Peak Baggin'

Utah's backcountry was in pristine condition this weekend, so I decided to venture out and begin bagging the peaks near my home. The goal by the end of this spring is to do a solo-ascent/ski-descent of Mt. Nebo (11, 928 ft), the highest and southernmost peak in the Wasatch Range. These backyard peaks are excellent "practice" for the Mt. Nebo poach.

Saturday I pushed myself to a new personal best by summiting Little Water Peak (elevation 9,650 ft). I began the morning with a delayed departure, but since I was on my own time table I figured it wouldn't matter too much. After all, it was my first day to sleep in in a while. The temperature in my Tacoma as I left the driveway was a chilling 9 degrees. After driving the 25 minutes to my starting point the mercury had already risen to 24 degrees according to my truck thermometer. While the more forgiving climate would make for a more comfortable excursion, the warming snow was becoming more unstable by the minute. While rising temperatures do aid in bonding snow layers together, if the warming is too rapid it can cause wet slides on exposed faces. With this in the back of my mind, I raced up as quickly as my lungs and legs could tolerate. As I climbed higher, the temperature continued to rise. I was forced to carefully choose my resting spots, being cautious to pause only on unexposed terrain. Once I reached the ridgeline, I felt a lot better. After a few hundred yards of skinning up the top of the ridge and I had reached the summit. My belated start hadn't killed the attempt at the peak.

After snapping a photo with the timer on my camera, it was time to prepare for the descent. While I was rushed due to the danger of wet slides from the sun-baked snow-pack, I made sure to be thorough in checking the avy danger. I dug a Rutschblock to check the danger, felt confident that the face would hold, and ripped my skins off of my skis. The skiing down was some of the best I have ever experienced. Steep lines, fluffy snow in the shade, and sun softened crust out of the shade. The trip was a successful solo summit push. While Little Water Peak is no Everest, it sure felt like I was on top of the world during the brief moments I took in the view from the peak. Being alone atop one of the highest points in sight was a feeling that cannot be described in words. This trip was more than just a morning backcountry lap. It was the beginning of turning my dreams of a single day solo round-trip of Nebo into reality.

This morning the peak bagging tradition continued as my buddy CJ and I summited Summit Park Peak (8,750 ft) and then skied down. While I love going solo in the backcountry, it was nice to have a little company to share the experience with. The warming and cooling cycle of Saturday's weather had completely stabilized the snow-pack on the Northeastern face we chose for our descent. With no considerations of an avalanche in the back of my mind this time, the rip down was stress free.