Pyramid Butte (x 2)

1/15: After a bit of a slow early season, Jeffrey and I finally felt like conditions were set for a bigger tour.  After making most of the normal Pinball approach, we skied a gully on the eastern edge of the Big Saint Joe northeast cirque, which I remembered being pretty good.  To our surprise, the snow was really thin and weak, and we struggled to find even descent, rock free skiing.  We also bungled the section above the South Fork of Sweeney creek by attempting to traverse too high.  But we kept plugging and were below Pyramid Butte by late morning.  Climbing conditions in the lower couloir were quite good, so we motored up.  

Up Pyramid Butte.

We dug a second pit on the upper face and found a slightly concerning layer mid-pack.  Test results were non-propogating, however, so we continued to the top.  The gully was really good, with a solid base and skiable-enough snow quality.  The whole line is great, and the lower couloir is quite striking. 

Down Pyramid Butte.

The big climb to Big Saint Joe kind of got me.  Despite fuelling adequately, I ran out of gas.  But the only way out was up, so we kept plugging away.  To our shock and awe, we stumbled into some friends on the summit, and after exchanging pleasantries, descended the normal Southeast ramp.  Technically, conditions were just kind of average, but I was pretty excited to feel like ski season was finally really in good form.  We made it back to the car just before dark.  Excellent day.

Heading down Big Saint Joe. Home bound.

5/10: I went back to Pyramid Butte on May 10th, rolling out of the trailhead on a bike at 5 am.  From the Wilderness boundary, I fought intermittent snow on the trail before climbing up out of snow in running shoes.  I put ski boots on around 7,000 feet, then skinned quickly to the summit.  To my amazement, there was about 3" of nice smooth powder on the summit, and the clouds broke just as I topped out.  The North face run was about as good as it gets - 3,000 feet of great skiing.  What a treat! 

Powder turns on the mighty North face of Big Saint Joe.

I climbed the Southwest gully of Pyramid Butte, and with clouds providing just enough shade, skied it with good snow top to bottom.  Another treat!  

Just soft enough for quick skinning up Pyramid Butte.

Instead of traversing down canyon, I went up over the Big/Stormy Joe saddle to return, climbing a bit up the West shoulder of Big Saint Joe to get to 10k of climbing.  Once again, the ski run was good all the way to the trail.  The trail out was a bit of a grind with lots and lots of intermittent snow, but that was expected.  The bike egress was blistering fast, and I returned to the car by mid afternoon in mild disbelief with how good the day turned out to be.  

On the way to the Big/Stormy Saddle.  I skied the visible gully
which gets a little patchy at the bottom.

Ingress/egress strategy to the Wilderness Boundary.

Thoughts:  With the right conditions, this is a really great tour.  There is no way around the fact that it is a big day, getting in early enough for good corn in the spring is nearly impossible, and that the section between Little Saint Joe and the base of Pyramid Buttes is pretty rough around the edges, but Pyramid Buttes are remote, the ski lines are all very good and big, and there is no flat approaching.  There are a lot of ways to get in and out.  As crazy as it sounds, I kind of think that approaching over Big Saint Joe is almost as easy as the Little Saint Joe approach.  Then Pinball or Big/Stormy Joe saddle to exit.