SW Face, SLC Twins

The plan on Saturday was to head up Bells and check out the NE on Lone. We knew there may be lingering instability and we were all a little uncertain with the terrain choice.  Listening to the Avy forecast call for 50 mph winds out of the SW was more than enough to make us save Lone for another day.  Instead, we set our sights on the SLC Twins.

After dropping a car at the Deaf Smith trailhead we made our way to Broads Fork.  The first thousand or so feet were dirt but right before the bridge conditions turned perfect for fast travel.  The snow stayed firm until we were a couple hundred feet below the saddle where we found wind effect powder.  There was a narrow debris path toward the north end of the saddle which allowed safe travel to the ridge.

Tom booting to the saddle, Tanner on the debris pile

Drom and Sunrise from the saddle

Tom and Tanner heading to East Twin

The ridge was scenic, as usual, and a combination of booting and skinning had us on the summit watching more weather come in.  Not wanting to ski anything N facing we opted for the SW Face of W Twin.

Tanner close to the summit of West Twin

Although the SW face looks quite steep from the freeway, there are only a handful of steep turns.  It's a nice mix of chutes and bowls and eventually drops you in the middle of an old burn.  We had a nice combination of firm textured snow, breakable, and corn which lasted longer than expected (4500').  From there we were stuck walking.  I've heard horror stories about Deaf Smith but every time I've been there route finding/bushwhacking hasn't been a problem and today was no different. Apart from Tom almost falling off a little rock traverse into the river it was a quick uneventful exit on a fairly well defined trail. 

Tom skiing off the summit of W. Twin

Just off the summit ridge

Tanner, lower

Just before the burn

Tom in the burn

Exiting Deaf Smith