050312 AC#1 - Kelly Mountain Ski

Here's a map of the route (red = hiking blue = skiing). Bullion and Democrat are out Croy Canyon west of Hailey, ID.

The old house out Bulliion Gulch in Oct 2009. I guess some vandals tore some wood off the structure sometime later that fall.

The same structure in 2012. I had heard it was destroyed, but apparently they just took some boards off the bottom left of the house.

6:01 PM - Greg V. strapping skis to the pack

Ready to go, Exploring Sun Valley map book in hand.

We drove 4 miles up Bullion before the encroaching willows blocked the road. Greg ducks his ski tips underneath the trees.

A long ribbon of snow extended down the north side for about 800-feet to the old mining road.

We started hiking in a light drizzle, but the storm broke and let enough sunlight through to make a small rainbow.

Dramatic light and clouds were blowing over the top of the ridge.

I kicked steps in hard books so Greg has a little more purchase in his tennies, but the climb was consistend and steady.

The Colorado Gulch "massif" and Hailey through the clouds.

7:08 PM - Looking west from our first "summit" pt 8435. We skiied one of the lines down this face.

A another pulse of the storm started to roll in as Greg descended from Pt 8435

Greg and Croy tak a break to look at the next easy ridge.

More clouds rolled in shutting down the visibility a bit.

Greg walks the wind drift towards pt 8575.

Colorful rocks and sage branch...

Beginning transition #1 as Greg takes the skis off his pack.

Changing into ski boots. A hard book was definately nice for walking up the firm snow.

The skiing off the top was pretty good. A dusting of an inch of new on the old supportable surface. We had to traverse out to a ridge and side step this small bit to connect the line.

We were able to ski about 1000 feet. Some of it was rough slide debris in the gut. Towards the bottom we had to weave through the trees but made it almost all the way to the Red Cloud/Pass Group mine road in the Deer Creek drainage.

7:58 PM - Transition #2 - back to hiking shoes.

Strapped and ready to go. Croy was smiling at this stage in the day.

Skis on, boots in, lets go.

We followed the road back to the 7600-foot saddle betwen Bullion and Deer Creek and then started back up the ridge towards pt 8435 for second lap down the ribbon we hiked up. By this time the moon was high in the sky. This view is down Bullion Gulch.

Croy contemplates the evening. He never likes to look at me when I am taking his photo.

Hiking the ridge toward pt 8435.

Greg mugging for the camera.

It ended up being a beautiful evening with the storm clearing and a few clouds hanging onto the higer peaks.

We climbed onto a wind loaded ribbon of snow for the last 200 feet to our second time atop pt 8435

Croy and Greg.

9:09 PM - we caught some of the last light in the west as we topped out.

Geg looks toward the lights of Hailey.

A cold wind had picked up so we quickly moved into Transition #3 back to ski books. Greg left that orange strap up there so if anyone needs a ski strap...