of the route down.
Dug a 6-7 feet deep pit for a little snow study. 11-12 fresh light powder over consolidated (2 finger push) layer down to around 3. At three feet a ½ thick soft ice layer and below to 4 non-layered consolidated snow (pencil push hard).
Winds from the West, pressure falling, moderate compression test (CT16) of only the upper powder (11) layer. Beyond that did not fracture (CTN). Some more food and snowpack and route option discussion before we repacked and began a route down the gulch (3:45, 7m, c4746). The main top was soft, veering skiers right hard where the snow had sloughed. Further right the snow deepened in a gentle slope (25+ degrees). Bottoming out we moved a right traverse to exit the gulch over a ridge to avoid the narrow trap of the lower gulch and creek. From the ridge to the lake was premium skiing. Winds blocked, smiles back on faces. Vicki had a few release checks for no real reason of her old Silverettes. I remember those pre-releases well.
At Pinnacle Lake we skinned back our route, new snow covering the track quickly. Cloud still dropping with poor visibility.
Past the tarns at 4:30 (8m, c3730) we de-skinned and dropped skiers left toward Bear Lake.
Only took video in places so image quality not so great
Knee to thigh deep light powder in widely spaced trees. Taking turns and keeping an eye on each other we stopped at c3410 to find a route without a cliff drop. Left was the creek gulley, very steep and cliffy. To the right a doable drop, nice terrain, but then what. We skinned 50 feet up and east over a cliffy area to a gentle terrain that gave up its stash of fluffy goodness to three sets of curving tracks. Another notch east for more turns and views direct to Bear Lake. Easy weaving slide alder, then no more down. Skinned to the lakes SE end with a quick four minute crossing near shore to the NE end past the outlet stream
Happy turns and trails!
fwb
stats: 12.9m, 3429vert, 10h50min.
gear: probe, shovel, transceiver, ice ax, skis, skins, chains for all four tires and hot chia.
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