danhelmstadter Posted April 27, 2010 Posted April 27, 2010 (edited) Trip: Argonaut - NE couloir Date: 4/26/2010 Trip Report: Argonaut and NE couloir Once again my watch alarm failed to rouse me from slumber, and I woke around 8. I pretty much knew the snow or rather ice in the gully was going to SUCK for skiing, but since I was in the area, it deserved a closer look -- which confirmed the predictable results -- ice, frozen death cookies, runnels - YUCK. I decided to climb it and determine whether or not I would want to ski it once on top. Easy climbing conditions and I climbed continous snow to it's end just below the rocky summit. The upper snow field held the best snow, but it was still pretty Icy. I skiied down -- side stepping through an icy crux - to the couloir, where I proceeded to make some scary icy/crusty turns. A little sidestepping in spots to get past an ice runnel or particularly nasty ice crust, then conditions improved somewhat in the constriction -- as the heat of the day softened the ice crusts ever so slightly. Smooth firm neve led to soft corn on the lower slopes. Started raining/snowing on my deproach -- good! let the nasty ice crusts get burried in powder! Edited April 27, 2010 by danhelmstadter Quote
BirdDog Posted April 27, 2010 Posted April 27, 2010 Thanks for taking photos - now I can experience the descent vicariously; 'cause I'll never have the balls to ski that thing. Quote
summitchaserCJB Posted April 27, 2010 Posted April 27, 2010 That last pic is surreal. I love the word deproach. Quote
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