A Snow and ski forum. SkiBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » SkiBanter forum » Skiing Newsgroups » Backcountry Skiing
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

TR - Santa Fe Baldy, 3/12



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old March 19th 05, 08:01 AM
H.W. Stockman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default TR - Santa Fe Baldy, 3/12


"Bob Lee" wrote in message
...
Trip reports, what this group could use is some more trip reports.

Last week a Santa Fe, New Mexico, homeboy, Matt, asked around to see if
anyone was interested in skiing the highest peak near here, Santa Fe
Baldy, 12600 ft.:
http://topozone.com/map.asp?lat=35.83222&lon=-105.75778

My Saturday was open and the weather'd been dry and stable for over a
week so it seemed like a good idea and we arranged to go up. One thing
about SF Baldy is that the base of the mountain is four miles from the
trailhead, so you have to figure on covering some ground for a day trip.


Ah memories. I snowshoed to the top of Baldy in February, 1983. My
compatriots were not too comfortable with XC skis back then, and I had just
light 50mm-wide skis, anyway. So, we opted for less drama.

I'd have great pictures, except on the ascent day, we had a complete
whiteout, and 1.5 feet of snow fell during the climb, obliterating our
tracks. Overall, there was about 5 feet of soft powder, proving that snow
conditions make the difference between Heavan and Hell (I later skied in
about halfway on corn snow in May, an utter snap). Near the top we were hit
with an odd snow composd of pellets that were just below freezing; my
eyelashes froze together at several points.

The only way we knew we were on top was by the cairn, my memories of the top
in summer, and the fact that all routes led downhill. The sky and slope
blended into a featureless white blizzard. We managed to navigate back by
map and compass, and got to our (now buried) snow caves at nightfall.
Nowadays I would be scared sh*tless by those conditions if I didn't have a
GPS.

My most vivid memory came from one stretch, maybe 200' below the summit,
where odd conditions of wind had managed to strip the slope nearly bare. On
that slope was a frozen cow pie (cattle would graze to high altitude in the
Sangre de Cristos "back then").

When I saw your pictures of the bowl, I was reminded of two things: 1) I
nevered worried about avalanches before then, and 2) after the trip I heard
(never verified by me) that Unganade, who "wrote the book" on New Mexico
mountains, died in an avalanche on Truchas Peak, just to the north.


Ads
  #2  
Old March 19th 05, 07:24 PM
Jim Samson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Thanks, Great pictures and you're right, more trip reports.

"Bob Lee" wrote in message
...
Trip reports, what this group could use is some more trip reports.

Last week a Santa Fe, New Mexico, homeboy, Matt, asked around to see if
anyone was interested in skiing the highest peak near here, Santa Fe
Baldy, 12600 ft.:
http://topozone.com/map.asp?lat=35.83222&lon=-105.75778

My Saturday was open and the weather'd been dry and stable for over a
week so it seemed like a good idea and we arranged to go up. One thing
about SF Baldy is that the base of the mountain is four miles from the
trailhead, so you have to figure on covering some ground for a day trip.

The weather was clear as a bell, but the forecast called for strong
winds. We left the Santa Fe ski area parking lot just after 7 AM and
started down the Windsor Trail. A couple hours later we were at the
southwest flank of SF Baldy, ready to start up. The skinning was
excellent over wet corn, frozen corn, then wind packed powder as the
elevation increased.
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb33.jpg

It was clear and sunny, but the wind was coming up throughout the
morning. We were able to keep our skis on the whole way to the top. We
hit the saddle into the east side cirque at around 12,300ft:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb37.jpg

There was a humungous cornice on most of the leeward summit ridge:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb40.jpg
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb42.jpg

And it was kind of windy, like gusts to 40 mph:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb41.jpg

We hit the top just after 11 AM. This is the view south from the summit
- we decided to ski that chute in the middle of the picture with the
rock shadows because it was pretty and mostly cornice-free. Nice view:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb44.jpg

