July 19, Navajo Snowfield, 13,100', IPW, CO

Navajo Snowfield 13,100' at the Top
Vertical skied: about 1,500 down to the shores of Lake Isabelle
July 19th, 2014
Mileage - ~10 from the TH


Lots of folks say that this is a run that lasts deep into summer with good quality skiing.  I'd skied both the Queens Way and Apache Couloirs with a great view of this run, but never had gotten back to it.  It's a long way back, and I was spooked to solo the West Chimney without moral support, so decided a late summer ski would be a good time to knock this off. 

As so it was.

***

Off at 215 am from the house.  Dastardly missions these.

***

Hiking up into the bowl above Lake Isabelle I caught the first snow.

As the morning yawns awake, and I climb the pleasant snow bowl above the tarn at 11,200, a figure appears at the shore edge waving a black tube over its head.  Curious.  I pull out my ear plugs:

"...crampons....." I hear.

Well, well, I had dropped my crampons  at breakfast somehow and she was chasing me down to retrieve it.  I was about a couple hundred vertical feet from looking and then realizing the crampons were gone.

So cool.  She parted direction and veered to the Airplane Gully.

I kick stepped my way up to the col between Dickers Peck (he-he) and Navajo Peak at 13,100.  With my crampons providing stunningly wonderful grip.

***

Fantastic skiing in the upper bowls - steep 45 degree skiing with exposure elicits much excitement!

***

Pleasant strolls between snowfields until the last in a meadow at the shore of Lake Isabelle.

***

So many folks on the way out.  They all had the same quesion:

"Are those your tracks?"

Oh, I was so obnoxious.  Running, singing, smiling - so much fun.