July 19, Navajo Snowfield, 13,100', IPW, CO
7/19/14
US elsewhere
2969
2
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.
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.
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