Joel Bettner

2010/2011 Ski Season Highlight Video

2011-09-22T10:53:00.001-06:00

I don't know how other folks do it, but I consider October to be when one ski season ends and another ski season starts. It is usually when new snow starts to fall in the peaks of Colorado, so any skiing done previously is on "last season's snow" and any skiing done from then forward is done on "this season's snow."

In any case, with October quickly approaching I thought this would be a good opportunity to say farewell to the 2010/2011 ski season and debut my highlight video. It will be in the special features of the new 4FRNT movie, Loyalty, which will be available online on Monday (9/23/11). You can also check it out at earlyups.com.

It was the best season I have ever experienced. Enjoy!

The entirety of this video was filmed in Colorado, Oregon and Washington. After spending most of the season in Colorado I did a large trip to Washington and Oregon to ski some of the PNW's iconic peaks (Rainier, Hood, Adams, Baker, St Helens, Shuksan). It was a wonderful way to top off an amazing ski season.

Thanks to all the people, friends and sponsors that made this season so great. Although the act itself is done individually, skiing is a social endeavor and it wouldn't have been the same without y'all. I've tried to name some of you below. I apologize for anyone that I left out.

-First and foremost thanks to my lovely wife, Kelly, for putting up with me and being so encouraging.
-The University of Colorado Freestyle Ski Team for continuing to push me.
-Mike Bibeau for his tireless editing and putting up with my perfectionism.
-Doug Klepacki, Cory Campbell, Mike Maroney, Geoff Clark, Eric Krall, Palmer Hoyt, Tim Peterson, Patrick Orton, Clayton "Chaz" Roehner, Brian Lindahl, Joel Gratz and Ben Ford for ripping around Colorado with me.
-Josh Smith, Sam Lozier, Greg Hamann, Anita Thompson, Adam Gorski, Ben Krause, the Watkins and the Kurths for being gracious hosts in the PNW.
-Helly Hansen (especially Kelly and Brady) for their great gear and continued support (hellyhansen.com).
-4FRNT for making a fantastic pair of skis that put up with a world of abuse from me (4FRNT.com).
-Deuter for making a pack that took a season long beating but still looks like new (deuter.com).
-Hestra for making gloves I could manage my gear and stay warm in (hestra.com).

I hope you enjoy watching this as much as I enjoyed making it...

Summer 2011

2011-09-06T20:48:00.000-06:00

It has been quite the summer, and with schools back in session, college football on TV and the temps (finally) starting to cool I figured I ought to post something about the summer of 2011. This will largely be a visual post...LOTS of pictures. Enjoy!

After I finished up my skiing in the PNW, Kelly came out and joined me for a few days before she ran a marathon in Seattle.

We splurged and spent a night at the Timberline Lodge

Mount Hood in alpenglow

The Liberty Bell in Northern Cascades National Park

NCNP

NCNP

Colonial Peak in NCNP (it must be skied)

NCNP

On our way to Artist Point the road was closed. I wonder why?

Nooksack Falls

Although still intensely hot (by this winter-lover's standards) this was by far the greenest and wettest summer I've experienced in Colorado. After getting back from my adventures in the Pacific Northwest at the very end of June, Kelly and I enjoyed getting into the mountains as much as possible. We still got quite a bit of summer skiing done, too.

Skinner Hut

Mount Massive

Hagerman Pass sunset

Glamour shot

Summer skiing

My Dad made his first visit since I moved here. We took him on a whirlwind tour that included RMNP, Jones Pass, 6 miles in the Gore Range, backpacking in the Sawatch and a night at the Polar Star Inn (hut). I think he had a good time!

RMNP

Dad waking up in the alpine

I think Dad was surprised to be climbing on snow

Breakfast hike

Jones Pass

Boulder lake in the Gore Range

After this ~6 mile hike in the Gore, we took Dad on a little backpacking trip...but it was near dark when we set up camp, so no pics until the next morning

Not a bad view for breakfast

New York Peak, Sawatch Range

Start of New York Peak hike

New York Peak hike

New York Peak summit

View towards the Gore Range

Above the New York Lake drainage

As with all summers, a few 14ers were climbed and there was various amounts of monkeying around.

Kelly's first tyrollean

Above Clear Creek

Note to self...loose some weight

Mount Bierstadt summit (the tradition continues!)

Mount Sherman summit ('Merican)

Kelly with her WhichWhich bag

A respectable 14er summit picture

PNW Adventure Summary

2011-08-20T00:16:00.000-06:00

It has taken a while, but the video summary video for my adventures in the Pacific Northwest is finished. Previously, all of the "previews" provided detailed information and pictures from each individual mountain. This video is an attempt to condense the feel of the entire trip and all the "previews" into less than 4 minutes. The editing was done to give it a bit more of a "raw" feel than most of the other videos in the "Joel Bettner and Friends" series.

Along those lines, this will be the last installment of the "Joel Bettner and Friends" series for 2010/2011. What a way to wrap things up! I hope you enjoy the video. The trip will be something I will always remember. Furthermore, I hope you enjoyed all the videos this season. The grandeur of the entire season will be something I'll always remember.

PNW Update #6 - Mount Hood, West Crater Rim, Semi-Solo

2011-06-19T13:43:00.002-06:00

I was born in the shadow of Mount Hood. Although I didn't grow up in Oregon I distinctly remember seeing Mount Hood on various trips as a child because my parents were very fond of the area. Even in my earliest memories of the mountain I have been awed by it. To finally stand on Hood's summit and ski down fulfills a longtime desire. Although it is not the tallest of the volcanoes I believe Mount Hood is the most aesthetic, has the best skiing routes, and it was certainly the best ski on this trip to the PNW. With the successful summit ski descent on Mount Hood I conclude my volcano skiing for the season.

Note: Final videos will be created AFTER I finish this trip. Enjoy the previews but there is better stuff coming.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 - After a day of rest from my adventure on Mount Adams I got in contact with Ben Krause. The weather looked somewhat questionable so we decided to head up to Mount Hood and scope the area. On the drive up it was really cloudy, but as soon as we got to the Timberline parking lot we were above all clouds and it was completely clear. Kicking ourselves for not doing the summit that day we decided to go for a very short tour.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 - We arrived at the Timberline parking lot at 6:30 AM to find that it was snowing...hard. Ben and I hung out in the climbers registration room until 9:30 hoping for a weather break.

