– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures

– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog

Banner
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures
   

#SkiTheBig3 ON TOP OF DENALI — SKIED & returned to camp!

by Lou Dawson June 3, 2014
written by Lou Dawson June 3, 2014

Update, June 4: 2:36 am MDT, crew appears to be back at 14,200-foot camp after summiting. One of their comm devices broke a few days ago, but they’ve still got the satphone and Luann heard from them. Sounds like they’re headed down to Kahiltna Base and did ski Denali, so CONGRATULATIONS to the guys!

Update, June 3 09:44 pm MDT (7:44 Alaska time), we just get a SPOT message from Evan originating FROM THE SUMMIT OF DENALI! We knew the crew was going to try for the top today. We’re unclear about snow and ice conditions. It appears they’re on the good side of a 48 hour weather window. Best wishes to them for a safe descent!

Regarding the map below: Creator Doug Sproul is the guy who’s doing the beautiful “guidebooking” at geobackcountry.com — he’s psyched up by SkiTheBig3. Doug and I worked on this map for the last few days, thought I’d share at this point. Additions and improvements ongoing, feel free to give us feedback in the comments. It’s difficult to locate everything exactly. To view, click to enlarge.

Details

Details

(‘Ski The Big 3 is an Alaskan ski mountaineering expedition cooked up by four deprived (or perhaps depraved?) guys who never get enough ski and snowboard alpinism. Aaron Diamond, Evan Pletcher, Anton Sponar, Jordan White. The idea is to ski Denali, Mount Foraker, and Mount Hunter all during one expedition.)

29 comments
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
previous post
#SkiTheBig3 — Tent Testing, Ice Walking, Skiing
next post
Mount Hood — Vital Information for Backcountry Skiers and Snowboarders

29 comments

Lou Dawson June 3, 2014 - 9:38 am

Having some trouble with map enlargement, apologies, will be fixed in a moment.

Lou Dawson June 3, 2014 - 11:13 am

Well, if you click on the map you should get an enlarged version with scroll bars. Let me know how it does for you, works here on Google Chrome… Lou

Chamonix June 3, 2014 - 5:43 pm

Can’t open the link in Firefox either

Lou Dawson June 3, 2014 - 5:51 pm

Thanks Cham, having big problems with it here due to some other changes I made. It’ll be fixed in a few hours. Thanks for looking. Lou

Lou Dawson June 3, 2014 - 7:54 pm

Might be working now, let me know. Thanks, lou

Luann White June 3, 2014 - 8:55 pm

Looks like it is working on IE11- nice! Thank you. Now, if you could just put a little dot to show where they are right now, that would be perfect!

Lou Dawson June 3, 2014 - 9:19 pm

Shew, took long enough for me to get that map working! Thanks for checking Luann. ‘best, Lou

Luann White June 3, 2014 - 10:46 pm

63.06914 , -151.00656

from Evan’s SPOT just now

Ken Pletcher June 3, 2014 - 11:13 pm

Wow–looks like they made it! Thanks, Luann!

Luann White June 3, 2014 - 11:16 pm

Yes! I posted before I knew South Peak was the highest!

Gerlinde June 3, 2014 - 11:38 pm

CONGRATS. Just got a spot from Matt too! He summited at 11.14 colorado time. Good job boys. Doesn’t suprise me Matt stuck with Jordan and Anton , his 14er skier buddies. WAHOO. Now for the scary part skiing down.

Luann June 4, 2014 - 3:23 am

SPOT message at 2:36 am – back at camp!

Lou Dawson June 4, 2014 - 7:20 am

I’ll update this blog post till we get a trip report. As well as these guys hopefully having skied Denali, it occurred to me they might be the first expedition to have climbed all three mountains in one trip. Anyone know if that’s true or not?

I also want to emphasize how non-trival this whole thing is. Alaskan alpine climbing is some of the most difficult on earth due to the combination of wind, cold, altitude, self-powered ethos, overall logistics and more. The success rate on Denali most years hovers around 50/60%, Foraker only sees a few climbers each season, and Mount Hunter is most certainly the hardest “14er” Again, just to have climbed all these peaks in a few weeks, during one trip, is amazing. And then, skiing?

Ralph June 4, 2014 - 7:39 am

simply amazing

steveo June 4, 2014 - 8:08 am

Way to go! This makes me even more proud to be a Coloradan. These are the toughest 4 dudes on the planet right now!

Lou Dawson June 4, 2014 - 9:14 am

I have to agree. I knew they were tough, but this is so bad-ass it nearly defies comprehension. It does help climbing 14ers in Colorado. But remember that Aaron is actually not a Colorado guy. In any case, they were all around here for a while before they drove north, altitude helps. At this point, wishing them a safe journey down the big slog from 14,200 to Kahiltna Base.

Luann White June 4, 2014 - 9:21 am

I asked Jordan how the ski was and he said “not great.” But he didn’t say it didn’t happen! He asked me to make a reservation at the Talkeetna Roadhouse for tonight, so they are ready to be out of there!

Lou Dawson June 4, 2014 - 9:51 am

Ok Luann, perfect. That’s a mega-slog for them today, so we probably won’t get a trip report for a day or two. But it sounds like they skied ALL THREE!!

Ken Pletcher June 4, 2014 - 10:39 am

Bonnie and I are so absolutely blown away by what these four have done in the past month! And, yes, Lou, their stated objective was to be the first to ski (or board) down all three peaks in one trip. The reality that they apparently have done that is still sinking in.

