Spring skiing to views up Lake Fork Creek.
- March 26, 2021
- Team: Art
- Ski
- 13.5 miles, Class I, ~4 hours c-c
Note: click images to see a larger version in a new window
Here it is the end of March and we had yet to ski up Lick Creek Road. And NOAA said mostly sunny! But first, an explanation: While skiing up Lick Creek Road, you NEVER see Lick Creek. What you see is Lake Fork Creek. You have to go over the summit and down the other side to see Lick Creek. Okay, now that that is clear, here's Art double-poling on a fast-snow day. This road gets sort-of groomed by the snow cat running less ambitious folks up and down to the Lick Creek yurt. |
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We were making good time, dancing in the snomo ruts and teetering over the speed humps. This is the first bridge, looking upstream. Note the small patch of blue sky; we were still waiting for our mostly-sunny day. |
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And this is looking downstream. Note lack of blue sky. |
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But we hadn't left home until 11, so it was time for lunch. At least Hank thought so. |
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After lunch the dogs seem to act a little weird, apparently not wanting to become lunch themselves. |
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Looking up to the ridge on the east, where snomos are not allowed. |
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| And finally, looking up to the west, one of the views we had come for. |  |
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We marveled at all the snow, all the slide areas, and the scattered debris all over the face. |
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This from a little farther up the road. If you know Slick Rock, you can pick out the Three Cracks route. A friend talks about climbing this in the winter, but look close near the top to see the wall of snow from where the avalanches break off. On the way back (down) we got long sections of gliding or double-poling, finished off with some awkward efforts at controlling our speed down the last steeper sections of the road. Between the ice, the snomo ruts, and the death cookies, it was about all we could do to control our skinny little racing skis. |
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