Elk Mountains Season Opener 2013-14

Day Two, Sunday the 20th, involved an even bigger hike to even better conditions. Rob, his wife Sydney Dickinson, Pete Sowar, and myself skinned higher in the same drainage, reaching a peak that I have had in my sights for years. The North face of Augusta rewarded our 3,000' climb with a choice of filled-in chutes, right from the summit. And what's better than a summit ski descent of a 12,500' peak in mid October? Right, doing it again. We skied back to our skin track, enjoyed a quick sandwich, and made our way back to the peak. Dropping off the South side this time, we experienced every type of snow conditions as we skied southerly, easterly, and northerly aspects. Another first for me, we sighted a small herd of deer climbing in the area and were able to ski to within a few feet of them (see in video). The final pitch of our descent paralleled a beautiful braided cascade waterfall as we pushed turns into the quicly warming snowpack. Back at the truck, we marvelled at the best first weekend of ski season any of us had ever had.
Here's to a great winter, may everyone's turns be deep, safe, and plentiful. Cheers!
Music by The Strokes - Machu Picchu
Shot on Sony NEX-5, NEX-6, and Drift HD Ghost