Little Bear Peak Trip Report 04/29/2019

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Little Bear Peak - 14,041 feet Ellingwood Point - 14,057 feet Blanca Peak - 14,350 feet
Date Posted	04/29/2019
Modified	04/30/2019
Date Climbed	04/27/2019
Author	mattr9
Additional Members	osprey, climbingcue

Little Bear, Ellingwood, and Blanca Ski Descent Extravaganza
Noob alert: This is my first trip report. Thoroughly enjoyed writing this up! Hopefully it doesn't SUCK! Finished up with a "Hail and Farewell" ceremony (my Army unit's way of welcoming new people coming to the unit and saying goodbye to people leaving the unit) at the Hatch Cover in Colorado Springs and contemplated driving straight to the trailhead, getting as far up the 4WD road as possible, and catching a couple hours of sleep before knocking out the approach to Como Lake. Decided to get those couple hours of sleep in my warm bed... zero hours or minutes of sleep were had. Left Colorado Springs around 11:00 PM and got to the trailhead around 2:00 AM, just in time to make up for lost sleep. Set the alarm for 3:30 AM and passed in and out of sleep as wind and light rain could be heard outside my 4runner. Drove up to about 10,000' before the 4runner couldn't quite get through a snow drift and started the quite annoying approach around 4:30 AM. Lots of snow patches and dry spots, so couldn't get in a rhythm switching between skinning and booting. Made it to Lake Como around 6:30 and set up camp/had breakfast before heading out slightly late at 8:00 AM, but it was windy and cloudy with a decent freeze, wasn't too concerned about timing. Blanca Peak obscured by clouds. Ran into two fine gentleman in the wide open couloir that gains the ridge, Tom (Osprey) and Bill (ClimbingCue). They set a nice boot pack up the couloir so I promised to help later in the day. Tom (Red) and Bill (Green) working their way up to the ridge. Thanks for the boot pack! Bill ended up being quite the animal and led the way long the ridge until we got to Baby Thunder Couloir and he had to stop and put his crampons back on, "finally a chance for me to set that boot pack I promised..." Bill leading the way on the ridge (Speed demon!) Looking back along the ridge, Tom in red. Blanca peak shows herself! Bill in the foreground. We traversed right and drifted upwards across the snow slopes until we were directly beneath the Hourglass Couloir. From there I pointed the boot pack straight up and made good progress in frozen slide debris. The snow was great for kicking steps in, just hard enough to get half a boot in but not so soft to fall through. Traversing right and up. Bill following. Once we reached the rock wall where the constriction begins, Bill offered to take over as I grabbed some water. He was off. At first it looked like he was going at a relatively slow pace, until.... I never caught up with him. I followed his boot pack up the Hourglass Couloir which was a bit harder to kick steps in, pretty firm and all of the soft snow had either slid or was stripped by the wind. Once we got above the constriction, I opted to go left because it looked like a more continuous snow slope than right. The step kicking got easier and I made good time up to the summit at about 11:00 AM, where Bill met me a minute later, only because he had gone on an "adventure" on the ridge to the Southeast of the summit. The summit, like always had great views. Got some promotional pictures with my #ClimbingForCasualties shirt and a picture of the South face of Ellingwood, tomorrow's first objective before preparing for the descent. Bill taking over setting the boot pack. Me, following up Bill's boot pack from the rock wall. Me, right before I opted to head climbers left, lookers right, up a more continuous snow slope. Bill coming onto the summit, beautiful view! #ClimbingForCasualties SWAG! Getting RAD Ellingwood's South face. The next day, I ascended the obvious couloir to lookers left of summit and descended down blue dotted line. As Tom was following my boot pack up the snow slope, I clipped into my skis prepared to "Send It". I yelled down to Tom that I was about to ski, he gave me the "OK", and I dropped in. Picture from Tom of me skiing below. Link to my 2 youtube videos of both days of ski descents is below!!!! Little Bear Peak: https://youtu.be/la-ImHKWbL0 Ellingwood Point and Blanca Peak: https://youtu.be/XkSYn0k8UOE The snow was firm, but edge-able, and I was able to make jump turns down into the main gully, where I found a few soft turns. In the constriction was very firm, almost icy, conditions. But again, edge-able. Once I got past the constriction, I found the soft snow again and made some fun turns before traversing right to get back to the ridge. Once back at the ridge, I donned my crampons and began down climbing onto a snow slope that allows access into the Baby Thunder Couloir. Made a few hesitant turns on the slope before making my way down to an entrance point. Once in Baby Thunder couloir, I realized the snow was deep and pretty heavy, so I again had to jump turn through the tight spots. Pretty aesthetic couloir to ski, sheer almost vertical rock wall on your right gives it a cool feeling. Once it widened out a bit I was able to make bigger turns until the exit, where I was able to ski (almost) all the way back to camp. Looking down into Baby Thunder Couloir. I went up and left on the ridge before down climbing onto a snow slope. Left my mark! Super aesthetic! Beautiful view from the basin after skiing Baby Thunder Couloir. Caught a good night's rest and started on Sunday at 7:00 AM for Ellingwood Point. Got to the base of the South face by 8:00 AM and began booting up a main couloir to the ridge and then took the ridge for a few minutes to the summit around 10:00 AM. Looking HELLA gorgeous!! Snapped a picture of the #ClimbingForCasualties shirt with Blanca and the Northwest face in the background, feeling pretty good about a continuous ski descent on it! #ClimbingForCasualties shirt working on its modeling career with Blanca's Northwest face looking pretty PHAT! Ascent/Descent route along blue dotted line. Spotted a skiable route into the couloir that is skiers left of the summit on the South face of Ellingwood, clipped in, and was off. Once in the couloir, the skiing was quite nice. The day was cloudy and windy again, so I wasn't expecting much with conditions, but I was pleasantly surprised. Once I got down a bit, around 13,500', I started traversing hard left and was able to get directly underneath the Northeast face of Blanca around 13,300'. I donned crampons, put skis on my back, and began powering straight up. There was a very obvious Col to lookers right at the top of the Northeast face which could be a great entrance point, but I was convinced I could find a snow route straight down from the summit, so I went straight up, trying to spot my descent line. An hour after starting to boot pack, I gained the summit around 12:15 AM. Got a selfie with the #ClimbingForCasualties shirt and prepared for the 3rd descent in 2 days, WOOHOO! Throwing up some gang signs with the #ClimbingForCasualties shirt. (Shocka gang) Clipped into the skis again and retraced my boot pack to try and go down the whole way on skis.... whoops. Tried to down climb a section that looked like a steep snow slope but turned out to be a smooth slab of rock with a few inches of snow on top, made a few labored breaths clutching to rock and trying to not lose it down this section, into the rough rocks below. Pulled through and in no time was back on semi-continuous snow, where I was able to weave between rocks, linking turns where possible and side stepping down over rocks (sorry skis). Once in the wide snow slope of the Northwest face, I finally let em rip. The snow was fun and allowed for big tuns and high speed. I was able to ski (almost) all the way back to camp again, where I promptly packed camp and headed out for another very annoying journey on the road to my 4runner. Made it back to the 4runner around 2:30 PM and gunned it home with enough time to catch the new Game of Thrones episode (wasn't super stoked with hat by the way, but oh well). Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Little Bear, Ellingwood, and Blanca Ski Descent Extravaganza

