The Ribbon at Alta is a line that I’ve been meaning to ski for about the last twenty years, yet I never seem to get around to it. One good reason for putting it off is that it traverses through the top of the Devils Castle Buttress with a whopping 600′ of exposure the entire time. Another reason to put it off is that it is 100% in bounds at Alta, and although you might be able to semi-legally ski it when the gates are open, I’m sure the Patrol would have something to say about it.
I first heard of this line from Lorne Glick who was driving cats at Alta at the time. He skied it with John Whedon (skiing is actually a very relative term with The Ribbon…) and said that it was named Ciochetti’s Ribbon after Dave Ciochetti, an Alta Patroller who is not only credited with the first descent, but also brought along his girlfriend as a partner. I probably would have put this off for a few more years/decades, except Courtney Phillips pointed out that I wasn’t doing anything tomorrow afternoon, so we should do it ASAP. Thanks for the motivation Court!
The Ribbon is a 100% full-on blend of skiing and rock climbing as you need to belay each pitch and not only place protection for yourself, but your partner as well. There is really no advantage or disadvantage to leading or following as both skiers face the same fall potential. The rock is tricky to get gear in, especially if you underestimate the endeavor and bring a skimpy rack like we did. Super bad idea!
We swapped out the pitons for a #2 Camalot and this was all we brought. Double this amount of gear would have been, uhmmm, helpful.
Getting started on The Ribbon is dangerously easy – you skin up the Devil’s Castle apron, wrap around the back and boom – there it is! Much to our amazement, there were another set of tracks in there already.
The entrance. This is one of the easier parts of the traverse.
Courtney approaching the crux of the traverse, which is that section of scattered rocks. As we didn't have the right gear, I ended up climbing over the top of it instead of taking the low traverse around, which looked almost totally void of snow.
The entire outing entails 2,800′ of climbing and skiing. As it faces due north and is about as high as you can get in the Wasatch, the snow was still soft and fluffy on the traverse.
There are a variety of potential exits to The Ribbon, but we were able to continue traversing around the entire wall until we connected with the Devil's Castle Couloir. In this photo, Courtney is skirting some cliffs right before merging into the lower couloir.
Done! Fresh, fluffy powder never felt so good.
This was one of two lines in The Chuting Gallery which I hadn’t skied, so one down, one to go! I’m saving the last one for an outing with Noah Howell, who is just about to tick them all himself.
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Extreme Taxation
I have the same thought every year when I get to line 37 on my 1040 tax form (adjusted gross income) — I need a new job. Ski Mountaineering has its ups and downs (haha..) but it is not a career you get into for the money. I started my “business” about ten years ago when I published The Chuting Gallery and at times, the financing of it is far more extreme than the actual skiing. The first year I was in business I only kept track of my sales and not my expenses, which was a rude shock when it came time to pay self-employment taxes.
I’d say I’ve come a long ways since then, but I really haven’t. My one formal meeting with a CPA took place midweek on a chairlift at Alta (midweek is a good time to meet doctors, lawyers and CPA’s at ski areas). He summed it up something like this “So, you have a fun job that requires lots of expensive toys and travel, you don’t make much money and you want to write the whole thing off on your taxes, right?” Pretty much. He then went on to explain how this was very similar to being a photographer where you buy expensive camera gear, go on a trip, shoot tons of photos, and may not sell a single image, or perhaps sell them years later. For such a fun job, there is a lot of blind faith involved, and from a tax standpoint, what makes the difference is if it is a hobby or a career.
Skis, boots, poles, skins and a business card that says "Ski Mountaineer." Now it is a career, not a hobby.
Part of the downfall (haha…) of ski mountaineering is that it is such a small market that there just aren’t a lot of options for selling photos, stories or books. As far as trips go, if you can sell enough photos and stories to break even on expenses, that is a wildly successful outing. Most of the time it is a losing proposition, which is why sponsors are so important, although I think of them more as “lifestyle enablers.”
The taxation crux of all of this is deciding what are legitimate business expenses that allow me to perform my job. I couldn’t survive in my office of choice without a titanium spork, Lexan coffee press, Leatherman Skeletool and beacon, so those fall under “Office Supplies.” A celebratory outing at the Bush Company where future skiing plans are laid qualifies as “Meals & Entertainment.” The really tricky ones (from a moral standpoint) are the big fixed assets. Dentists need expensive drills and X-ray machines, whereas Ski Mountaineers need expensive kites and helmet cams, right?
A flying fixed asset with a three year depreciation schedule being put to work on the Bagley Icefield.
That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. I figure all of my tent time will have me well prepared if I get thrown in jail.
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