Ski Day Team Builder

I work with pretty awesome people so a team builder isn't really a necessity, but a nicety. I talked a group of alpiners from the Idaho Falls and the Pocatello BLM offices into taking a day off of work and shredding some snow on a two-fer-one day at Grand Targhee Resort. I had 12 participants to start, but they whittled to 6, with the Pocatello office rather under-represented (numberwise, not skillwise, Pacioretty represented). Regardless, it turned out to be an awesome day, though not bluebird, with 5-8 in. new fluffy snow over hardpack...fun conditions...warm temperatures, no wind, no crowds, and oh yea...half price. I was lax on the movie taking...contacts precluded my ability to see the Sapphire controls (a problem I am remedying today)...and frankly, stopping just wasn't something I wanted to do much more than necessary.

Deena working down Chief Joseph Bowl



Break at the Lodge



What I learned about my coworkers...Patch is much better on the hill than behind a semi; Teel is tough as nails; Hill x 2 were all over it; Hill, R.D., just keeps going and going; and Kotansky is magnitudes better than his boots suggest!

This was a great beta-test for another team builder, hopefully this year.
Lessons Learned:
Radios with a group on a big mountain are a must,
Other mountains might accommodate a broader range of abilities,
Get the word out earlier.

Ski On!

Yet ANOTHER Blue Bird Day Valentine's Day 2010

Valentine's Day 2010...with the ones I love, rippin' it up on the slopes. My best friend, Margie; my son, Jeremy; and my soon to be daughter-in-law, Joni, hooked up at Beaver Mountain for a blue bird day of skiing on groomers and powder.

The Big Kahuna Snowman in the Canyon...by the way, this is 10 feet tall, just so you know.


On the Lift
All videos by Sapphire

Playing in Powder, something I've not done enough of


Break at the Lodge


Videos by Sapphire

Skiing with the Fam

YET ANOTHER spring ski day. TOO early in the season for that kind-o-stuff. All I have today is a couple videos from the day; mostly for the fam. Sapphire is pretty amazing. The sound pick up and play back is astounding, but when you think about it, that probably should be a given. However, the next generation definitely needs improvements in the video department. Let's start with better lens placement, zoom capability, and a still photo option. A little place to hook a baby leash would be great too. I would use Sapphire more if I weren't in constant fear of watching her careen down a slope, disappear into the snow and/or drop through the deck. Today I figured out in the editing software how to rotate the movie if Sapphire forgets to self-rotate, which she occasionally does. Something else to fix for Gen 6.

Chair Ride


J&J Run


The Deck, Beer, Sun, Snow...Mountain life...gotta love it!


The Mom-in-Law...I prefer MIL, (notice: there is no F in that) ;-)


Videos by Sapphire

No. 66 - Al West IdahoSummits Fall 2009 Outing.

This is Al West Peak (snowy dome in the center). It was the Plan B trip when Plan A, Pyramid Peak in the Pioneers, became inaccessible with 2 ft of snow on the road.

(Click any photo for a larger picture.)

Nine folks from the site made the trip: John, Pat, Dave, Eric, Michael, Aaron, Steve, IdahoSummits site creator-Dan, and me. I've wanted to meet these guys for a long time. I read the board a lot a post a little, and they've been very helpful with their wealth of Idaho mountain knowledge and climbing experience. I've been amazed and inspired by their accomplishments and really thought I might be overstepping my abilities by joining them. Finally, I decided that there was nothing to lose. I would get to meet everyone, and if everything went well, then I would meet everyone and successfully summit. I went over Friday evening to camp and spent a fun night listening to stories, finding out what folk did for a living, hearing about their families, discussing gear, eating, drinking and getting ready for the day ahead.

The next morning Aaron and Michael pulled in and we got underway at 8:00 a.m. in 15 degrees. We spent about an hour or so navigating back and forth lower Rock Creek canyon, the creek itself, and a lot of brush. It was shady and cold and we couldn't wait to get into the sun.

We came out to an opening and saw a better view of the ridges and walls between us and the summit. Well, it was at this point where we decided to break into two groups. One group would do the planned route (John, Dan, Michael, Steve and me) and the other (Pat, Dave, Aaron, Eric) would break new ground.

My group continued on, John in the lead, side-hilling in the snow until we reached the sunshine and a steep gully with perfect snow for kick stepping (sorry the video is in sepia, an effect I didn't purposely choose...cold fingers and little slippery buttons aren't a good match). We continued up the gully and took a break in the trees from what had become a pretty strong, cold steady wind. After a quick break, Michael took off ahead to the rocky crux ridge.

Dan and I followed a few minutes later, and Steve and John started up afterward. It turned out it wasn't going to be Steve's day. He and I were both plagued by frozen camelbacks, but I had put mine down the front of my shirt for most the way and got a little cooperation out of it. With not enough energy to safely summit, Steve posed for a photo on his personal summit on the higher snowfield and then headed down on his own.

John quickly caught up with Dan and reached me as I was starting into the crux moves.

John lead through the crux, and the catwalk, and took these great photos.

After the crux section we were faced with a long open face ascent. Michael was way ahead of all of us (see the red circle on the photo), John ahead of me, and Dan a few minutes behind me. The wind seemed to increase as each of us summitted, in turn, and solo.

I touched the cairn and took my gloves off to take a summit panorama with my camera and also my Ipod. I couldn't even get the Ipod video to turn off because it was so cold the buttons weren't responding, which was the same problem I had with the camera. I literally "listened" for the camera click and then rotated and took another photo. I was holding on to both the camera and the Ipod tightly because of the wind. Excuse the fingers...(two improvements Apple, the placement of the lens and an attachment for an optional lanyard)...Turn the video off after 40 seconds...I'm fighting to turn it off for the rest of the time.

