Paige Brady

Posts Tagged ‘backcountry skiing’

Mount Drum photo: Paige Brady

We headed North from Anchorage to attempt to ski the North Face of Mount Drum (12,010 ft).  We pulled over a few miles after the Tok cut-off on the Glen Highway and started skinning from our cars.

the trip begins

After about an hour of bushwhacking we dropped into the Copper River where we quickly turned off and started skinning up the Sanford River.

Skinning along the Sanford River

It was nice and sunny during the day, but dropped to around -30° at night while camping on the river.

Danielle and I

waking up to falling death crystals

We heading up an unnamed drainage about 4 miles after the bend in the Sanford River toward Mt. Drum.

going up unnamed drainage off the Sanford River

Sean, Ben, Stormy, and Danielle

Mount Drum's North Face

Mt. Drum

Our camp that we cashed our sleds at.

Mt. Drum

Mt. Drum's North Face

This was the basin our high camp was in.

getting roped up

climbing Mt. Drum

our high point

our high point

The lack of snow made for minimal snow bridges and blue ice which made us have to abandon our summit attempt.

the final uphill bushwhack fun

It was still a amazing trip with many funny moments!

Check out this month’s issue of Telemark Skier Magazine and read how I learned the hard way that performance fitting boots aren’t the best for longer backcountry adventures.

Justin Libby and I headed up towards Hurdy Gurdy Peak from the South Fork trail head. We skinned up to the end of Hanging Valley and skied the coulior that was lookers right of the high point there.  I had seen it earlier in the fall while hiking Hurdy Gurdy and had to come back and ski it.

Justin with the coulior in front of him

excited to be exploring new terrain

Justin booting up the coulior

top of the couloir

view from top of couloir, starring at Cantata Peak