12-31-2016 Mt Ben Stewart and Fish Creek Knob

Solo tour up Mt Ben Stewart.  Avoided temptation and played it safe despite alluring lines everywhere.  Then a couple laps on Fish Creek Knob.  Endless playground that is worth spending some time in to figure out the quirks.

12/30/2016 Fish Creek Knob

This blog is my archive, hence the beta shots.  Maybe I'll delete it if I feel it hinders the locals ability to ski unfettered and alone.  Although I doubt it will change much, as there just aren't that many skiers here.

Storm day terrain on Fish Creek Knob in the vicinity of Mt Ben Stewart.  Good introduction to the terrain in the area.  Seems like a great place to ski alone, in a storm, in the sun, or anytime.  Super fun, classic "touring" terrain with steep trees, pillows, open glades, etc.

12/29/2016 Sheep Creek

Wandered up Sheep Creek Trail in hiking boots on dirt trail for 1 mile and 700ft to snow line on this south aspect.  Skinned 3 miles total to end of trail, then skinned up Power Line to just below the ridge, then bailed due to closing visibility.  Got a good eyeful of the surrounding terrain.  Easy access is the word of the day.

Taken from zodiac boat.

Followed this goat for quite a while.

Top 1500ft of the 3,000ft lines off Mt Roberts

Same pic as above, showing entire line to trail.

12-26-2016 Eaglecrest

Pre-Seattle work trip sanity lap at Eaglecrest in the dark.   Looks like a good week of skiing with moderate snowfall for a few day and light winds.

12-24-16 Dan Moller Cabin

Short tour up near the Dan Moller Cabin to scope storm weather skiing terrain again.  Plenty of meadow skipping opportunities.

Mt Troy from above Dan Moller cabin.  This line looks kind of lame in the pic, but it's actually pretty cool.  Plenty of lines through the alders, which will probably fill in soon anyway.  It has about 1500 vertical of good skiing here on the east face.  The north face on the other side has some big bowls.

Mini golf lines above the cabin.  These are about 700-800ft shots.  The more open shots have sled traffic.

Looking down canyon from just above the cabin.  The approach is up that canyon on a sled track.

Dan Moller cabin.

Mt Roberts (3810ft) on the left with 3500ft of skiing to the valley.  And Sheep Mtn (4,238ft) on the right with a bit more vertical to the valley.  Huge, skiable faces with pretty easy approaches.

12-23-16 Cairn Peak area

Solo tour up Blackerby Ridge in the dark.  Had minimal route finding difficulties at a steep, cliff section.  No biggie.  Then cruised the ridge to the base of Cairn Peak.  Opted to stay off of it due to solo tour and wanting to get back down to get on the water.  Slowly piecing together the terrain and access routes.  It's odd being in a foreign mtn range after spending nearly 20 years in the Wasatch.

Link to GPS file of tour.  Red line is another guys track, Yellow line is mine.  Using both to figure out the approach better.

Auke Bay from Blackerby Ridge

Gastineau Channel from our deck

Grandchilds Peak area

Backside of Mt Juneau over there.

Mt Bullard, I think.

Split Thumb

Selfie

Auke Bay/Fritz Cove

Icy ocean

Sheep Creek drainage with Observation peak sorta visible in far upper left corner.

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Douglas Island peaks

West Peak up Sheep Creek