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Monday, April 29, 2019

Weekly Post: The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get by Robert Glenn Ketchum (#101-200)

Continued. . .

by Robert Glenn Ketchum


Growing up my parents had a home near Sun Valley, Idaho. It was there that I learned to ski. Over many years I befriended members of the Decker Flats Climbing and Frisbee Club, with whom I had both life, and art-forming outdoor experiences. I had my camera, and these are my adventures.  Enjoy!!  ~Robert Glenn Ketchum



 Monday, March 2, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #200: DFCFC, #200: As edge my way along the lakeshore, Belle, my lab, keeps sticking her nose into the snow to investigate whatever she smells beneath it, and as a consequence, her snout is cutely decorated with powder. In fact, everything around me is decorated with powder, and as I draw closer to Schiestler Peak, there is much powder decoration to ponder. The light snowfall has etched the granite crags and terraces, making them more pronounced, and the blowing winds of the past night have knocked all the snow from the trees, so they stand in sharp contrast to the bedecked rocks. The weather is streaming through overhead, the clouds zooming across the skies, driven by high winds in the upper atmosphere. When breaks in the weather appear, pockets of sunlight flash blindingly across the landscape, which I work myself into a frenzy trying to capture on film, but it is COLD, I am still sleepy, and I have not yet hit my morning stride. The tripod legs are especially cold, even through my gloves, but hey! I’m havin’ some fun now. Actually, I am. It is a blustery, beautiful beginning of the day, but I am definitely going to want breakfast when I get back to camp, starting with something hot to drink.

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The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #199: DFCFC, #199: It did snow on and off all night, but not enough to bury us. When morning arrives, there are broken skies above, letting in some blinding sunlight, so Belle (my labbie), and I, arise quietly before my camp mates, and scurry around taking pictures. Gordon and Polly periodically whacked their tent fly during the night, causing it to shed any snow accumulation, and that worked out nicely because the snow piled higher on the sides of their tent, and insulated them. As a consequence, they are warm and unconscious. Belle, on the other hand, is wild! She likes this new white stuff and is busy running around in it. In the distance, at the far end of Clear Lake is Schiestler Peak, which is putting on a morning light show, so camera in hand, I begin to tread my way carefully in that direction. There IS enough snow to cover small rocks and stumps, and make them slippery, so I have to pick my way along the shoreline to avoid a faceplant. Behind me, East Temple and the Deep Lake basin are still storming away, but in front of me there is the promise of something else. Perhaps this spate of weather will end soon.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2020, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, February 17, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #198: DFCFC, #198: About the time we finish our extended meal, the granular snowfall turns to true snowflakes, and it begins to snow seriously. Since there is no knowing how much snow we might get, winter campers know there are certain things that must be done, so your camp will be functional after the weather passes. The first of those is to collect everything that is laying about on the rocks. and put it under the tent fly, so that if it snows inches, or more, nothing gets buried, and you will be able to find it in the morning. Then the stoves get moved under cover as well, and lastly we re-pitch the tent fly itself, so that it is as taut as possible. Not only does that assure protection for all the stuff just stashed beneath it, but if there is an accumulation of snow, it will make it harder for the fly to sag in, onto the tent. With our duties accomplished, there is little else to do but to sit and watch the storm as it closes in on us. Besides, the one thing we have not yet put away is our liquor supply, so it is time to bedeck ourselves with all our cold weather clothing, grab our ensolites to sit on, and break out the after-dinner libations. Party on Garth! By the time we are finally ready for bed, it has snowed enough to cover the ground without melting off, and it is clear to all of us, that this storm is just getting started, so we finally retire to the warmth of our sleeping bags, and doze off to the sound of flakes tapping down on our rainflys, while we are all wondering how deeply we might be buried when we wake.

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 Monday, February 10, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #197: DFCFC, #197: Finally back at camp, night has not fallen, but as the clouds roll in, it grows considerably darker. Expecting it to be really cold tonight, we decide on having a big meal, so food prep begins with a nice fire and some hot soup. Then, on to A LOT of carbo-loading, and some freeze-dried sausages that are surprisingly tasty. Doggo, Belle Star was hoping for some trout, but the lake at which we have camped gets fished frequently, so they are wary, and the constant wind makes the effort pointless. She did, however, find some sausage a decent substitute. About midway through our sumptuous repast, little white things began to fall out of the sky, and East Temple Peak, in our distant view, grows hazy through the screen of a light snow that is beginning to fall. The question in camp is whether this will remain a “light” snow, or are we going to get hammered. We know we are risking the wrath of the weather gods, by daring to be camping here so late in the season, so now it appears that tonight we will discover our fate.

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 Monday, February 3, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #196: DFCFC, #196: After Gordon William’s little rock dance part way up the summit approach to Haystack Mountain, we all find a wind protected, sunlit meadow for some relief from the chilling breeze and a bit of snacking. Labbie doggo, Belle Star, is especially happy about all of this, and her black fur warms immediately, putting her into a heavenly doze. The weather is broken, and streaming over us, so it is hard to tell what the future might hold, but for the moment we are happily toasty. Vicki Golden, my partner (left), and Gordon are smiling for the camera, and Gordon’s campmate, Polly, is still pondering the sheer walls of granite that spill down from Haystack. The day remains kind to us for some time, so we hold ground, and bask in it, while Gordon enjoys some stinky canned sardines. Eventually we work our way leisurely down, and back to camp. En route, it seems we picked the exact moments to enjoy the sun, because as we descend, the weather is doing so as well. The wind grows colder, and the clouds close out the blue sky with what looks like it could be an incoming snowstorm.

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 Monday, January 27, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #195: DFCFC, #195: If you read the last few posts, you know that Gordon Williams ascended a non-technical crack in the ridge above us on Haystack Mountain, although none of us really wanted him to attempt it. Vicki Golden, Polly, and I, thought there was too much snow and clear ice to risk exposure, and in fact Gordon eventually came to that conclusion as well, once he got into the cleft that might have led him to the summit. Recognizing the danger he is finally down-climbing to all of our relief, but I thought I might put that into better perspective for those of you who are following. Where Gordon went is virtually vertical, and there is ice and snow everywhere in patches. Vicki, Polly, and I, remained at the highest point of our ascent, which has the appearance (last post) of being for more benign, perhaps even flat. While there are some patches of grass and gravel, at our position on this ridge, in fact, even those are very steep platforms, and the granite rolls off sheerly, on both sides of our position. In the image above, Gordon is back with us, but look at the slope of the rock he is negotiating. He is angling towards a larger terrace below where we have been sitting while we watched him, and where Vicki is still ensconced. Polly has dropped down a bit and is crossing over to meet Gordon. If I back up any further for this shot, I go over the sheer side into Black Joe Lake. Doggo, Belle Star thinks we are all nuts, and just wants to find a flatter place lower down, and behind some form of wind protection, so she can lie in the warmth of the increasing amount of sunlight that seems to be coming our way, as the passing weather breaks off.

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 Monday, January 20, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #194: DFCFC, #194: While Gordon Williams is doing a little non-technical crack climbing, against everyone’s advice, his partner, Polly, watches his ascent pensively. My partner, Vicki Golden, is not especially fond of heights, so she can’t bring herself to even watch. From my point of view, the backdrop for the two of them is spectacular. Below on the left is Clear Lake where we are camped. In fact, our tents are in the shoreline of the jutting peninsula to Polly’s left. In the far distance is Big Sandy Lake, which we passed hiking in. The pointed summit to the left is War Bonnet Peak, looming over Jackass Pass, entrance to the Cirque of the Towers, and the lake of the right is Black Joe, around which we will hike tomorrow. The sinew of granite on which we stand divides Clear Lake from Black Joe, and is the ridge of Haystack Mountain that we have ascended to get to this point. What a view! What a day to be here, so late in the fall.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2020, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, January 13, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #193: DFCFC, #193: Following the mantra of the DFC&FC, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” Gordon Williams ignores all of our pleas not to climb further up on Haystack Mountain, after all, he never met a great crack that he did not want to explore, especially since I mentioned that it was a non-technical approach leading to the summit. There are patches of snow and clear ice everywhere, and once he got into the chute leading up, even he recognized it was too dangerous to climb higher, BUT there was another cleft just below it that was not as snow filled, so he descended to it, and followed it up until it petered out (above). Although the wind is ripping, I am sure the view is stunning, so not surprisingly, he hangs out there for awhile just drinking it all in. AS I follow him through my lenses, I am struck by the jet stream of clouds racing by above him, The good news is, they are blowing away, and more blue holes are opening up as time passes. Eventually the wind chill gets to him, and he descends safely to everyone's relief.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2020, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, January 6, 2020

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #192: DFCFC, #192: In the reverse view of the last post, Gordon Williams is still pondering Haystack Mountain, and now behind him is Clear Lake where we are camped. Although Polly, Vicki, Belle Star, and I, are hunkered down behind some boulders as a windbreak, the wind does seem to be letting up, and as you can see here, the sky behind Gordon is opening. It appears that the day is getting better, so we decide to hang out and have lunch, rather than retreat to lower climes. Gordon’s pondering has led him to believe that he is going to take a shot at the non-technical, but snow-filled, crack that leads to the summit of Haystack, but the rest of us want none of that, so we find a nice, relatively soft grassy patch that affords some protection, and settle in for some food. Gordon has always liked salty, tangy canned fish for his daypacks, and today it is kippers which smell so bad, they even drive Belle Star away. We make him sit downwind while we dine, then after a brief respite, he is off, and up. Polly makes one last appeal to NOT do this, but Gordon is undeterred, so we settle in to watch. There is a good bit of sun now, and for a cold, black dog, this a very warming moment, so I find I have a snoring head in my lap, while now we ponder.

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 Monday, December 30, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #191: DFCFC, #191: Gordon Williams never met a big wall he didn’t like, or at least, like to survey, and that is exactly what he is doing at this moment. The rest of us, Polly, Vicki, my lab, Belle Star, and myself, are huddled behind some boulders trying to stay out of the VERY brisk wind, that at times is actually howling. It is a wild and wonderful day up here on this ridge, and aside from the scuttling clouds, it is crystal clear and the views around the basin are stunning. I have always wanted Gordon to see the big walls of the Wind River Range, and this could not be a more perfect trip. He is clearly blown away, and at the moment pondering going up into the non-technical crack that leads to the summit, but is filled with snow. We all think this is a bad idea, but Gordon coined the DFC&FC phrase, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get," and it is apparent to all of us that he is pondering doing just that. Even, Belle Star, thinks it is a goofy idea. She also thinks being where we are at the moment is a little ditzy as well. Even with her thick coat, she is cold in the stiff wind, and hysterically, she has crawled under the drape of Vicki’s shell-pancho to shelter. Gordon is staring up at Haystack, and that is Temple Peak looming in the distance.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2019, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, December 23, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #190: DFCFC, #190: As Gordon Williams, his partner, Polly, my partner, Vicki, and I, slowly work our way up the ridge of Haystack Mountain, the wind is cold, and pretty vicious. The blustery weather does keep the clouds rolling by rapidly, however, so we are not being threatened by thunder and lightening. Everyone has on many layers and shells, and the hike is steep, so we are warm enough, but as we get higher, the buffering is intimidating, especially if you are close to a steep ledge. In this image Vicki and I are protected a bit as we are below the ridgeline, but Gordon and Polly have walked right out to the point of no return, and are looking down a SHEER face at Clear Lake, below. The summit of Haystack towers above them, and one of the non-technical routes to the summit can be seen on the left side. It is the crack currently filled with snow. Many years after this, my 8yr. old daughter would manage more than 1/2 of that ascent. Go gettum Talja.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2019, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, December 16, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #189: DFCFC, #189: The non technical approach to a high ridge on Haystack Mountain begins several hundred yards from our camp, passing through an upslope of trees, and then emerging onto a steeply rising granite dome spotted with grass meadows here and there. It is a cold, windy morning, that gets even more windy as we ascend, but the effort of our climb, and our opulent breakfast keeps us warm. Even though we are all in great shape, the altitude we are gaining causes a lot of deep breathing, and our pace is a slow and steady, one step at a time. With each step, however, the view just gets better and better. With no need to be in any hurry, there is a lot of stopping to look around, and to let our lungs adjust to the thinning atmosphere. As Gordon Williams, pushes upwards, his partner, Polly is pondering our setting (above). The lake to the left is Big Sandy, namesake of the trail we followed in, and rising just to the right of it, is Jackass Pass, the route climbers take to access the Cirque of the Towers. The head of the pass lies at the foot of War Bonnet Peak, the pointed spire that marks the horizon in this view, and just to the right of that, and further in the distance, is the uniquely shaped, cone-like granite tower of Pingora. It is all quite breathtaking.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2019, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, December 9, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #188: DFCFC, #188: After a dazzling night in camp, with a radiant sunset and sky show (last post), we all sleep well, and awaken to a, so far, benign weather system still streaming overhead, but neither raining or snowing. It is windy and cold, but “refreshing,” and it seems we might have a decent day to hike and explore. While breakfast gets organized, my DFC&FC friend, Gordon Williams, wants to go back to the base of Haystack Mountain, where we visited last night, to once again survey the sheer granite face, and dramatic terraces of little trees. It is quite close by our camp, so while our partners start a fire, and brew some hot liquids, Gordon and I take a morning ramble through the rocks. Haystack is not so much of a peak, but rather, a broad, rounded granite dome. However, from this angle, it certainly looks pointy. Having camped in this basin before, Vicki and I know that you can ascend a considerable part of the left shoulder (in this picture) without encountering anything technical, and the view is amazing, so I suggest that is what we should do for our first day of exploration, and Gordon agrees that sounds like a fine idea. The clouds are high, and thin, and do not appear to threaten us, if we choose to climb higher, so back in camp, with food warming us, we all prep our day daypacks, and prepare to go adventuring, agreeing that, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get."

