Hyalite is our local ice climbing destination and we make sure to get out there on a regular basis. While it does have one of the highest concentrations of ice routes anywhere, exploring new areas is essential. Not to be disrespectful of the climbing in Hyalite, but lately the stoke factor isn't what it used to be. My buddy Keith was feeling the same way and for good reason... I think seventeen of his nineteen days this year have been in up in Hyalite. So time to change it up some. Yesterday Keith and I headed up to Twin Falls with the goal of skiing the trees above the climb. I've climbed Twin a few times before but always early season when it is the only ice formed in the whole canyon. It seems like that's the norm, as the broken trail ended at Cleo's. To be honest the last little bit of the approach was probably the crux of the day. Waist deep snow with ice gear plus a full backcountry set-up meant some hard work was required to reach the base of the ice. The climb itself went well, though WI3 is more challenging with an extra set of boots and a board on your back!
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| Afternoon sun over Hyalite |
The avalanche forecast wasn't the most confidence inspiring but we figured staying on more mellow slopes would be okay. It has actually been quite a while since I last dug a pit so doing just that and analyzing the layers was really enjoyable for me. The two feet of snow we received last week was sitting on top of some poorly bonded sugar snow. Not ideal and because of that we stayed down in the trees. While the skiing wasn't incredible we knew it was going to be more of a scouting mission than a full on powderfest. I'd stay the day was a success though as we were able to explore a new area, refresh our snow science skills, and get in some fun tree skiing. Next time we'll plan for a whole day and make sure we've got a more stable snowpack!
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| Can you find the weak layer? |
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