Saturday, May 21, 2011
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Montana Ski Patrol 07/08; Mountains.....
I like the mornings best of all. This is the view on any given morning as we unload the lifts to set up and open the mountain. We typically arrive to work at 7:30 dress, meet and get out the door by 8. The exception to this is on avalanche control mornings which may require an earlier start depending on how much control work needs to be done but even then, you can't bomb in the dark.
Days are spent setting up and sweeping the mountain for changing conditions and possibles accidents. Manual control work (shoveling cornice, z cutting slopes and general snow pack assessment) is done every morning on the steeper terrain and runs are opened or closed accordingly. Our day time work load typically includes drills on toboggan handling, medical continuing ed and/or avalanche transceiver (beacon) drills mixed in with responding to wrecks and general trail maintenance. This is a view of Pioneer Mountain, our main mountain at the Club. It stands at 9860' and offers plenty of steep terrain off the main ridge with excellent tree skiing off the back. In this picture you are looking South, Southwest along the ridge proper. In the background, you are looking down the Madison range toward Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, on the right is the Madison Valley. This is the work mountain.
Next is Lone Peak (11,166') a.k.a. Big Sky Resort. Not to be confused with the town of Big Sky that I live in. There is Big Sky Mountain Resort and Big Sky unincorporated town, MT USA. I live in Big Sky town, play at Big Sky Resort (Lone Peak) and work on Pioneer Mountain. You are looking at the south face of Lone Peak which is lift served from by a tram that runs just over the ridge on the right. Most of the lifts operate just over the ridge, out of site. The south face view shows some of the more challenging skiing. There is a lot of skiing above tree line. This is the play mountain.
All work and all play without infatuation would be a dull life. This is Cedar Mountain (10,719'), ain't she grand. Cedar lies to the west of Pioneer and Lone Mountains in the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. This undeveloped peak shows off almost all day, everyday. Cedar will get blocked out by storms but sometimes even under 30-50 mph winds and near white-out conditions if you look up, you can still see her sitting there just as peace full as you please. Cedar Mountain doesn't have the easiest access but offers a world of backcountry skiing, climbing and is just real fun to look at. This is the daydream/inspiration mountain.
My current mailing address is:
Warren Harden
P.O. Box 160091
Big Sky, MT 59716
Shipping address is:
Warren Harden
Glacier Condo # 133
2575 Curley Bear
Big Sky, MT 59716
I hope this finds everyone well and I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year.
Best regards from Big Sky!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Winter 07/08
Spring - I broke my right ankle/leg (ouch)
(The Kicking Horse River set in the Rockies of British Columbia)
Thursday, January 04, 2007
meanwhile back at the ranch ....... (@ home in TN)
It starts with "Country Christmas" at the Opryland Hotel. Every year they decorate the place and Convention Production Rigging hangs all of the Christmas lights, globes, bear, pandas ... you name it and thanks to the help of my buddies Mark McKinney and
Unfortunately, you can’t work all the time so I have gotten in little rock climbing as well. These are shots from
I have also been fortunate to get on some big stuff. Since Mark and I have been working together, our work schedules are pretty much the same and we have taken advantage of that to do couple of winter ascent wall routes at Looking Glass Rock in
Next we roped up for the Scott Fisher Memorial (5.10, A3) put up in 1997 after the many deaths (Scott Fisher included) on
All of this of course has been worked in and around the holidays which was the main reason I came home. I have really enjoyed being home to reconnect with friends and spend time with my family. One of the ways the family gets together is duck hunting on my step father's farm and cabin. It has been nice to have the flexibility to spend a lot of time at the farm cabin. Time spent not only hunting but preparing, repairing and lots of eating. This is shot of the bottom and our blind. Good times.
So what’s next?
Parting shot, duck hunting can really be tough. You must always stay alert.
(Harden Battels, nephew)
Friday, December 01, 2006
Back to the Valley and the road home...
(Bouldering in Camp 4 on Backercracker)
I returned the Valley for a week of climbing with the Sloss family. Drew and Casey came back for a fall tour and we stacked it objectives. We wanted to climb some of the classic easier routes as a group of 3 and Drew and I wanted to test ourselves on some of classic moderate 5.9's and 10's.
(Casey following on Snake Dike, Half Dome)
Our overall ticklist for the week included Jam Crack, Munginella, Central Pillar of Frenzy, the Grack, the East Buttress of El Cap and a grand finale on Snake Dike, Half Dome. Strong work and good times.
From Yosemite I headed east to reconnect with Ben and Indian Creek before heading home, see why?
(Coin Crack)
(Rain Delay)
So much can and should be said about the events of the last 2 months and these pictures only capture a little of the good times had in great places with even better folks. All I can do for now is say that although I have returned home, the trip is not over and there is more to come.
I would like to address a few of the questions I have been asked most since returning.
q. You must have seen some wild stuff, did you ever get into any bad situations or what was the most threatening thing that happened to you?
a. No, nothing. Besides going a little postal trying to find the laundromat in Las Vegas or being overcharged for internet usage ($12) in Ontario nothing bad happen to me. The most offensive person I met was the US Customs Agent. As for natural threats, you accept that challenge when you sign up. That is just part of the deal.
q. What was the best part of your trip?
a. The people. It is really rewarding to meet and engage folks with no agenda. There are some really good, intelligent people out there and a lot can be learned. You just have to get out of traffic to meet them.
q. Would you do it again?
a. Yes, and often.
........ more to come. I didn't come home and quit climbing.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Rain in the Valley - Sun in the Desert
Either way a crew us headed the Owens River Gorge in Bishop, CA the other day and it was nice, real nice. You got to love the desert.
These are some shots of Owens River Gorge and the Happy Boulders of Bishop, CA.
And a parting shot on Mono Lake @ dusk. Back to the Valley.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Yosemite WALLS!!!!
A planned visit from another Tennessean, John Bass, got Ben and I to scheming on something big that we could all do together. It seemed that the southern contingent needed to do a wall, a first wall, and what better a target than the Nose of El Captain. The team while not experienced at Big Wall climbing was perfect for a good solid go at their 1st wall. Ben has spent many seasons in
The plan is 3 days and 2 nights plus one day fixing lines. Ben and I will climb, haul and fix lines to Sickle Ledge (5 pitches, ~400’) and rap down to meet John on Wednesday evening. All goes well except that it takes Ben and I all day instead of the 5 hours we thought it would take to fix to Sickle. Traffic killed us. The route is really crowded and it’s hot. Regardless we get the pitches in, haul “Lewis” (our 80+ pound haul bag) to Sickle, fix and rappel to the ground. After hooking up with John we set in on final preparation with a little celebration, finish packing another haul bag and head to beg for an early start.
We start the morning by running 2 bears off at our fixed lines and one by one we begin jugging the 3 fixed ropes to our high point; Ben first, then John w/ the haul bag and lastly me with a small pack retrieving ropes on the way. We arrived in time for the traffic jam that we left the afternoon before and for a sunrise that was already warming the wall up. The next 3 pitches went slow. Not the climbing but the overall moving from pitch to pitch. Sickle was also the last flat stance we would have until
(This Ben leading over to the Stove Legs Crack and traffic)
Now we are free to move but its getting dark and we are somewhat wasted from the day. Just three hundred feet to
So this was our
In hindsight, I’d do it all over again. We had a blast. Its hard work and can be uncomfortable but man what a view!
Next up:
Bouldering
Bishop
And a visit from Drew and KcD!