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2019, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, December 2, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #187: DFCFC, #187: The Wind River Range is ALWAYS full of surprises, especially when it comes to the weather. Air masses flowing from the west, across the high plains of Wyoming, abruptly confront this very long, very tall, collection of summits, and are transformed, quite often into terrifying thunderstorms that are charged with A LOT of electricity. My partner, Vicki Golden, and I have experienced this effect numerous times, and it is always unsettling, even when we are prepared. On this trip with my DFC&FC friend, Gordon Williams, and his partner Polly, it is late fall, and we do not expect to see those conditions, BUT it is entirely possible we might get snowed upon. On our first day of camping, through dinner, and afterwards, we have been enjoying a cold, clear night with a beautiful moonrise, but just before the sun has completely set, clouds begin to rapidly roll in. I mean, streaming! Within minutes the moon becomes a hazy glow, and the sky above us occludes. The wind picks up as well, and it feels like a summer-style storm is blowing in. There are no cumulus clouds, however, this sky cover is formless, gauzy, and not very thick, occasionally opening up with patches of blue. It is clearly the approach of a front, driven by high altitude winds, but it does not seem that it will become electric. I worry that whatever it is, it might affect our plans in the morning, but for the moment, it becomes a radiant lightshow, as the last rays of the sun, set the sky ablaze. Vicki and Gordon (above) are taking it in, and I love the way the lake water is reflecting it all.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2019, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, November 25, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #186: DFCFC, #186: Gordon Williams and I, spend some time pondering the sheerness of the nearby face of Haystack Mountain, but as evening draws down, we return to camp, so we don’t have to stumble around trail-less in the forest. His partner, Polly, and mine, Vicki Golden, have busied themselves in our absence by fine tuning our campsite, and snacking to stay warm. When we get back, we find they also have a nice fire going. We eat a big, leisurely dinner as night falls, then fully-stuffed, and swaddled in our warmest gear, we relax by our fire to watch the sun set, and the moon rise. It is a GREAT first day in the basin, and it looks like we will have a clear, and probably cold, night, which I am hopeful will last into the next day, so that we can hike up into much higher elevations, and REALLY get a good look at the terrain. Gordon is in awe of our surroundings, but Vicki and I know that it only gets better, if you go up from here. After all, the DFC&FC motto is, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get.” So hopefully, tomorrow we will put that into practice.

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Monday, November 18, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #185: DFCFC, #185: With our camp established at Clear Lake, Gordon Williams, his partner,Polly, my partner Vicki, and I, spend time having some warm drinks to ward off the late fall chill, as we scan the granite around us with binoculars and big camera lenses, oohing and awhing at what we discover. The base of Haystack Mountain is off to our east, and quite close by to our campsite, so for the reason of warming our bodies by stirring our circulation, Gordon and I decide to wind through the trees and approach the VERY SHEER base wall. When we emerge from the forest, Gordon is visibly in awe of the face we confront. He points out that it is not only impressively vertical, it is also really “clean,” meaning there are not a lot of useful cracks that could be used to climb. We have no intentions of doing any climbing on this trip, but being a climber always sets off Gordon’s analytics of any vertical situation, and this one IS vertical!

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2019, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, November 11, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #184: DFCFC, #184: My partner, Vicki Golden, and I, and my DFC&FC colleague, Gordon Williams, with his friend Polly, meet up in Pinedale (WY) to attempt a LATE fall backpack into the Wind River Range. From Pinedale, we can see that it has already snowed in the high peak section, but we are planning to go in the Big Sandy entrance and climb up into the Deep Lake-Temple Peak basin, which is a relatively short hike, and we feel that if it does snow, we will still be able to walk out. After buying food and organizing our backpacks, we overnight at the Log Cabin Motel (a favorite of Vicki and me), and then get an early morning start the next day. We have a leisurely 1-hour+ drive into the Big Sandy trailhead, but notably, after we leave the main highway, we see no one else on the road in. Furthermore, Big Sandy Lodge is now closed, and there are no other cars at the trailhead parking. We are here COMPLETELY alone. The day is overcast and cool, but not storming, so it makes for a very comfortable hike. The first six, or so, miles to Big Sandy Lake go by quickly, and with ease, as there is little elevation gain, so we stop there for lunch, and to prepare for the vertical that will take us up into our destination basin. There are patches of snow on the ground in the shade, but the trail is totally open, and because our packs are 4-day, instead of the 10-to-12-day ones, that Vicki and I have been carrying all summer, even the climb up seems effortless. We arrive at Clear Lake by mid-afternoon, deciding to camp there, rather than go higher to Deep Lake. Above Clear Lake, you must navigate open granite slabs, and they would become treacherously slippery if it snowed, and we had to down-climb that with our packs, in retreat. We situate ourselves in a nice cluster of rocks and trees, very close to the edge of the lake, and settle in. To the west, and still a good distance away, we can see the towering summit of Temple Peak, but immediately to our east is the impressive granite “hump” of Haystack Mountain, whose stunningly shear walls drop right into the trees behind our camp. Even though we are still in the forest, granite walls assert themselves around us, so we enjoy a leisurely afternoon of scanning our views with binoculars and big lenses, while we get camp arranged, and have some warming drinks. (Above) A ledge on the face of Haystack, whose dripping water has “stained” the granite, supporting algal growth.

photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2019, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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 Monday, November 4, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #183: DFCFC, #183: After my first summer of exploring the Wind River Range  in Wyoming, I was clearly in love with the stunning, high elevation, granite terrain and lakes, so I fully intended to return. Back in my studio/home in Los Angeles, I developed a new relationship with an adventurous (and beautiful) girl named Vicki Golden, and although she had never backpacked, she wanted to join me in the following summer, and see these mountains for herself. We proceeded to explore them through several summers of backpacking, and we got to know them very well, as you can read in my Wind River blog. As we learned more and more about the range, I was sorry that when my DFC&FC colleague, Gordon Williams, joined our first exploratory camping, we really never got into the awesome alpine granite at the heart of the range, so Vicki and I constantly invited him to return and join us, as we knew he would be blown away. Finally, near the end of our multi-year exploration, and quite late in the fall, Gordon called us to say, if we wanted to, he, and his friend, Polly, would join us for a late season adventure. Although we knew it would very likely snow on us, Vicki and I suggested we approach one of our favorite locations, Deep Lake, because we thought we could still walk out if conditions got bad, and so we were off. On the drive from Ketchum to Pinedale, the Hoback River Valley was ablaze with color, the skies above were swimming with clouds, and our first view of the Wind Rivers, revealed fresh snow on the towering summits. None of which, dissuaded us. Now, for the tale of that!

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 Monday, October 28, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #182: DFCFC, #182: On my first trip into the Wind River mountains of Wyoming, I was accompanied by my good friend Chris Korody, his wife, Cathy, and my dog, Belle Star. We made our first backpack into Clear Lake through the Green River Valley entrance, of which I tell the tale in my Wind River blog. Happily, we were also joined on that trip by my DFC&FC friend from Ketchum, Idaho, Gordon Williams. Ketchum-Sun Valley, and Wyoming are less than a 1-day drive apart, and often skiers in Sun Valley would follow the storm from there to Jackson Hole chasing powder across two states. Gordon, I, and other DFC&FCers, spent many adventures together, both winter and summer, in the mountains surrounding the ski resort in Idaho, so when I told Gordon we were going into the Winds, he knew of their “big granite wall” reputation, because he climbed, and most climbers saw the Winds as a cathedral of climbing, so he wanted to come and have a look for himself. He arrived late in the day, on a beautiful evening (last post), and we camped in the campground of the Green River Lakes. The next day dawned clear and warm, so in keeping with the motto of the DFC&FC, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” Gordon suggested we summit a “doable,” visible from our campground (in last post, summit on the left), to have a look around. The White Rock peak proved to be more of a meadow walk-up than an alpine granite experience, but it did, nonetheless, afford us some amazing views, both of the valley below, and the granite surrounding us. In the above moment, Gordon, is about to shed his daypack, and drink it all in. After our day on the summit, he would stay with us that night, and then return to Ketchum the following morning. Chris, Kathy, Belle Star, and I, would remain to do a sobering, learning curve backpack into Clear Lake, a true Wind River, alpine granite environment. Later that summer, we also approached the range from the Elkhart Park entrance, which took us into the very heart of the big granite world of walls.

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 Monday, October 21, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #181: DFCFC, #181: My backpacking partner, Vicki Golden, and I, have had numerous GREAT adventures with our DFC&FC friends, in the mountains around the Ketchum-Sun Valley area of Idaho, but thanks to an offer from William Lund, and his wife, Sharon Disney, I was invited to come to Wyoming, and use their ranch in Dubois as a base camp for exploring the Wind River Range. If you follow my Wind River blog, you know that on my first backpack into the Winds, I was joined by my good friend, Chris Korody, and his wife at the time, Cathy. Not knowing much about what we were getting into, the three of us, and my dog, Belle Star, decided that our first approach would be through the Green River Valley entrance (above). Green River Lakes are actually “low country,” as we would find out, but we camped and fished in that valley for several days, with the towering granite summits at the heart of the range, above us. Eventually we decided to go up to Clear Lake, which was truly alpine granite. It was also a very sober learning curve for us, as we confronted the fury of Wind River weather, and the surprising sheerness of big walls, that I incorrectly read on the topo map. Even so, the trip was “informative,” and in subsequent backpacks, it helped me to respect both the weather, and the scale of the vertical granite.

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 Monday, October 14, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #180: DFCFC, #180: On the last day of our 6-person, snow cave camping, ski tour of the Hyndman-Old Hyndman-Cobb basin, we enjoy a sunny, warm morning while we eat breakfast and break camp. As the organizers of this expedition, Gordon Williams, and I, operate on a first-in-last-out basis. We were the first helicopter in, so we could determine if camping would be possible. Now, we are the last to be flown out, assuring all others are out safely. Since our encampment terrace has been such a hub of activity for the last several days, it nows seems strangely empty as Gordon and I sit in the silence of our surroundings, pondering what we have just accomplished. Ever the curious scientist, Gordon decides to amuse himself by determining how thick the snow dome was over our heads in our snow cave. Donning a parka and leather face mask, and armed with his snow shovel, he goes inside and begins to cut his way through the “roof”. When he finally emerges, he seems yeti-like popping up out of his hole. Turns out we had about 4-1/2 feet of insolation from the sub-zero outside, keeping us inside a snuggly 28-32˙ while we partied and slept. Not longer after Gordon's emergence, Danny Danielson and his copter arrive to fly us out, and on our flight back to Sun Valley, he tells us he admires our intelligent prep for the conditions, stating if it were anybody but us, he would not have let them stay in a multi-day, sub zero camp, risking their lives. (Think that ensolite pad has seen a lot of DFC&FC action? HaHa!)

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 Monday, October 7, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #179: DFCFC, #179: The day of our departure from our snow cave encampment in the Hyndman-Old Hyndman-Cobb basin dawns, cloudless, and blazingly sunny. Breakfast is enjoyed in light clothing and sunglasses. It actually feels hot to us, as the temp rises to 28˙. There is no skiing this morning as we are not sure when Danny Danielson will arrive with his helicopter to fly us out, so after we eat, we begin the task of collecting our gear, and packing to fly. The “kitchen” is closed, and all the snow cave accoutrements are brought out into the sunlight. For most of the trip our ensolite pads have kept us comfortable, and off the snow floor, but in the sub-zero cold they have become stiff as boards. Now in the sunlight, they grow limp, as though they might melt down. This view of our camp is from the snow cave entrance, looking across the terrance we have stomped out. My partner, Vicki Golden, is seen here, about to pack away her very stylish floral shell pants. Also notable is her skin tone - that is not my film, that is her sunburn from skiing the very sunny day before. Despite the fact that we all used generous amounts of sunscreen EVERY day, we are all slightly poached pink, as there is little defense against these high altitude conditions, and on days such as yesterday and this morning, you get exposed from every direction, getting sunburned in strange places because of the snow’s reflectivity.

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 Monday, September 30, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #178: DFCFC, #178: Most of our group has spent their last day out touring around in the Hyndman-Old Hyndman-Cobb basin. Gordon Williams got up close and personal with the towering ridge wall. I skied into a small valley beneath Old Hyndman’s summit for a dramatic perspective of our entire playground, and Vicki Golden and Jennifer, toured the rolling hills beneath me, getting tan in the bright, sunny, and finally warmer day, Chris Dupont and his partner, Mila, spent some time in their snow cave after the naked yoga photo shoot, but finally emerged to hang around the encampment terrace, snacking, and following our antics through their binoculars. When evening begins, we all return and assemble for dinner, watching the late light show for the last time before our helicopter pick-up, due sometime tomorrow. Since most of our adventure has been in sub-zero cold, the evening feels positively warm at 24˙, and everyone is in a great mood because we have survived without incident. Most of us are tired because of our day’s activities, but Chris is now feeling antsy because he loafed in camp all day, so he decides to take an evening tour, to loosen up stiff muscles, and digest our opulent last meal and libations - aside from a small stash of food kept for safety in case our copter is delayed tomorrow, everything we carried in, is consumed -I mean, why carry it back out? Notable in this image is that even though night will soon be upon us, it is still “warm” enough for Chris to be skiing without his parka or his fur hat for the first time. Balmy!

