Recently enjoyed a great adventure of 5 days of skiing with Dennis McGee and Friends. SMG guides Michael Hatch and Kirk Bachman joined Dennis, Darby, Ed, Jayce, Po along with support from Clark who hauled the provisions for the first 3 days. We got the compass out to find the shaded slopes where the powder stashes were…otherwise it was beautiful Springlike weather for touring.
The crew soon realized the extent of our varied weather of the winter 2008-09 to find old avalanche crowns from the New Year storms and wind hammered snow in the high alpine. Turns ranged fron wind packed and edgy, transitioning thru breakable and “step-turns” to where there were some hidden rollers with powder between upper and lower Marshall Lake. The crew handled the terrain well, linking fall-lines with route-finding to connect the stashes.
We ended each day back at the yurt with appetizers and the required accompanied refreshments followed by dinner, cards, and conversation. Whose Ipod was it anyway providing the beat?!
Wednesday brought in ‘Kirk the doc’ and ‘Jeff the bush pilot’ along with ‘Joe the BC Skier’ with a second sled and Clark ‘coolio’ for the day. Soon there was a Mexican Fiesta and the required Margaritas…Ole ! and plans to tour to the Goat Creek basin and summit Thompson Peak!
Thursday brought out a long adventurous day with every kind of ski condition over 3,500ft–wind buff on edges, snow climbing and some awesome powder stashes on the way down. Farewell to Po and Darby, hello to a day in the alpine!!
An evening game of ‘Oh Hell’ followed by some excellent gourmet cookin’ from Hatch and Joe brought on the night and the some light snow overnight. With the standard early wake-up to alpine al’s cowboy coffee and huevos and bacon…we’re off for a final climb to ski from Jerry Garcia @ 9,000ft and the Tortilla Steeps for some powder stash huntin’. The remaining crew each slayed a great run of steep re-cycled powder. Followed up with a light lunch before heading out down the Fishhook ridge and down thru the bobsled run to the valley.
Great trip with the Dennis’ Boise gang of 7, Joe , KB, Hatch….Let’s do it again in a powder storm!
-Kirk