Home > Trip Reports > Feb 8-10, Bonanza + Copper NW, Holden

Feb 8-10, Bonanza + Copper NW, Holden

2/8/13
12842
17
Posted by eduardo blanchard on 2/15/13 9:58am
Word on the street last week was that Holden was getting ready for a Ladies Retreat over the weekend. Would it be the Swedish female freeride team? the huskies volleyball team? Perhaps even Mr H Hefner's entourage, searching for a little peace and quiet deep in the mountains of Warshington? Or the ladies working tirelessly at lookingforkylemiller.com?

Well, things didn't quite turn out that way, but we did find some beautiful peaks and valleys. First time out there for all us 3 (Eben Sargent, Seth Holton y yo), and what an amazing place it is.

Arrived Friday afternoon, skinned up to Holden Lake where we set camp. Next day we were hoping to ski the NW buttress on Bonanza, off the Company glacier. We made it to the upper section of the glacier around 8200', just under the steeper face that gets you on the ridge. Crown across the whole face, and other suspicious signs (snow a littl' slabbly, high winds all around us) meant that we turned round and kept going. Fun skiing back to camp, where we spent a second night.

On Sunday we skied down and across the main valley, up towards Big Creek with our sights on Copper and its beautiful NW coulie. Dropped our camp gear at the foot of Copper, and started the direttissima up the long apron that takes you to the land of the mystic gnar-gnar.

The exit couloir below the main one was not filled in, so we went up around climbers left. At the point where we had to traverse into the couloir proper, some doubts creeped back in. Some slabbiness in the snow, combined with the exposure, made us pause, put our skis on, make a couple turns, realize it was stabler than feared, take our skis off, and carry on onwards and upwards.

The couloir was awesome. Fun climbing, good snow, and lots of ambiance. It starts steep, and then gets steeper, until a few meters from the top it abandons the land of skiing for that of mixed climbing, cue for us to transition and get excited to go along with gravity. The coulie skied dreamy, and the exit face/apron were also fun, in spite of the variable wind crust/almost pow mix.

(all pics Seth) Saturday early am, getting onto the Company glacier. It's windy up top...


Too spicy. Our high point was just above the crevasses in bottom right.


Copper! Route goes up apron, out of sight behind foreground ridge, ramp, couloir.


Upper section of coulie


"Jumpturns for dayssss..."




"I think this is gonna be fun". Looking down the lower part.
http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~ed/eben_hw.jpg" />



Exit ramp


Slept under Copper Sunday night, built a big fire, and after a little leisure and pleasure and a few zzzs skied out monday morning. Big thanks to Eben and Seth for such an awesome time. Seth is also a master behind the lens and has some more awesome shots
Awesome...nice to see some photos of that line on Copper. I gotta convince myself its worth the time and money to get there. Thanks for the inspiration to do so.

awesome!  Was just wondering about Holden, in need of a little prayer retreat...

Nice work, and great photos!

Nice terrain selection.


Love it.  I want to ski Bonanza one day.  Thanks for the stoke.

Good choice fellas. Pretty amazing place.

Great pictures, great trip, that's a fantastic line!

sweet! you guys are rockin .. seth .. your stuff is awesome!

I agree.  What a trip!  One more on the list for me. 

Stunning photos. Mighty nice coup on a spectacular line!

Ooooooooh! Wow...

Looks like a fun trip fellas! 

Super photos from seth.

Thanks people's! I posted the whole lot on Flickr if you have time to kill.http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/vermontbmx/sets/72157632765189564/

Way to get on some amazing lines.

So stoked to see photos of you guys up on Copper!

author=eduardo blanchard link=topic=27520.msg115774#msg115774 date=1360979913]
the ladies working tirelessly at lookingforkylemiller.com?


That was two weeks ago  ;)

right on, fellas.  way to explore--that is a sweet place for ski-mo. 

too bad Bonanza's NW aspect was being coy.  an appealing line also on my list.  you'll get it next time i'm sure.  was getting over into that basin straightforward? i've wondered if there were required shenanigans, but i gather you guys had no problems?

nice work fellas! beautiful looking line and pictures.

author=hedonaut link=topic=27520.msg115960#msg115960 date=1361327715]
was getting over into that basin straightforward? i've wondered if there were required shenanigans, but i gather you guys had no problems?


there is a little up and down to get to the co. glacier from holden lake but it's not tricky.  we took a less direct low line once on the glacier to work a low angle ramp system but there are lots of options.  its a pretty sweet glacier for how far east it is.


Reply to this TR

10712
feb-8-10-bonanza-copper-nw-holden
eduardo blanchard
2013-02-15 17:58:33