Summitting Cascade Mountain and skiing the NE slide path had been on the to-do list for some time. Various earlier attempts had been aborted before they had even started: when ascending a 5,000' slide path you need to make sure that a) stability is good, and b) you can see where you are going: it isn't called White Limbo for nothing!
Thursday looked like the day to conquer our nemesis. Starting at some hideous hour we trundled down to Provo Canyon. In the early morning cold our main concerns were apparently "Private Property, Creek Crossings and Bushwhacking". Within 15 seconds of entering Bunnells Fork we appeared to cover the first concern. Shortly after we were dealing with the second.
As we ascended the lower portions of the avalanche gully, along came the third.
Within an hour or so we could see the twin targets of Cascade Mtn (left peak) and White Limbo!
A closer look at where we were heading.
Getting out of the gully into the open part of the slide path seemed to take forever. Whilst the pictures make it all look quite pretty, the frigid winds were gusting and the snow surface was slick in places.
With shades of Timp, the scale of the scenery was an order of magnitude higher than what one gets in the Cottonwoods. There wasn't anyone else around either!
A quick lap on one of the lower benches was encouraging. It wasn't Nebo all over again: there was powder to ski!
10:15 PM 3/7/2008
After skinning up the gut of the slide path, we gained the summit ridge with views of the Happy Valley and the lake.
From the saddle it was a quick climb through the sastrugi to the summit.
The Brokeback Mountaineers having slayed the beast! With our matching skis it was a shame that only AC remembered to bring along the lime-green Alta neck gaiter.
Timp to the north.
Skiing off the summit, after one turn of bulletproof, there was powder - sort of.
There were also some rather large cornices.
Skiing the face with Timp in the background.
Lower down the skiing got better.
Skiing the lower faces under the huge limestone cliffs.
Done!
In memory of the WPB we put down some beater tracks.
Stopping for a quick bite to eat, we realized that the winds had completely died down and with the sun beating down it was turning into a fine day. With that in mind, one feeding frenzy turned into another, and up we went again.
Thinking that the snow would be better, this time we turned to the right below the summit ridge. This was a better line with 1,500' of nice fall-line skiing.
Back up again to the summit ridge to ski directly down the gut. On the way up the clouds descended and the winds picked up, allowing White Limbo to live up to its name! This line could best be described as variable. After another quick lap to bag the 10k, we ascended the ridge to the left to ski one of the Bunnell Funnels. Here, in the trees, we found the best snow of the day. From the bottom it was then a grueling slog down the icy avalanche gully to the trailhead.
Another memorable day in the mountains. Cascade and White Limbo struck off the list and back-to-back 10k days.