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 Monday, September 23, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #177: Once again, cold, hungry, and back in camp, the last night’s party and dinner has begun. It is around 15˙ and may not go below zero tonight, so it is “warm” and pleasant on our bench. No chilling late afternoon breeze has arisen so we can loaf about on our ensolite and watch the last light show in the basin before our helicopter retrieves us, midday tomorrow. It is a perfect night with few clouds and a Crater Lake blue sky. It also crystal clear to the western horizon, suggesting we will be good to go in the morning. Thus, tonight,..eat, drink, and be merry! And, we do! I, however, remain sober enough to still handhold my big telephoto, and as the late light draws down, “shadows of the evening, crawl across the land” - forgive me Jim Morrison - so I take a walk out from camp which gives me this perspective of the northwest face of Cobb. Thank you Gordon Williams, and your DFC&FC comrades, for introducing me to the Pioneers, some seriously beautiful mountains.

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 Monday, September 16, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #176: DFCFC, #176:  After a good bit of time spent snacking and observing in a high valley beneath the Old Hyndman summit, the cold of the evening shade stirs me to head back for our snow cave encampment, well below my afternoon perch. Skiing warms me up, as does returning to direct sunlight, and getting out of the freezing shadows beneath the big walls. I am finally at the point where I can see my comrades and our camp bench, and it appears we are all headed home from the various locations we have been exploring. When I look back at where I have been, I am once again overwhelmed by the drama of the Old Hyndman-Cobb Peak basin and connecting ridge headwalls. Some of the last light of day is being fractured across the rock and ice of that ridge, just before it pushes up into Cobb Peak, out of frame to the right. Many years from now, Gordon Williams, will go on to mountaineer in the Himalayas, but this day, this place,..it seems Himalayan to me.

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 Monday, September 9, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #175: DFCFC, #175:  Today, our last at this encampment, we all seem to be out skiing around, “doing our own thing.” Chris DuPont and Mila have had a naked yoga photo shoot, and retired back into their snowcave. Vicki Golden and Jennifer are having a “girl's tour” of the rolling basin below us, and Gordon Williams has headed across that basin to get beneath the big wall running from Old Hyndman to Cobb Peak. I, too, want to get beneath (safely) the big walls, but I have taken a rising traverse line of approach, and now find my self in the ever-diminishing, and increasingly steep valley beneath the summit of Old Hyndman. Arriving at the point where I feel exposed, I sidestep upslope between rock and snow patches, on the wall opposite the Old Hyndman face, and settle in. The cold silence is only broken occasionally by distant sounds of falling ice or rock, and nothing is happening in my line of site. From my angle here, I can no longer see the ski tracks of past days on the basin floor, so I truly feel I am alone in this amazing location, and am blown away that I am here doing this. From where I am, getting to camp is all downhill, so I linger into the late afternoon having snacks and taking pictures. The cold shade finally overtakes my position, so with one last salute to Old Hyndman, I back down through the snow patches and begin my return to basecamp.

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 Monday, September 2, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #174: DFCFC, #174:  The Old Hyndman-Cobb Peak basin that drops below our encampment on a terrace of Hyndman, is vast. The more you ski around in it, the more you realize there is ever more to explore. This is our last day, and it has dawned with a warming trend, Most of us are out of camp, skiing around in shirtsleeves and shells. My partner, Vicki Golden, and my friend, Jennifer, are out on the rolling “flats” somewhere, and Gordon Williams (last post) has dropped down into the valley below our bench to explore the face of Cobb. I, too, choose to ski nearer the big walls, and I slowly work my way, first down into the Hyndman-Cobb basin, and then up, toward the summit of Old Hyndman. With this ongoing warming, I am cautious to keep my distance from the potentially dangerous avalanche chutes that define the face of the ridge wall, but the drama and power of the wall is irresistible. This view is a rest stop and snack break, while I drink in the alpine energy that seems to be screaming around in the basin at the moment. I am above everyone else at this point, and when I look out across the landscape below me, I see no one. Although many ski tracks are visible, I have the rush of feeling I am alone. With that thought, I proceed to follow the DFC&FC mantra, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” and I ski over this small ridge to the left, toward that group of distant trees, then, turn up the rising, narrowing valley to the left.

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 Monday, August 26, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #173: DFCFC, #173:  My partner, Vicki Golden, and my friend, Jennifer, have skied off together, and Gordon Williams ( above) is off on his own, exploring the dramatic face of the big wall between Old Hyndman and Cobb Peak. It also appears to me that Chris Dupont and Mila, have finished their topless yoga photo shoot in camp (last post), and retired to their snow cave, so I do not expect to see them in skis this morning. What should I do with my day, our last before our scheduled pick-up tomorrow? I think Gordon has the right idea - not so much work and climbing, just scenic cruising, so I decide to drift into the valley and get closer to the big walls as well. Because we have spent several days in such a vicious cold snap, thankfully now ended, this sunny morning of 24˙ feels positively HOT, and those of us that have chosen to ski, find ourselves doing it in shirtsleeves and light shells.

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 Monday, August 19, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #172: DFCFC, #172:  I suppose it is inevitable that my product-sponsor photoshoot of Mila doing yoga poses in a Pure & Simple organic foods t-shirt, would set off the photographer in everybody, especially her boyfriend, Chris DuPont. As I finish my effort for the day, Chris scrambles back to his snow cave to retrieve his camera. Most of our group have already begun a morning ski-about, so I start prepping my gear to go out as well. When Chris emerges from his cave, camera in hand, I hear him say to Mila, “It is so warm you ought to do some poses with your shirt off,” to which Mila is only too happy to comply. Sensing this might get increasingly awkward, I take this “documentary” shot as proof this really happened, and then I step into my skis and glide away. Some yards of warm-up strides away, I turn to look back at the activity in camp, and there is no one to be seen. It appears that Chris and Mila have decided NOT to go skiing this morning.

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 Monday, August 12, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #171: DFCFC, #171:  In a reverse view from the previous post, you can now see one of the two snow cave entrances behind Mila, as she does her yoga stretch before a day of skiing. We campers are really fired up today, as the cold spell has broken and the morning feels positively balmy to all of us, after 60+ hours of sub-zero. Mila has shed all of her outerwear, and is simply sporting her Pure & Simple natural foods t-shirt as she exercises. They are one of my sponsors, so I am using this photo-op to get some pictures for them, and Mila is clearly obliging. What is notable when I look at this image in retrospect, is how sun-burned Mila is. In fact, we all are to some degree. From the first minute of arrival, we have all been wearing suncreen, as well as hats and dark glasses, but regardless of the cold, the clear weather, high altitude, and reflective snow cover just cause A LOT of UV exposure, and from all angles.

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 Monday, August 05, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #170: DFCFC, #170:  With our morning meal finished, most of us are prepping our gear for a day of skiing about in the Hyndman-Old Hyndman-Cobb basin, or still sipping the secret recipe, DFC&FC hot chocolate, power drink to get the morning started. Not only did earlier high clouds (last post) usher in warmer weather, but now that they have gone, the direct sun actually feels hot. In a few hours time we have swung from -15 to +25 - it is a veritable heat wave! This is a great perspective of morning camp. I am standing at the entrance to our snow cave complex, and before me lies our “terrace.” On one side of the well established path, we stash our packs, skis, poles, and anything else we want to access, easily. On the other side are a series of benches on which to cook, sit, stare at the view, and store kitchen necessities. As warm as it seems to us, most will go to shells and turtlenecks when we ski, shedding sweaters and parkas, but for the moment, Mila is doing her morning yoga stretch, and she is down to just a t-shirt. One of my sponsors is Pure & Simple natural foods, and they have provided many of my trips with trail snacks and brandwear, that I have included in other shoots. This is now my chance to make some pictures for them. From left to right, Old Hyndman, Mila, Gordon Williams, Cobb Peak, Vicki Golden, Chris DuPont, and the lovely Jennifer.

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 Monday, July 29, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #169: DFCFC, #169:  After a good day, a beautiful evening with a good dinner, a good night’s sleep, and now, a slow good morning, we all awake and assemble for breakfast and munchies on the well-stomped terrace deck, outside our snow cave complex overlooking the Old Hyndman-Cobb basin. We are still cold-sleepy and barely into our first hot oatmeal, when the gauzy ice-crystal clouds of the night before give way to an incoming weather pattern, a true wave of high clouds, AND a notable rise in the temperature! The cold-and-clear we have been surviving, has broken, and although we will still remain below freezing, we will not be exposed to sub-zero all day long. Even through the occluded sky, we can feel notable radiant heat from the sun. With this occurring, while some eat, others prepare their gear and ponder what they will do with their day. I have been taking these pictures in hopes of getting a story published in POWDER magazine
with whom I have been working, BUT I have also picked up a sponsor, Pure & Simple natural foods, and we have been eating some of their products on this trip. Some of us are also wearing their t-shirt, which I thought might appear in a random shot, but it has been so cold, everyone has been covered up. Well, this morning that will change.

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 Monday, July 22, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #168: DFCFC, #168:  Our second round of dinner in camp is under way, and most of us are dressed with every layer we own, while we watch the Old Hyndman-Cobb basin before our encampment, slipping into the oncoming night. The cooking of the meal and the setting of the sun, sort of reach a crescendo as noodles boil, and the last light on Old Hyndman goes off. Food is sidelined momentarily, as everyone is either looking for their camera, or just standing around braying. This moment lasts about 30-seconds, and then it concedes to the oncoming star show. With the basin so covered in snow, once the sun sets, the dark night sky acts as a foil to the white landscape that seems to be aglow in blue-white light as your eyes adjust. In the meantime, I will do that adjusting of my eyes, as I stuff pasta in my mouth, so the camera hides in the sleeping bag, while my ski-mates and I consume enough food to keep us warm through the night. Ice crystal clouds or not, hazy puffs keep drifting through, coming from the southwest, so I remain hopeful that things may yet warm up.

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 Monday, July 15, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #167: DFCFC, #167:  My descent to our encampment and snow cave, brings me to a towering view of Hyndman Peak, which last night put on a subtle, late light show (post #153). It is frosty-hazier tonight, however, and the summit light is softened, BUT standing on the toe of Hyndman is still, most impressive. I linger to watch the light fade, and then return to the task at hand - descent, more hot food, perhaps some modest libation, and then sleep, for there is always tomorrow. My point in the footpath comes to the most well traveled section, making my efforts minimal, and soon I am back in camp. With various things cooking on the stove, the crew of us mills about on our “terrance,” watching the last of the twilight fade off the summits, and the night sky darken, filled with stars in the cold and clear.

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 Monday, July 8, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #166: DFCFC, #166:  My position on the rocky ridge above our snow cave encampment has slipped into the shadows of twilight. It is also -15˙, and even dressed warmly, the chill finally invades my system and I must move to keep warm, so I start the downclimb, back to our bench overlooking the Hyndman-Old Hyndman-Cobb basin. Off of the steepest part of the decent, I cross my own tracks, left from following Chris Dupont into the Duncan Ridge-Hyndman basin (post #156), earlier in the day. Looking back into that high alpine valley at this moment presents an aria of cold blues. The ragged toes of Duncan Ridge have been in deep shade for hours now. It makes me even colder just to look at them. I am SO grateful we have built such a successful snow cave system, it is warm(er) inside by A LOT! About halfway home now, and with the glow of exercise building again, I continue my descent, soon to angle across the slope of Hyndman, which put on a late light show, last night (post #153). Maybe I will get lucky again.

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 Monday, July 1, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #165: DFCFC, #165:  Having scrambled up the rock exposed ridge above our snow cave encampment on the lower slopes of Hyndman Peak, I am sitting in sub-zero cold watching the last rays of light, paint subtle tones on the surrounding summits, filtered through the haze of ice crystals, floating in the frozen air. I am as high as I can safely get, and the DFC&FC mantra, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” is in full play. In my down-puff gear, the exercise of climbing here has generated plenty of warmth, so I do what Gordon Williams did on his trek earlier in the day (posts #158-160), I just sit still and look at the spectacle before me. I am surround by rugged summits and walls, that comprise 3/4 of my view. Duncan Ridge is to my right. Hyndman towers above me. Old Hyndman, Cobb Peak, and the intimidating wall that connects them, are in front of me, and just to the right of that, are open slopes with some trees, that roll all the way down into Triumph, several miles away, and thousands of feet below us. It is breathtaking! So is the cold, eventually making it necessary to get moving once again. As I stand to begin my descent, Cobb’s summit and ridgeline catch the last faint light of the setting sun (above), then night comes on, and I begin my descent back to camp.

