Mt. Yale Trip Report 06/11/2014

Peak(s):	Mt. Yale - 14,200 feet
Date Posted:	06/11/2014
Modified:	06/13/2014
Date Climbed:	05/17/2014
Author:	SnowAlien
Additional Members:	BKS

Tour de Yale
Route/approach: Ascent: Denny Creek Descent: North Face, a.k.a. Matt Kemper (pioletski) couloir, return to North Cottonwood creek TH Mileage: ~11 miles Elevation: ~4.5k Time: ~ 11.5 hours Crew: Michael, BKS, nkan02, Ruth and Eric The line Earlier in that week Michael mentioned to me that he put together a group to ski Yale with the car shuttle. Yessss! That's the way I've always wanted to ski the mountain - to go in through the "easy" Denny Creek side, and out through the nice snowy fingers of Silver Creek basin with the car waiting to pick us up. So after a long week at work that almost went overtime, I dashed out of Denver around 8.30pm on a Friday and made it to the Denny Creek parking lot around 11pm. Michael & Co (Ruth, Eric, Brian) rolled in at 5am as they stayed just down the road at Cottonwood Springs, and after gearing up we all hit the road by 5.30am - following some other parties that left earlier. Cruising up the standard Denny Creek side was fairly straightforward, at least until the last headwall. Denny creek approach Michael hiking up Group of snowshoers/skiers on Yale headwall No floatation needed as yet Brian, Michael, Eric hiking up the trail The Denny creek side was really wind scoured, but we were hoping the other side of the mountain looked better. Tired of carrying skis from the parking lot, we decided to skin up a bit, but it didn't go so well - the top 2-3 inches were sliding over icy crust. Ski crampons were necessary. So we switched back to ski carrying mode and made it to the saddle ~13'800ft. Harvard and Columbia from the saddle Rocky summit ridge Near the summit ridge the winds picked up and became unpleasant, but still manageable. Remembering the "snowy fingers" on Silver Creek side from last December's Yale summit, I stubbornly carried the skis to the summit. Hiding behind the summit ridge on the north side and somehow protected from the wind, the following conversation took place between me and Michael (complete with unfolding of the maps and all that): Me: Silver Creek basin looks good Michael: It's the wrong basin Me: ??? Michael: We are skiing to North Cottonwood Creek. I read the trip report that said it was a good ski. Me: ??? Did I miss a trip report? I don't remember reading anything about this. Are you sure? All my waypoints are for Silver Creek Michael: Yep, I told the car to pick us up there Me: Umm, okay (not much I could do at that point) Soooo, with that, we all got to the summit, and I found plenty of snow for the ski descent back to the saddle, where Michael and I waited for the rest of the group to make it down the ridge (lots of snow and postholing there!). After that, the adventure began. The "wrong" basin of Silver Creek Our summit shot - although May, it was cold and windy Skiing off the summit under the summit ridge Skiing below the ridge Off the saddle we go - Michael leads the way We skied down the ridge for about hundred feet and found this nice basin with some steeper lines! At first, we couldn't tell if any of them would go because of the cliffs, but after some scouting, we took the furthest one to our right and it looked pretty good. Although somewhat thin/rocky in spots, it had wind-blown powder in the upper half and a bit heavier, more saturated snow near the bottom. Skiing our line Michael skiing Ruth and Eric on the steeper section near the top Brian on the steeper section Natalie skiing Enjoying the snow Nearing the bottom of the run Our tracks An overview of the line But then it was a payback time - we had to get down to the North Cottonwood Creek trail, but since I didn't have any relevant waypoints in my GPS, I couldn't be much of a help with navigation. So we bushwhacked along the creek for a while until we finally (!) - something like 3 hours later after skiing off the summit - merged with the summer standard trail, which also required further bushwhacking on skis. All in, it turned out to be a long deproach, with lots of good laughs. We got to our shuttle car around 5pm, for an 11.5 hour day. Even with the bushwhack out, it was a fun day - and we were glad we got to ski such a fun line! Thanks, Matt. Sidehilling next to a creek - Michael A "good" trail with no tracks My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): Login required to view this map...

