Friday, February 24, 2017

2-24-17 Hawthorne Peak

Walked up Sheep Creek trail to about 700ft elevation and hit snow, then walked in shoes to end of trail at about mile 3.  From there we booted up through the trees to treeline, then skinned a long up an left to the Hawthorne Peak ridgeline.  Booted to the summit, then backed off from skiing from the top due to wind loaded, steep terrain with ice underlying the windloaded pockets.   Ended up skiing way down into the couloir to the base of the mountain, then it got too steep and icy, and we booted about 1000+ ft back up and skied out the way we came in.  This peak currently needs more snow or warmer temps to ski it safely, it's just too icy.

Traversing to Hathorne with Sheep Mtn in the background

You could ski up over Poleline, then descend to that creek and go out to Taku Inlet.


Steep skiable couloir on Mt Roberts with the Chilkats in the background.

Michaels Sword is the spire, then Devils Paw massif to right.

Summit of Hawthorne back there.

Mt Roberts is peak above water, then left to right it's Sheep Mtn, then Poleline ridge.

Devils Paw

Dylan over Stephens Passage

Endless mountains, zero people.

Little steep section before the summit.

Taku Inlet background on right

Some great south facing couloirs above Stephens Passage

Summit block of Hawthorne

Split Thumb

Taku Towers?

Devils Paw couloir


Lunch on the summit

Pondering the ice


This "snow" is so loud it almost makes you deaf

Big couloir off the summit in the shade, couldn't ski it today, too icy.



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