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 Monday, June 24, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #164: DFCFC, #164:  In my after dinner, get-some-food-heat-going hike, I am re-tracing a now, well worn path, up along the rock exposed ridge above our snow cave encampment. This scramble is taking me upslope on Hyndman, and providing me with expansive views of both the Hyndman-Old Hyndman-Cobb Peak basin in which we have camped, as well as the adjacent Duncan Ridge-Hyndman basin that lies slightly above us, and in which, Chris Dupont and I witnessed a large avalanche earlier in the day (post #156). The last faint rays of sunlight illuminate the ragged upthrust spine of Duncan Ridge, and ice crystals in the frozen air make everything hazy. The temperature is now around -12˙, and still dropping. Do any of you wonder how I have kept my cameras operative through these many days of sub-zero cold? This is a tough climate for digital, but at the time, this is old school. I am shooting Nikon F cameras, and they operate on photovoltaic batteries. For those of you that remember, these batteries are quite small, so I keep many of them in each of the pockets of my wool knickers, as close to my crotch as I can, because that is the warmest location on me, both asleep, and hiking/touring about. I switch the batteries continuously, and I sleep with them in pocket. I also keep my cameras within my sleeping bag at night. The biggest problem I have in this cold, is that my lenses fog easily. It is SO cold, just getting my warmer hand anywhere near the glass, creates a problem, so cautious dexterity is a good skill here. As a young photographer, I have not yet begun to use a tripod much, and certainly NOT in these conditions (cold hands, even wearing gloves), so everything you see in this blog is hand-held, even the late evening/twilight shots, many of which were made at shutter speeds of 1/10 to 1/30 of a second.

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 Monday, June 17, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #163: DFCFC, #163:  I am hopeful the hazy clouds (last post) suggest some warming, but as we regroup at our snow cave, the temperature is going down sharply once again. Out of our skis and, into our puffy layers, we do dinner and watch the evening show. After food, a little exercise always works to get my heat restarted, so I go for a hike with my camera to see whatever is offered up. The easiest, previously established path for that is, up along the rock exposed ridge above our encampment that overlooks both the Hyndman-Old Hyndman-Cobb  we are in, and also the basin between Duncan Ridge-Hyndman, whose skyline and “ribs’” are defined by these ragged, upthrust walls (above). The hazy clouds linger, but now I realize, this is not an incoming change in the weather, but rather ice crystals in the freezing air, as the temperature keeps dropping.The lowering sun paints the crystal haze and the landscape with a brief warm glow, as twilight starts to fall. My food glow is still coming on though, so I climb a little higher.

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 Monday, June 10, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #162: DFCFC, #162:  Most of us do some skiing around the basin to stay active and warm in the sub-zero conditions, which is dropping further rapidly as the afternoon grows late. I am taking pictures of our encampment basin, but also keeping on eye on Chris Dupont, who is doing an ascent along a trail Gordon Williams broke snow, in his descent earlier in the day. Just before the more distant basin roll, where Gordon stands in post #160, Chris leaves the rocks, and traverses out across a huge, open slope to the left. Framed within the upper basin beneath Old Hyndman, and poised ON the slopes of Hyndman summit, he too, as Gordon before, stands motionless for a great deal of time, definitely having a “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” moment, then he steps into this, doubling, literally down, on the fun! I notice something else as well,..hazy clouds floating through the sky. Perhaps there will be some warming, and the stunning cold-and-clear is ending,..or not!

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 Monday, June 3, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #161: DFCFC, #161:  While we eat a leisurely hi-carb lunch, sub-zero “sunbath,” do yoga, wax our skis for the next tour out, and photograph, Gordon Williams has taken a VERY dramatic tour, that brings him along a ridge with dramatic overviews of the Old Hyndman-Cobb wall. When he finally arrives back in camp, he “highly recommends,” the tour he has just taken, and while the rest of us will ski around in our basin, once again today, Chris DuPont has another idea. Fueled on food, and warm layers of clothing, he recognizes, Gordon’s descent line gives, not-only a stunning perspective, but ACCESS to something else - a late-afternoon shot at repeating his twilight downhill run, on the slopes at the foot of Hyndman, above our snow cave-hotel encampment. As he toured the basin above camp, just this morning, this new quest is a serious amount of work. Here, on approach to Gordon’s crossing descent tracks, he is framed by the ice-encrusted, ragged faces that comprise the wall between Old Hyndman summit, and Cobb Peak. Chris is now about to turn left and have his own, "The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” experience.

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 Monday, May 27, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #160: DFCFC, #160:  After lunch on the benches of our snow cave-hotel, Gordon Williams is doing a little solo tour UP! We are all watching and taking pictures because of the dynamic scale and stature of the Hyndman-Old Hyndman-Cobb basin where we are encamped. As he ascends, I realize that he hopes to round a windblown ridge of rock and snow, placing him MUCH closer to Old Hyndman-Cobb’s stunning connected wall of frosted, sub-zero rock. While I am still trying to change my POV and keep him in sight, he reaches the rock/snow ridge, and rounds the corner. There is some navigable snow, but he eventually descends a bit, to a very windswept dome, where takes his skis off, and stands like this, before the summit of Old Hyndman. “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get!” He stands there for SO long, literally without moving a muscle, I wonder if he has been frozen in place, but eventually he steps back into his skis, and continues to descend along the dome on the right, that will take him back into fully snow-covered slopes, leading into our basin’s encampment.

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 Monday, May 20, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #159: DFCFC, #159:  Gordon Williams has opted for an afternoon solo ski to a high point, to have look at the summits around us, and an overview of our entire Hyndman-Cobb basin. Most of us are still in our encampment, finishing lunch and getting gear together for an afternoon tour, but it is hard to keep our eyes off of his dramatic ascent across the base slopes of Hyndman. His traverse line soon carries him well above the tracks left from Chris Dupont’s previous ascent/descent of these slopes (previous post, and #151). Even though Gordon is now in some very extreme territory, he is relatively safe from danger of avalanche. Following his climb, Jennifer finally asks the inevitable question, “Where is Gordy going?” Pondering that question, it is clear to me what he intends. From where he is, he can look back and upwards to see Hyndman, and that is Cobb Peak in front of him in this image, but from his POV, Old Hyndman is still out-of-view, and Gordon wants to see it all. Knowing that, I determine he is headed for the rocks, in hopes he can navigate around the corner which will give him the full, 360˙ reveal. I also realize that from where I am, I will loose site of him, so I strap on my skis, grab my camera and big lenses, and take a little ski out on my own into the basin, so that I can keep him in site, even if he does go around the corner of the rocky ridge.

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 Monday, May 13, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #158: DFCFC, #158:  What Gordon Williams was surveying before having lunch with our group, was what he was thinking about doing after the meal - taking a personal tour of the basin and summits from the highest advantage point that he could reach safely on skis. Chris Dupont took a similar tour this morning to a different location (post #156) and he had a great ski, but also saw a sobering avalanche. All of this information is shared while we eat, and none of it seems to deter Gordon, so once the meal is finished, he is off. He has not really told us where he is going, but there are only so many slopes that are actually safe. I have some sense of what he is about to do, so I settle in with my big telephoto lens to enjoy the show. Gordon begins his climbing traverse immediately after leaving camp, and his line carries him across the base slope of Hyndman (above), which Chris had skied the previous evening (note Chris’ tracks above Gordon). Gordon, however, did not come to express his parallel skiing skills. He is pursuing the DFC&FC mantra, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” and he is heading for a much “higher” place. Those of us still in camp and watching this, love the spectacle of scale, and while we continue to snack away, and gear up for our own afternoon ski-around, it is hard to take our eyes off of his ascent.

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 Monday, May 6, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #157: DFCFC, #157:  Gordon Williams took my partner, Vicki Golden, and our friend, Jennifer, for a morning tour of the Old Hyndman-Cobb basin, not only to have a look around, but it is Jennifer’s first time skiing cross-country (as opposed to her excellent downhill) and Gordon wants to make sure she gets comfortable with the technique. The wind has packed the surface snow very hard, so there is little powder to push through, and it makes for EXCELLENT touring conditions. As he and I expected, Jennifer adapts immediately, and as they return to our encampment, I can see the joy of the experience on Jennifer’s face. I take this shot when they come back to our snow cave for lunch, and besides the ecstatic smile on Jennifer, there are other things worth noting here. First, I love the gear! This is pre-Patagonia so what you see are gaiters, wool knickers, shells, ski sweaters, and down parkas. It is also still well below zero, but we have all adjusted to the point that activity actually makes us hot. Jennifer has taken off her parka, and Gordon is skiing in his base-layer turtleneck, with his sleeves rolled up. We are going to each lunch before launching on any afternoon adventures, but I can tell Gordon is already pondering what he will do for the rest of the day, and at this moment, he is studying that possibility.

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 Monday, April 29, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #156: DFCFC, #156:  The basin between Hyndman and Duncan Ridge hangs above our camp, and Chris Dupont has decided to spend part of this day exploring there. Basically, pursuing shots I hope might be used by POWDER magazine, I am trying to get some images of him skiing in the basin that will show the drama and scale of where we are. I have climbed into the rocks above our snow cave-hotel, and am looking down at him while he tours. I shout to him to ski into this position, a GREAT perspective of the ragged profile of Duncan Ridge. At the moment of this picture, however, we both hear a LOUD rumble, and turn to see the entire wall at the head of the basin, break off in an large avalanche, actually still moving in this image. We are sufficiently far away to not be threatened, but the event is certainly sobering, and Chris begins his retreat to camp to join the others for lunch.

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Monday, April 22, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #155: DFCFC, #155:  Gordon takes my partner, Vicki Golden, and our friend Jennifer on a tour of the Hyndman-Old Hyndman-Cobb (to the right) basin, below our encampment. As you will see in future posts, the views are dramatic. Chris Dupont goes in the opposite direction, climbing the slopes of Hyndman, to explore the basin between Hyndman and Duncan Ridge. Both of these trips offer me photographic possibilities, so I opt to stay out of my skis and in camp, so that I can use the footpaths we have created to move between my spread-out subject matter. Jennifer has no problem with the heel-free skiing, and LOVES being in such a spectacular environment, so this crew has a wonderful morning and are now headed back for some lunch. To follow Chris’s adventure, I climb back up into the rocks, where I established footpath on the previous evening (posts #152-153), and from that vantage, I can see him as he crests the rise he is climbing, and skis into the basin.

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Monday, April 15, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #154: DFCFC, #154:  We linger outside our snow cave-hotel into the twilight watching the alpenglow light show (previous posts), enhanced by the stunning cold and clear weather. We are all wearing layer-upon-layer of wool, down, and shells, so even at -15˙, we are all comfortable,..then the “breeze” picks up. The wind chill takes less than 10-minutes to drive us all inside, where with candles resting in spoons stuck in the walls, sleeping bags, and some modest libations, we find ourselves quite cozy. The party lasts for a bit, but we are all tired, so candles out. As I drift off in the warmth of the sleeping bag, I can hear the wind really gusting and am glad to be so well-sheltered. I am sleeping closest to the exit portal of our cave, and in the middle of the night, I hear Jennifer get up to go out to the bathroom,..but too much time goes by, and she does not return, so I go after her. I find her hypothermic, with her pants down, and cold enough, she cannot get them back up. I correct that, get her back in the cave, and then Gordon and I warm her up. Once that drama is over, everyone goes back to sleep well. The morning dawns stellar clear, and an excellent breakfast is had by all, as we slowly strip off our layers. With conditions like this, it is clearly my day to fulfill any shots for POWDER magazine, so I am going to be VERY busy, because everyone has different plans. Mila is going to stay in camp and do an extended yoga routine. Chris wants to explore the adjacent high valley, and Gordon offers to take “the girls” on an exploratory tour ski, as this will be Jennifer’s first time skiing cross-country. Above you see the merry adventurers as they prepare to launch.

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Monday, April 8, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #153: DFCFC, #153:  At the point of turnaround in my evening rock climb behind our encampment, I am treated to an encompassing view of Cobb Peak (last post), towering above the basin within which we will be spending the next three days skiing and exploring. I am climbing among rock outcrops that descend from the upper slopes of the summit of Hyndman. They are navigable because they have been blown free of snow by high winds. Thankfully it is not windy now, as that would be life threatening, but it is f#%*ing cold at -15˙. Because we are all out of camp and moving about after a huge dinner, we are generating heat and staying warm, but soon it will be best to retire inside our “toasty” snow cave system. Since my climb up, it has grown much darker, and I think the show of alpenglow and late light is long past, until I stop to catch my breathe, and look upslope at Hyndman summit towering above me in the dark. Dramatic as it is without the special effects, one last reward of the evening, for practicing the DFC&FC mantra, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” - a last, distant ray of sun lights up the ice-encrusted summit ridge. We have not even been here 24hrs. and all these things have happened! What will tomorrow bring?

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Monday, April 1, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #152: DFCFC, #152:  Chris and Mila are downhill skiing above camp, others have just glided out across the rolling hills from our camp. With my fire-branded hand, right hand, seared from grabbing a hot pot without my gloves, I do not feel like grasping a ski pole at the moment, but I have been able to operate my cameras, so I take a hike, and establish one of the “walking” paths that will lead out of camp. Our snow cave berm is a rock moraine when exposed, and above our campsite, the winds have swept the ridge snow bare. It is easily accessible from camp, and then very simple to navigate as it climbs above our site, offering views as you get higher, of the large valley on the other side that sits at the foot of slopes descending from Duncan Ridge. I finally reach a point of both verticality and darkness that marks my turn-around, and in turning around, the Pioneers offer up this fading twilight view of Cobb Peak, proving once again the truth of the DFC&FC mantra, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get."

