Skinning the Sliver
Between warm temps, rain, sun, fog, flat light and crazy winds, it is getting hard to find good quality snow in the Wasatch lately. Thinking that The Sliver in upper Hogum Fork was probably no worse than anywhere else, we made the long trek in just for the hell of it the other day.
Thunder Ridge with Montgomery (far left couloir), The Sliver (second from left) and the Hypodermic Needle (right). Photo taken on a nice day, much unlike last Saturday.
Once we arrived on the apron of The Sliver, it was obvious that the skiing was going to suck, but at least the light was flat and it was snowing lightly, although it was almost warm enough to rain. It is times like this that it is all about the up, so after skinning 90% of The Sliver, the last 10% became a matter of pride and principle. Besides, we were in no rush to start skiing.
Courtney getting to the crux of the skinning ascent. At this point the chute is about 45 degrees, the snow around the trees is rotten and it is a major avalanche starting zone. STOKED!
So bad it's good. Court doing battle with the crux. The green/grey holds are part of the route.
Whippet use #218 - hooking trees on steep skin tracks.
The skiing in this normally amazing run was completely forgetable.
Breaking trail across the Little Cottonwood stream.
Sometimes when the skiing is bad you have to make your own fun. ;) The skin track should be even sportier now with a trace of new on it.
________________________________
Help support StraightChuter.com and grab the skinner by the short twigs with a pair of Mountain Hardwear Typhon Gloves with OutDry from Backcountry.com. Click on the photo below…
Category: current conditions
Keep’er steeper!
That green/gray handhold crux looks like the typical skintrack here in VT.