After a late start, we drove south past the snowy peaks of the Chugach and the Kenai mirrored in the still waters of Turnagain Arm, and chatted about ideas for the day. Usually, we go into each day with so much recent beta and many ideas, it was fun to start this one with a blank slate. By the time we were nearing the top of Turnagain Pass and pulling into the DOT lot, we had a plan: we'd go check out the sunny bowls, chutes, and ribs of Seattle Ridge.
Skinning up the icy uptrack, my stoke and excitement built as we caught dogs and friends enjoying the winter wonderland of a beautiful sunny day on our public lands. Cresting the ridge, we looked across the arm at the iconic ski lines crowning Girdwood, Peterson Creek, and Twentymile. We talked about our favorite adventures past and our dreams for the future in these magical valleys.
Then we turned our attention to matters at hand and peered over the edge into First Bowl. It looked soft, steep, and tantalizing.
Photo: Brady Deal
We hadn't seen or heard any reports of instability, but knew we were poking into the unknown. In fact, 10 years ago we triggered a couple avalanches on this face. Here those are:
We roshamboed for the privileges and risks of going first, then I dropped into the milky light of the chute.
Knowing the prevailing winds had scoured one side of the chute while depositing a fat pillow on the other side, I tried to thread the needle between too little and too much snow. I was topped off on stoke by the time I coasted into the bottom of the line, and looked up to watch Brady rip down to me. Not a bad way to start the season.
In the cold shade of the bowl, we pulled our skins out of our warm jackets, slapped them on our skis, then I chased after Brady as he broke trail up for a double dip. We could see other groups peering down on us, and knew it would only be a matter of time until we had company. I thought back on a less stable day here, where a group dropped between us as we broke trail through the new snow, and hoped that wouldn't happen again.
Happy with what we'd found on the previous lap, this time we stepped into slightly bigger terrain farther along the ridge. It was Brady's turn to go first onto the double fall line fin tipping into the darkness below. Again, we found quality snow with no signs of instability.
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Two laps down and others started to join us in the bowl. As we climbed back up our skintrack, it was fun seeing familiar faces skiing past us in the velvety snow.
Now with a couple more data points, we continued to push along the ridge. Working together to identify safe gaps in the cornices, we looked into a wild, constricting chute. The terrain below us was steep, bulbous, and unsupported - it would be a real test of stability. I considered how skiing this had far more potential hazard than the slight frustration I felt about getting dropped on on the last climb.
Working the terrain to allow my slough to flow away from me, I skied to a safe spot on a spine below, then waited for Brady to join me.
Photo: Tony Naciuk
Photo: Brady Deal
Brady:
Brady caught up to me at the safe spot and we skied together to the skin track below. What a great line for early season. Back on the skintrack to the top, I could feel the glue of reality dissolve - what a special gift to sneak such a debaucherously steep and complex line in early November. Climbing back into the sun, we watch Tony then Simon come flying over the curling cornice and into the sunny bowl.
Photo: Simon White
Back on top of the divide between Zero and Warm Up Bowl, there was one last line in play. We followed the rolling ridge and peered off the end. Years ago Brady, Neil, Andrew, and I had skied this line on a day of horrible vis. I remember stepping off the edge into open space, infinite flat light, and indefinite freefall. When I returned to the surface of the earth, I looked up at the boyos peering over the cornice from somewhere above me. I'd always wondered what it actually looked like here.
Turns out it was even better without the flat light: a fin of surprisingly steep rollovers took us towards Seattle Creek before we cut left into an exit chute back to Zero Bowl.
By the time we'd climbed out of Zero Bowl for the fourth time, our lovely little zone had lost sun for the day. We mind surfed the spines that weren't quite ready yet, looked north at the classic lines of Turnagain Arm, then climbed higher for one last long descent back to the truck.
What a great way to start the season. Some of these lines I hadn't skied in years or ever before - its such a gift to call these endless mountains home.
Then we turned our attention to matters at hand and peered over the edge into First Bowl. It looked soft, steep, and tantalizing.
Photo: Brady Deal
We hadn't seen or heard any reports of instability, but knew we were poking into the unknown. In fact, 10 years ago we triggered a couple avalanches on this face. Here those are:
We roshamboed for the privileges and risks of going first, then I dropped into the milky light of the chute.
Knowing the prevailing winds had scoured one side of the chute while depositing a fat pillow on the other side, I tried to thread the needle between too little and too much snow. I was topped off on stoke by the time I coasted into the bottom of the line, and looked up to watch Brady rip down to me. Not a bad way to start the season.
In the cold shade of the bowl, we pulled our skins out of our warm jackets, slapped them on our skis, then I chased after Brady as he broke trail up for a double dip. We could see other groups peering down on us, and knew it would only be a matter of time until we had company. I thought back on a less stable day here, where a group dropped between us as we broke trail through the new snow, and hoped that wouldn't happen again.
Happy with what we'd found on the previous lap, this time we stepped into slightly bigger terrain farther along the ridge. It was Brady's turn to go first onto the double fall line fin tipping into the darkness below. Again, we found quality snow with no signs of instability.
.jpg)
Two laps down and others started to join us in the bowl. As we climbed back up our skintrack, it was fun seeing familiar faces skiing past us in the velvety snow.
Now with a couple more data points, we continued to push along the ridge. Working together to identify safe gaps in the cornices, we looked into a wild, constricting chute. The terrain below us was steep, bulbous, and unsupported - it would be a real test of stability. I considered how skiing this had far more potential hazard than the slight frustration I felt about getting dropped on on the last climb.
Working the terrain to allow my slough to flow away from me, I skied to a safe spot on a spine below, then waited for Brady to join me.
Photo: Tony Naciuk
Photo: Brady Deal
Brady:
Brady caught up to me at the safe spot and we skied together to the skin track below. What a great line for early season. Back on the skintrack to the top, I could feel the glue of reality dissolve - what a special gift to sneak such a debaucherously steep and complex line in early November. Climbing back into the sun, we watch Tony then Simon come flying over the curling cornice and into the sunny bowl.
Photo: Simon White
Back on top of the divide between Zero and Warm Up Bowl, there was one last line in play. We followed the rolling ridge and peered off the end. Years ago Brady, Neil, Andrew, and I had skied this line on a day of horrible vis. I remember stepping off the edge into open space, infinite flat light, and indefinite freefall. When I returned to the surface of the earth, I looked up at the boyos peering over the cornice from somewhere above me. I'd always wondered what it actually looked like here.
Turns out it was even better without the flat light: a fin of surprisingly steep rollovers took us towards Seattle Creek before we cut left into an exit chute back to Zero Bowl.
By the time we'd climbed out of Zero Bowl for the fourth time, our lovely little zone had lost sun for the day. We mind surfed the spines that weren't quite ready yet, looked north at the classic lines of Turnagain Arm, then climbed higher for one last long descent back to the truck.
What a great way to start the season. Some of these lines I hadn't skied in years or ever before - its such a gift to call these endless mountains home.
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