Bianca, from Quebec, charges down from Friendship Col.
Everyone who ever told me that Fairy Meadow was a “must-do” was right. The place rocks. Joey, Sean, Brad Buyers, Christy, and I joined a group of 12 Canadians (including Greg Franson and Jesse Berg from our Bugs to Rogers Traverse last year) for a week up at the hut in the Adamant Mountains. We finally got a bit of the skiing we missed out on in Aspen this year.
Atop Pioneer Peak, our Aspen group and Jesse and Cody from Golden, BC get ready for the famed 505 Couloir.
The five of us from Aspen skied all seven days at the hut, logging some 5,000 – 7,000 vertical feet each day. The weather was mixed, which was a blessing because it brought a steady flow of powder and things never got too spring-like. Better yet, the snow stability was very good, and when combined with the huge snow year the area had this season, our long days barely allowed us the time to see and ski everything we wanted.
But we sure tried.
After a week in the clag on the Wapta, Sean ultimately found what he was looking for.
Christy skins past some interesting melt patterns in the snow en route to Pioneer Pass on the first afternoon. Weather moved in later and we had new snow everyday.
Joey, on the steep East Face of Sentinel Peak. The massive Gothic Glacier can be seen below.
Cody drops in to a couloir off Mount Damon.
Sean, in a couloir by the Houdini Needles.
Jesse Berg, on the lower Granite Glacier after skiing around up by “Colossus.”
The Stickle, between Pioneer and Adamant Peak
Joey, on the Shoestring Glacier.
Brad and Joey take the lead off Friendship Col. There was plenty of room for all of us.
Joey, in the steep North Couloir of Sentinel.
And another in the series of Bianca. Watch that sluff!
Stay tuned for more! And thanks to Greg Franson and Bluebird Guides for making it all happen!
Thx. I’ll share credit with the skier and the snow that day. And the location.
I’ll put up more in a bit.
Rod Nash/ Arlene Edwards
You did indeed catch up to winter–finally. Wonderful photos. Meanwhile back at the ranch in Colorado the streams are at record lows and the high snow is going fast. We’ll be hard pressed to find some rivers big enough to float a boat. Want to know your endurance race schedule for the summer. Hugs. Rod
I know. We’ll have to work on that next time.
I just saw some pics from Art Burrows from your trip two years ago. Crazy how much more filled in the 505 was.
Have a good time in Vegas. Drive fast. And thanks again for including us on the trip.
We met in Aspen in 2000 and have been happily stuck in the rockies ever since, getting out in the mountains every day we can, in every season and by all means possible. Read More
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