Tour de Yale

Route/approach:
Ascent: Denny Creek
Descent: North Face, a.k.a. Matt Kemper (pioletski) couloir, return to North Cottonwood creek TH
Mileage: ~11 miles
Elevation: ~4.5k
Time: ~ 11.5 hours
Crew: Michael, BKS, nkan02, Ruth and Eric

The line

Earlier in that week Michael mentioned to me that he put together a group to ski Yale with the car shuttle. Yessss! That's the way I've always wanted to ski the mountain - to go in through the "easy" Denny Creek side, and out through the nice snowy fingers of Silver Creek basin with the car waiting to pick us up. So after a long week at work that almost went overtime, I dashed out of Denver around 8.30pm on a Friday and made it to the Denny Creek parking lot around 11pm.

Michael & Co (Ruth, Eric, Brian) rolled in at 5am as they stayed just down the road at Cottonwood Springs, and after gearing up we all hit the road by 5.30am - following some other parties that left earlier. Cruising up the standard Denny Creek side was fairly straightforward, at least until the last headwall.

Denny creek approach

Michael hiking up

Group of snowshoers/skiers on Yale headwall

No floatation needed as yet

Brian, Michael, Eric hiking up the trail

The Denny creek side was really wind scoured, but we were hoping the other side of the mountain looked better. Tired of carrying skis from the parking lot, we decided to skin up a bit, but it didn't go so well - the top 2-3 inches were sliding over icy crust. Ski crampons were necessary. So we switched back to ski carrying mode and made it to the saddle ~13'800ft.

Harvard and Columbia from the saddle

Rocky summit ridge

Near the summit ridge the winds picked up and became unpleasant, but still manageable. Remembering the "snowy fingers" on Silver Creek side from last December's Yale summit, I stubbornly carried the skis to the summit.

Hiding behind the summit ridge on the north side and somehow protected from the wind, the following conversation took place between me and Michael (complete with unfolding of the maps and all that):

Me: Silver Creek basin looks good
Michael: It's the wrong basin
Me: ???
Michael: We are skiing to North Cottonwood Creek. I read the trip report that said it was a good ski.
Me: ??? Did I miss a trip report? I don't remember reading anything about this. Are you sure? All my waypoints are for Silver Creek
Michael: Yep, I told the car to pick us up there
Me: Umm, okay (not much I could do at that point)

Soooo, with that, we all got to the summit, and I found plenty of snow for the ski descent back to the saddle, where Michael and I waited for the rest of the group to make it down the ridge (lots of snow and postholing there!). After that, the adventure began.

The "wrong" basin of Silver Creek

Our summit shot - although May, it was cold and windy

Skiing off the summit under the summit ridge

Skiing below the ridge

Off the saddle we go - Michael leads the way

We skied down the ridge for about hundred feet and found this nice basin with some steeper lines! At first, we couldn't tell if any of them would go because of the cliffs, but after some scouting, we took the furthest one to our right and it looked pretty good. Although somewhat thin/rocky in spots, it had wind-blown powder in the upper half and a bit heavier, more saturated snow near the bottom.

Skiing our line

Michael skiing

Ruth and Eric on the steeper section near the top

Brian on the steeper section

Natalie skiing

Enjoying the snow

Nearing the bottom of the run

Our tracks

An overview of the line

But then it was a payback time - we had to get down to the North Cottonwood Creek trail, but since I didn't have any relevant waypoints in my GPS, I couldn't be much of a help with navigation. So we bushwhacked along the creek for a while until we finally (!) - something like 3 hours later after skiing off the summit - merged with the summer standard trail, which also required further bushwhacking on skis. All in, it turned out to be a long deproach, with lots of good laughs. We got to our shuttle car around 5pm, for an 11.5 hour day. Even with the bushwhack out, it was a fun day - and we were glad we got to ski such a fun line! Thanks, Matt.

Sidehilling next to a creek - Michael

A "good" trail with no tracks

My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

Comments or Questions

pioletski	Nice one! 6/13/2014 3:45am Glad to see someone else getting out and enjoying that line!
SnowAlien	Matt 4/2/2015 7:45pm Thanks for the comment. Indeed, it is a great line. I'd work on the exit strategy, but overall, it is a great way to approach skiing Yale.

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