What we did (or are doing) on our summer vacation - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKI-3PO 

Back home this morning. We had an absolute blast down there. Definitely a place I hope to get back to soon. The rest of the family thought I was a bit crazy planning this ahead of time, but they had a great time too and seem anxious for a return visit as well. [Evil laugh]The brain washing is going well[/Evil laugh]

Thanks Trek for including some of my pics instead of the links.

LP, I was thinking of the Tahoe trip as well this week. Not as much snow as that trip, but great snow - way exceeding expectations again. I guess I just need to continue having low expectations. And yes, I'm accepting invitations elsewhere that may need snow.

Is it possible to actually bring some to your home state? We seem to keep getting missed (or at least the central part does, I95 corridor has caught a few good storms).

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKI-3PO 

You want me to waste my powers here?

Fair enough. Come to Tahoe in February with me. 

Thanks for the trip report on Portillo.   Fun to see the Lake and RocaJac again very fond memories.

Went to Alaska, 

went skiing on August 24 :)

Saw some great scenery ! 

Went hiking with my daughter to the top of Harding Glacier, (whew what a hike!)

She did so good!

saw some wildlife up there, 

Saw 2 bears, Black and Brown, (brown took off so we didn't get any pics, but we weren't complaining about it, YIKKES)

He walked next to us for a while and then ended up splitting the trail right between us and some other hikers

And then sat his ass down right above us in the brush an was eating berries, to the left of me,

we tried to warn him off, but he just ignored us, soooo, we just left him alone. :)

Great scenery, 

on the way home had to snap this one,

Alaska = Amazing

Thanks for sharing.  I just got off my butt and checked my skis for next season.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKI-3PO 

Back home this morning. We had an absolute blast down there. Definitely a place I hope to get back to soon. The rest of the family thought I was a bit crazy planning this ahead of time, but they had a great time too and seem anxious for a return visit as well. [Evil laugh]The brain washing is going well[/Evil laugh]
Thanks Trek for including some of my pics instead of the links.
LP, I was thinking of the Tahoe trip as well this week. Not as much snow as that trip, but great snow - way exceeding expectations again. I guess I just need to continue having low expectations. And yes, I'm accepting invitations elsewhere that may need snow.

I've had a crazy couple weeks, but I'll plan on going back to make some of your links show up as photos in the rest of your posts. 

I'm soooo excited for your family.  Love the vibe of this TR!

Was that near Anchorage pdiddy?

I've skied at Valdez... We are thinking about moving to Anchorage at some point. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blake Saunders 

Was that near Anchorage pdiddy?

 

I've skied at Valdez... We are thinking about moving to Anchorage at some point. 

The skiing was close to anchorage as the crow flies but no it's about 80 miles to drive, I think maybe more.  You have to drive all the way around the turnagain arm.   The glacier is further away, but I drove to everything and back in the same day, no biggie.     I know there are plenty of closer areas to Anchorage to ski in the summer, but Soulskier pointed me to this area and gave perfect directions, and well.... the scenery just says it all.   My daughter lives there now, I dropped her off at college at UAA.   She made the Gymnastics team. :) http://www.goseawolves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13400&ATCLID=205672046    

Really cool.  I really enjoyed watching the gymnasts in the olympics this time.  I only watched the women, but I think that's my favorite event. 

We did go to Evans this year near the beginning of June.  We didn't really plan anything.  We just drove there and got out of the car, hiked up something and skied it : )  You probably could have rappelled into what we skied, but I figured it was good to check the snow anyway.  The avalanche conditions were actually kind of pushing it.  Here is Katya on Mt. Evans (red jacket) and me on Corona pass of June 20th (blue jacket). 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blake Saunders 

Really cool.  I really enjoyed watching the gymnasts in the olympics this time.  I only watched the women, but I think that's my favorite event. 

 

We did go to Evans this year near the beginning of June.  We didn't really plan anything.  We just drove there and got out of the car, hiked up something and skied it : )  You probably could have rappelled into what we skied, but I figured it was good to check the snow anyway.  The avalanche conditions were actually kind of pushing it.  Here is Katya on Mt. Evans (red jacket) and me on Corona pass of June 20th (blue jacket). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh cool,   if thats the area I am thinking of (skiing down just above and to the right of the pyramid shaped granite rock formation, from the top) , yea you drive to the top, walk about an 8th of a mile along the ridge line, do some heavy duty bouldering, and then climb down to that chute.   I haven't been up there in 10 years, but if that's the same are, it's a real sketchy climb down with ski boot on!   I remember handing my buddy his skis down and it taking a while to complete the climb and then it's super steep to get geared up.     Could you ski all the way down to the lake? or was is ski/ bouldering / ski?     We spent most of our time skiing to the left of that rock, you can usually hit it from the top or at least 100 feet from the top and it's an easy walk, then there is an area far lookers left, last possible snow line on pic below that is called the SNAIVE,  it's super steep and narrow as all, but my fav run when it's soft out.   Here is a pic of Mt Evans you can see the chute on the FAR left just before the shadow.   It's the easiest hike, you park at the top, (or the very last switch back) and walk around the last peak which has the trail on it for people to summit (walk to the left and then around).  Be warned that if you ski it and it's iced over, if you fall and you will not stop and it also has a small mandatory air where it hourglasses, (only about 4 feet but it's super narrow and steep there, during the first 30 feet).  

I have seen some people get @#$%$ up on that run, so hit it when it's soft and enjoy. :)    There are some other areas on the back (both sides) that I can direct you to that are fun as well.    Also might want to try bierstadt, thats is a great run as well but a monster hike!    

Yeah, the part we skied is to the right of that pyramid shaped rock in your picture.  In the first picture that I posted, if you look closely you can follow our tracks up into that couloir.  You definitely described the hike down to it well.  I wasn't sure if it was hikeable because we only really looked at it from the bottom.  The Snaive looks really cool.  There was slightly more snow when we skied it than in the picture you posted.  We hiked down the whole lower hill there. 

I would be interested for sure to see any pictures you have of the back for next year.  We will probably be going back.  It was an awesome run!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blake Saunders 

Yeah, the part we skied is to the right of that pyramid shaped rock in your picture.  In the first picture that I posted, if you look closely you can follow our tracks up into that couloir.  You definitely described the hike down to it well.  I wasn't sure if it was hikeable because we only really looked at it from the bottom.  The Snaive looks really cool.  There was slightly more snow when we skied it than in the picture you posted.  We hiked down the whole lower hill there. 

 

I would be interested for sure to see any pictures you have of the back for next year.  We will probably be going back.  It was an awesome run!

Nice and steep, just the way we like it! 

On a good snow year you can actually ski all the way down to the road, or the lake if you are further back in the bowl (you just have to tuck it to make it over the hump).   That bouldering down can really wear you out!       I can remember a few good snow years of skiing down the center cornice and then over the lake (frozen).   Aside from all the other runs in that bowl, which you could explore over a few days, there are two sides to ski on the back, (none are as awesome as what you already skied but they are fun).    I'll tell you about them when it's closer to memorial day.   Glade you got to experience my favorite area of all time.  :)   Man I miss colorado!  

EDIT ADD/   2 things, on a good traffic day you can just stand at the gate and catch rides up all day.      lastly Just don't ever hike up the Snaive!  I watched a dude lose it on a climb up and it wasn't pretty, he was pretty banged up and he had crampons axe etc....  We were skiing just lookers right of him because we were waiting for them to clear so we could ski down....  Needless to say he never made it to the top... 

alaska

couple more pics from Alaska

Man, those are awesome pictures!