North Facing Glory
1/22/23, 1/30/23, 2/1/23
Olympus Zeus-ish chutes, combined:
~5 miles, 4400’
Stairs Gulch via bonkers:
~6 miles, +4300’, -4700’
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Mt. Olympus
Ski conditions and coverage have been incredible this year, even at low elevations. Olympus was looking really good from the valley, so decided to see how things were shaping up on a snowy Sunday afternoon.
Skinning up to the base of Medusa’s face (west slabs). Lot’s of old and recent debris in this one. Spindrifts were pouring down both walls. Assessed conditions, and decided to continue onward since it seemed that most of the slabs had already flushed their new snow and winds were relatively light.
Decided to boot up the looker’s left (west) chute since no one had been, happy to have my verts with me. Topped out and skied off the backside towards the northwest until things got too shrubby. The skiing was soft and very good. Booted back up my tracks and skied back down the northeast facing chute (picture). Skiing down this one was fast and all time! Called it a day since the sun was about to set.
A few days later my roommate Dan and I decided to go for a dawn patrol up the other chute I had left unskied on Sunday (looker’s left of Medusa’s face - the main bottom section of the proper Zeus couloir). 4F at the car made for a cold start, but the views and skiing were well worth it.
Dan topping out and regretting his choice not to buy verts.
Headed down, with the shadow of Olympus looming over the morning commute below.
Flirting with Medusa. Photo: Dan Wells.
The 3 small ski lines described.
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Stairs Gulch
My friend Jackson had the ambitious idea to ski Stairs Gulch on an early Wednesday morning before work. Another friend Baylor joined as well and we were skinning up Broads Fork by 6 am. We made good pace through the drainage but were still passed by 2 solo skimo men travelling at hyperspeed… got to love the Wasatch! The sunlight finally hit us halfway up bonkers. We cautiously admired the large glide cracks looming above as we followed the very steep skinner up to the top.
Three photos above: Jackson Schor
At the top. Great view of the Broads Fork twins and the NW couloir in the background.
Looking south into north fork Deaf Smith Canyon. Coalpit and Lone Peak behind that, and the Oquirrhs to the right.
Jackson about to drop. Skiing was mostly nice soft settled powder, with occasional wind-affected snow. Easy to hit rocks on the descent even with such good coverage given the nature of skiing directly down dip of the tilted quartzite beds (slabs) which don’t like to hold snow. Big glide cracks on the way down serve as a good reminder of the overall instability in this zone. Quite impressive avalanche exposure all around.
Baylor skiing down towards the choke. Had to maneuver through a bit of ice and rock, but very manageable. The choke was avoidable entirely by going skier’s right near the trees in the photo.
Near the bottom skiing over large avy debris.
Into the bush! Back at the car by 9:45 am.
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