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Spring season is just around the corner. In Wyoming, you can smell it in the air and sense it on the wind. The sun seems to be shining more and the snow is stabilizing. Time to get out and see what is happening in some of those shaded and protected couloirs before the grizzly bears wake up too much.

Nick, Rick, and Kevin loading up at the trailhead:


Ahhhh…the beautiful Pinnacle Buttes! We are headed to the backside of these pinnacles:


Purple and pink Panther goes to Pinnacles with Patagonia sticker for environmentally friendliness.


Kevin skinning back into Jules Bowl…we only rode the machine on the groomed trail and then parked it at the base of the bowl.


Coming out of the trees we are greeted with beautiful scenery and formations:


Here is the line we talked about skiing all week, but four people would be way too many to drop this one:


So we work our way a bit further over to the castle formation to see what is hiding back there:


This area is popular for snowmobile high marking (drive clear up into the couloirs in the background), so we looked for an undisturbed line. Amazingly, not one snowmobiler back in this area the whole day.


We found our way into the apron of Jules Castle Couloir. The line was totally undisturbed. We dug a pit low in the couloir since this aspect was untracked by ‘bilers. Moderate results, Q3 sheers, nothing too daunting…minor surface instablility.


Nick leads the first pitch of Jules Castle Couloir…variable snow once in the couloir, ice powder, windslabs. Nick is below the rollover and you cannot see the rest of the couloir in this picture. Conditions got very dicey below and on the rollover. Nick started sinking up to his knees in deep snow. I worked my way up to him, set a belay, and dug another pit:

Nick and Kevin halfway up the couloir:


Looking into the top pitch of Jules Castle Couloir. My turn to lead in moderately dangerous conditions:


Conditions got better as we cleared the rollover. Nick coming up the second pitch:


Views from the top of the couloir:



Nick climbs further:




Getting ready to drop, Wysplit_ride cuts this nice little avi. Smiling at the beautiful crown. Nothing serious, just cleaning out the sinuses of the couloir:

Wysplit_ride drops and does a snowboard cut to make sure it doesn't run deeper:

Looks good…drop it, drop it!



Rick coming off the roll-over:


Kevin lettin' ‘er loose in front of castles made of sand!

So, while I was in a so-cal snow storm taking care of the paying public , you were dropping this? Damn another nice one. Nice to see your poles were retracted in those pics. Way to kill it ....again

Homer drool/ UMMMM PINNACLE BUTTES / end drool



edit to add: Kevin sure gets a lot of sweet lines for a south dakotan

Nice ridden. Beautiful picts of the Pinnaceles.

Thanks p420...poor guy patrollin'. I wish that my poles retracted more so you couldn't see them...that would be the best. Must buy three piece poles, but then I wouldn't look gat like storm trooper.

It's been said before and I will say it again. Damn WSR, what an awesome backyard you get to play in Nice pics and TR.

hey thanks for the awesum trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cue up my man mr hendrix.

sweet pics wsr!

we can always count on you for some sweet couloir stoke!

Just wanted to post a few more photos that my friend Kevin Forrester took:

Nick on the climb:


Wysplit_ride in the apron:


Checkin out conditions on boot belay.


Rick skis down ze gnar:

Very nice TR WSR. Those pics are sick!