Ski Death Valley - Telescope Peak - May 7, 2011

Pictures and helmet camera video of hiking and skiing Telescope Peak in Death Valley National Park on May 7, 2011. Music by Vagabond Swing - http://www.myspace.com/vagabondswing

My wife Katie and I started the hike at the Mahogany Flat Campground after overnighting at Wildrose. From there, it's 7 miles to the Telescope Peak summit via the normal trail. You don't get a good view of Telescope until about 1.5 miles in, and I was having some knee pain starting out, so I left the skis and boots in the car. When we rounded the corner with Telescope in the distance, the magnitude of the snow made me regret leaving the skis enough that I sent Katie on to Arcane Meadows to start lunch, and trail-ran back to the car to get the gear. Hiking up 2000 ft to meet her at Arcane Meadows (between Bennett and Rogers Peaks), we had lunch and started the long traverse to the base of Telescope. When we started climbing again, she sent me off without her but kept up within a few hundred yards until the trail turned into a class 2 scramble. I continued up, alternating between the sunny side and snowy side, trying to find the trail where I could. What was left of the ridge cornice had turned into 1-2ft deep sun cups which made walking in them very difficult. A week of above-freezing temperatures softening the snow meant that even the bottom of the cups would give way another foot or so. I followed a kind Telemarker's tracks straight up a snowfield to the top, kicking steps into the 45 degree grade and hoping I didn't end up a yard sale before I even strapped on the skiis.

Once at the top, I waved hello to the Telescope summit a hundred yards to the south (but only about 10ft higher) and found the Tele's tracks in the snow. The ride down was fun but difficult. The snow was nice spring corn at the top, but had a tendency to drop out in the shadows lower down. My legs were toast from the 10 miles I'd already hiked, so after the first few turns I could only do 1-2 at a time. I also was determined to not ski below the ridge; by this point I was done with up-hiking.

The video breaks where I ran the snow out. I could have skiied another 1,000 ft down at this point, but it would have meant hiking back up before continuing on the 6 miles back to the car. I opted instead to ski what was left of the cornice. In my hiking and skiing and hiking to deal with the cornice (and the lack of it in some places), I forgot to turn the camera back on. Basically the best skiing was on the 60 degree steep, 10-20 ft tall east face of the cornice; I was thankful that my edges were sharp.

By the time I checked the camera, I was cruising down the easy part, and passed Katie as she snapped a few photos. Had I been on A/T skis I could have skated and then skiied another half-mile, but at this point I was just toasted. I collapsed and waited for Katie to catch up.

I've been wanting to do this since the first time I was on Telescope in 2006, and it's finally done. I'm glad I did it, but I probably won't do it again unless I'm in much better shape. Skiing Rogers peak (10,000ft) from either the Charcoal Kilns or Thorndike Campground would be great fun with the proper A/T gear in the dead of winter.

Thanks to Blake Poe and others that have gone before proving this isn't the craziest thing in the world to do. Thanks to Katie for being a trooper and carrying my food and extra water, and for the awesome dinner back at Mahogany. And finally, thanks to the 50ish telemarker that kicked my ass up and down Telescope, in Tele boots all the way. I hope I'm half as good as you when I'm your age.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• ski
• telemark
• downhill
• Death Valley
• wilderness
• freeride
• winter
• snowboard
• backcountry
• desert
• peaks
• mountains
• snow
• cornice
• ice
• spring corn

[daddyray831]

what song was that?

[justinm]

@daddyray831 "Once Upon a Heist" by Vagabond Swing.

[lukebccb]

For what it's worth, from :19 to 4:38 is a Bristlecone pine forest you're skiing thru.

[birkoff99]

If you don't fall down skiing your not trying.

Where is ski rental in DV?

[AArnold]

I imagine you to be the first. RULING!

[daddyray831]

the end is pretty sweet.. looking back up the mountain...