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Monday, March 25, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #151: DFCFC, #151:  After a good dinner and a spectacular display of alpenglow on the summits, we all square camp away to find ourselves in a stunningly cold and beautiful twilight. It is still relatively early in the evening, and bright enough to see easily, so the best way to stay warm and get the food that we just ate, circulating, is to to move around and generate body heat. Chris Dupont and his girlfriend, Mila, cannot wait for the next day to ski, and I know he wants to put first tracks on Hyndman anyway, so it is not surprising, they put their skis on a begin a long steady climb above the camp. Chris is an excellent skier, who has experienced helicopter skiing in the backcountry, but he has seldom been in heel-free-binding skis, like the ones we are all using here. Perhaps he also wants to establish how they handle, so it is up onto the slope above us, and then in the shadow of twilight, Chris lights up the first official run of our adventure.

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Monday, March 18, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #150: DFCFC, #150:  The last two posts show the view of the Old Hyndman-Cobb Peak panorama that our dining bench faces. Off to the left of our encampment, however, this looms prominently above us,..Hyndman Peak. From our POV, it is QUITE impressive. I should also point out the pale “lines” in the snow at the middle-bottom of this shot. Those are ski tracks. Chris DuPont and his girlfriend, Mila, could not wait for tomorrow to arrive to say they skied Hyndman, so between the finishing of the snow cave, and the start of dinner, they climb up the slope into a basin above us, and shred some great parallel in a descent back to camp. Chris is a very good skier, but has never done anything quite like this, so he is pretty jacked up, and REALLY excited about tomorrow. Our other guest, Jennifer, has settled into life in camp, and seems to be warm, comfortable and less shocked about where she is. However, when we get in the snow cave, that shifts a bit. In the cave, we party for awhile, then finally blow out the candles. About ten minutes go by, when I hear Jennifer quietly whispering to Gordon, “Gordy, are we going to die?” To which Gordon responds, she has nothing to worry about, the cave is safe and warm. He also suggests, she might stay warmer, if she moves more closely towards him, which she does. Nice! I on the other hand (pun intended), I deal with my burned palm by thrusting it out of my sleeping bag and onto the ice floor of the cave, when ever the throbbing wakes me up. Eventually, we all sleep surprisingly well, especially considering it is now -15˙ outside.

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Monday, March 11, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #149: DFCFC, #149:  I worry that burning and blistering my right hand on a hot pot handle will impact my use of the camera, AND my use of ski poles, so I am really upset I have done this to myself on the first day of the trip. As painful as it is, I get relief when the pain builds by sticking my hand into the snow bank. This cold-packing is actually a technique now used on burn victims, but I did not know that at the time, I just wanted the pain to stop. Thankfully, doing this prevented me from being too impaired, and I was able to work my camera and get some amazing shots of the fading twilight, on some of the most impressive summits in Idaho. Above, is Cobb Peak. The previous post, Old Hyndman, is connected to Cobb by the ridge running off to the left of frame. The walkway we have created in camp also leads to some specific trails in the snow. I create several just to reach photographic POV's. The point of having these trails is to be able to move about without needing your skis. Another trail leads to our little food stash cave, and yet another leads to the designated bathroom area. This is REALLY a neat camp, and there is A LOT of terrain before us, across which we can ski tomorrow.

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Monday, March 4, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #148: DFCFC, #148:  Besides digging out a snow cave in which we would all sleep, we also create a walkway in front of a “bench.” The walkway goes from the snow cave entrance, across the front of the drift, and out to the far, downhill side of our encampment, where we are keeping our skis and gear. Where the path passes in front of the snow cave drift, we also cut shallow “benches” in the outer drift wall, some serve as seats, and one hosts the stoves and serves as the kitchen. Before evening arrives, the cave is finished and we have all moved in, situating our sleeping bags and ensolite pads for the night. The temperature is crashing, falling about 1˙ every 1/2 hour, and we have all broken out our max-gear to prepare for dinner. Longjohns, wool, vests, shells, parkas, and hoods - everyone is bundled and warm while the meal is prepped. I tell this next item as a cautionary tale: while shoveling in the cave, I worked in shirtsleeves and without gloves. Now cooking dinner, I am dressed more warmly, but have NOT put my gloves back on. I am not worried about frostbite, because I am working the stove, but I carelessly pick up a huge pot of boiling water and do not realize the handle is blazing, until it is too late. I sear the skin in the palm of my right hand, much like being branded. It becomes extremely painful quickly, and not knowing exactly what to do next, I choose to do what doctors now tell me was a “perfect” response - I stick my burned hand into the drift of snow. I get some relief from the pain, and we continue on to have a great dinner. This is the view of Old Hyndman from our dining bench, as the sun, and the temperature both go down.

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Monday, February 25, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #147: DFCFC, #147:  This is the in-camp view of the snow cave setting and progress. Gordon is deep into the growing cave room. My partner, Vicki Golden, is in the entrance pit at the front of the snow cave portal (you can just see her head sticking up). She is pulling snow loads out and passing them off to Chris DuPont (red shirt), who is currently gazing up the spectacular face of Hyndman peak. Our last minute guest, Jennifer, who has NEVER done anything like this before, is in “shock’” sitting on her ensolite, staring at her surroundings, and very likely wondering why she allowed herself to be talked into coming on this trip. From this angle, you can clearly see we are at the foot of a deep drift on the backside of a tall rock berm. Those exposed ridges rising behind the berm are entire valley away. It is now midday, and we are doing well. Gordon and I believe we will have a VERY comfortable cave with a few more hours of work. If you wonder why we are doing this instead of just setting up tents, tonight it will go to -15. You would be freezing in a tent, and if a wind came up, you might die of hypothermia. In a snow cave, you are protected if a wind arises AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, inside the snow cave, the temperature is 31-32˙ - the temp of the surrounding snow. Add some warm bodies and a lot of talking, and you might even get the temp up to 36-38˙ The inside walls then grow damp, but during the night re-freeze, and the resulting interior ice makes the cave sealed, and structurally stronger. A good snow cave is a thing of great beauty,..and FUN!

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Monday, February 18, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #146: DFCFC, #146:  Deep compressed snow is a very cool (no pun intended) material to work with, and it is carved rather architecturally by precise thrust of a snow shovel. If you have never done this, Gordon Williams is just starting the first “door” in the image above. At the moment, this is just a two person job. Gordon first dug down, creating a snow pit for himself in which to stand while he works. Once deep enough to assure a thick, non-collapsable “ceiling” to the snow cave, he then makes new, horizontal cuts in to the drift. His cuts come out like igloo blocks, and he throws them up onto a tarp. As the tarp fills, one of us drags it off, and dumps it downhill in front of our camp bench. The door is meant to be small and protected from the wind, as this one is. Gordon will eventually place another tarp on the “floor” he has cut, and then by kneeling or laying on it, he will work his way through the door, going more deeply into the drift. Once in a few feet, he will then begin to hollow out an interior room. As the room grows, another person can dig with him, and the rest of the party just ferries the cut snow out on tarps and tosses it down the hill. This takes a good deal of work and engages everyone. Amazingly, even in sub-zero cold, we all get sweaty and take clothes off. Almost everyone is working in shirt sleeves.

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Monday, February 11, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #145: DFCFC, #145:  Our helicopter pilot, Danny Danielson, thinks the impending sub-zero cold a danger to our adventurous group, and that we should rethink our camping plans. However, he has worked with Gordon Williams, and myself several times, and he trusts our judgement, so we stay and he leaves - to be back in 4-days. Now, if we are to survive the night, we must do a good deal of work. This shot gives you a sense of our encampment. The overhanging cornice does not threaten us, as there is a significant valley and berm wall between us and it. The ridge of the berm wall (just uphill from our camp) has been blown bare of snow from high winds, and we are the beneficiaries of that, because that snow has formed a deep drift on this side of the wall. that has been there long enough to set up quite solidly. There is A LOT of snow depth accumulated there, and that is where we will start to dig our snow cave.

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Monday, February 4, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #144:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #144:  While Danny Danielson heads back to the launch site with the copter to ferry the rest of the gear and our 4 other colleagues into our location, the now single-digit temperature (and falling), demands that we abandon out tents and dig a snow cave for protection from the coming sub-zero cold. Gordon and I spend some time finding exactly the right spot, and then dig in. Chris DuPont, and his girlfriend, Mila, are the next to arrive, and they join in immediately, as doing the work keeps everyone warm. Gordon has found a deep, solid drift, nearly at the foot of Hyndman, and safely away from any avalanche danger, and we are now in the process of creating a snow “hotel.” This puppy is going to be MUCH more than just a snow cave. It will have candles supported by spoons stuck in the walls, and each of us will have a sleeping “bench” above the snow floor where the coldest air will pool. Outside, we cut sitting “benches,” and another on which to establish our kitchen. ALL of them face this, as the view - the summit and impressive face of Old Hyndman, and the vertical wall that connects to Cobb (just out-of-sight, to the right). With all gear and passengers delivered, Danny wishes us well, and heads back to Sun Valley, certain that we are as crazy a group as he has ever known. It is always a poignant moment when your support departs, leaving you/your group alone in wilderness, and that was clearly the case this time as well. Especially for Jennifer! Having NEVER done anything like this before, she is in a state of mild shock when the helicopter disappears, and the silence of a VERY cold spring day sets in. This is home for awhile!

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Monday, January 28, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #143:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #143:  It is early in the morning when we launch our DFC&FC skiing expedition into the Pioneers. The day is extremely cold and clear, and on a full-sun day, the morning temperature is still FALLING, now into the low teens. Our helicopter pilot, Danny Danielson even has trouble getting his copter to start, but eventually it does, and we are off. As this trip plan has been dreamed up by Gordon Williams and I, we go in on the first flight. As we fly in, and rise into higher elevations, the temp goes to single digits, and Danny expresses concern that it is going to be too cold for us to do this. We have tents, but we all agree that with this cold, they will not be enough, so Gordon asks Danny to “hold” once we touch down, and he and I go out with ski poles to probe snow depth, in hopes of finding enough, solid, deep snow, that we can build a snow cave. We do, and so we tell Danny we are opting to stay, and he should return to the launch point and bring the other 4 people, and remaining gear. In the last post, I mentioned, we hoped to add one more person to our group, because there was available room on one of the flights, and another participant would help differ our costs. We ask several of our other DFC&FC friends if they want to join us, but none has the time available, so I take a rare chance with a girl I date, and that Gordon knows. Jennifer flies for Alaska Air, but loves to ski (and skis well), so she keeps an apartment in Sun Valley, where she comes for her breaks. It is the night before our trip, and I am not even sure she is in town, but Gordon and I pay a visit, and find her there. She has NEVER camped, let alone, winter camped. She has never cross-country skied, either. BUT, she is VERY fun, likes/trusts both of us, and says she will do it, if we can find her the necessary gear. We have extra x-country skis galore, and sleeping bags, ensolite, and the rest, can be found at any DFC&FC home, so we round it all up. When we pick Jennifer up the next morning on the way to our launch site, I can tell she is excited, but also thinking, “what the hell have I agreed to?” especially consider the crashing morning temperatures.

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Monday, January 21, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #142:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #142:  My DFC&FC colleagues and I have now graced the pages of POWDER magazine with our backcountry ski and camping stories, numerous times over several years, and of course, our other friends in Sun Valley have seen those stories. As it appears to me, new projects are going to take me to the East Coast for several years, and I may not get back to do another ski adventure for some time, so Gordon Williams and I set about planning one more epic trip before I depart. Gordon knows of a small lake that sits in a VERY high basin at the foot of Hyndman Peak (at 12,008ft, the tallest summit in the range), and looks directly at the faces of Old Hyndman (11,775ft) and Cobb (11,650ft). We have had a good winter and there is plenty of snow, so now that spring is coming, skiing conditions should only get better. We contact Danny Danielson, once again, a local helicopter pilot with whom we have worked before, and he knows the location we are considering, and is happy to take us there. The helicopter is small, and it will take several trips, so it is going to cost a fair bit of change. I will be joined by my partner, Vicki Golden. Eager friends from Sun Valley, Chris Dupont, and his girlfriend Mila, both ski downhill quite well, and have always wanted to join one of our trips, so I invite them to come along. This pairing leaves an empty seat in one helicopter runs that we would like to fill to help cover costs. I will explain what we do to fill that seat next week, but for now, the morning of the launch dawns cold and clear,..as in REALLY cold and clear. A classic “bottom falling out of the thermometer,” sub-zero cold. Danny even has trouble starting the copter.

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Monday, January 14, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #141:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #141:  There is no more steep, or dangerous terrain to navigate, on our ski out of Boulder Basin. The stress of traversing the narrow canyon and possible avalanches is gone, and we are now in the trees on a broadening valley floor that will soon give way to some miles of smooth, snow-covered, rolling hills. We are seriously snacked-up, recovering from our tricky descent, and now we get to play. Packs get re-adjusted. Cameras are put away (for the safety of my ribs). Our heels are free, not locked down. This is not downhill skiing, although we are often screaming downhill. We are now skiing in the track-path we collectively cut, skiing in. It is a packed down groove, that has been refilled with a bit of powder snow. Whoever leads is skiing new powder, those behind are skiing a track that is increasingly more groomed, and getting faster with the passing of each skier. Since you are in a track, turns are REALLY awkward because you step-around them using fast, little ski steps. You don’t really make a turn as you do when downhill skiing. No one blows up, although there are some hair-raising moments, and the long run to the car is just amazing! At various places I have kick-glide steps that cover 20-30 yards before I set the other ski. There is a lot of whooping, and more snacks at the car. These DFC&FC trips for stories in POWDER magazine, and the furtherance of my personal work, are just getting better and better. Maybe we should do another?

