Off to Mount Moran

I’m headed to Mount Moran for a few days of ski mountaineering with Reed Finlay. We are skiing into camp late Monday afternoon in order to maximize our time in the mountains. We will be coming out on Thursday.

Both of us are towing sleds cuz it is really flat terrain to camp. I like towing the sled to get the weight off my back. I end up taking a lot more creature comforts with the sled as well…which is fine by me! The warm conditions should make the approach much easier, as we will be able to get great glide using our mini-skins.

I think it will take about four hours to get to camp, the first two on the park road, and the second two off-trail. Two or three hours will probably be in the dark, so hopefully the snow will have re-frozen by the time we leave the groomed trail. You hardly even feel the sled on the flats when the snow is firm and frozen. The moon has been waking me up at night the past few days, so visibility shouldn’t be a problem.

Looks like temps will be pretty mild and hopefully we can find some good snow in our objectives. No doubt the recent incidents in Granite and Green River bring up the red flag about avalanche conditions, but the snowpack should chance quickly with the current temps. Live to ski is always the motto, and getting an early start is key as we transition into spring.

Look for some photos on Friday…should be a fun trip!