Headed back up Kachina Peak today, breaking my own trail through the fresh snow. I love doing that! There's something about making your own way up a mountain that gives you this wonderful sense of almost limitless freedom to "negotiate" with the terrain.
Above the Kachina lift base station, there was a pretty
decent amount of snow, anywhere from 6 to 12 inches, depending on the terrain
and how the wind had played with it.
Once out of the woods, I decided to put in a bootpack up a
gully a bit above Hunziger Bowl. And that's where things got interesting! The
gully was holding a good 1 to 2 feet of fresh, dry powder. Now we're talking!
Suddenly, bringing my skis along on Tuesday started sounding like a very good
idea. With a little luck, that could mean my first turns of the 2026/2027 ski
season!
Beyond the gully, things got even better, with 2 feet or
more in favored spots all the way to the summit. There are even a few lines off
the top that look skiable already. Not bad for early November!
All in all, a great day of exploring, breaking trail, and
discovering that winter is getting down to business. Not to mention the
prospect of making some turns on Tuesday!
Here are a few pictures. Click to enlarge!
 |
| View of a little less than half the Wheeler Wilderness Cirque from Kachina Peak. |
 |
| Take a good look and one ski line after the next materalizes. |
 |
| A rather majestic Lake Fork Peak seen from Kachina Peak. |
 |
| Lake Williams is now frozen over and so skiable. |
 |
| A bootpack ready for Tuesday. |
No comments:
Post a Comment