Max's Mountain

Robb, Dr. Snow & yours truly got a crack of noon (more like 1 p.m.) New Year's Day start, but we didn't have far to go to the trailhead. We followed a skin track up through the world's northern most rain forest, up up up to the glades and beyond to the alpine overlooking Girdwood.

Alyeska tram station from Max's.




Measured this slope at 32 degrees. Slope angle we skied, measured at 36 degrees.


Turned around at the weather station and skied back to GW village. The map says "Baumann's Bump", but everyone calls it Max's. Was there a Max Baumann? I don't think so. There was an Ernie Baumann, an early, pre-lift enthusiast of what he called Mount Solar, and what we call Mt. Alyeska. He earned his turns in the 1950's.

Who is / was Max?

http://www.alsap.org/VintagePhotos/alsapvintage.htm

Robb dropped a knee.


Dr. Snow warming up for Galena. We are very green, not in the eco way.

Altimeter is somewhat generous in the lower temps. Kruser learned from Suunto that their instruments are calibrated for 32F, and the device over estimates vertical laps when it's colder. Seems right; my Suunto read 3200 ft vertical for the trip, but Topo mapping software suggests 2800 ft vert. Consistent with Kruser's results, 10 laps on N. Face registered 24k on Suunto, but more like 20k based on map vert (times 10 laps).