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Monday, January 7, 2019

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #140:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #140:  The morning starts cold on the day our group skis out of Boulder Basin, but by the time we have reach the narrow, steep part of our descent, the day is warming rapidly, and melting ice and snow are setting of small avalanches everywhere. We are all very cautious to remain under control as we ski, and to limit our group exposure by spreading out. The east side of Boulder Creek canyon is VERY exposed, with towering walls above it. On our side it is steep, but there are trees, and the remains of a road that helps us. We have limited avalanche exposure until we are nearly on the flattening, broadening valley floor, and then there is a slope which, when we encountered it on the way in, we passed across one-at-a-time. Apparently with good reason. This is my partner, Vicki Golden, now approaching that same spot. This slide occurred, thankfully, before our arrival, and the trails you see coming out of the avalanche are those of us skiing in. Now we must drop downslope a bit, and cross the foot of this slide. Those are snow “boulders”, and they are now set like concrete. Once safely around this, we all stop for a snack break, and to prepare for something VERY different for the rest of this ski.

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Monday, December 31, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #139:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #139:  Here, Jon Davis is surveying his descent approach into the narrowing, steepening canyon of Boulder Creek. Somewhere beneath the snow in that ravine is a good deal of flowing water. The far side of the canyon is way too avalanche exposed to want to be near, and the warming sun is causing small ones to occur regularly, so all proceed with caution in this section of the ski out from Boulder Basin. We all wear Pieps, and we trail avalanche cords behind us. We are no longer skiing as a group either, spreading out as we pass through critical sections of exposure. We are all skiing with frame packs, and that places a lot of weight up high on the body. It is awkward to balance while skiing, and if you fall forward, it becomes a dangerous, pile-driving, face-plant. This is the most difficult part of the day - don’t slide into the creek; don’t hit a tree; don’t set off, or get caught in an avalanche; and most especially, don’t do a pile-driving face-plant, as that might cause all the other don’ts.

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Monday, December 24, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #138:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #138:  As we leave Boulder Basin, my last look back is humorous because in the blinding sunlight you can see where in the past few days, we have skied hundreds of tracks EVERYWHERE. In front of us is something else, however. As the basin begins its descent, there is a lot of open slope with few trees, and the snow conditions are perfect, as the warming sun is creating spring, “corn” snow conditions. Since none of us yet knows how to telemark, looking down this slope is the moment when we stop to lock down our heels into our bindings, and then we are off on an amazing slide. This is Mark Sheehan out in front in trackless snow and rolling. It is an amazing nearly effortless experience, even with the awkward packs on. There is A LOT of whooping. No one falls, and the ride goes on for quite sometime, before the next section, where the canyon narrows and steepens. The steeper slopes require more strategy, and now there are increasing numbers of trees. Eventually we must navigate past where Boulder Creek has cut a narrow, deep canyon below us, into which you do not want to find yourself inadvertently slipping.
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Monday, December 17, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #137:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #137:  From the cabin we used as a camp, we cross the basin, coasting smoothly to the base of big walls and chutes. Because the day is warm, avalanches are more likely, so we do not intend to get too close, but, to the right in this image, the canyon steepens and pitches down in a broad slope of snow that is turning to corn as it warms in the sun. The skiing is about to become more serious, so the cameras are going to be locked-down, but before doing that, I make this one last image, “Early Morning Shadow on a Wall,” which becomes another to be included in the 24-print portfolio, “WINTERS: 1970-1980.” For me, this trip has been a VERY productive adventure. I have good material for a story in POWDER magazine, and I have added considerably to my personal B&W work. Actually, the POWDER magazine story is about to get a whole lot better. My next move is an angled descent toward the right of that barren tree, followed by an arcing right turn that brings me out onto the broad slope. After that,...
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Monday, December 10, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #136:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #136:  The morning of our planned departure from our winter ski-camp in the historic mining ruins of Boulder Basin, dawns bluebird clear. Standing in the sun is actually warm, as you can see. Our crew is in shirtsleeves, and Vicki has on her “spring” shell ski pants. From left to right, the characters are Jon Davis, Gail Sheehan, Vicki, and Mark Sheehan. We are locked and loaded. Snow conditions are perfect. It is all downhill back to the car, miles and miles away from here, and when we chose, we can ski in the established track we packed down when we skied in. There are some places we can also break fresh powder, a few steeper sections that require some navigation, and then an EPIC glide through the forest and foothills back to the highway. The cabin to the right was our camp. We took snow off the roof and piled it around the sides to cut the wind drafting. It was very cozy. The basin has been amazing,..and no we stride and glide.
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Monday, December 3, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #135:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #135:  After our day of skiing in the hazy, half-light conditions of Boulder Basin, I know I have some great B&W images for the WINTERS body of work I am building. I am also sure I have good pictures for a story in POWDER magazine on color film, but I regret we have not had a sunny day, just to get some “bluebird” sky shots, and to see the summits clearly defined, not lost in clouds. However, the weather does seem to be improving as we retire to our “cabin” for the evening, and on our last walk-about, there are a zillion stars out and the night sky is dazzling. There is no assurance that will last until morning, but it does. This is to be our day to ski out, and it appears that it is breaking sharply colder, and crystal clear. Wow! This might be a fun day. It is downhill all the way back to the car!
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Monday, November 26, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #134:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #134:  On our day of skiing about Boulder Basin following the snowstorm, the circulating air still contains a lot of vapor and ice crystals, so the sun remains hazy behind a constantly changing light overcast. Because those changes are playing out in very subtle ways on the snowscape before us, I exchange my color film for B&W to further my personal work on my developing series, "WINTERS: 1970-1980.” The light vacillates between being VERY flat, to having subtle shadows, but nothing ever becomes sharply defined. This image, “Drifts and Shadows,” (above) becomes part of the portfolio when I publish, but it is also an excellent example of a landscape with some definition, that slowly dissolves into a featureless white nothingness - the very direction we are skiing - LOL!
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Monday, November 19, 2018


 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #133:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #133:  Exploring Boulder Basin for the sake of the story I have proposed to POWDER magazine, I have been hoping for a sunny day after the storm clears. I have “skiing” pictures that will suite my needs already, but it would be great to get some “bluebird” skies as an icing on the cake. Instead, what follows the stormy weather is a cool, slightly breezy day, as cloud vapor and ice crystals blow about. The sun appears in a hazy glow, occasionally, and the sky has a pale blue pallor ( last post), when you can see color at all. As I have pointed out many times throughout my blogs, sometimes what you want, does not occur, but if you pay attention, other things happen. In this vaporous atmosphere, we all notice as we ski how a subtle change in the lighting makes reading the snow more complicated. All day we vacillate between VERY flat and confusing light, to subtle shadows that give some definition to the landscape ( last post), and occasionally, something even a little brighter. For me, this lighting is a B&W tonal experience, so I change film and do work that is ultimately published as part of the 24-print portfolio, “WINTERS: 1970-1980.” “Snow Collapsing Along a Creek Drainage” (above) becomes one of those images. As a skier’s aside, if you wonder about the danger and difficulties of flat light, were it really flat, you might not be able to detect this roll in the landscape, and skiing into it fast and unexpectedly might break a ski, a leg, or both.
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Monday, November 12, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #132:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #132:  Above Boulder Basin and the ruins of the old mining town, there are numerous open slopes that ascend to the exposed rock summits, and many seem stabile enough to ski. For whatever it is worth, all of us trail avalanche cords behind us, and we carry Pieps avalanche beacons in our pockets. We also all have snow shovels in our day packs. We have come to have fun, not get buried. The skiing is GREAT, and for me, the views even greater. Best of all, I am getting pictures that will serve both POWDER magazine, and my own personal portfolio of B&W work, “WINTERS: 1970-1980.” At the moment of this image, however, I am about to lock down my heels and “drop-in.” There is a beautiful, long run back down to the basin floor in front of me, and the light is great. I would like to be aggressive about this, but having two Nikons strapped to my chest warrants more caution. Best not to take a header in deep powder. For scale of the terrain we are in, notice the limber pine on the rock outcrop in the lower, middle of the image. THAT is a HUGE tree!
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Monday, November 5, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #131:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #131:  On our DFC&FC skiing trip into Boulder Basin, I know I am making images that will be useful for a story in POWDER magazine, but now with the sun and clouds interacting in some interesting, and very subtle ways, I see an opportunity to further my personal B&W work that is being accumulated for eventual publishing as the portfolio, “WINTERS: 1970-1980.” Slowly climbing our way above the basin and relic of the mining town, we rise into some considerable expanses of open slopes. Some of the snow-covered terrain has been shaped by wind, and other parts form gullies where water runs beneath the melting snow. At one point, while navigating around several, the sun barely shown through the ice-cloud haze above me, and the gullies became my version of Edward Weston’s sand dunes at Oceano. Edward didn’t get to do an exhilarating ski down after he took his shots, however. That is why I am having SO much fun being part of the NEXT generation of landscape photographers.
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Monday, October 29, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #130:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #130:  We sleep well and WARM during the night as the old snow-covered cabin, provides good insulation against the cold and any wind that continues to blow. Although it is not clear in the morning, it is clearing. The wind and weather have passed, and the last of the clouds are drifting slowly across the peaks. We have a good breakfast and then everyone rejoices to get into their skis without having to carry a pack. As you can see, Gail (Sheehan) and my partner, Vicki Golden (behind) are all smiley faces about day-tripping and downhill runs. With the sun making attempts to shine through, the flat light from the day before is gone, and now there is a more readable terrain, so we expect to have some fun downhill skiing,..but first we have to go up, to come down. Along the way, the hazy occasional sunlight creates some VERY interesting shadows and lighting conditions, so I do some work on behalf of my growing B&W portfolio, “WINTERS: 1970-1980,” while we slowly traverse the terrain.
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Monday, October 22, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #129:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #129:  Having found a an old cabin in Boulder City that is both safe, and dry inside is a great score. It will fit all of us to sleep and leave room for a nice “kitchen” as well. We will not have to use our tents, and we will be much warmer doing everything inside, out of the gusting wind. It is to everyone’s relief that we can shed our packs, as you can see, my partner, Vicki Golden, is especially pleased. Gordon Williams is off to the side, busy contriving an “entry slide” to the cabin floor through a window. As the glow of late light gets even brighter, it seems the weather is backing off. We all want to eat, sleep, and rise to SKI! The cabin is VERY cozy inside. Once in, we block the door and window openings with our packs, and between our collective body heat, and the cooking food, the temperature is well above freezing. A fun night is had by all, and while visiting the trees, we actually see stars, so we are very hopeful the morning will deliver clearing skies.
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Monday, October 15, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #128:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #128:  Rather suddenly, a few ski glides around a cluster of trees, and there it is, the ruins of the historic mining town of Boulder City. The spiteful weather even backs off, and the basin, covered in fresh powder, glows beneath the clouds as evening light begins to fade. We are home,..sort of! We did bring tents, but because it is cold and windy, we are hoping to find a building as a useable shelter, so we have some exploring to do. As you can see, there are numerous structures, some more buried than others, and some so dilapidated as to be dangerous. We are also tired and hungry, so we fan out and scout, eager to find the right location, shed our packs, put on warmer clothes, and eat warm food. We discover some buildings have roofs so damaged there is as much snow inside, as out. Eventually, however, we are rewarded, and although the cabin is deep in a wind hollow, it is dry inside, and accessible through both a door and a window.
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Monday, October 8, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #127:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #127:  As our intrepid group begins the descent into Boulder Basin from the point of our rest stop, a particularly blustery assault of weather begins. It blows with gusts that pick up snow crystals and blast them painfully into our faces. Those same gusts also push us around because our backpacks are like sails. It snows really hard, in flurries. The trees are creaking and howling, and it has become quite dark, although it is not yet the end of the daylight hours. Fortunately for us, we are going downhill, but even that is tricky because the light is VERY flat. No one wants to do a faceplant in deep, fresh powder, and be buried under their pack. As the basin broadens around us, tree clusters are farther apart, affording us views, one of which we hope will soon reveal the remains of the old mining town, Boulder City.
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Monday, October 1, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #126:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #126:  It is late in the day, so our “rest” period can only last so long, as it is beginning to get dark. From this point, the historic mining town and the basin are below us, so from here on, the skiing should be pleasant as we will not be struggling to climb. While we shoulder our packs once again, another snow flurry blows over us, and the rugged peaks around the basin dance in-and-out of the passing clouds. It is breathtaking. Tired as we are, we are all very excited. And now for some skiing fun. Most of what lies ahead for us is stride-and-glide, and as you can see, Gail Sheehan has just launched herself. We cannot see any of the buildings in the mining town as yet, but they are off to the left and will come into view soon. The further into our downhill traverse, the more amazing the basin becomes, and although the summits are currently playing hide-and-seek in the clouds, I know if we get a clear day, this adventure is going to be visually amazing, and I will have great pictures for a story in POWDER magazine.
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Monday, September 24, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #125:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #125:  Finally the 4-wheel drive road our 6-person skiing expedition into Boulder Basin is following, arrives at its highest point and flattens out. This is a good thing because we are all tired from struggling up the last steep section of our ascent. More relaxed now that we are at this point, we stop to have some water and snacks. Jon Davis, Gordon, and I actually take our packs off and do a bit a ski-exploring. The weather has turned for the worse, but it is not especially windy, and snowfall only comes in flurries, so we are all quite comfortable, and slowly recovering as we momentarily relax and revive. The terrain around us, is now quite different. The forest of trees in the canyon has given way to the relatively “open” expanse of Boulder Basin, and all of it is encircled by dramatic, rugged peaks. The evergreen pines are here, but fewer in number, and one of my favorite tress, the limber pine, whose beautiful, twisted trunks make them one of my favorite subjects, have asserted themselves as sculptural forms dotted across the alpine landscape. This one called out to me.
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Monday, September 24, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #125:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #125:  Finally the 4-wheel drive road our 6-person skiing expedition into Boulder Basin is following, arrives at its highest point and flattens out. This is a good thing because we are all tired from struggling up the last steep section of our ascent. More relaxed now that we are at this point, we stop to have some water and snacks. Jon Davis, Gordon, and I actually take our packs off and do a bit a ski-exploring. The weather has turned for the worse, but it is not especially windy, and snowfall only comes in flurries, so we are all quite comfortable, and slowly recovering as we momentarily relax and revive. The terrain around us, is now quite different. The forest of trees in the canyon has given way to the relatively “open” expanse of Boulder Basin, and all of it is encircled by dramatic, rugged peaks. The evergreen pines are here, but fewer in number, and one of my favorite tress, the limber pine, whose beautiful, twisted trunks make them one of my favorite subjects, have asserted themselves as sculptural forms dotted across the alpine landscape. This one called out to me.
photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2018, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, September 17, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #124:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #124:  On our 6-person winter camping trip into Boulder Basin, we have reached the part of the trail that is the steepest. When you look at the map (link provided) you can see that the canyon rises, and curves to left just before it enters Boulder Basin, site of the historic mining town. The basin is actually a small depression, and we arrive at the entrance to the basin by following the summer 4-wheel drive road, up and over a small ridge crest. As we approach that point, the weather also intensifies, and it begins to snow lightly. This is the most difficult part of the trail, as having traction means everything. With the changing weather conditions, our waxed skis are inconsistent, and their is a good deal of slipping, which makes for very hard work. Here you can see Gail Sheehan making an angle adjustment to gain back her forward momentum, and push onward and upward. We are all tired and it is getting late in the day. The weather seems to be getting worse and the wind is picking up. The good news is that we are almost to the crest of the trail, and the climbing will soon stop.
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Monday, September 10, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #123:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #123:  Our 6-person ski and camping trip into Boulder Basin in the Boulder Mountains, progresses without incident through the morning, as we work our way up through the foothills and into the canyon. Now in the canyon, we are surrounded by trees, but we actually have a “path" to follow. There IS a very rugged 4-wheel-drive road that gets some summer use, which goes all the way into the mining ghost town, where we are headed. It is simple to follow, and keeps us from getting “lost" in the trees. I am skiing on "The Ski” with Ramer bindings, but I am NOT using climbing skins. We of the DFC&FC are truly of the “old school” and prefer to use a host of colored waxes to cause our skis to adhere enough for climbing. Unfortunately, waxes are designed for specific temperatures of snow, so if conditions change, you need to change wax, OR sometimes, you just forge ahead with a little sidestepping as you see my partner, Vicki Golden, doing here. I believe that is Jon Davis below her on the road. We are going UP!
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Monday, September 3, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #122:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #122:  On our ski approach to Boulder Basin our troupe of 6 winter campers, slowly climb through the rolling foothills that extend from the highway into the range. The weather continues to flow through, and occasionally a light snow filters down, but nothing serious seems to be happening, and we push on. At the top of the last smooth dome of white, before we enter the more forested canyon, the view around us has little detail because the light is so flat. The only features in the landscape below that we can see are our own tracks. We have a short breather for snacks and water, and then we turn towards the canyon entrance and begin our glide amongst the trees. The easiest part of the trip is now behind us, and the work is about to begin.
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Monday, August 27, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #121:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #121:  The weather continues to deteriorate and the light gets very flat as 6 of us unload our cars and assemble our backpacks for a ski tour and camping trip into Boulder Basin in the Boulder Mountains, north of Ketchum, ID. It is not windy, or particularly cold, however, and once we get in our skis and start moving, it proves to be a reasonably nice day in spite of the changing conditions. Gordon Williams is in the lead here, as we work our way up through the rolling foothills to the point where the canyon narrows and the valley begins to ascend more steeply. For the time being, this is just a steady, modestly uphill cruise.
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Monday, August 20, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #120:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #120:  Having had our two-post tech talk (last posts), it is now time to put that gear into another field adventure with my DFC&FC associates. Several times we have discussed skiing into the historic, high-altitude, mining town in the Pioneer Mountains, called Boulder Basin. I have never seen the basin, but my DFC&FC colleagues, Gordon Williams and Mark Sheehan have visited in the summer, and they think with the right conditions, we could winter camp comfortably, get in a good deal of free-skiing, and the snow-covered basin would be spectacular for my picture-making purposes. POWDER magazine agrees, which is our excuse to proceed, and thus we are off! The crew for this winter sojourn consists of Gordon, Mark, Mark’s wife at-the-time, Gail, my friend and fellow artist, Jon Davis, and my partner at the time, Vicki Golden. The weather window we choose is in early spring, and weather is coming in as we head north on US Highway #75 from Ketchum to the foot of the Boulders. From the plowed pull-out area where we are allowed to leave cars overnight, the view above is where we are headed - up through rolling foothills, into a brief stretch of forest, then a long stretch of an ever-narrowing canyon, that final opens into an alpine basin surrounded by summits. Let’s do this!

