November 2, 2000

Everything Has It's Price:

Greg Mercer and I sample some early-season fluff on our teles before any of the lifts are running.

Photos by Aaron Lefohn and Greg Mercer

©Aaron Lefohn 2000

                We hiked from Brighton to Twin Lakes Pass, did a few laps in dreamy powder on the Alta side of the pass (including our first cliff-drops of the season) and then descended down the Brighton side just below Wolverine Cirque. We had ropes and ice axes with us in hopes of performing the season opening of Wolverine Cirque, but we were thwarted by hot sun and not quite enough snow. We were still rewarded, however, with three fantastic powder runs.  We paid deeply for our indulgence, however, with an hour and a half, soul-searching slog back to Brighton at the end of the day through the heaviest, stickiest, most disgusting snow both of us had ever experienced.  C'est la vie mai c'est tres bon!!


Greg at the Brighton ski area parking lot. 7:00 am


Greg skinning up towards me, just below the Twin Lakes damn as we are leaving the Brighton ski area.
 


Working our way up above the Brighton ski area. Mt. Wolverine is in the background. Our high point for the day is the ridge just behind my head.


This is me, part way up the climb. The peak in the background is the ever-present Wolverine peak with Wolverine Cirque to the right of the main peak. Inviting couloirs exist from the far left to the far right of this photo.  The lack of clothing here was the first indication that for every good powder turn we made, there was going to be that much more slogging through May-like slop to get back to the car....but we didn't know that yet : )


Greg at the summit of twin lakes pass with envious lines viewable on the north face of Mt. Superior in the background.


The familiar, yet always breath-taking view from the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon at an elevation of over 10,000 feet, looking west, down to the Salt Lake Valley and across at the Oquire Mountains.  Mt. Superior is on the right and the infamous Thunder Ridge is the rocky spine on the left (south) side of the canyon.
 


Me dropping a knee in the dreamy, creamy white stuff.  We had intended on going straight to the cirque (behind me here), but got distracted by these virgin powder fields that were also void of people. We had to share the entire north facing slope here with two other people (and they were breaking trail for us...no complaints!)


Greg smiles back at me after jump testing the snow on our last run--looks solid : )


Greg drops into the beckoning bowl of dream-snow.


Getting over his thin-snow-pack cautiousness, he lets it rip!!
 


Ahhhhhh............


Me pulling hard on my rear leg. This was the last run of the day....this was our indulgence. Twenty turns lower we would begin paying for next hour and half but this was bliss. Note the very nice track that Greg left behind.


November 2, 2000 in the Wasatch.

Just like any good photographer, we only caught the good stuff on film. The death slog that ensured immediately after this photo was taken has been censored from this site to protect the eyes of the innocent.

They'll be more soon....

-Aaron