Our line was ENE facing, with a steep entrance, mellowing out to around
40 degrees, and a drop of about 650 ft. This is Matt's first (or
second?) turn, making it count:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb45.jpg

The snow wasn't too bad for being kind of old:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb46.jpg

The entrance - it made you pay attention:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb47.jpg

Matt likes the BIG turns - I made about four for every one of his. Snow
conditions in the chute ranged from wind packed powder with a small
crust to mashed potatoes near the bottom, and just about every condition
in between. It made the skiing interesting, but way fun:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb49.jpg

In the next pic, Matt checks out the cirque - my tracks are in the chute
in the center of the picture, to the looker's right of the big rock
outcrop, Matt's tracks come out to that flute a bit more to the looker's
right. That sluff farther right was caused by someone else a day or two
earlier.
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb51.jpg

Another view - check out that cornice and the color of the sky:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb52.jpg

We took a short break for lunch in the bottom of the basin. Matt has
this trick pack with a built-in seat, just right for checking out the
views. Pretty comfy, eh?
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb53.jpg

Nice view as we headed out:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb56.jpg

After lunch we headed over to the side of the basin to try to skin back
out over the SE ridge. The climb out ended up being one of the most
challenging parts of the day. We began on skins, but there was a thin
wind packed layer over a crust that was pretty tricky. After we had both
lost our edges a couple of times on the steep slope, we decided that it
would be easier to boot back over the ridge. Kicking steps up the
shaded, steep, north-facing slope to the ridge was kind of heinious
because the snow was hard - it often took a couple of kicks to get the
step in.

We topped out on the SE ridge somewhere around 12,000 ft. That would
have ranked as a memorably painful part of the day, except that when we
crested the ridge (around 1 PM) the frozen corn on the south-facing
slope that we had skinned up on the ascent had softened nicely in the
sun. The run down that slope was *so* nice! The snow was creamy and the
slope was just steep enough to let us swoop and turn effortlessly though
a widely-spaced pygmy spruce forest in the brilliant sun - a bonus run
of 1000 feet of easy super-fun skiing. I only got this one picture,
because it was so effortless it was hard to stop:
http://www.swcp.com/~rlee/sfb59jpg

But then we had to begin the skin back up and out to the road. It was
four long miles of sidehill trail skinning though thick woods. It had
the potential to be soul-crushing, so I had to go to my happy place. We
trudged along, getting back to the trailhead just after 4 PM.

Really a great day. And tonight, it's snowing like a bitch here - close
to a foot at my house this evening. It'll be a while before the steeper
backcountry lines are skiable again, but it's good to have winter back.

Bob



  #3  
Old March 19th 05, 08:58 PM
H.W. Stockman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Bob Lee" wrote in message
...
I've been here for over a dozen years, but I am totally unfamiliar with
the name Unganade. Google gave me nothing. Got any information or
sources?


I put in an extra "a". Try a google search on:

ungnade "new mexico mountains"

He wrote a book, now much dated, detailing nearly every range. I believe he
was a Los Alamos physicist/


  #4  
Old March 20th 05, 12:52 AM
H.W. Stockman
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Bob Lee" wrote in message
...

You say he disappeared, maybe?


The back cover of the book says that he was killed on a climb in 1965. I
had a friend who had worked at Los Alamos, and this friend said the accident
involved an avalanche on Truchas Peak; I never verified that claim.


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
For Sale - Santa Cruz Snowboard, K2 Bindings *Barely Used* adam freeborn Snowboarding 0 December 15th 04 06:06 PM
I named him Baldy... AstroPax Alpine Skiing 6 August 7th 04 03:38 PM
Does anyone know anything about the Santa Cruz Superduo Gold series? Iftach Snowboarding 0 January 24th 04 07:52 PM
Santa Cruz S.C.M.C. and Smear Crab Snowboarding 0 December 12th 03 03:11 PM
Mt. Baldy threatened by fire Richard Henry Alpine Skiing 39 November 2nd 03 03:18 AM


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:38 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 SkiBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.