Tag Archives: mountainoutfittersbreck

Colorado Skiing, Enchainments and Traverses, Further Skiing, Inclined Life

Skiing in The Gore Range is not that far

We get a charge out of putting it all together. Isn’t it the process, the mystery in the journey that engages us? –
The NE face of Bloodshaw and the NW Couloir of Peak O seemed so far from access points.  The Gore mountain Range is so far away right?
I was first inspired to ski these two lines a couple years ago while driving by the Gore Mountains. You know, rubbernecking with an eye for the biggest and best ski lines you can spy. During the pre trip route finding research we found no record of prior descents. Perfect. (surely they’ve been skied, how could the biggest faces in the range be overlooked) When there is no trail or skin track to the summit, no info available on how to navigate the complex face, and no complete photos to show if the line even goes, you know your in for a memorable day. –
The rugged approach comes together and we are standing on the nearly 13,000′ summit, way out there, somewhere in the Gore Mountain Wilderness. I’m now staring down the barrel of the towering North East face of Bloodshaw. It’s powder from the summit, so we asses its stability, again. We trust each other’s judgement. We’d better be right. I look down 3,600′ to the river bed below. This line feels heavy, it feels different than some others. I pause for a moment to take in this place, the gravity, the moment of a mystery being realized. Does it go?
–
I roll in on cold soft powder, when all I’ve seen lately is corn or a little tired old storm snow. Floaty and smooth, way out there, exposed on this towering face, it was like skiing in suspended disbelief. We found our way through chutes, over ribs, around cliffs and eventually down to the massive run out and last steep pitch to the Slate River. What a ski run. And those conditions! We transition and search for a place to cross. It’s a ways to go to gain Peak O. Plenty of time to wonder of its North West Couloir. What will it ski like? Two more couloirs to get there… Once we gain the ridge can we climb to the summit? It’s a long ways out from west of Black Lake. I really hope it goes. 

Well it all did go.  And it turns out we were able to ski not just one huge line we thought was far away, but two.  And on separate mountains with two possible first descents in-between.  I guess skiing in the Gore Range is not that far. 
With @mikeschilling19 and support from @kates_real_food @gnarlynutrition @factionskis@mtn_outfitters_breck @scarpana #gorerange#noplacetoofar #coloradoskiing #coloradobackcountry#forthefew #exploremore

3 mile aproach
3 mile aproach

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Mike laughs after realizing it would go in 4 hours car to car. Not bad for "The Gore Range"
Mike laughs after realizing it would go in 4 hours car to car. Not bad for “The Gore Range”

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SE of Peak O May have skied a new line here
SE of Peak O
May have skied a new line here

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Has this been skied?
Has this been skied?
How about this one? Seems unlikely.
How about this one?
Seems unlikely.
Mike Schilling ascending a long SE couloir on Peak O
Mike Schilling ascending a long SE couloir on Peak O
Lines for life in the Gore Range
Lines for life in the Gore Range
Mike Schilling walks the ridge to Peak O's Summit
Mike Schilling walks the ridge to Peak O’s Summit

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Michael Schilling drops into the 3,200' Northwest Couloir of Peak O Gore Range Colorado
Michael Schilling drops into the 3,200′ Northwest Couloir of Peak O Gore Range Colorado
Ha! and it finishes with a tight walls 600' slot!
Ha! and it finishes with a tight walls 600′ slot!
We gad to break through thin ice until we got onto supportive ice. This was my least favorite part of the adventure.
We gad to break through thin ice until we got onto supportive ice. This was my least favorite part of the adventure.

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Enchainments and Traverses, Further Skiing, Inclined Life, Teton Skiing

Teton Trifecta

10-11/03/2015

The Teton Trifecta

Jason and Andy Dorais and Tom Goth and I seem to share an insatiable appetite for ski mountaineering in a light full throttle style. We seem to to line up mountains and stack ski lines to march through with non stop enthusiasm and group mega stoke! This adventure found us taking brakes cooking and skiing in the dark.  We were still able to complete a good sized enchainment and the down time along the way was a bit chilly, and awesome!

After a mid afternoon start from Salt Lake we drove to the Tagart Lake Trail head.  After quickly packing and splitting group climbing gear and a stove we shoved off at about 2:15PM.  After shouldering the packs up the South Teton we skied the NW down to the col. The crew of Andy Dorais, Tom Goth and Jason Dorais and I then booted up the South West Couloir of the Middle Teton in the waining low light.  From the summit of the Middle Teton we were treated to a stunning sunset.   After rapping in from the towering dark summit we clicked in.  It was a surreal experience to ski the cold soft snow on the Glacier Route on the East face by starlight.  Once we reached the foot of the Grand Teton we took turns manning the stove and napping while we brewed up some food and water and dozing off for a few hours.  Well Tom and I manned the stove while Jason and Andy enjoyed their reclined position in our little pseudo biv snow hole.  It’s ok, as they pull their share and then some.  The Night air ushered us up the Teepee Glacier to the Stettner Couloir up the Ice bulges of the Chevy and on to the Ford where we climbed to our second snow hole to kill some darkness just below the summit rock.  So now it’s about 4am and shiver-bivi only lasted an hour or two until Andy jumped up and shouted “I can’t do this any more I’m skiing!” We taped to summit, looked around at the stars since the stunning Grand Teton ariel views were covered in darkness, and skied off into the icy abyss.  Sounds moons but it wasn’t bad as we all had skied it a few times prior.  I had only skied it once, though it’s the kind of line that becomes forever etched into my mind.  It felt so familiar, like an old friend you once feared and now love.  While skiing the Ford Couloir in the total dark I closed my eyes to see the views I’ve seen during daylight adventures there. Turns out the feeling of exposure on a steep icy line goes away in the dark.  The sun painted these iconic peaks of the Grand Teton National Park while we rappelled the Chevy Couloir.  the word ‘grace’ came to mind.  How lucky are we, to move through and take in this beauty?  Once back on the Teepee Glacier we skated along the glazed ‘never gonna corn up today) surface to the Dike Couloir and out Glacier Gulch and breakfast at the Bunnery in Jackson Hole.

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Looking back to the South Teton from the middle at sunset

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Jason Dorais rapping in on theMiddle

 

 

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Grace The Middle Teton – Glacier Rt/East Face looking good

 

 

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Tom Goth dropping into the final apron and some hot ramen and stove duty.
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The boys digging in for a snow testing ski belay. We found stable conditions though when it’s dark one becomes a bit conservative.
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Andy Dorais is happy to be cold? and Jason Dorais is trying to pay for his dinner in skins.
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Down climbing the Stettner Couloir. Some day during a fat winter some lucky skier will ski through the Chevy and Sterner. For now, we are happy to even be there. What a position!
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The Grand Teton our third summit of the Teton Trifecta The Ford Couloir drops from the East Face Where it ends in a cliff one takes the thin Chevy Couloir to escape to the Stettener visible lower right.

 

  We completed The Teton Trifecta in  a long overnight style quite different than our usual light and fast speed touring ways.  And it sure was a unique ski mountaineering adventure.  Switch up the style and who knows what we’ll experience!