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Monday, August 20, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #120:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #120:  Having had our two-post tech talk (last posts), it is now time to put that gear into another field adventure with my DFC&FC associates. Several times we have discussed skiing into the historic, high-altitude, mining town in the Pioneer Mountains, called Boulder Basin. I have never seen the basin, but my DFC&FC colleagues, Gordon Williams and Mark Sheehan have visited in the summer, and they think with the right conditions, we could winter camp comfortably, get in a good deal of free-skiing, and the snow-covered basin would be spectacular for my picture-making purposes. POWDER magazine agrees, which is our excuse to proceed, and thus we are off! The crew for this winter sojourn consists of Gordon, Mark, Mark’s wife at-the-time, Gail, my friend and fellow artist, Jon Davis, and my partner at the time, Vicki Golden. The weather window we choose is in early spring, and weather is coming in as we head north on US Highway #75 from Ketchum to the foot of the Boulders. From the plowed pull-out area where we are allowed to leave cars overnight, the view above is where we are headed - up through rolling foothills, into a brief stretch of forest, then a long stretch of an ever-narrowing canyon, that final opens into an alpine basin surrounded by summits. Let’s do this!
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Monday, August 13, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #119:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #119:  If you ski, you will love this post. These are many of the skiis I have used over the years, thanks to the management of POWDER magazine, who received it all from manufacturers, and gave it to me to use/test in the field. My first backcountry skis are all-wood Bonna’s with a metal edge, and heel-lock-down capable, cable bindings. I also have an all-wood pair of A.S.N.E.S. that have a simple pin-toe, and hardwood edges on which I cross-country. The rig I will “test” going into Boulder Basin is the set-up on the red ski. The ski is a high performance recreational ski, a TRS “The” Ski. The binding is a Ramer aluminum mountaineering binding with lock down/heel-free capabilities. Now, we will put this new system to work and see what the Boulder Mountains are going to offer us.
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Monday, August 6, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #118:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #118:  Before I launch with my DFC&FC friends into another Wood River Valley backcountry ski adventure, I will diverge momentarily to talk tech. It is fair to say that as sports have evolved, the tech of gear and clothing has helped it to do so. Mountaineers and adventurers are more comfortable, warmer, and carrying lighter weight than ever before, thanks to companies like Patagonia and North Face  who pioneered new systems to wear. Surfing and snowboarding change design engineering constantly. Skiing certainly does as well. Boots, bindings, skis, poles, and goggles, quite literally, CHANGE EVERY YEAR! Before I ever saw snow,or skied, I remember wandering around in the dark, cavernous attic above the garage at my family home. It was a place my father kept his “stuff” - fishing poles, hunting vests, tackle boxes, and decoys of every bird you could hunt lay everywhere, but most interesting to me were the huge pine skis, bamboo poles, and a pair of old leather boots. In his more youthful days, my father skied at Badger Pass in Yosemite, a small, “local” ski area, that only had a row tow (no lifts), and everyone wore cable-bindings, and did telemark turns. On the left, above, ARE those old boots of my fathers, and they now grace the marble in front of my living room fireplace. Because I am now associated with POWDER magazine and am doing backcountry stories for them, backcountry product manufacturers are sending them A LOT of gear, and I am their only photographer interested in using it. In the half-dozen years I do stories for their pages, I constantly sample gear as well. Boots and bindings are a rapidly evolving industry in both resort skiing and mountaineering. Mountaineers want a boot that is heel-free, so they can climb, and slide-and-glide cross-country, but then when the time comes to do serious downhill, they want the heel to lock down, and the boot to be stiff to support turns and pack weight. I try it all: my lightest rig is longer-than-I-need K2 cross-country skis, with toe-pin bindings only, and a soft shoe - not enough support for backcountry; my maximum rig is Ramer bindings, that can fully lock down a boot heel, but they demand a nearly resort-ski-rigid boot to make them work well. With each adventure, I finally seem to hone-in on the system that best works best for me. I choose a cross-country style ski with a metal edge. I use the Asolo Sport boots above-right, that are comfortably stiff and offer ankle support. These boots incorporate a heavy-duty toe-pin binding only, AND I learn to ski tele mark, which I had seen some years earlier on a shoot at Big Mountain in Montana, but I never considered at that time that I would ski that style myself. I am sure you have heard the old saying, “The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same, .” Well, that is certainly the case here.
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Monday, July 30, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #117:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #117:  You know, if you have followed this blog, that summer is not the only time members of the DFC&FC come out to play. In fact, winter may be our favorite for adventuring. Our last winter overnight in this post was the story of our trip to repair Pioneer Cabin (posts #68 - #86), so now we are going somewhere else, and into a different mountain range. If you live in the Wood River Valley, you most likely recognize this view and summit profile. It is VERY distinctive. As you drive north from Ketchum/Sun Valley, ID, on State Highway #75, this is your first view (above) of the Boulder Mountains. Their pointy summits and bold, exposed rock faces give them a unique visual presence, such that you recognize them from just about any perspective (as in earlier post #24). Although now protected to some degree, in previous history the Boulders were mined, and the ruins of an abandoned mining town still exists in a high altitude cove amongst the peaks, called Boulder Basin. My friend and DFC&FC colleague, Gordon Williams, has often mentioned that we should ski into it sometime and winter camp, and now that POWDER magazine is publishing the stories I bring them, doing a DFC&FC winter trip into Boulder Basin seems like a great idea.
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Monday, July 23, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #116:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #116:  When I ceased teaching at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Humanities, I printed the best of the B/W images I made while spending summers there, and put them in a boxed portfolio as a gift to the center. Although I have previously shown you either end of the above triptych in this blog (posts #103 & #104), when I presented the portfolio, these images were not in the box, but rather, mounted separately on a large sheet a Arches rag paper. This would be my first multi-panel image as an emerging artist, a signature of my work throughout my career, as I would make many others. “A Day Passes at Kane Lake,” also suggests deeper things to me and my friends who understand what it means to wake up there, play all day in a VERY BIG world, and then return to the shimmering water and warm light, for an afternoon repose, until the stars appear. Thank you, Kane Lake, for the pleasures of my many visits. Thank you DFC&FC friends for sharing this place with me, AND, thank you to all the hamadryads who care for Kane, and for those of us who do as well. All this, of course, being proof that “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get."
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Monday, July 16, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #115:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #115:  The hamadryads at Kane Lake usually begin to appear in the warmth of the afternoon, especially when there is good weather. Sometimes they are hard to see or find because they “disappear” amongst the rocks for sunning and swimming. In the case of the DFC&FC, these shy creatures willingly reveal themselves because we have been a “friend-of-the-lake” for many years. Shown here are two of my favorites, and they actually let me photograph them. The one in the lower image, warming on a log after swimming, is one of our favorites because she likes to picnic and drink wine. There is nothing better than great FRESH food and a bottle, or three, of lake-chilled wine to finish the day at lakeshore, after climbing about in the higher basin.
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Monday, July 9, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #114:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #114:  That high basin, single-day hike above Kane Lake with a brave hamadryad that left the shelter of trees below, was pretty over-the-top (last post). Few people do such a lengthy hike, in a single shot, and our group had fun but one paid the price and ended up at the Mollie Scott Clinic in Sun Valley needing medical help, after we walked out. More typically, the hamadryads appear in the warmth of the afternoon, around the shoreline of Kane, where they swim, dine, and sun. In the late light, Kane sparkles like a jewel and the rocks ashore are warm, so on days when there is no weather to contend with, hamadryads often throw picnics. Because members of the DFC&FC have come to, camped at, and cared for Kane Lake for numerous summers, the hamadryads willingly reveal themselves to us, and best of all, we are often invited to their picnics. In post #106, I show Gordon Williams standing on a high ledge, looking down at Kane Lake. He is in the “spotter’s” position. Often binoculars are used while doing this. Although posing for my shot, he is actually looking to see if any hamadryads have come out below. If it is an afternoon like the one shown above, I guarantee they will appear.
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Monday, July 2, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #113:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #113:  Jumping into a pond surrounded by snow at this altitude is NOT to be taken lightly. ALL aspects of what you do must be considered. It is SO f*%#ing cold, there is no wading in, so you need to find a spot to dive that is deep enough. You also need to have a DIRECT swimming line to a spot that will allow you a safe exit without cutting your feet on rocks. The reason for this is that after you hit the water, all you can think about is where to get out, and in the rush to cross the pond and climb the bank, you want to have pre-planned exactly what you are going to do, so you don’t get hurt, flailing. The photographer of the last post, Gordon Williams, is now the subject of this one, and shows you exactly what happens, in this swimming “experience.” He has picked his spot, and after the brief dip, he is sprinting around the meadow to warm up,..you see, he has to jump back into the tarn again, because if you want to climb back down to Kane Lake, you have to be on the side from which we started. We did not NOT tell our guests about this eventuality until they reached the far shore - LOL!
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Monday, June 25, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #112:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #112:  Because there are no trees in this rocky upper basin above Kane Lake in the Pioneer mountains of Idaho, it is seldom visited by hamadryads, who tend to stay around the lake below. Occasionally, however, they can be lured higher, and this is such an occasion. I am in Ketchum-Sun Valley for a show at the Gail Severn Gallery, and Gail has just hired a new gallery assistant. Young, beautiful, just married, and Scandinavian healthy, she mentions she wants to go hiking and really SEE the area, but does not know where to go. If you follow this blog, you know, we of the DFC&FC often do spontaneous things when hamadryads are involved, see post #86. Thus, I immediately offer a hike IF she thinks she is in shape for it. (She looks “in shape.”) My thought is a daytrip into Kane Lake. I have no expectation of getting to the basin above Kane Lake in the same walk-in, as it takes a concerted effort, and demands you be in GREAT condition, especially if you plan to walk back out the same day. However, we started early, and after a good cool, morning stroll, arrived at Kane well before midday. Responding to a suggestion that we climb higher, everyone was onboard ("The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get"), so up we went, into the rocky basin, playing around the boulder, and finally, here, “the ol’ swimmin’ hole” at the end of a long day. As you can see, there is still a good deal of snow at our elevation, but that did NOT deter our desire to “refresh.” Yes, we are ALL going swimming. (Not wishing to embarrass anyone else, I will only identify myself as standing next to the hamadryad.) Photograph © copyright Gordon Williams 2018
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Monday, June 18, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #111:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #111:  DFC&FC colleague, Chris Puchner is on a free-climb to the summit of Goat Mountain in the Pioneers, and for awhile, we three who have chosen NOT to do the ascent sit by the giant boulder near the top of a basin, and watch as he works his way up. After we loose sight of him, however, the heat of the day begins to bear down on us because all the barren rock in the basin offers little respite. After lunch, some picture-taking, and a few naps, we decide to retreat from the boulder to what Gordon Williams promises is a cooler place. We backtrack along the “path” which we followed into the basin, but at the point we would start down to Kane Lake, we branch to the left instead, following the merging meltwaters as they head towards the plunge of the waterfall. We are on a relatively broad terrace, now more “garden” than rock, and in the midst of it is a “lake.” It is small, and narrow, but furrowed fairly deeply into the middle of a blooming meadow, and flowing with VERY cold water. Gordon suggests that we will wait here for Chris to downclimb as it will be easy for him to see us and reconnect. In the meantime, as relief to the heat of the day, we COULD all go “swimming.” We do. Then, as we are warming and drying ourselves in the late afternoon sun, a wild cry echoes around the walls from above, and Puchner appears at the top of a snowfield directly above us, amidst his descent.
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Monday, June 11, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #110:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #110:  During several hours of lounging and lunching around the gigantic boulder (frame, left) in the rubble filled basin above Kane Lake, I make this prescient image of the summit of Goat Mountain. Our DFC&FC colleague, Chris Puchner, is free-climbing it at the moment, while three of us sit in the shade, snacking, and watching. In this picture, note the debris field in the snow patch beneath the summit. Many of those are VERY large boulders, some of which have come down SINCE our arrival earlier in the day. Hot weather, melting snow, and water flowing through the cracks of these shattered rock faces is fracturing them even further and sweeping big pieces away. Quite impressive! AND, somewhere on that ridgeline coming in from the right, our friend is presently “hiking.” As Chris is no longer visible, and this basin is so enclosed by stone reflecting the heat, Gordon suggests that while we are waiting for Chris’ return, there is one more thing we have not yet seen, and a hot day like this is just the right time for such a discovery.
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Monday, June 4, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #109:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #109:  Ah! The perfect place to rock-out. DFC&FC colleagues, Gordon Williams (lost in the shade of the overhang) and Chris Puchner, begin to survey which challenges they might attempt on this day. It is VERY HOT and clear and this boulder rubble-filled basin is like a frying pan. Snow patches around us are melting rapidly, and water from them is gurgling through the small, saturated, mossy gardens that are in between all of the rocks. We started early, and now are here well before noon. The second tallest summit in the Pioneers, Goat Mountain at 11,900ft, is just out-of-frame to the right. After snacks, water, and some discussion, Chris reasons that we have yet to see a cloud, and it would be a good day to summit without risk of weather. He has decided to go for Goat Mountain. Neither myself, my friend, Chris Korody, who is with us at the time, nor Gordon feels up for the task, as it is a LONG way and A LOT of elevation between here and there. Instead, we opt for the “climb-around-the-boulder, stay-in-the-shade, sleep-on-patches-of-meadow, take-pictures, drink-water, eat-A-LOT-of-snacks” mode, and while away the day. Chris now has much work to do, so he shoulders his rope and ice-axe, and is off, using one of the steep snowfields to kick-step a staircase onto the exposed ridge over 1,000ft above. We watch until he disappears amongst the rocks. We have told him we will wait in this basin for his return.
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Monday, May 28, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #108:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #108:  Having spoken of the gardens and the boulder in the basin (last post), we are not quite there yet. There is still some more of that “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get” stuff. Although taken on different visits, I was struck by the similarities of these two images, taken as I work my way up. The previous B&W post, became a print in my first portfolio, all images of the Pioneer Mountains and the Sun Valley area (mostly of Kane Lake and it’s surroundings). This color image is another clear, hot day with Gordon Williams (above) and Chris Puchner headed to the boulder to “practice.” What else I see is a beautiful trail of connected ledges and small garden patches unfolding like a staircase, if you believe it to be so. In case you are curious, that spire in the middle is the Salzburger Spitzl, at 11,601ft., the 14th tallest peak in the range. It is hard to tell from this perspective, but looming MUCH larger behind it is Goat Mountain, at 11,913ft., the 2nd tallest summit in the Pioneers. This basin lies at the foot of some impressive faces.
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Monday, May 21, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #107:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #107:  Above Kane Lake is a relatively bug-free world of rock. After the ascent along the edge of the inflow stream and clambering around ledges, a very stoney basin levels off and plunges deeply into the heart of the peak section. What initially appears to be nothing but boulder rubble, turns out to be small gardens surrounded by rockfall. In fact, rock falls ALL the time, and falling rocks can be heard regularly throughout any visit. When the DFC&FC comes up here to play, there are actually many things to do. The Devils Bedstead and Goat Mountain can be free-climbed from here if you have the skills and nerve. There is considerable snow in the narrow chutes that rise above the basin, and they not only provide flowing water to the valley floor, they are staircases for those that want to follow them up. Near the back of the basin, there is also a bonus - one of the biggest boulders you will ever see. Members of the DFC&FC do not have to summit to be challenged, they can practice virtually any kind of climb on this boulder.
photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2018, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, May 14, 2018

