Korohusk Ski - 3.30.2014

Many great zones are guarded by gaping crevasses, rushing rivers, huge avalanche paths, alder hells, or long approaches. This particular valley is guarded by a different kind of beast: angry, gun toting landowners.

Fortunately, Tarah is friends with everyone, so we were soon into our valley of choice.


Not to say it wasn't also guarded by a long approach. After skiing Carpathian the previous day, it was nice to just sit in the back, feel the burn, and let the miles slide by. The bigger peaks starting to come into view:


Quite a long approach.


REALLY quite long:


Eventually the dying Ram Glacier, or what is left of it, came into view. I wonder how much ice is left under the dirt, mud, and rocks covering its toe, or if the lower glacier even has ice dynamics anymore?


Sometimes you have to go down to go up; descending the remains of the Ram Glacier moraine:

We followed the tracks from this little guy up the entire glacier, as he stopped to look in every potential den along the way. After Korohusk he continued through Bombardment Pass into Peters Creek. Maybe Mount Rumble is on his Wish List too???


Reaching the head of the valley was exciting, with more lines coming into view, including our goal for the day.


There it is! Malcolm and Andy came back to ski the pinner on the right, apparently it stays skiable for longer than it looks.

After eating lunch in the last fingers of sunlight we headed into the shade, picked our way across the bergshrund, and started the long boot pack. At one point Cody measured the slope angle at 55 degrees, and it kept getting steeper.


The climb was way longer than I'd expected, doglegging around the corner and out of sight. At this point I really started to feel the previous day, but not as much as I felt it trying to ski down.

With Cody, Rachel, and Tarah charging ahead we topped out on the ridgeline.


And popped out into the sun and an incredible view of Eagle River:



It was hard to leave the wonderful warmth of the sun-baked rocks and head back into the shade. But, the walls of the couloir called. Tarah working through the tight and steep upper section:

Cody opening it up:

Max:


Rachel approaching the bergschrund:




Max blasting through the apron and onto the glacier:


A great, isolated, long, steep, and aesthetic line! Cody and Rachel looking stoked. Max looking sexy:


From the Korohusk amphitheater we worked our way down the glacier, passing a handful of lines for another day.


Cody demonstrating proper splitboard poling technique in the flats below Cumulus. Many more awesome couloirs lurking back there...

Ram Valley is long, it makes sense to ski a few lines while you are back there. I'm looking forward to going back for the long list of skinny, twisting couloirs that are hidden in the rock faces of the valley.