12,861 ft

On Sunday, April the 24th of 2005 we went to ski peak 12,861, just south from Mt. Alice. We started at 6:45am. Alan, Dave, John, Scott and I went up the south forth of the Big Pine Creek to the Willow lake and climbed up the  broad south facing gully there.




At 11,000 ft

The conditions were a bit icy, so Dave and I started ski cramping up, while Alan, John and Scott booted it up. In the middle of the gully, I took of my skies and booted it up also. At the top of the gully (11,000ft) we rested a bit, before dropping 1500 ft to another broad gully that faced more Southeast.




The southeast gully




Scott skiing the broad southeast gully




John and Alan climbing the last stretch to the summit




Last swithch back to the summit

We climbed back up and at 1pm we went for the summit, at 12,861 ft. We reached the summit by  2:30pm. The views were incredible from there. A big storm was hitting Sill, Norman Clyde and the Middle Palisade. Gayley and Temple were visible to the west and to the north we could see the lakes first to seven on the North fork of the Big Pine Creek.



Me at the summit




Alan at the summit




John at the summit

At 3pm we headed down, skiing incredible long and good stretches of snow.



Skiing form the summit





Clyde a bit knocked out at 11,000 ft





Dave back at 11,000 ft after the summit.





Dave skiing the broad south facing gully.

That day we did a total of 6500 ft vertical and were at the car at 4:45pm.