Sunshine Peak

14,001 ft.

May 24, 1999
Northwest Face

Solo

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Self protrait with the disposable camera, the ridge to Redcloud behind me
Looking back up the south fork of Silver creek, fairly recent avy debris everywhere

Having just skied Redcloud Peak and with the clouds keeping the conditions stable, I put the skins back on and headed for the saddle between the two summits. With some booting required, I gained the ridge and from there it's easy work to Sunshines' summit- just a foot over the 14K mark. The northwest face has a great line on it, in a simple sense— even pitched and sustained angle. With a few inches of new snow deposited from the passing storms, it was right at the top of my comfort zone for a solo ski.

Back down at the truck I crawled in my sleeping bag while and read for a bit, before driving up the Cinnamon Pass Road to where it splits with the American Basin trailhead. I'd sleep there and hit Handies Peak in the morning.

  copyright 2007 tedmahon.com