White Baldy

5 A.M. the alarm clock rings. Up and out. With everything packed and ready from the previous day the morning doesn't take to much effort. Before I know it I'm at the White Pine TH in LCC. The main objective is White Baldy, accessing the summit via West Ridge and to have a ski descent down the North Face. This early in the morning makes snow at all elevations feel like an ice skate. It's incredible how well skins work. With relative ease we make it to the Red Pine Lake with a clear look at the route.


White Baldy to the left with the ridge center.

Things became more complicated than what we were expecting once on the ridge. Snow became more firm, ridge line became more narrow and steeper with greater penalties of falling. After a few sections where we thought were the "curx", we halted at the false summit and planed to ski off of that.


Shelby at the last "crux" of the day.


View looking north.

Conditions were firm at top but the snow became more forgiving with each turn down the face. This was my first tour with Black Diamond Megawatt's. These skis can do it all and held impressive edge control down the face.

Since pictures do better than words, here is a short edit I made of the day.

May Ski Tour from Kyle Walcott on Vimeo.