Never in our wildest dreams did we–flatlanders–think that our first fairly tame family camping trip to Utah and Colorado when Evan was 5 would turn into something as amazing as this expedition has been. And we’re so glad that we could share it with all of you–thanks so much! We really hope that we can meet these remarkable young men (and you-all as well!) some day soon.

Godspeed to these boys on their journey back to civilization!

Mike Marolt June 4, 2014 - 11:07 am

Awesome!!! And it’s a funny thing. After you pull off a big project, it humbles you to a point where you don’t really know what to say or even believe that it happened. So I will say it for them.

HYPE THAT!! haha.

Erik Erikson June 4, 2014 - 11:54 am

Followed this expedition for a couple of days now here on wildsnow and informed myself meanwhile a little bit about what these guys are really doing. By now I think I can really estimate their amazing achievement.They have my deep respect for having almost pulled of this project!! Amazing!!
And very inspiring: Thought I was finally finished with skiing this season here in Austria and already deep into rock-climbing. But they made me dig out my skis again 😉
Thanks again to wildsnow for making it possible to share that great adventure.

Paul Diamond June 4, 2014 - 12:04 pm

All 4 of you deserve all the kudos you are getting from your peers and other ski mountaineering legends. Amazing, awesome job and we are all so very proud of you. Aaron, who would have thought a weekend trip to Tuckerman’s Ravine when you were 12 would have ended up in something like this? Love you and can’t wait to see you,
Dad.

Jim L June 4, 2014 - 12:35 pm

These guys deserve some fresh grilled Salmon, Moose tenderloin, Caribou burgers, Halibut or Lingcod fish tacos! Some tasty Alaskan Brew too. Then a good nights sleep in a tempurpedic bed!

Billy Balz June 4, 2014 - 6:14 pm

I’d like to make a shout out to these guys’ parents. My 4 and 7yr old boys love skiing, skinning and rock climbing (4 yr old not into skinning yet). I hope my boys turn out competent and adventurous like yours have. I relish every day I’m with them skiing or top roping. Congrats to you! And congrats to your boys for a serious achievement!

Drew Tabke June 4, 2014 - 7:13 pm

YEEEEHAWWWW CONGRATULATIONS!

Chris Pletcher June 4, 2014 - 9:22 pm

Congratulations! We have been fascinated and in awe of these guys. We love you Evan!

Brian Mohr June 4, 2014 - 9:49 pm

CONGRATS to these guys!

Luann White June 4, 2014 - 10:02 pm

From Jordan:

They made it to base camp but no more planes are going out. I think I understood that all the pilots had flown their allowed hours.

“Everyone is fine, just ready to be out of there.”

Mark Worley June 4, 2014 - 10:54 pm

Way to go fellas. Nicely done.

Comments are closed.

Recent Comments

  • Mike Bromberg on The No-Beacon Day — Using Terrain to Minimize Avalanche Exposure
  • phillip gallagher on The No-Beacon Day — Using Terrain to Minimize Avalanche Exposure
  • Jim Pace on Simple and Dependable — Black Diamond Helio 145 Binding Review
  • DavidB on The No-Beacon Day — Using Terrain to Minimize Avalanche Exposure
  • Manasseh on Simple and Dependable — Black Diamond Helio 145 Binding Review

Gear Reviews

  • Versatile and Sustainable — WNDR Vital 100 Ski Review

    January 14, 2021
  • Meidjo 3.0 Binding Review – Backcountry Telemark Evolves

    January 12, 2021
  • Tele Tech First Look — Voile Ultra Vector BC, 22 Designs Lynx, Scarpa TX Pro

    January 5, 2021

Trip Reports

  • Finding Early Turns on Rainier’s Muir Snowfield

    November 14, 2020
  • Treading Lightly Through Close-to-Home Mountains

    October 6, 2020
  • Snoqualmie Classic — Chair Peak Circumnavigation

    May 26, 2020

Totally Deep Podcast

  • Risky Business — Zahan Billimoria on Solving for Z

    December 14, 2020
  • Totally Deep Podcast 81 — CAIC Director Ethan Greene

    December 9, 2020
  • Unraveling the Mysteries of Avalanche Education — Totally Deep Podcast 80

    November 16, 2020

Tips & Tricks

  • 10 Essential Mistakes for the Backcountry Ski Touring Beginner

    December 2, 2020
  • Buying Used Gear Guide Part II — Poles, Avy Gear, Packs

    November 25, 2020
  • Save Your Ski Day — Emergency Car Kit Essentials

    November 24, 2020

Ski Touring Stories

  • Giving Myself the Gift of Backcountry

    January 15, 2021
  • Six Who Dared — Elk Mountains Traverse & Richard Compton Tribute

    January 7, 2021
  • Risky Business — Zahan Billimoria on Solving for Z

    December 14, 2020

Newsletter Sign-Up

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • About Lou Dawson
  • Authors Page
  • About
  • Contact
  • Copyright & Legal
  • Website Security

@2020 - All Rights Reserved. Designed and Developed by WildSnow


Back To Top

Read alsox

Gary Smith Skis Denali — TDP...

January 15, 2020

Confessions of Snowman

November 23, 2019

Denali 2019 — What Worked, What...

November 4, 2019