Tour the Talkeetnas - So Many Options

Therapeutic effects of sunshine and powder are amazing.  On the mend from a hockey mistep, yours truly had planned to lay low, rest and heal up, but sunshine and powder (and ice and advil) rendered a powerful healing elixir.  Jon's plan to head to the Talkeetnas seemed perfect, but we had too many options!  We saw tracks on Arkose Ridge, Government Peak, Hatch Peak, Skyscraper Ridge, Rae Wallace, The Pinnacle, Friendship Pass, but there also were untracked lines everywhere, too.

We settled on Friendship Pass.  We skied to Independence Mine, up through Goldcord to Friendship Pass, skied down the backside of the pass, circumnavigated the Black Prospect and returned to the pass above Goldcord Bowl.  Skiing the loop around the Black Prospect left enough daylight to skin up Goldcord Peak, the sentinel towering above Goldcord and Independence.  We found more exposure than we wanted near the summit of Goldcord Peak - the eastern side is a series of huge cliffs. If you go up Goldcord Peak, staying on the summit ridge is highly recommended.

Update with Jon's photos.  Thanks J-ROCK!  Another awesome day with Johnny Rocketship!

The Line that Went

Jon recorded for posterity my ephemeral tracks that show one of those lines that we didn't really know whether it would go until we went.  Jon and I pondered the potential of the other side as we ascended the backside; we happily discovered that it would 'go'.

Yours Truly with Some Exposure, Rethinking his Capability, Talent and Risk Tolerance