When we got to the top of the Palmer snowfield (8,540') and it was still windy, low visibility and snowing. Ben and I were discouraged to say the least. We were just getting ready to ski back down to the parking lot when Eric Severson, a friendly visitor from Minnesota, strolled over and asked, "How high can you hike above the lift here?" I responded that you can hike to the top of the mountain, but I didn't recommend it because the visibility was so poor. Then he informed us that it was quite clear and sunny not even 200 yards to the east from where we were.

I honestly didn't believe him, but Ben and I figured it wouldn't hurt to check it out just in case. As it turns out, Eric saved Ben and I from having to come back some other day because we had clear visibility to the summit. I've seen weather change quickly, but never have I seen such a distinct line of demarcation in the clouds. Within 20 yards we went from a low-visibility snowstorm to clear skies!

And to think, we were just about to turn around.

Photo by Ben Krause

The approach truly begins!

Photo by Ben Krause

On the way up it was really quite cold and the wind was howling. The snow surface was entirely rime ice which made skinning quite difficult. I had been wearing my shell over a short-sleeved base layer but decided to switch to a down puffy coat after about 1000' vertical. Once I had it on I was quite comfortable and I continued to climb in it for the rest of the ascent. I also used the opportunity to switch from skinning to boot-packing up the rock hard rime ice.

Changing layers under Crater Rock. You can see old ski tracks on the standard southern descent route. My descent route is just out of the left of the frame.

Photo by Ben Krause

Ben switched from skinning to boot-packing earlier than I did and it was probably a good decision.

A good spot to scope my line.

Perspective on the rime.

Ben making his way up.

The wind whipping over the Steel Cliffs.

Photo by Ben Krause

Getting near the Hogsback.

Photo by Ben Krause

On the Hogsback with the Steel Cliffs in the background.

As we gained the Hogsback part of Hood's crater, Ben realized that he would not have enough time to finish the climb and make it back to Portland for a job interview that he had. This left me with a slight dilemma; should I turn around or continue to the summit solo? Above the Hogsback is where one must cross the most glaciated and crevassed terrain. Looking at my intended approach route (The Old Crater Route) it was obvious that all the crevasses I would have to cross were thoroughly bridged. Additionally, the firm snowpack on the approach and the freezing temperatures made me quite confident in the strength of those bridges. I decided to go it alone, but with Ben watching as I made progress through most of the remaining ascent.

Panorama of the summit crater from the start of the Hogsback.

Photo by Ben Krause

Crossing the actual crater of Mount Hood.

Photo by Ben Krause

Getting to cross the actual crater was quite unique and fun. Hood is a spectacular mountain!

Photo by Ben Krause

Making progress up the Old Crater Route.

Photo by Ben Krause

I got a good view of the top of my descent from the summit ridge (upper right of the picture) during this part of the climb.

Photo by Ben Krause

I moved as quickly as I could from the Hogsback to the summit ridge to minimize my time in a zone of potential icefall. Hence I did not take any pictures or video in this section.

A look down the Old Crater Route from the summit ridge.

The winds on the summit ridge and summit were intense. There were moments where I had to lie down and anchor myself as best as I could with my crampons and ice axe, because even on my hands and knees I was getting blown over. When I arrived at the summit, I put my pack down with my skis still attached. A gust of wind almost blew it away (which would have been miserable!), so I anchored my gear to my ice axe while I waited for a break in the wind.

Despite the wind, the summit was still stunning and it was fantastic to be above the clouds!

Alone on the summit! I descended along the ridge in the background to get on top of my line.

The snow on the descent was far from being ideal. The rime that plagued the ascent would prove to be a hassle on the descent as well. It prevented me from taking any pictures until I was below the Crater Rock because I didn't want to stop and hassle with my camera on a steep slope in those sorts of conditions (i.e. wind, variable visibility and rime snow).

Another view from the summit, but notice the rime in the foreground. It was like that for most of the descent.

Although the snow was poor, the descent was still quite fun. From the summit ridge I descended the West Crater Rim. The top half was not quite as steep as the bottom half, but both sections were certainly steep with sections upwards of 50 degrees. Since the snow was so poor, I was forced to go either very slowly or very quickly. After the first two slow turns from the summit ridge I decided that it would be easier to just let the skis run quickly over the ice. It was a good idea and the descent became MUCH more enjoyable.

From the top half of the line I traversed skier's right to the Hawkins Cliffs. What followed was by far the most exciting part of the descent. Clouds were rolling in and out, so I had to wait for my opportunity to descend. As soon as there was a clearing I dropped in and skied quickly along the edge of the Hawkins Cliffs. The rime was smaller here and it began to move with me in a loud, hissing slough. Nearing the bottom of the line I pointed my skis in order to gain elevation on the other side of the valley and escape any slough that might be following me. After the straightline I was below Crater Rock and on much flatter, less hazardous terrain. I felt comfortable taking my camera out for some pictures.

Hawkins Cliffs on the bottom of the West Crater Rim. My line came down skier's left (looker's right) of the cliffs.

Another look. You can see my traverse tracks in the upper right of this picture.

Below Crater Rock I completely lost all visibility. I made my way down to Zigzag Canyon and then traversed skier's left to the Timberline lifts. I made it back to the car safe and sound after 45 minutes of skiing by braille.

Yee haw! Mount Hood was one fantastic adventure!

Friday, June 17th, 2011 - It feels good to be finished with my volcano objectives for the season. I had a gear explosion out of the rental car to let everything dry out and then reorganized. I thought this pic was pretty impressive!

Beta:

Approach

Top of Descent

Entire Descent

Top half of West Crater Rim from the summit ridge.

Bottom half of West Crater Rim by the Hawkins Cliffs.

PNW Update #5 - Mount Adams Solo, Avalanche Glacier Headwall & SW Chutes

2011-06-13T22:57:00.003-06:00

NOTE: Final videos will be created AFTER I finish this trip. Enjoy the previews but there is better stuff coming.