Noob alert: This is my first trip report. Thoroughly enjoyed writing this up! Hopefully it doesn't SUCK!

Finished up with a "Hail and Farewell" ceremony (my Army unit's way of welcoming new people coming to the unit and saying goodbye to people leaving the unit) at the Hatch Cover in Colorado Springs and contemplated driving straight to the trailhead, getting as far up the 4WD road as possible, and catching a couple hours of sleep before knocking out the approach to Como Lake. Decided to get those couple hours of sleep in my warm bed... zero hours or minutes of sleep were had. Left Colorado Springs around 11:00 PM and got to the trailhead around 2:00 AM, just in time to make up for lost sleep. Set the alarm for 3:30 AM and passed in and out of sleep as wind and light rain could be heard outside my 4runner. Drove up to about 10,000' before the 4runner couldn't quite get through a snow drift and started the quite annoying approach around 4:30 AM. Lots of snow patches and dry spots, so couldn't get in a rhythm switching between skinning and booting. Made it to Lake Como around 6:30 and set up camp/had breakfast before heading out slightly late at 8:00 AM, but it was windy and cloudy with a decent freeze, wasn't too concerned about timing.

19316_08

Blanca Peak obscured by clouds.

Ran into two fine gentleman in the wide open couloir that gains the ridge, Tom (Osprey) and Bill (ClimbingCue). They set a nice boot pack up the couloir so I promised to help later in the day.

19316_09

Tom (Red) and Bill (Green) working their way up to the ridge. Thanks for the boot pack!