My Splattski shot for posterity with Borah's North Face in the background. As quick as I was in taking the photos and the video, I felt the beginning of the unmistakable numbing and loss of feeling that accompanies initial frostbite, unlike I've experienced before. I got my gloves on, did some quick windmills and headed down as quick as I could, passing Dan on his way up.

My hands warmed by the time I meet John who was seated on some rocks to wait for Dan. So I headed off to meet them down lower. The snow was great for plunge stepping and the descent was quick. With Michael having long gone, the three of us regrouped at the crux (this photo is of the other side of the catwalk to show that it dropped off on both sides). John lead. We retraced our steps and, thanks to Michael, had tracks for a slightly better down climb on the very lower end of the crux than what we had on the way up.

When we reached the snow fields it was too soft for glissading. Even the gully was a no-go, though lower down Dan took advantage of a little slide he found. We retraced our steps until we were again down into the canyon. At that point, John took off and Dan and I hiked back into camp together...and look at the great view of Mt. Borah we had from camp!

John reported this trip as 11 miles, while my gps is only claiming 9, but it felt every bit of 11 to me. We were gone 9 1/4 hrs car to car without much of a break all day. My heart rate monitor never registered anything, except running time, because my camelback blocked the signal all day and it was too cold to bother with it. I had water all the way up, but the small amount of time on the summit froze it for the rest of the day.

I didn't really even notice...Boy...what a great climb!

Thanks to all the IdahoSummits guys for such a great trip...Dan for your planning, John for your lead through the crux and tips, Steve for the great cooking, all of you for your humor and graciousness. If it turns out that I am the first woman on an IdahoSummits outing, then I am well beyond honored. You're a great group.

I uploaded all of my pictures, Pat's and John's photos as well (I gave you photo credits) to my Picasa site, where you can see them all together and the captions tell the story as well.

Dan's Trip Report

Dave's Trip Report

Splattski's Trip Report

Steve's Photos

Take a Google Earth Tour of our route

No. 65, South Wet Creek Peak, Lost River Range, Idaho

I was hoping for another 2-fer weekend, because I've had three in a row and because I'm making up for a late mountaineering season. The goal today (9/27/09) was South Wet Creek Peak and Wet Creek Peak in the east end of the Lost River Range, accessed via Pass Creek summit. So with that in mind I asked a friend, Bryan, if he'd like to join me. He had done Mt. Borah a few times many years ago (and as I would find out this day, he hiked 13 miles the day before, geez). Well for a nice, introductory, non-Borah mountaineering experience, I probably couldn't have picked worse....10 miles round trip, and 4,100 elevation gain over 5 miles...but I have a tendency to not look at the "details" until after the climb. Regardless, having been in the basin two weeks before, I knew it could be a long approach, long day. So we took off on an early start, in crisp morning air, under a clear sky that promised to stay with us all day.

The approach started on developed Forest Service trails from the trail head through fir/pine forest to Bear Lake.

After the lake, most of the hike was through a sunshine-filled gully that was long and energy sapping. By this point we had seen 9 deer.

Having reached and crossed the relatively flat basin, it was time to make the final climb to the summit that, in this photo, is further back on the right-hand peak, out of view. It was on this approach that we saw a bighorn sheep, across the way, on the ridge of Hidden Peak.

It was later than I had hoped when we reached the summit, and timewise, I was concerned about going after the second peak. Bryan was already stretched out on the summit to watch me go it alone. Well, the gully had hammered me as well, and tempting as it was, I elected to pass on my 2-fer opportunity. We found a register with signatures back from 1992, so we added our names to that. Bryan took some fabulous photos on the summit for posterity; I took a sapphire (my nano's name) panorama; we had wine (the little 4-pack bottles are perfect for day hikes), cheese and crackers; and headed back down.

It's not everyone's thing, but I have tried to introduce willing adventurers to the mountains. So few people really get the opportunity, which I was fortunate to have been given in the 90s. The mountains are very spiritual for me and make my everyday problems sooo small when I see the enormity of God's handiwork in this beautiful State. I hope they become as special to others...at the very least they can say, "Hey, i climbed that." I am blessed to still be able to participate in this sport that I love so much. I never thought I'd have had the ability to summit 1, let alone 65 mountains...i wonder if i have 35 more in me...that would be cool.

Make that South Wet CREEK Peak and Wet CREEK Peak...kept forgetting the "creek" in the names.

New Peaks (Nos. 63 and 64) and Nano Panorama

Today Margie, Maka and I climbed Black Pine Peak and Black Peak out of the Black Pine Mountains in southeast Idaho. More precisely...out of the Malta, Idaho, area. It was really, really windy and sunny. Probably 45-55 with chill. I was very close to digging out my winter hat and gloves. Had three light layers on top for the last 1/4 of the mountain, which i wasn't expecting. Nice workout though. The views weren't crystal clear with the wind and haze and particles about, but i got to try the video function on my new nano. It was soooooooo windy i thought it would fly outta my hand so I didn't fuss with it too much. This is the best video of the bunch. I'm sure the next generations will have even better functioning...that will be a quandry...i just got this one. If they can nail video AND have photo capability and still stay this small, it could replace a lot of cameras. Talk about ultralight.

I'm behind posting my summer summits. But i don't have the discipline to write the ones i am behind on first...I want to see how well the ipod video works because i'm just fascinated with the upgrades since my first generation ipod. By the way, between the gps, the camera, and the ipod, post-trip analysis/activities are begining to take longer than my pre-trip activities.