The big ski run back down

I slept a few hours at the 14,400’ camp, then packed up all my gear and started down the 7,000’ ski run back to the airstrip.  Just below 13,000’ I entered the clouds and then ducked under them at 11,000’. 

Crevasses on the West Buttress.

Ducking under the cloud layer while skiing down the West Buttress, the 11,000’ West Buttress camp visible just right of center.

Although easy, the West Buttress route is absolutely beautiful and I had some great turns on the way down, both on powder higher up and on corn snow lower down.  While skiing down, I passed at high speed several parties on snowshoes, wondering why any right-minded person would want to sacrifice the superior speed and agility provided by skis for the brutally slow uphill and downhill slog on snowshoes, Americans I suppose.

The 7,000’ ski run down to the lower reaches of the Kahiltna.  Lower peaks of the Alaska range trailing away in the distance.

 The glacier had opened up considerably since I had left basecamp and giant crevasses now loomed across the path downward.  Melting snow created beautiful pools of crystal clear blue water on the lower glacier.  I returned to my cache at the entrance of the northeast fork, dug up my gear, ate some goodies, loaded up my sled, said goodbye to the valley of the northeast fork that spared me this time, reached base camp later that day, and flew out the next day on July 23^rd.

Seven days of high pressure and sunshine!  Back to Calgary to catch the tail-end of the rock climbing and windsurfing season!

Flying out and a final look southward down onto the massive breadth of the lower Kahiltna glacier.

I would like to thank Darren Foltinek for his help in preparing this article.

Marc Dumerac, 03-13-2003

© 2003, Front Range Publishing

For info on this article, contact marcdumerac@hotmail.com

©2003 Marc Dumerac, Front Range Publishing