Twigs Digs the Wide Slide!
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Twigs digs the wide slide! |
Yesterday 'Twigs' and I skied the Angel Slides up on Wright Peak. It's a favorite as one of the closer (relatively- it's still a rolling 2.5 mi. tour each way) slides, long and steep enough for good runs, but easy to lap and with a dependably snowy NW aspect in the lee of a ridge. But it also has a history- skiers have been killed and injured in snow avalanches there. It's a popular and dependable option, but does require approaching with the appropriate attitude.
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Reaping the benefits of an old, protected skin track. |
This was our first trip into the Angel Slides this winter, and part of our objective was to see what the coverage is like and to start to develop a working 'history' of the snowpack there this season- it's a place we often introduce guests to 'slide skiing' in the Adirondacks. It appeared that a decent sized party had been in there on Saturday They had put in a steep but well-protected skin track and had obviously performed several test pits in key locations along the way. And of course, plenty of tracks down too- but they had blown back in. And the line we wanted remained untouched. It was great to see such evidence of calculated competence in our backcountry scene here, and of course we also benefitted from the remnant ski track and the reassuring test pits and tracks.
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Twigs wonders if trees and soil won't stick to that slide, how does the snow? |
So we skied! And it was good. Two nice bottomless runs, then wax up and a quick tour out to the Loj. Then on to burgers, fries and beer at Lisa G's in Lake Placid, and the final meltdown at home, feet up in front of a warm raging woodstove. Livin' the dream...
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Second helping. Angel Slides. |
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Twigs keeps them high and tight. |
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Backcountry baptism- Twigs likes his new skis! |