Monday, June 6th to Friday June 9th, 2011 - After skiing St. Helens the forecast showed some promise for the Northern Cascades. I drove up to the Bellingham area and spent the next few days waiting for the weather to actually break. During the day of most promising weather Josh, Sam, Allen, Brendan and I made an attempt at Shuksan. After a 2 AM wake-up, we hit the trail at 4 AM. Unfortunately, the clouds never cleared, which would have meant glacier travel with no visibility. We reluctantly turned around and are saving it for another day.

What a way to start the day.

If there are any Sasquatch in these woods, we certainly scared them away with our clambering.

Sam was a little disappointed, just like the rest of us, when we got into the alpine and saw a thick layer of clouds up on the glaciers.

June 10th, 2011 - With no sign of an improving forecast in the north of the state, I decided to see what was going on near Mount Adams. Sure enough, the forecast was calling for two days of clear weather over the weekend. So, I bid Bellingham adieu, got in the car and began to make my way south. I spent the night of the 10th with my great friend Greg at his cabin near Packwood.

June 11th, 2011 - I could not find/convince anyone to join me for a two day slog up Mount Adams, so I decided to do it solo. Prior to this I had never done a mountain of this size by myself. Granted, my intended route on the mountain was quite mellow, but simply its size and the fact that I was spending the night on the mountain alone was a new experience for me.

After a long morning drive I arrived at the Trout Lake Ranger Station around noon. I got my things organized for the overnight trip on Mount Adams, filled out all the necessary paperwork, and purchased my permit.

I arrived to the parking for the South Climb trailhead at around 2:30 PM and was on the trail by 3:00 PM.

Leaving the car with the patchy road slog ahead of me.

After 3 hrs and 15 mins (6 miles) of hiking/skinning I made it to camp and set things up. I got to share some company with two other guys - Jeff and Ernest - who were staying in the same area.

Home for the night.

Mount Hood was showing off in the alpenglow.

A little lenticular?

The forecast called for freezing levels to be around 8,200'. So, my original plan was to get to bed early and wake up at 2:30 AM to start my ascent. However, even before the sun began to set, the snow at camp was beginning to freeze. Camp was only at 6,500', so I knew this would afford me more time to sleep in the morning and get a later start. By my estimates temperature at 6,500' got into the low 20's F that night.

June 12, 2011 - I awoke at 5:00 AM and the snow around my tent had frozen to the point that it was difficult to kick a boot into. Instead of starting I decided to wait for it to thaw which would make skinning easier. By 7:30 AM it was still quite frozen, but I began the climb anyway because it was starting to get late.

During the entire approach the temperatures stayed below freezing. This made for difficult skinning, and when it got steeper I ended up boot-packing because it was actually more efficient. If the snow had been suitable, I could have skinned the entire way.

The pic below is the "crux" of the climb. It isn't difficult, but it is just one long face that you climb straight up. From where this picture was taken (around 9,000') it is approximately 2,600' vertical to the Pikers Peak false summit. To put that in perspective for my east-coast friends, that is like climbing the Empire State building a little over two times. To put that in perspective for my Colorado friends, that is like climbing Copper ski resort. What gets me is that this is only one of many sections of the climb! These PNW mountains are large!

Up up and away.

I made it to the top of Pikers Peak at 11:30 AM. Once there I met another couple who were contemplating skiing from the summit. They opted not to and skied down from there. I decided that I would take a long lunch to see if the snow would soften up any more for the final push to the summit. After an hour the snow had barely softened any more and some high clouds began to move in. I could wait no longer, so I pushed on to the summit at 12:30 PM. By 1:00 PM I was atop Mount Adams, and not a minute too soon. Cloud level was starting to drop and there was a storm brewing. After snapping a few pics I quickly transitioned into ski mode and began my descent.

All alone at the summit.

Mount Hood

Mount Saint Helens

Mount Rainier

From the summit I made my way to the top of the Avalanche Glacier Headwall. It looked steep and tempting, so I dropped in. Unfortunately, what looked so nice from above was actually quite nasty. I was skiing on a sheet of ice.

Skiing down the Avalanche Glacier Headwall.

After roughly 800' vertical of skiing on the headwall, I traversed further south onto the Southwest Chutes. The snow was slightly firm towards the top of the Southwest Chute, but after some descending I got into perfect corn snow for several thousand vertical feet. This was what I came here for!

Skiing down one of the Southwest Chutes.

A little further down. I was able to ski really fast and make big fat turns.

After skiing that much great snow on a nice steep pitch I was one happy camper (literally)!

A look back at part of the descent.

I was able to spy just a little glimpse of the Avalanche Glacier Headwall from below. It is in the center/left of this picture.

Once I finished skiing the Southwest Chutes it was a long traverse/slog back to camp. After a mix of side stepping, skiing and skinning for roughly 2 miles I was thrilled to see my tent. However, I had no time to relax. A storm was building above me and I had to pack up and head out as quickly as possible.

The forecast was for a sunny day...

The route from camp back to the car proved to be the most physically taxing part of the entire journey. The snow was slow and patchy, and with every turn I could feel the weight of all of my gear in my backpacking pack.

I was very displeased to see sections like this.

After 6 miles I was back at the car and I was very pleased to see this!

When there is a sign along the road that simply says "Big Tree - 1/4 Mile" I feel like you have to check it out.

Beta:

Day 1

Day 2

Descent

This is a picture I found on Wikipedia. There was obviously a lot more snow when I skied it, but this gives a very good look at the line. I drew in my descent route with little blue arrows.

PNW Update #4 - Climbing, Touring & Mount St Helens

2011-06-08T15:02:00.001-06:00

NOTE: Final videos will be created AFTER I finish this trip. Enjoy the previews but there is better stuff coming!

Wednesday, May 25th to Wednesday, June 1st, 2011 - After getting great weather on Rainier, a week long low pressure system rolled into the PNW and kept me off of the high peaks. Normally, in Colorado, I would be in the mountains skiing during storms. However, on the high peaks of the PNW it is much more important to have clear visibility due to glacier travel and the need to avoid crevasses or other hazards. I went up to check out conditions a few times, but ended up getting turned around. I spent part of this week catching up with my friend and mentor, Greg Hamann. Although I wasn't skiing, it was certainly time very well spent!

Clouds, rain and snow hanging above a lake at 3,500' near Mt Adams.

