Heading down into upper-Piney Creek on January 28th. Click to enlarge.
With an unusually long period of relative stability persisting in the backcountry around Vail, Dave Bourassa and I decided to head out for a late-January tour in the upper-Piney Creek area. With no particular plan in mind we skinned up to the base of the Piney Bristle summit block, skied down into upper-Piney, climbed and skied a neat line off “Peak D” and then ascended back up to Dave’s sled at sunset. It was a fun day out that definitely had an exploratory feel to it, very reminiscent of our similar day on “Peak G” a few seasons back.
It’s always fun to start off the day by skiing into what might as well be another world. Photo by Dave.
Lower down. That’s The Spider and The Fly in back.
Great snow through here. Photo by Dave.
After a 1,900 ft run down to the creek bed we headed north and traversed into the bowl west of “Peak C”. From there we headed up around the corner to take a look at the options off “Peak D”, the next named point along the Ripsaw Ridge just south of “C Prime”.
Steep skinning with some cool ice features lurking about. Photo by Dave. Click to enlarge.
Higher up with what looks to be a worthy objective in sight.
After spying a neat looking couloir and confirming a few things on the topo we finally had our plan for the day figured out.
Warm in the sun and chilly in the shade.
Booting up the couloir, where we found some minor wind crusts but nothing deep or widespread enough to worry too much about. Photo by Dave.
Looking back down from near the top of the couloir. It turned out to be bigger and longer than it looked from below.
Near the summit of “Peak D” with the central Gores to the southeast. Photo by Dave.
A closer look at the backside of “Peak L” and neighbors. Photo by Dave. Click to enlarge.
With the clock hitting 2:30pm and knowing we still had a decent amount of terrain to cover to get out, we turned around a little shy of the true summit of D. After a quick snack break in the sun we ripped skins and started working our way down rocky ledges into the couloir proper.
In the couloir now with some variable pockets of snow to navigate.
From the bottom of the couloir we skinned through a high bowl up to a small saddle, which gave way to another long run on a slightly different aspect back down into Piney Creek. The only minor hiccup for the day came in the form of one of my Dynafit heel pieces breaking in half, so it was all “tele-mode” for me for the final 1,500 ft of skiing but thankfully it didn’t hamper things too much.
Capping off the descent to the creek in this neat chute.
Looking back across the valley at the second pitch we skied from the saddle after exiting the couloir on D.
Sunset reflecting off The Ripsaw on the final skin out. Click to enlarge.
Great getting out with ya again Dave, thanks for a fun one up there!