Cutty lined up a new Yurt this year in the Tushar Range called Puffer Lake Yurt. It was 3 miles in which means 3 miles out. We skinned in on Friday afternoon with all our gear and got to the yurt around 5:00 that evening. Jon Koenig, Chris Downing, Mathew Brooks, Alex Wray, Ryan Frisch and myself made the trip.
The elevation is very high up there and the yurt sits at 10,500 feet. I was fortunate enough to get altitude sickness that Friday evening. I was nauseated, had a headache, minor shakes and tits up in bed.
While some of us were in bed Cutty, Brooks and Alex went out for a full moon tour around 10:00. Three runs later it was 1:30 AM and I was a bit nervous they weren't back. I went out on the deck and started calling their names and I saw their head lights working their way through the pines. I don't care who you are, that is hard core!
The sun did rise for me though on Saturday and I found myself feeling better. We set out on a great day of back country skiing.
We punched our way up and gained a ridge.
Once on this ridge the tour was as good as it gets. Wide open, high alpine with views in almost every direction. With the approach already paid in full on Friday we spent Saturday way up above 11,000 feet with soft powder and no other tracks in sight!
Several discussions on where to go ensued on the way up...
All six of us...
Example of terrain on the way up.
On top of City Creek Peak, right around 11,500. It was pretty wind blown and I noticed a lot of mountain goat scat and later read that the Tushar's have a vibrant heard of 200-300 goats. The rocks and plants up there on the peak were alive with lichen and the brush was living out a tough existence, wind blown but rooted firmly.
Everyone celebrates and enjoys lunch on the peak.
Alex was kind enough to give a tutorial on the peak and we went through some exercises on beacon tracking, snow conditions, probe use and burial extraction so we were all on the same page in case something went down. Alex has spent a lot of time touring and has taken some extensive courses on safely riding in the back country.
Some of the lines over my shoulder.. The snow was really good and creamy in spots. You could really sink an edge into it, you know??? Lots of vertical off City Creek Peak and we got back to the yurt in one piece.
Downing kicks his blisters up..
Cooked burgers that night that had bacon bits, cheese and jalapeno's diced up it the meat (thanks Ash!). They went down really good after a long day trekking.
Yurt life and shooting the shit.
Frisch on the top bunk.
Lot's of gear and a smallish yurt. Lot's and lot's of exercise and lot's and lot's fun. It takes certain kind of guy to spend a weekend working for turns and roughing it. I am glad I know these type of guys... Many more good trips to come.
Cheers!
Chris Giles