The moisture brings life and a beauty all its own...

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 - Although rain and snow were still falling on the high peaks and the western slope of the Cascades, the eastern slope got a window of clear weather. Josh Smith and I decided to use this opportunity to go to Leavenworth and climb a classic Washington route - Outer Space. Outer Space consists of 7 pitches on a large rock fin. It kicked my butt. Although I didn't fall, I was certainly pushed to my rock climbing limit, which is fairly small (especially when compared to my skiing limit).

A view from the trail head.

Looking at the route (it is on the lookers left of the rock wall).

While navigating the crux of the climb, about 400' above of the ground, I was more scared than I have been in years. With a nearly exhausted grip, I had to make a traverse to the right. If I fell I would be about 5'-10' below the crack we traversing on with no way to get back to it because it was slightly overhung below the crack. I'm also unsure if the rope would have been long enough to lower me to a point where I could start climbing again. It was crucial for me to make the move without falling, and with a little prayer and all of my determination I barely eeked it out.

Josh lead the entire climb and did a fantastic job. He made it look easy!

Done.

Happy to be on top.

This guy waited for us on the top, then followed us all the way down...

...and I mean all the way down.

We finished just in time to not need our headlamps.

Saturday, June 4th, 2011 - Two Snoqualmie Pass locals - Adam Gorski and Rob Peters - were gracious enough to take me on a tour of their local area. It was great to see some of the mountains close to Seattle and I was amazed at how rugged the peaks got in such a short distance!

Adam with Chair Peak in the background.

Sunday, June 5th, 2011 - After a great day on Snoqualmie Pass and a quick check of the weather, it looked like a good opportunity to ski something higher. After some discussion Adam decided to join me for a ski of Mount St. Helens. We left Seattle at 4:00 AM and were at the Marble Mount Sno Park trailhead 4.5 hours later. We ascended the Worm Holes route and then had a blast skiing down the 5,600' vertical. It was truly a relaxing day and spending it with Adam allowed us to have great conversation and really get to know each other.

A nice and easy approach.

We took turns breaking trail, and we were able to skin the entire way to the top.

Summit shots.

Looking into the crater.

Dropping in from the top.

See the little dot on the ridge?

Adam schralpin' near the summit.

It was far from being intense, but it was a whole lot of fun!

Almost back to the trees.

A gear explosion back at the car.

Good times were had! Now I'm hoping that the weather opens up a few more times so I can get some of my other objectives done!

Beta:

PNW Update #3 - Rainier Nisqually Ice Cliff

2011-05-28T13:21:00.003-06:00

The Nisqually Ice Cliff on Mount Rainier has only been skied by one party in the past. This ski line is very rare because during most years there is not enough snow to bridge a large wall of rock and ice. Even on years when there is enough snow (like this year) the exposure and objective hazards of the line are enough to keep most parties away. It was first skied roughly a month ago and their trip report inspired us to give it a go.
A HUGE thanks is owed to Sam Lozier for taking pictures on this trip. You can see his write-up about the experience at Famous Internet Skiers.

A view of our descent line down the Nisqually Ice Cliff.

Photo by Sam Lozier

NOTE: Final videos will be created AFTER I finish this trip. Enjoy the previews, but there is better stuff coming!

Saturday, May 14th to Saturday, May 21st, 2011 - I went to Hawaii for a week of celebrating the wedding of my dear friends Doug and Meghan. We got to do all sorts of stuff, including; surfing, hiking waterfalls, watching the sunset from Mauna Kea, snorkeling and deep sea fishing (barf). I was honored to be one of Doug's groomsmen. The wedding was on the 20th and I flew back to Seattle on the 21st, arriving at 10 PM.

The Bride and Groom looking good at the reception!

Sunday, May 22nd - Josh Smith had a few free days due to a cancelled Liberty Ridge trip, and the weather report for Monday and Tuesday seemed to be improving. We decided to bite the bullet and give Rainier another try. We got our stuff packed and drove to Ashford to again prep at the International Mountain Guides HQ.

Monday, May 23rd - The weather forecast was still good early in the morning so we called Sam Lozier and he began his trip from Bellingham to Ashford. Sam arrived in Ashford at around noon and we made our way to Mount Rainier National Park. We began our climb to Camp Muir at around 2:15 PM and we arrived at camp roughly 4 hours later. Given that I had spent the last week in Hawaii, on the ocean, I was fairly pleased with climbing 5000' vertical in about 4 hours. At the start of the climb it was snowing and the visibility was very low, but as we approached 8500' we got above the clouds. That evening we were privy to a spectacular sunset.

Prep in the snow/rain at Paradise parking lot.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Skinning in the mist.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Our line comes into view through the clouds.

Photo by Sam Lozier

A couple of slack-jawed gapers.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Spectacular sunset above the clouds.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Mount Adams looking beautiful.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Josh and Sam in our abode for the evening.

Tuesday, May 24th - In the morning we met Aaron Mainer at Camp Muir and he joined us for the day. Due to some issues with altitude we ended up getting a slightly later start than we had hoped. We left camp and began to climb the Gibraltar Ledges (referred to as Gib Ledges, and pronounced jib ledges) route at 8 AM. This climb is much more direct than many others and offers a good view of our intended ski descent - the Nisqually Ice Cliff. Gib Ledges may be more direct than the standard routes up Rainier, but it requires one to be much more comfortable crossing exposure on mixed rock, snow and ice surfaces.

Gib Ledges approach.

Photo by Sam Lozier

One of the mixed rock and snow zones.

Photo by Sam Lozier

The climbing was not difficult, but the consequences for falling were high.

Photo by Sam Lozier

When we reached the top of Gib Ledges the issues with altitude sickness had significantly increased. Although we very much wanted to push forward, it was not worth risking people's health to continue up much further. We roped up and climbed a fair amount above the Nisqually Cleaver to an elevation of ~13,400' (oh so close to the summit!). At 3 PM we switched from crampons to skis and began our descent.

Roping up and slowly making our way above the Nisqually Cleaver.

Photo by Sam Lozier

For the entire descent down the Nisqually Ice Cliff we were above fatal exposure (i.e. a fall means death). The cliffs below us ranged from roughly 300' to 1000'. Simply having this sort of exposure puts many people on edge, but as soon as I clicked into my skis I felt confident. At no point during the descent was I really nervous nor did I think I was going to fall. I believe this helped me ski cleanly and go where I needed to be. Skiing is very much a mental game.