The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #106:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #106:  Summer days in the Pioneer Mountains above Sun Valley, Idaho can be very hot, with thunderstorms building up in the afternoon. As lovely as Kane Lake is at dusk and dawn, during the middle of the day, it can be blazing, and more frequently than not, buggy with persistent mosquitoes. While we of the DFC&FC can certainly be accused of “lying about” the lake, we did so at the end of the day. During the day was an entirely different matter. “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” are the words we leave the tent with in the morning. Breakfast before bugs, and we are off, AND up. Up through the rocks next to one of the incoming streams. Lots of ledges and boulders, but after a bit of effort, Kane Lake takes on a very different appearance, and most of the bugs have been left behind. Here, Gordon Williams is scouting the lakeshore to see if any of the hamadryads have come out.
photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2018, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, May 7, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #105:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #105:  Lying around on the rocks and ledges of the shore of Kane Lake is not the only location members of the DFC&FC do a lot of lying around. Here, Gordon Williams, who has just come back from a day of climbing above, makes like Ferdinand the Bull, and rests amongst a field flowers. As you can see, Gordon is still festooned with rope and iron, and has not quite made it back to camp yet for the afternoon swim. On many of my visits, Gordon, and fellow DFC&FC colleague, Chris Puchner join us, but my other friends and I just came to hike, and Gordon and Chris came to hone their climbing skills. Although there are plenty of summits surrounding us, you don’t need one to stage a climb. If any of you know climbing history, CAMP 4 in Yosemite is a famous destination, not only because of the big walls nearby, but also because of all the difficult scaleable boulders around the camp area. If you never seen a “climbing” boulder, stay tuned, somewhere up above Kane Lake there is a doozy!
photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2018, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, April 30, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #104:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #104:  I have always been partial to the evenings at Kane Lake. After what is usually an exhausting day of climbing higher in the rocks and gardens above the lake, getting back to camp on a warm afternoon in the summer is a great luxury. You can lose your gear, most or all of your clothes, and the meadows are soft enough to walk in barefoot. The late afternoon sun causes the lake to shimmer in the breeze, and the little rocky terraces and shelves offer staircases into, and out of the water, with hot flat surfaces to sun on after your swim. Regardless of the warmth of the day, Kane is shockingly cold, which is breathtaking when you first dive in. I happen to like to aftereffect. When I emerge from the cold water, the adrenalin rush has “reset” my system, and as I gaze out across the lake, the late light sets the edges of everything aglow, and I perceive the world with a heightened crystal clarity. One thing is for sure, the Japanese landscape gardeners have definitely been working up here.
photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2018, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, April 23, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #103:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #103:  A deep blue, and sparkling in the sunlight, Kane Lake sits like a jewel in a perfect setting. The far shore abuts the foot of sheer walls that surround nearly half of the lake, farming the view. The near shore hosts meadows, clusters of trees, a few streams, and room enough for several excellent camp sites. This is looking out of my tent as the sun rises. The shoreline on this side of the lake is especially convoluted with small grassy peninsulas, tiny “garden” islands, and MANY places where you can enter and exit for a swim without tearing your feet up. A good deal of time is spent enjoy early morning and late evening light at lakeside, and after a day of climbing higher, swimming in the late afternoon before dinner is welcome relief. Most hikers see Kane Lake as THE destination, and many of them just walk-in for a day-trip, and do not camp overnight. We of the DFC&FC, on the other hand, enjoy staying overnight to catch the morning and evening light show, BUT we go elsewhere for the rest of the day. Remember, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get’” Besides, there are fewer mosquitoes up "there."
photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2018, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, April 16, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #102:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #102:  After we ascend the largest of the granite dikes, there is a short walk and rather suddenly, meadows and clusters of trees appear, framing a waterfall whose splashes I can hear echoing around in the rock walls. In a relatively few steps, a shoreline of little mossy islands and zen trees opens, and BEHOLD KANE LAKE! After many visits I have come to believe that what makes Kane special are the contrasts of the setting. The lush, often flowering meadows, the encroaching trees, and the shimmering lake are a wash of vibrant blues and greens that come to a truly abrupt end, at the foot of ragged granite headwalls and debris fields of boulder rubble. Towering above that are larger summits, and whatever snow pack feeds that waterfall. OR, are there other lakes above Kane? Look carefully. Above the waterfall, amongst the rocks. Is there something green there?
photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2018, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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Monday, April 9, 2018

 The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get - Sun Valley and the DFC&FC, #101:
THE HIGHER YOU GET, THE HIGHER YOU GET, #101:  Emerging from the forest canopy as the trail starts to climb, we can see open granite ledges rising steeply around us, and there is quite a bit of boulder rubble at regular intervals. The trail threads through everything, but it is important to watch for the cairns in traversing up and around the steep rock walls. As the canyon rises more abruptly, the granite ledges become large granite dikes that require some serious “stair-climbing” to ascend, but in true DFC&FC tradition of, “The Higher You Get, The Higher You Get,” when you surmount the last dike, the view is inspiring. Catching our breath, Gordon Williams and his wonder dog, Pasha, ponder the valley from whence we have come. As you can see, we are nearly above the treeline, and look at all that granite and those hanging meadows in the background. Now, where is Kane Lake ?
photograph(s) © copyright, ROBERT GLENN KETCHUM, 2018, @RbtGlennKetchum @LittleBearProd #LittleBearProd

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