And so it starts: back in SLC looking at the Twins on a sunny December morning.
Up at Grizzly, after 5 months in an office at sea level, 5 hours in a plane, and 5 hours of sleep, I was ready to start touring again.
Instead of hammering it up Flagstaff or Cardiff, I decided to go for a gentle walk to Twin Lakes Pass and then climb the ridge to Honeycomb. I didn't break any records with my ascent time!
The early morning winds had died down by the time I reached the top. It did look a little bare over in Silver and Days Fork.
I took a high entrance into the East Bowl of Silver Fork and skied down to the gully.
From the lower part of the gully, I climbed up to the flats and then ascended the normal route to the Reed and Benson Ridge.
For completeness, I skinned along the ridge back to the Days / Silver / Emma Ridge, taking a breather to enjoy the fine view of Superior and Cardiac.
By this point, the 3,000ft of climbing had taken it's toll. I descended the West Bowl of Silver Fork and skied all the way out to the flats at Solitude, before hitching back to Alta. The snow coverage at the lower elevations was surprisingly good. Up high it was a mixture of facets and windboard. One down, many to come.