Making our way from above the Nisqually Cleaver down to the line.

Photo by Sam Lozier

I consider myself a "big mountain skier." This means that I like to ski steep pitches where I can go fast and jump off of cliffs. Although I was able to link long stretches of nice turns on the Nisqually Ice Cliff, it was certainly more of a "ski mountaineering" descent than a "big mountain" descent. Our party was subject to numerous objective hazards like; crevasses, fatal cliff exposure, bergschrunds and rock fall. Managing all of this, on snow that was quite variable, makes for a much more technical descent. I'm thankful that Josh Smith and Aaron Mainer were with us as they are both IMG guides and have ample experience navigating this sort of terrain.

Ripping turns above some huge exposure.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Photo by Sam Lozier

Photo by Sam Lozier

The views were incredible and we felt privileged to see this area in a way very few others ever had.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Josh with exposure on the left and crevasses on the right.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Aaron staring down some exposure and crevasses.

Photo by Sam Lozier

It was great to make turns in such an interesting location!

Photo by Sam Lozier

Enjoying the views.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Oh look, a huge wall of rock and ice...

Photo by Sam Lozier

Almost down.

Photo by Sam Lozier

When we reached the bottom of the Ice Cliff we were all pretty excited about getting to ski such a rare line. Although there were still felt some lingering effects, those experiencing the altitude sickness began to feel much better. We skinned back up to Camp Muir and chatted for a while before skiing mellow corn back to the Paradise parking lot.

The group enjoying the bottom of the line.

Photo by Sam Lozier

The Muir snow field with our line in the background.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Beta:
Day 1

Day 2

Photo by Sam Lozier

The descent from the top of our line back to Camp Muir took roughly an hour. As a group of four we did not move particularly fast from safe zone to safe zone, plus we were setting up multiple photo opportunities. If the conditions allow you can certainly ski the line in a much shorter time than we did.

PNW Update #2 - Mount Baker

2011-05-25T10:40:00.003-06:00

Thursday, May 12th, 2011 - Earlier in the week the weather forecast called for rain and storms in the Cascades, so Thursday was a planned day for organization. As it turns out, the weather was quite clear on Thursday and it would have been a fantastic ski day. I checked the weather and clear skies were forecast for Friday (May 13).

With good weather in the forecast again I got in touch with Sam Lozier, Drew Tabke and Will Sumner and we made plans to ski Mount Baker the next day. I had never met any of them before, but they were generous enough to show me around their state and I gladly accepted. THIS is what the community of backcountry skiers is truly about!

After driving from Seattle we arrived in Glacier at 11 PM and “camped” for a few hours.

Friday, May 13th, 2011 - (FRIDAY THE 13TH!) After 3.5 hours of sleep we woke up at 4 AM and met Sam, who came from his home in Maple Falls. We drove as far up the access road as possible but due to snow we were still about 3 miles from the normal trailhead. Undeterred we loaded our packs and made our way up.

NOTE: Final videos will be created AFTER I finish this trip. Enjoy the previews, but there is better stuff coming!

Mount Baker, like all the Cascade volcanoes, is a hulking and stunning peak which provided a wide variety of scenery on the ascent.

Breaking into the alpine.

Photo by Sam Lozier

The views were stunning and the company was good.

We came to Mount Baker with the intention of skiing the Coleman Headwall – a steep, exposed and burly line. However, during one of our many snack breaks we saw a large natural avalanche tear directly down the line. The wind was loading snow above the line quickly and since the whole thing didn’t avalanche there was still a huge danger of it happening again. We started planning a different descent route.

The Coleman Headwall.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Drew watching as an avalanche tears down part of the line we wanted to ski.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Wind continuing to load about 30 minutes after the avalanche.

Photo by Sam Lozier

As we got closer to the summit col an aesthetic NE line with good pitch and exposure presented itself. However, the snow above it seemed questionable and it appeared to have a small wind loaded convexity. We decided to check the snow at similar elevation and aspect on our ascent and make a decision. Unfortunately, all of the snow at that elevation and aspect was large, hard-frozen rime and ice. Ultimately we opted to ski the Roman Headwall, traverse to Heliotrope Ridge, and ski down from there. Although it is not the most intense ski descent on Mount Baker, it was still a lot of fun and we thoroughly enjoyed our 8000’+ vertical descent.

Skinning to the summit col

Photo by Sam Lozier

Booting up the Roman Headwall

Photo by Sam Lozier

At the summit, getting the skis off of the back and onto the feet!

Photo by Sam Lozier

Descent pics.

Photo by Sam Lozier

Photo by Sam Lozier

Photo by Sam Lozier

Photo by Sam Lozier

Finally, at 5:15 PM we arrived back at the car and packed up our gear.

In Maple Falls we ate a well earned and delicious double-cheeseburger at The Slide restaurant before driving back to Seattle. Upon arrival at the apartment I was staying at I packed for Hawaii, took a shower, checked my emails, then got about 4 hours of much needed sleep.

Beta

Saturday, May 14th, 2011 – After sleeping for 4 hours I woke at 6 AM and made my way to the airport for my flight to Hawaii. I have the honor of being a groomsman in the wedding of my great friends Doug Klepacki and Meghan Burke.

Quite tired from a lack of sleep and hard physical activity I was able to catch about 45 minutes of sleep on the plane (something I’m not normally able to do!). I just might be able to catch up on some more rest while I'm here...

Aloha!

PNW Update #1 - Rainier Attempt

2011-05-16T00:14:00.000-06:00

Christmas Day, 2010 - On Christmas morning I opened a gift from Kelly. Inside I found the book "Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America." As I read it, I was reminded of how much I enjoy spending time in the Pacific Northwest and how stunning the mountains are. I was immediately inspired to plan a trip to climb and ski several of the PNW's most iconic and beautiful peaks.

NOTE: Final videos will be created AFTER I finish this trip. Enjoy the previews, but there is better stuff coming!

Monday, May 9th, 2011 - After months of planning I took the first steps of what will hopefully be a long and fruitful journey inspired on the preceding Christmas Day.