Bill ended up being quite the animal and led the way long the ridge until we got to Baby Thunder Couloir and he had to stop and put his crampons back on, "finally a chance for me to set that boot pack I promised..."

19316_10

Bill leading the way on the ridge (Speed demon!)

19316_11

Looking back along the ridge, Tom in red.

19316_13

Blanca peak shows herself! Bill in the foreground.

We traversed right and drifted upwards across the snow slopes until we were directly beneath the Hourglass Couloir. From there I pointed the boot pack straight up and made good progress in frozen slide debris. The snow was great for kicking steps in, just hard enough to get half a boot in but not so soft to fall through.

19316_15

Traversing right and up. Bill following.

Once we reached the rock wall where the constriction begins, Bill offered to take over as I grabbed some water. He was off. At first it looked like he was going at a relatively slow pace, until.... I never caught up with him. I followed his boot pack up the Hourglass Couloir which was a bit harder to kick steps in, pretty firm and all of the soft snow had either slid or was stripped by the wind. Once we got above the constriction, I opted to go left because it looked like a more continuous snow slope than right. The step kicking got easier and I made good time up to the summit at about 11:00 AM, where Bill met me a minute later, only because he had gone on an "adventure" on the ridge to the Southeast of the summit. The summit, like always had great views. Got some promotional pictures with my #ClimbingForCasualties shirt and a picture of the South face of Ellingwood, tomorrow's first objective before preparing for the descent.

19316_17

Bill taking over setting the boot pack.

19316_31

Me, following up Bill's boot pack from the rock wall.

19316_30

Me, right before I opted to head climbers left, lookers right, up a more continuous snow slope.

19316_18

Bill coming onto the summit, beautiful view!

#ClimbingForCasualties SWAG!

Getting RAD

Ellingwood's South face. The next day, I ascended the obvious couloir to lookers left of summit and descended down blue dotted line.

As Tom was following my boot pack up the snow slope, I clipped into my skis prepared to "Send It". I yelled down to Tom that I was about to ski, he gave me the "OK", and I dropped in.

19316_29

Picture from Tom of me skiing below.

Link to my 2 youtube videos of both days of ski descents is below!!!!

Little Bear Peak: https://youtu.be/la-ImHKWbL0

Ellingwood Point and Blanca Peak: https://youtu.be/XkSYn0k8UOE

The snow was firm, but edge-able, and I was able to make jump turns down into the main gully, where I found a few soft turns. In the constriction was very firm, almost icy, conditions. But again, edge-able.

Once I got past the constriction, I found the soft snow again and made some fun turns before traversing right to get back to the ridge.

Once back at the ridge, I donned my crampons and began down climbing onto a snow slope that allows access into the Baby Thunder Couloir. Made a few hesitant turns on the slope before making my way down to an entrance point. Once in Baby Thunder couloir, I realized the snow was deep and pretty heavy, so I again had to jump turn through the tight spots. Pretty aesthetic couloir to ski, sheer almost vertical rock wall on your right gives it a cool feeling. Once it widened out a bit I was able to make bigger turns until the exit, where I was able to ski (almost) all the way back to camp.

19316_14

Looking down into Baby Thunder Couloir. I went up and left on the ridge before down climbing onto a snow slope.

19316_23

Left my mark! Super aesthetic!

19316_24

Beautiful view from the basin after skiing Baby Thunder Couloir.

Caught a good night's rest and started on Sunday at 7:00 AM for Ellingwood Point. Got to the base of the South face by 8:00 AM and began booting up a main couloir to the ridge and then took the ridge for a few minutes to the summit around 10:00 AM.

19316_25

Looking HELLA gorgeous!!

Snapped a picture of the #ClimbingForCasualties shirt with Blanca and the Northwest face in the background, feeling pretty good about a continuous ski descent on it!

19316_32

#ClimbingForCasualties shirt working on its modeling career with Blanca's Northwest face looking pretty PHAT! Ascent/Descent route along blue dotted line.

Spotted a skiable route into the couloir that is skiers left of the summit on the South face of Ellingwood, clipped in, and was off. Once in the couloir, the skiing was quite nice. The day was cloudy and windy again, so I wasn't expecting much with conditions, but I was pleasantly surprised. Once I got down a bit, around 13,500', I started traversing hard left and was able to get directly underneath the Northeast face of Blanca around 13,300'. I donned crampons, put skis on my back, and began powering straight up. There was a very obvious Col to lookers right at the top of the Northeast face which could be a great entrance point, but I was convinced I could find a snow route straight down from the summit, so I went straight up, trying to spot my descent line. An hour after starting to boot pack, I gained the summit around 12:15 AM. Got a selfie with the #ClimbingForCasualties shirt and prepared for the 3rd descent in 2 days, WOOHOO!

