Log In 
Peak(s):  Handies Peak  -  14,058 feet
Date Posted:  06/18/2011
Date Climbed:   06/16/2011
Author:  pioletski
 Handies via a handy route   


Spring skiing - still going strong in the San Juans



Climb of Handies Peak via American Basin; summit ski descent via Grizzly Creek
Crew: Grant, Gerlinde (telerina13), Matt (pioletski)
6 miles, 2800' climbed, 2400' skied

Though he wouldn't admit it, I'm sure Grant was a little disappointed at not having summited Yale when he joined me for a recon mission. Hoping to make up for that a little, Gerlinde and I invited him on our tour of Handies Peak, and it turned out to be a spectacular day.

Handies has a nice built-in feature; the American Basin trailhead affords a fast and efficient way to the summit once the road is plowed and melted out. Hikers who adhere to the 3000 foot rule will consider this cheating. I'm glad to report that ski mountaineers have no such scruples - in fact we live for the traverses that allow us to ski more vertical than we climb. We came close to achieving that on this trip.

We left the American Basin trailhead at 5:30 am; note the darkness:

Image


Put a camera in Grant's hand and he becomes a total goofball:

Image


We started out booting on the intermittent snow but soon stopped to apply skins:

Image


American Basin is a north-facing bowl, fairly well protected from the wind, which makes for a pleasant climb:

Image


My Trails Illustrated map marks the route touching the shore of Sloan Lake before swinging east to climb Handies' flank. This turned out to be unnecessary, though consistent with my observation that man-made features are often inaccurately marked on these maps. Still, it gave me the opportunity to get this photo of the lake and headwall:

Image


Spectacular views of Mt Sneffels...

Image


... and of Gerlinde...

Image


... unfolded as we climbed. The basin itself is an amazing piece of terrain. I need to come back and ski these couloirs one day:

Image


Handies must be one of the most scenic summits anywhere. The Grenadiers and the Windom group lie to the south:

Image


Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre to the north:

Image


Here are my happy companions...

Image


Image


and myself, getting ready to ski:

Image


We started off down the north ridge...

Image


... passed above a prominent cornice, then dropped into the eastern basin:

Image


Sunshine and Redcloud look more prominent from 13,000' than from the summit:

Image


The snow was perfect spring corn, though the rough suncupped surface kept us on our toes. In some spots the suncups had deepened into craters, which didn't stop Gerlinde from making some elegant turns:

Image


Image


And myself...

Image


... and Grant. The guy can ski...

Image


but I think I mentioned the equation, Grant + camera = goofball:

Image


Handies may bear repeating, as the east face has several worthy ski lines:

Image


Form this point, the snow gradually softened to mush. We stayed on the south side of the creek so as to keep our skis on as long as possible. We took them off at 11,600 feet and immediately made our way across the creek to the dry north side of the valley for the hike out to the Grizzly Creek trailhead, where a cooler of beer awaited:

Image


Thanks, as always, for reading!



Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23


Comments or Questions
swbackcountry
User
Like it.
3/30/2014 12:36am
going through trip reports for those Grizzly lines. Thanks for posting this. Looks like a good crew and fun time.



   Not registered?


Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.


Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.