Upon landing in Seattle I was picked up by my very close and longtime friend, Josh Smith. For the past several summers Josh has been guiding for International Mountain Guides on Mount Rainier, and he and I have been discussing a ski descent on the mountain for quite some time. We loaded my gear into his vehicle and immediately headed toward Ashford, WA - the base camp for International Mountain Guides.

The weather forecast showed that Tuesday (May 10) was supposed to be fairly clear and that Wednesday (May 11) was supposed to be clear in the morning, with a storm rolling in on Wednesday afternoon. If the weather held it would afford us just enough time for an ascent and descent, and we were excited!

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 - After a few hours of sleep at the IMG HQ we started our drive up to Mount Rainier National Park and the Paradise parking lot.

On the way we got all of our permits taken care of.

Just in case the sun failed to go down for 3 days I would be prepared.

As we were gearing up, it became painfully obvious that I would have by far the heaviest set-up to slog up the mountain.

At this point, the ascent was fantastic. The weather was perfect for a quick ascent to Camp Muir where we planned to stay the night. It was my first time this season needing a shell jacket/pant set-up, and my new Helly Hansen gear took a short while to get used to. However, after a little maneuvering I got the balance between breathability and sun protection just right.

Our spirits were high as our intended ascent and descent route for the second day came into view. We planned to descend a route called the Nisqually Ice Cliff. This is a VERY RARE opportunity because there normally isn't enough snow to cover a large ice cliff. In fact, rumor has it that it was descended for only the second time, ever, just a few weeks prior.

We climbed ~5,000 vertical feet to Camp Muir in just under 4 hours. I was pretty pleased with myself. We practiced some crevasse rescue techniques, then enjoyed the beautiful views.

Tragically, an accident earlier in the day resulted in a fatality. A climber had fallen into a crevasse on the upper mountain. At Camp Muir we were told that the crevasse was covered by a very thin snow bridge. Those involved in the rescue told us that the upper section of the mountain was considerably more dangerous than usual because of the weak bridges that were covering crevasses. Based on Josh's wealth of experience on Mount Rainier and expertise in glacier travel we were still optimistic that we could find a reasonably safe route to the summit and back.

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 - Our plan was to wake up at 4 AM and begin the second part of the ascent before 5 AM. We woke up at 1 AM to check on the weather. The storm that was forecast for Wednesday afternoon arrived about 12 hours early and we found ourselves in white-out conditions with 40+ mph wind gusts. We checked again at 4 AM, and then again at 7 AM to find that the weather was either the same or worse.

Finally at around 10 AM we packed up and skied back down our ascent route in near zero visibility. This was the first test of my new HH jacket and pants. Despite the blasting wind and sleeting snow I stayed completely warm and dry on the way down. Good news for my future descents!

I would have taken pictures of the descent, but just stare at a blank piece of paper really closely and you'll see what we saw.

Although disappointed that we did not get to ski from the summit, the weather certainly made the right decision very obvious. The overall experience was still fantastic. With a little luck and good timing I hope to be back on Rainier soon!

Beta:

April...Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-05-06T19:54:00.004-06:00

The video from April turned out really well...perhaps even my favorite so far (see below).

As mentioned in the video, I have some big plans for May and June, and they are not in Colorado. So, I thought now would be as good a time as any to do a photo tribute to my season in Colorado. Most of my focus this season has been on video, but we were still able to catch a few good pics here and there.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all of the people that made this season so memorable. Skiing (at least for me) is about so much more than just sliding on snow. The friendships forged and strengthened are invaluable. I'm already looking forward to getting out with y'all next winter!

There were lots, and lots, and lots of turns like this.

Photo by Patrick Orton (www.patrickortonphotography.com)

A little later on the same air.

Photo by Patrick Orton (www.patrickortonphotography.com)

P gets more snow in his face than he bargained for...

Photo by Patrick Orton (www.patrickortonphotography.com)

Then runs down the mountain to tell everyone how good it was!

Photo by Patrick Orton (www.patrickortonphotography.com)

We were flipping off of natural features in December...pretty darn fun.

We hit larger cliffs early in the season that we had to wait all season for last year.

Photo by Patrick Orton (www.patrickortonphotography.com)

Maroney about to get some snow on his face

Photo by Patrick Orton (www.patrickortonphotography.com)

Traverse of the Gore Range: Getting ready to descend.

Traverse of the Gore Range: Palmer and I rockin the EHP's

Traverse of the Gore Range: Bibeau films and skis like a champ.

Traverse of the Gore Range: Doug is happy to be out of the office.

Artsy in EV

Epic pee shot.

CUFST atop Silverton.

Beautiful morning at 12,000 feet.

Artsy in EV again.

Approach to the Never Ending Couloir.

Eisman Hut: Sunrise tour

Eisman Hut: Cory's shenanigans

Green Wilson Hut: Night shoot

Green Wilson Hut: Night shoot 2

Green Wilson Hut: Night shoot 3

Green Wilson Hut: Night shoot 4

Green Wilson Hut: More of Cory's shenannigans

Green Wilson Hut: My lovely wife Kelly

New Years celebration in the alpine!

A nice little cliff.

And another nice little cliff.

Photo by Patrick Orton (www.patrickortonphotography.com)

Tim goes under.

I got some snow on my face.

Another backflip.

And another backflip.

Happy...

April Preview

2011-04-19T19:17:00.000-06:00

Here is a little preview of what has been happening so far in April. More will come later...

Berthoud, Bad Snow, Backflips

2011-04-09T18:56:00.002-06:00

Title says it all.

March - Lamb to Lion

2011-04-07T10:15:00.000-06:00

In like a lamb, out like a lion...that sounds about right.

At the beginning of March my skiing crew and I were able to reap the rewards of late-February's powder in Colorado. Once we had burned through most of it, the "lamb-ish" weather at the beginning of the month changed things significantly. High temps and scant snowfall nixed most of our cliff dropping and powder skiing. Instead, I used this time to ski higher alpine lines with good friends in more of a ski mountaineering style. We didn't climb/ski anything extremely technical, but the weather and snow conditions allowed us to make descents that would otherwise be too risky or too difficult to reach.