19316_27

Throwing up some gang signs with the #ClimbingForCasualties shirt. (Shocka gang)

Clipped into the skis again and retraced my boot pack to try and go down the whole way on skis.... whoops. Tried to down climb a section that looked like a steep snow slope but turned out to be a smooth slab of rock with a few inches of snow on top, made a few labored breaths clutching to rock and trying to not lose it down this section, into the rough rocks below. Pulled through and in no time was back on semi-continuous snow, where I was able to weave between rocks, linking turns where possible and side stepping down over rocks (sorry skis). Once in the wide snow slope of the Northwest face, I finally let em rip. The snow was fun and allowed for big tuns and high speed. I was able to ski (almost) all the way back to camp again, where I promptly packed camp and headed out for another very annoying journey on the road to my 4runner. Made it back to the 4runner around 2:30 PM and gunned it home with enough time to catch the new Game of Thrones episode (wasn't super stoked with hat by the way, but oh well).

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

angry	Other climber 4/29/2019 10:06pm is Osprey!
mattr9	Thanks "angry" 4/29/2019 10:10pm Thank you, made the update!
climbingcue	Little Bear 4/30/2019 7:17am Matt, Great to meet you, it was a great day to climb Little Bear. Very nice trip report, super impressed with your ski lines down the mountain. A bit out of my range of ability on my splitboard. Look forward to hearing about your trips the next couple of weekends. Bill
osprey	Wow! 4/30/2019 7:24am A great report and even more impressive skiing. I was in the presence of giants ( you and Bill ) that day.
mattr9	Bill and Tom 4/30/2019 7:40am It was great to meet you both! It was good to have some company on Little Bear before a solo mission the following day. Thank you guys for inadvertently pushing me to start doing trip reports, I really enjoyed recounting the day!
Posthole Pete	Freeze 4/30/2019 10:49am Congrats on getting all of these! How was your freeze on Ellingwood? That was my partner and I that passed by your tent on Sunday morning. James and I bailed on our Little Bear attempt because we felt there was not a sufficient freeze....
mattr9	Freeze 4/30/2019 10:59am I felt the freeze overnight was sufficient. I was slightly worried for Ellingwood's South face since it was clear in the morning and the sun would be right on it, but as the day went on, the winds and cloud cover kept stuff from heating. I didn't notice any change in firmness throughout the day until I got done with both peaks and was back in the basin, but it was 1PM by then. The winds and cloud cover made for a pretty chilly day, so things stayed pretty firm.
jennynelson	Woo hoo! 4/30/2019 11:24am Go Matt! Amazing!
Gueza	Nice conditions 5/1/2019 8:32pm Wish it was that fat when I skied Blanca and Ellingwood... Haven't heard of #climbingforcasualties yet, but am definitely gonna check it out out now - my dad was 7th group SF back in the day. Anyway, congrats on skiing all 3 (and baby thunder)! Cheers!
mattr9	Gueza 5/2/2019 7:49am If you have Social Media, check out our Climbing For Casualties pages. I started this fundraiser because a fellow 10th Group guy and my friend, Justin Lascek, lost both legs to an IED recently. I'm raising funds through the Pakistan climbing/skiing expedition I am doing this summer. We are currently in the process of making the webpage for it if you do not have social media, check out www.specialforcesfoundation.org
samfarmer789	Great report! 5/2/2019 12:01pm Good job and nice trip report! I have wanted to do this group for a while but not in the snow haha also glad you made it back in time for GOT!
RichH	Awesome 5/4/2019 7:51am Loved your video of Skiing Little Bear.
mattr9	RichH 5/4/2019 8:01am I'm glad you enjoyed it! Still working through getting the angle right on my GoPro mount so it's not just a video looking down at my skis haha
wynnski	Thanks 5/8/2019 11:50am Excellent ski TR.
hootenatty	Great TR! 5/8/2019 2:43pm Awesome report, and well done! I'm hoping to get up there myself in a couple weeks, this info is super helpful.
mattr9	Hootenatty 5/8/2019 3:58pm Coverage was great but hopefully you get some softer conditions! Super cool area!
ltlFish99	Excellent report 7/30/2020 1:10am What a cool way to spend a few days. I hope to get back to that area soon.

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