On Thursday, with the high pressure continuing, we left the Central Wasatch for Mount Nebo - the highest peak in the Wasatch range at 11,928'. With the trailhead at 5,900 it would be a long slog. The route:
It was an early start.
There was enough coverage to start skinning from the road. From here, we ascended Pole Canyon Basin. One of our objectives was one of the N facing couloirs off the summit.
There were plenty of views to the valley floor.
All the way up we dealt with a lot of wind-damaged snow. About 1,500ft off the summit, there was a brief appearance by the ski crampons, before they were put back in the packs and we had to boot the rest of the way. The summit ridge was not particularly pleasant. It was bulletproof and the winds were nuking out of the west.
Finally we reached the summit.
Our first run was the east face - towards the appropriately named Hell Hole Basin. Skiing off the summit, the top section was bulletproof and quite exposed. The slide paths all around here were huge. Not the place to go in any sort of hazard.
We cut across to the next shot in search of some better snow.
Instead of bulletproof, we found Sastrugi - lots of it!
Which required some innovative stopping techniques.
It was Sastrugi for 2,000' with the occasional slick wind board.
We skinned back up to Wolf Pass.
The N-couloirs hadn't looked too good, so we descended via Jones Canyon. It was an interesting mix of supportable and breakable crusts.
The moon over Pole Canyon Basin.
Mount Nebo as the sun set. Our route was the canyon on the left. The summit is the left-most of the 3.
