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Skin-it-to-win-it was a super fun day up on Dollar Mtn. I raced in a 4-person team that ended up on top at the end of the day. Each member of the team took turns racing to the summit of dollar and skiing back down. Our team turned in 13 laps in 3 hours. There was only one other snowboarder in the race and he made an impressive showing in the solo race category. Prizes were cool, commodore was great and the outdoor community continues to be the coolest people on earth.

Podium. Ethan, Terry, Simon and Blase.

Recounting the race to the finish.

Crossing the finish line in style.

This was the husband of a man/wife combo that took gold in the two person relay.

Handmade clay plate and local coffee!

Headed to the top. My splits were in the 14:30 range to the top, switch over and ride down.

Robyn reaching the top of The Cross with the Boulder Mountains as a backdrop.

The jury is still out regarding the best part of this weekend. Was it the 2011 The Abyss from Deschutes? Was it two days of stunning blue skies and perfect powder at Galena Summit? It could certainly have been the true satisfaction of sharing my love for the snow with the Sawtooth Avalanche Center’s awareness course on Saturday. It is such a great feeling to share your enthusiasm with a class and have it met with equal excitement, thoughtful questions, and new discoveries. Equally satisfying were the enchiladas Robyn greeted me with upon my return from the field, a New Belgium Snow Day  (this winter’s best new brew) in hand and the Backcountry Film Festival at the Liberty Theater that followed.

Robyn checking the bulletin over a cup of coffee as the sun pokes through the kitchen window.

Blase leading our section of the awareness class into a perfect winter landscape on Galena Summit.

Blase and a few members of our class awaiting the next rescue scenario. Not a bad place to hang out.

The kids loved handing out the raffle prizes including our new Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center hat!

Of course today wasn’t shabby either, a lazy morning and cold -15F start that nipped our cheeks and froze the breath in our nostrils. As Trixie finally warmed up we were already at Galena summit snapping pictures of the immaculate view of the Boulder Mountains and nearby Smokey Mountains and Sawtooth Headwaters. Starting up the trail our gear creaked and our coats crackled, stiff and brittle as an old tarp.  As we toured through the trees I remembered how much I love the forest. Climbing steadily, the trees thinned and the mountain views seemed to grow even more spectacular with each switchback. Our +9,000ft summit offered a 360 degree view of relatively untouched and infrequently traveled Idaho Wilderness. We have seen, skied, hiked and climbed in many mountain ranges all over the west but there is something special about this intersection of Central Idaho ranges.

Robyn winding her way through the trees on our first lap of The Cross.

Nearing the summit. The sun was warm despite the cold temps. Little to no wind over the previous three days here kept the trees caked in snow.

A drifted ridge line atop Galena Summit overlooking the Sawtooth Mountains.

Rob rippin some Central Idaho POW.

After increasingly enjoyable laps on “The Cross” we cruised back to the car and rolled down to Galena Lodge. Galena Lodge is where it’s at. Nordic trails spur in all directions leading to mountain huts and snaking valleys. The lodge is rustic, comfortable and warm. The staff and everyone lucky enough to spend time there can’t help but exude a relaxed and cheery demeanor. Kids are sledding, dogs are hanging on a sunny porch and parents sit by the fireplace sipping beers amongst  36 miniature pairs of socks and ski gloves.

Pouring an Odell at Galena Lodge.

Beer pictures are kinda hard to pass up.

The sun was pouring in the large windows as we melted into the chairs.

The rock stars were out in Idaho today.

Not that we needed more evidence that Bernese Mountain Dogs are cool as hell!

Back at home another homemade dish from Robyn wafts my direction from the kitchen. Our minds are whirling with potential adventures, mountain bikes, Nordic skis, summer summits, and backpacking trips. There are so many zones to explore, so many runs to do and miles of Nordic trails to learn on. It’s hard to believe we only made it north of Ketchum a few times this fall – climbing tugged us further and further south as the temperatures reflected the dipping sun.

So what was the best part of this weekend? I guess it’s hard to say, but in the spirit of living in the moment it’s the homemade peanut satay vegetable pizza that just emerged from the oven…

James didn’t waste much time bagging one of the most sought after lines in Thompson Pass. Heli-skiers frequent Mt. Dimond and there are several ways down but arguably the most aesthetic of all are the “Gun Barrels”. While within the realm of a day tour from the road, James and I wanted to try our hand at digging and staying in a snow cave up on the glacier for a few days to enjoy the sunny Chugach spring weather.

We had a love/hate relationship with our dear Fyukuckpulken (phonetic) sled.

James digging the snow shelter. Nice having an Architect around.

Day one was a grueling slog in the spring heat to get the sled to the glacier and build the shelter but man was it worth it. Cozy snow living with a hell of a backdrop. Plus no hurry to get out the door or get down from our lines since we could literally ski to our front door from dozens of chutes including the Gun Barrels.

Ethan skiing into the Dimond Cirque, our home for the next 3 days.

Day two we set our sights on the Gun Barrels. Meeting with the Brown Brothers at the Shrund we deliberated on how to cross the massive crack in the glacier to continue up our lines.

The Bergschrund at the base of the gun barrels is where the glacier meets the mountain. We searched for about an hour before deciding on a place to cross. In several areas you could stare down 90 ft or more into a yawning abyss.

Stu probing and crossing the Schrund on a snow bridge.

The Brown’s took the first chute to a saddle below the summit while James and I traversed out above the schrund to our line and began the long ~3,000 ft bootpack to the summit. The weather turned for the worse and by the time we reached the top it was whiteout and lightly snowing. With no hurry to get to the car we decided to try and wait out the snows hoping it was just a passing shower. After an hour on the snowy summit however we decided to bite the bullet and pick our way down the 55 deg spine entrance into the chute below.

James traversing out over the schrund to the base of our line. And to think I didn't even mess with the exposure of this shot.. get it?

Somewhere in the middle of booting the gun barrel.

The line itself was absolutely sick. The upper spine was steeper than we wanted to deal with in a whiteout but we picked our way down the bootpack using the definition in our quickly filling footprints to navigate by. Once on the main face the turns to the entrance of the gun barrel were some of the best I have ever had. Steep, deep and butter smooth. The chute provided more contrast and we were able to open it up a bit, carving our way back to the schrund in two large sections. Back at the schrund we had planned to air the crevasse, but with flat white conditions we were forced to traverse its edge again as new snow sluffs went zipping by off the steep rocks above – certainly a hair raising experience.

Back at home celebrating a sick line and safe return.

Our line off Dimond (search for little red dots off the summit)

On our way back out.