At the end of the month, March's "lion" showed. Just as I had eased into a ski mountaineering mode the weather shifted and several storms and cold temps hit the state. Right back into powder and cliff jumping mode! Even though it came in late-March, the snow from these storms was some of the best of the season.

Have a look-see for yourself.

Here are some pics:

First drop of the month on the morning of March 1st! I went pretty big and ended up landing well below and to the left the v-shaped tracks you can see below.

Biggest cliff of the month. On this one I landed right by horizontal the ski track that you can see below.

Getting stuff put together.

After ~6 miles of climbing this was the first view of our goal - the "Deming Drop."

Pushing into the entrance of the Deming Drop is around a 50 degree pitch. Very fun!

Once in between the rocks on the Deming Drop the snow was fantastic. Lots of slough was moving which added to the thrill of the descent.

Getting artsy and creative. This pillow wasn't supportive at all and I ended up punching the log with my skis. It will make good blooper reel material for later.

One of the best cliffs of the year. Not all that big (~25'-30') but the turns into it were insanely deep and the slough-water-fall coming down on skiers right provided a beautiful aesthetic. The landing felt like being caught by angels.

A little break for lunch about 3.5 miles in.

Approaching.

Bibeau gains the ridge.

Just about there.

Doug.

Bibeau.

Gore.

Summit.

Scoping from a summit.

Relaxing on a summit.

Future lines?

Looking back.

March Preview

2011-03-14T22:11:00.000-06:00

March has been a mixed bag of ski conditions so far, but I've spent great days with great people. Here is a little preview of what is to come from the month.

February...More Like Funbruary

2011-03-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

February brought with it a wealth of variety in the mountains of Colorado. We had cold storms, warmer storms, windy storms, calm storms, a quite a bit of high pressure as well. The skiing conditions changed quite a bit from day-to-day, but the good news was that there was always something to do and good company to share the experience with. Lots of deep snow was skied, lots of cliffs were dropped, and quite a few alpine lines were shredded to boot!

The video and pics say it better than I can, so I'll just stop now...

Video:

Pics:

For those of you paying attention, yes, I was skiing for the entire month with a broken thumb. Fortunately, it is slowly getting better. I'm not going to let a little thing like that slow me down!

February Preview

2011-02-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's day. It is halfway through the month, so I thought I'd post up a little video preview of my month-to-date. Let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it!

A more professional video and a bunch of pictures will come at the end of the month!

Jan 2011 - Joel & Friends

2011-02-01T23:42:00.000-07:00

First, watch this video. I promise it will be worth your time. It is far and away the best I've ever been a part of. HUGE thanks to Mike Bibeau for helping with it!

This month my biggest motivation was to get deeper into the backcountry and farther away from crowds. Sometimes though, my usual spots were so darn good that they were hard to pass up! However, I did have many adventures into new and deeper areas. The skiing and mountain adventures from this month can be broken down most easily into 4 different sections:

"Standard" Pow Skiing
The Green Wilson Hut
Twin Peak
The Eisman Hut

Perhaps it is a bit ironic, but in my attempt to avoid people by pushing further up and further into the mountains, I became significantly closer to the people I shared those experiences with.

"Standard" Pow Skiing:
I put "Standard" in quotes because it was skiing in some of my usual haunts. The skiing was anything but standard. It was fantastic and the early and middle parts of January saw huge snow totals falling.

Photo by Joel Gratz

Photo by Joel Gratz

Photo by Joel Gratz

The Green Wilson Hut (Jan 22-24)
This trip was certainly the highlight of the month. I booked this hut in June, 2010 with hopes to ski some of the alpine peaks in the area. Kelly, Doug, Palmer, Mike B, Mike S, and Cory came along for the adventure. When we ventured into the alpine, we saw several natural avalanches, so we decided to spend our time in the trees where we had a seemingly endless supply of deep pillow lines. It was incredible. It was Kelly's first hut trip and she absolutely loved it...who wouldn't?!

Photo by Mike Bibeau

Photo by Mike Bibeau

Photo by Mike Bibeau

Photo by Mike Bibeau

Photo by Mike Bibeau

Twin Peak (Jan 29-30)
With my itch to ski an alpine line denied on two hut trips in the middle of the month, the end of the month seemed to provide the best weather and stability to get into the alpine. Clayton Charles Roehner and I spent the night in his suburban before a big day on Twin Peak. We originally intended on hiking the ~4000' vertical feet and skiing from the summit. We started before dawn and embarked on a 7.5 hour bushwhack from hell. When we finally gained the summit ridge we experienced the largest WHUMPH that either of us had ever heard/felt (bad avalanche sign). Unfortunately it was on the same aspect as the summit descent. Instead, we traversed through some scree and upclimbed a bit to get to another more stable descent. It was a fantastic consolation prize. We named it "The Never Ending Couloir" since it provided 3500' vertical. It was steep in parts, but not incredibly steep. The snow at the top was terrible, but got MUCH better as we descended further out of the wind effects. All in all I finally got to do a mid-season, big mountain descent for January.

Photo by Clayton Charles Roehner

Photo by Clayton Charles Roehner

Photo by Clayton Charles Roehner

Photo by Clayton Charles Roehner

Photo by Clayton Charles Roehner

Photo by Clayton Charles Roehner

Photo by Clayton Charles Roehner

Photo by Clayton Charles Roehner

Photo by Clayton Charles Roehner

The Eisman Hut (Jan 11-13)
Although we had a great time, the weather and avalanche conditions really hindered our original plans at the Eisman Hut. We ended up skiing short tree lines that were within a mile or two of the hut for our time there and had a blast playing games and hanging out with each other in the evenings.

The End

A Little Jan 2011 Preview

2011-01-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

I'm busy working on getting experiences, footage and pictures together to share my January with y'all. I thought I'd try to keep you interested with a little video teaser. Let me know what you think of it!

Farewell 2010

2011-01-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

What a year it has been! There were great times spent with family and loved-ones, adventures with old friends and relationships forged with new friends. Oh yeah...there was also a little skiing wedged in there too. In fact this was the first year that I skied in every month of the year consecutively.

December in the mountains of Colorado provided the perfect send off to 2010. Tremendous amounts of snow fell in the high country and I had more powder days than I can count. I even managed to get some of it documented. Check it out below! Big thanks to Joel Gratz at the Colorado Powder Forecast (see link on the right) for helping me time my powder day adventures.

