White Pine Fork, Little Cottonwood Canyon. Skiing Lake Chute, May 31, 2014.

Sunrise in the Wasatch. White Baldy (L) and Lake Peak (R).

Tanner's Gulch dead center, with its "White Spider" snowfield going fast. The peaks, left to right,  are: Broads Fork Twins, hidden behind tree, O'Sulivan, Sunrise, Dromedary and the LCC Ridgeline.

Same pic as above, but zoomed. Actually that's not a "White Spider" is it. The bare ground in Tanner's Gulch, surrounded by snow, is more like the Dark Night (Batman?) or a Doberman with a smashed face?

Lake Peak in the sun.

Lake Peak again.

Brett below the almost-bare, Tri-Chute's of Red Top Mountain. Snowbird is just over the ridge. Snowbird's original master plan had another tram drawn in, topping out on Red Top and/or Red Baldy.  

White Baldy (L), Lake Peak (R). (Brett F. pic)

Broads Fork Twins, Sunrise and Dromedary Peaks, from upper White Pine Fork.

Brett skinning past boulders emerging from the melting snow pack.

Sun-cups, boulders, Red Baldy.

Brett, and the Little Cottonwood ridge line.

Into the sun, Red Baldy above.

White Pine Lake, Lake Peak and Lake Peak Chute, our ski run for the day.

Brett, wondering why we didn't skin across the lake. Actually, I tried to talk him into skinning across while I took pictures safely above on solid ground, but he's too smart for that. Remember the movie "Never Cry Wolf," when the dude falls through the ice with a full pack? Can you imagine trying to swim while clipped into ski gear? Like I said, Brett's too smart for my artistic sensibilities.   

Brett hiking open ground below the Lake Chute, White Baldy beyond.

Booting up the gut of Lake Chute. There was no refreeze but the snow was surprisingly supportable, probably due to continual strafing of avalanches, all winter long.

Brett almost topping out. He kicked great steps for me while I set up the GoPro, and I then cruised to the top without  breaking a sweat. Brett saw through my ruse.   

Me, a selfie from the GoPro set up mid-chute. Brett is the tiny figure above (just under my wrist). 

Slope meter says 49 degrees. This was taken just below the final head wall which was a bit steeper, I'm guessing over 50 degrees.  

 

Me, cruising  up Brett's fine staircase of kicked-steps. White Pine Lake below. (Brett F. pic)

View west from the top of Lake Chute: the Pfeiferhorn (big peak in center), Lone Peak (the "W" peak barely seen with snowy summit to right of the Pfief), and the Hogum/Thunder ridge line running to the right. The upper Red Pine lakes are seen just left of the trees in the foreground.   

White Baldy and view south from the summit of Lake Peak. Our ski gear is on the flat snow shelf, at the top of the chute (lower right).

Zoomed.

Brett (L), Owen (R). Not sure if I like the look of my Black Diamond trousers. Too baggy in the crotch, but that's what you get when you size up 2-inches to get the right fit in the thighs. BD's "athletic fit" (their name) is total bullshit, but their "binge and purge" sizing still didn't stop me from buying. I'm not so fat, rather, I've got a "rugby build." I doubt I could've fit these things as a pre-pubescent.     

Pfeiferhorn (big in foreground) and Lone Peak (the "W" shaped peak just over the low spot in the Hogum/Thunder ridge line).

Ski tracks down Lake Chute. Fun turns in dirty, wet snow. Hey, its summer! 

 

Brett above a melting White Pine Lake, examining out handiwork in Lake Chute (out of view). 

 

Me, hiking out. Yes, I wear women's nylons (great antidote for blisters); yes, I walk on water (errrr, "in" not "on"); and, yes, my right calf was stabbed about a thousand times by my ski until I finally stopped and made adjustments. (Brett F. pic)

Brett doing his laundry (Brett used the dirt to stop his run and got his gear a bit muddy).

 

New sport I invented to add to your bucket list. I'm collecting royalties for the "intellectual" property rights. (Brett F. pic)