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I took these photos today. Now, I'm not saying I'm crazy enough to ski these lines, but I thought I'd post these photos to see if anyone is .


Maroon Peak and North Maroon Peak. The cliff-banded North Face Route is an extreme skiing classic. I don't know if anyone has ever snowboarded it. Can you try to draw a line down the face and to the snowfield below? The whole thing is pretty much no fall zone!

Another, less extreme but still deadly, route is the "Bell Cord Couloir" which starts in the obvious notch between the two summits and flows down and to the left in this photo.


Pyramid Peak The east couloir that starts off lookers-left of the summit, was first skied by Chris Landry sometime in the 70's. Hence, it is called "The Landry Route". I do recall hearing last season that the first snowboard descent was made via this route.

I never get sick of photographing these mountains. On any given day, they always look somewhat different, but still incredible!

WOW! I might call you and go east if no new snow around TRide at the end of the month. You and BGB have got me stoked with the TRs.

"Luca", I definately am interested in attempting the classic N. Face of N. Maroon Peak. This line is really pretty reasonable, especially in comparison with Pyramid! The Landry line received a number of descents last year, due to the excellent conditions.
Another great descent in the Elks is the E. Face of Castle Peak. I am going to try to get up to Aspen a little later this year to at least get on Castle.
Nice pics, thanks; it is always helpful to what current conditions look like.

Silversurfer - did we talk a few weeks back? I don't think its a coincidence I talked to another splitter from Hawaii. Call me when you get to the Rockies.

Barrows -- here's a pic of Castle I borrowed from Davenport's website



See the couloir on the far right, low on the ridge? We sent that one last May, as opposed to the more intimidating east face. For whatever reason, I never wrote a TR on that. Here's a few photos of that trip:







As for the east face route, I was trying to figure out the entrance while skinning to that couloir. I can't say I truly figured it out. I guess you just start somewhere and boot up, and when you get to a cliff, just traverse around it.

If you do plan to do the east face, its worth booking a night at either the Green Wilson or Tagert huts. They're seriously right there at the base of the route. Let me know when you plan it and I may try to join you.

Adam

Yeah, cool to see those photos from Castle. I made an attempt on that a number of years ago (before I used a split), we snowshoed up the Pearl Pass road, and camped just a bit above the Tagert hut (this was in mid May if I recall correctly, with much less snow than in Davenport's photo). The face had a continuous line of snow, almost directly up the center which looked perfect. That night we were pummeled by super high winds, that did not abate in the morning-we could not imagine climbing the face in the wind (not to mention riding it), so we retreated.
This is one route that I really want to get back to, a beautiful line on a big, high face-steep enough to be serious, but not so steep as to be super scary (as long as the snow is OK).
I'll let you know when I am up for another attempt, probably not 'til a little later in the season, but this year, who knows about the weather and snow conditions!
My hat is off to those that descended Pyramid last year, that is one burly line.