Video (watch this one, it's good): I spent some time on this one and got help from Mike Bibeau (CUFST alum) of Hoodlum Productions. Hopefully it will inspire you.

Farewell 2010p from Joel Bettner on Vimeo.

Pictures! (Some might be repeats, but they're all from December 2010)

Greybird cliff dropping

Photo by Patrick Orton

Palmer gets upside-down and throws in a grab

Did lots of pillow skiing

Scouting to let the photographer know where I was giong

Dinner picnic at dusk with my wife

Pow Turns
Tim gets snow on his face (Photo by Mike Bibeau)

Photo by Mike Bibeau

Photo by Mike Bibeau

Tim goes under (photo by Mike Bibeau)

Photo by Mike Bibeau

Cold temps

New Year's celebration in the mountains with my sweetheart

Andre...classy

Ice beards

Smokin' Yards BBQ became our favorite place to stop and eat on the way home (in Idaho Springs)...you can see why.

Short But Deep

2010-12-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

I am throwing this up as a teaser to a post that will consist of pictures and footage from the end of 2010.

Short video:

Short But Deep from Joel Bettner on Vimeo.

1 Picture:

An Early Christmas Present

2010-12-13T09:31:00.004-07:00

My Christmas present came early this year (December 11 and 12) and it took the form of face-shots and over the head pow. And in the Christmas spirit I didn't hoard my gift, but instead shared the experience with good friends. Just like Bing Crosby, these are the sort of days that I dream about.

Video:

An Early Christmas Present 2010 from Joel Bettner on Vimeo.

Pics:

The start of a turn...

...and the middle of the turn.

Up for air.

Tim get's a little bit of snow on his face.

Tim just can't seem to catch a breath.

About to get a face-shot.

And of course there were some cliff drops and pillows...

(Photo by Patrick Orton)

(Photos by Patrick Orton)

(Photo by Patrick Orton)

Epic beard pics...

The ice made getting food into my mouth a difficult task.

Pre-Thanksgiving Pow Feast

2010-11-12T17:13:00.002-07:00

The snow pack isn't deep, but it is soft. Soft enough, and just deep enough to feast on some November pow. This is the perfect time for rock skis (which is why you don't see me on my 4FRNT's).

Thursday, 11/11/10: Dawn Patrol with Gratz
Joel Gratz (founder of the Colorado Powder Forecast) and I got up and did a "dawn patrol" day at Berthoud. We were rewarded with some nice soft turns and zero crowds.

Friday, 11/12/10: "I've been through the mountains on a peak with No-Name, it felt good to get snow on my face..."
I took CUFST folks out for their first full backcountry ski day. Some nice soft turns and face shots were had. Snow was great up high, but a little lacking when we got further down. Everyone still had a great time.

Pics & Video: It was my first time using the helmet cam this season, so the angle is a little funky. It will be better next time.

Pre-Thanksgiving Pow Feast from Joel Bettner on Vimeo.

The sun just cresting over the mountains.

The skin track through the new snow.

Inversion in the valley.

Going up.

Gearing up to drop in.

Coming down.

Happy.

Some interesting helmet cam pics...

October 20 - 27...what a difference a week makes.

2010-10-27T14:01:00.000-06:00

Wow...last week I took a group of folks up to Berthoud Pass to start discussing backcountry safety and protocol before the season starts. We made some ridiculously goofy turns just to say we did.

CUFST hiking at Berthoud Pass (October 21, 2010).

Ridiculous turns.

Then during the week I did some pumpkin carving.

Carving the Penn State logo is a yearly tradition. I think the addition of the football goes well.

Today (October 27, 2010) I went and skied full-on powder. Didn't even hit a single rock all day long. What a difference a week makes.

Tim enjoyed his first backcountry experience.

I was kicking up a little cold smoke tail all day long.

Evidence of the face shots I got all day long.

Really short video. Quality is not good, but hopefully it gives you an idea of what our day was like.

First Pow Turns of the Season...October 2010 from Joel Bettner on Vimeo.

Hunting 2010

2010-10-18T13:45:00.000-06:00

I spent a few days elk hunting with friends again this year. I don't have a tag or a gun, but I go along to help track and haul out an elk if we get one. This year, we went back to the same area that we went to last year. I was a bit skeptical because I had been up there several times over the summer and seen no elk and very little signs of them, but we all gave it a whirl anyway. Although we didn't get any elk, the trip was still a success. Being in the mountains and getting to see things that few others do is always a good time.

It should also be noted that we do not hunt in a lazy-man style. We backpack several miles into designated Wilderness terrain to set up base camp, then we hike and bushwhack everywhere we can in search of the elusive beasts. Then, if when we're lucky enough to get one, we field dress it, quarter it, and hike it out to the trail head on our backs. Not for the faint of heart or weak of back.

This time of year (post-rut and in transition between wintering and summering grounds) elk are much more sedate and do not spend much time in valley bottoms. So even though you can see thousands of them in the spring and summer right out of your car window, this time of year is a completely different story.

Getting close to the trail head.

A little more than a mile in and the fun really starts

Base camp

That's right...I was coerced into lugging a friggin' guitar up into the mountains. It was fun though.

Got to spot this guy...too bad we didn't have a moose tag!

Look at that beard!

We ate well.

After starting a climb pre-dawn, the reward was first light on the alpine peaks.

Then the whole valley came into view.

Scoping the valley.

Felix and I making our way up some nasty terrain.

The moon rising over Parker, Felix and I after a long scouting mission.

The terrain was burly, but really dang cool.

A happy camper.

CUFST Camping Trip, October 1-3, 2010

2010-10-11T11:02:00.000-06:00

Well, its starting to turn into fall again! That means winter is just around the corner...I can't wait.

But, before Ol' Man Winter arrives I spent a weekend out in the mountains on a camping trip with folks from CUFST. Good times were had by all. I'll let the pictures take it from here.

To see all the pics go HERE.

Mama Minchow cooked everyone pancakes!

This ended VERY poorly for Evan...but great for everyone else.

Apparently I look like Yukon Cornelius from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...I guess I can see it.

"OMG I'm being attacked!"

Maroney would be proud