mattlucas 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 Well that's the way I feel at least. I don't want to quit for the season but having skied this line I feel that if the weather doesn't cooperate with my plans then I can end the season with a clear conscence This was the line at the beginning of May during Golden Week. This was the line on June 5 at sunrise taken from the same place. Just a month later. A bit less snow. I couldn't let this line go and so on June 7th I took a day off work and went back. It started with a nice warm up skin traverse all the way around. I didn't try to gain or loose any elevation. An hour after starting I was at the base of the couloir. The dogleg or S-Curve blocks the view that I needed to see. I still didn't know if it was skiable. Crampons. ice-axe and helmet came out and skis were attached to my bag After an hour of front pointing up the couloir the clouds came in. Took this photo thinking it might be my last in visability. It cleared up a few minutes later of course. But this is near the top looking down. Looks scary. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Author Share Posted June 13, 2005 And now the fun part The top wasn't so steep and wasn't worth getting the camera out but about halfway down it get's really interesting. This section is about 50 degrees and off fall-line. You can see my footprints coming up. The couloir curves to the left out of sight before the rocks at the bottom After the steep off fall-line part the crux is reached. Probably about 3-4 metres wide. Only problem was getting out of the way of my wet sluff that poured down with a bit of speed. This was really fun. I like skinny lines like this. And quickly it was over. Looking up from the bottom to the crux and steep off fall-line pitch just above. Lots of fun and I want to ski it again next year. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Author Share Posted June 13, 2005 This is the line with my route thanks to Fattwins artistic capabilities And because many of my friends were working I emailed this to tell them I was having a good time while resting after skiing the couloir Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Author Share Posted June 13, 2005 After making tiny little turns in the couloir I wanted a little speed so skinned all the way back to the other side of the huge bowl and then to the top of this little bump. Some nice big turns and then a little fun at the bottom. I managed to make 2 or 3 turns down this tight thing with tips and tail scraping before lining it out onto the skin track below. Good thing it was a weekday or I would have taken about 10 people out with me. And that is that Can't wait to get back out there Link to post Share on other sites
sava 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 How is it that you can choose to take a day off work? do you get enormous amounts of leave? (jealous ) Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 Sweet lines toque. I have a skier friend who'd love that kind of run. He's almost always barrelling through super-narrow tree lines. Whenever I try to follow him I am always picking leaves and branches from my jacket afterwards. I think our season really ended with the Yari-trip, stuff after that was just not as good.. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Author Share Posted June 13, 2005 It was mid-terms at my school so rather than sit on SJ all day I took a day off. I can only do this when I don't have classes. So not very often except for most of December, March, August and a few other days. Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 GREAT post Toque! I just spent 20 minutes taking it all in. Beautiful and I'm jealous as hell! Link to post Share on other sites
sakebomb 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 Nice one Toque, looks like a good one to go out on!! Nice pics to!! Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 You may not quit. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Author Share Posted June 13, 2005 Thanks guys I really don't want to quit. As long as the weather doesn't crap out I'll probably get a few more days in. There should still be enough snow out there I think. Definitly enough in the Tateyama area but I don't really want to go back there. Next up is a fun line in the Karasawa Valley this weekend Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I cant believe its been a month already since I quit sking. if the weather holds toque keep getting out there or else you will drive yourself crazy. Link to post Share on other sites
Sven 0 Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 A+ to ya Toque... well impressed. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 14, 2005 Author Share Posted June 14, 2005 I already am driving myself crazy Do I ski this weekend or hike with my friends? Hey there Sven. Where have you been? Link to post Share on other sites
nzlegend 1 Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 looks like a good time Toquester, do you ever worry about going on your solo missions to the hard core stuff? Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 14, 2005 Author Share Posted June 14, 2005 Yes I worry all the time. But that keeps me in check. I tend to analize the conditions a lot more and take things a little slower making sure that safety is the number 1 thing. I'm not doing these trips solo by choice. More that I can't get people to come with me on some of them. Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 Takayama has a limited number of crazy skiers eh toque. If it didnt cost me 200 bucks round trip you know I would be there. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 14, 2005 Author Share Posted June 14, 2005 Kind of expensive coming up every weekend I guess I have yet to meet a Japanese person in the mountains that comes from my area. They are always from the big cities. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 14, 2005 Share Posted June 14, 2005 You cant quit yet, theres still snow on dem der mountains boy! Link to post Share on other sites
Sven 0 Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Yeah I've been settling in over here with the (now somewhat) new job and all. Popped in to post a random msg once or twice but yeah... not too much And as for quitting... until the last small patch of slightly discoloured snow has been properly digested, there's always something more the season has to offer Link to post Share on other sites
montoya 0 Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 Quote: Originally posted by Sven: And as for quitting... until the last small patch of slightly discoloured snow has been properly digested, there's always something more the season has to offer you mean like this? (a friend was hiking at kagura last weekend and took the photo) Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 15, 2005 Author Share Posted June 15, 2005 That's great Montoya I hope those people arn't coming out from the big city to ride that I am going skiing this weekend. Back into the Karasawa to get a steep line. Will be interesting to see how much it has changed since I was last in there nearly a month ago. Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 damn montoya, i give it up to those peeps for wanting to ski but I just couldnt be fussed with that crap - think Id rather go play on the beach or throw a frisbee Link to post Share on other sites
Yuki's Passion 1 Posted June 15, 2005 Share Posted June 15, 2005 thats actually where Toque has been going. Those pics hes been using are really other people Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted June 15, 2005 Author Share Posted June 15, 2005 That's right The snow I'm skiing is dirty enough for that Link to post Share on other sites
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