Sheepskin Cabin Trip Report

The acid hadn’t quite kicked in yet, but I could definitely feel the moorings holding my mind to this reality loosening. It wasn’t planned that I found myself on top of a big-ass line in the San Juan mountains tripping, but I came into this trip telling myself to have no expectations and to just roll with it.  Didn’t quite plan on this.

Staples

The rest of the crew was already back at the sleds on the other side of the magical wilderness boundary where the machines, beer and about a pound of Durban Poison waited. We had skied two big runs already, the first a huge, classic San Juan death funnel, choking out down low and spitting out onto an apron.  The second was a surreal run, skiing steep fingers through red red rock towers deep in the range.  Its not often you can put a group of eight through these types of runs here, but the snow pack was green light after a couple weeks of clear warm weather with a solitary storm dropping about a foot on top of a rapidly consolidating early spring snow pack. The elevation was above 12000 for the cabin and terrain, which left the north, west, and even east aspects up high with a creamy smooth pow layer. The snow reminded me of AK orange peel texture snow in the spring, and skied and held as good as you can hope for a continental snowpack. The weather was perfect as well, bluebird and light winds. Green means go.

Casa De La Send

Our crew was a pack of 9 senders, all capable skiers and riders, with a pack of high-end sleds at our disposal in a vast wilderness with no one else for miles.  We were all here to ski, ride and party, taking a needed break from the Vail valley ski season, deep in our respective jobs serving those that come here to catch a glimpse of the life that we live. Usually a group this large is a pain to organize, but everyone was ready to get after it and capable. Patrollers, photographers, ski bums, the love for skiing was well represented.

The Boys Getting Ready in Spire World

Hunter S. Thompson would’ve been proud is all I can say. Epic night sled missions punctuated days of sled accessed touring, climbing and sending. Sleds allowed us to bring anything we needed to this amazing cabin. Drinking, guns, sleds, skiing pow, food, party favors.  Pretty much all time.

Spire World

Our group had spaced a large portion of the meat products and cheese at the hotel in South Fork, but that was the only snafu of the entire trip. Too much Durban too early in the morning had contributed to the meats being left  in the mini-fridge at the Allington Inn in South Fork.

Classic San Juans.

I had spotted the line instantly when we got to the cabin. It was by far the most esthetic line in the immediate terrain. A winding steep entrance onto a huge steep face and into the basin. The far right line in a half dome face littered with old avi crowns and mando entrance lines with no way out, it was the only skiable line on the face and it was a gem. I mentioned it a couple times, but no one seemed to hear. So I waited.

Our two runs required us to skin out right under this face, so I had time to study it and look. The snow, weather, group dynamics, snow pack were all pointing to  a go.  All I needed was the opportunity.  I wasn’t going to rely on anyone to make this happen.

The x factor was on a skin change over on our way out of our two runs. Quiet, reserved, baller skier, J Tsunami produced a “20 minute J” and ten strip of L. We were a group of four of the nine putting our skins on and shooting the shit, reviewing the runs at a cluster of stunted avi hammered pine trees.

“Hey, I have a 10 strip of acid.”

Everyone looked at him, at each other, and burst out laughing. The line of the trip by far, now and forever.

Now my big  party days are long behind me, but at that  moment I couldn’t think of a reason to say no.  Here, deep in the San Juans, there was plenty of room for one’s mind to roam free and soar. What the hell…

It’s been a long time since I twisted myself is such a way.  The skin continued on, through the basin, up and out.  Things started getting weird around the time I crested the ridge, and assessed the situation. Everything was getting brighter and louder and starting to shimmer.  The crew had headed left back to the sleds, across the ridge. I looked left, then I looked right.  Over to the right, the line of the trip waited.  Suddenly, I wasn’t tired.  I was elevated. I was waiting for my spirit animal to appear. What I got were two ravens flying low in looping circles up the skin track. Good enough.  I  turned right and headed up the skin track to the low ridge cutover to the top of the half dome.

Daytripper

The Half Dome

I remember being on top of the line, looking down the concave 55 degree entrance chute rippling like a white water bed.  I didn’t have much time before things got seriously unhinged.  Check the snow and go time.   The first three turns in the chute was blower and deep, then gravity took hold and onto the apron. Shit flew by warp speed.  I had time to make one sweeping turn to avoid the exposed moraine below the run. I wanted to gap it, but realized that I was going way too fast to do that. Around, down and hauling ass to the skin track laughing like a loon.  It was over.

The skin out was a face-melter. By the time I crested the ridge again a permagrin was plastered on my face.  D had mercifully jetted over on the sled, into the wilderness terrain, to save me a slog out.  I had hoped that he had gotten the shot from across the ridge, but he wasn’t expecting the warp speed velocity of the run and missed it. The free ride out was much appreciated, and he was instantly forgiven. I had gotten to ski it and that was enough.

Back on the ridge was a party going on. I had wondered if the group was pissed for holding them up, but they were psyched, hanging out drinking beer and watching the show unfold. Hi fives and a beer…A moment of pure ski bliss.

We headed back to the cabin for a night of debauchery. Those of us on the paper watched the others lap the log rail and ski the pow shots near the cabin.  I was seriously torqued and headed upstairs to hide from the sun for a while.  It was an overwhelming urge after being stuck in a white salad bowl for hours.

Back Deck

A tripping vampire, I emerged downstairs after the sun went down, after a few tacos and several beers.  Switching to tequila for the leveler, the night unfolded and the slednecks took the opportunity to rip it in the huge lower pow meadows for hours.  I laid on the couch, became part of the couch and chilled. J Tsunami guarded the fire with his white shades on.  We held down base camp as the others brapped around till the late hours.

Night Mission

Not often a trip comes together so well with so many green lights. This one did. It will live in infamy for many reasons. For me it was an opportunity to ski something amazing and get ready for Alaska. The three day hangover was worth it.

The Oracle.