[Stefan-K]

- It's been a while since I posted a TR here, been mostly over at TAY. Pugh fits well though, since it was as much about mountaineering as it was skiing. Pure skiing (and I mean boarding too) just looks for a good line, where summiting is secondary. I pretty much fit that profile though I do like to summit as well... I was up on Pugh last Summer - for some reason I'd never been - it was a really fun day, what a beautiful mountain! It's a fairly popular and well visited mountain, and I can see why. For all that summer activity, it's not seen a lot of winter activity. When I started looking for winter pics of the NW face, I couldn't come up with much. I think I found one or two, Scurlock has some, but not of the entire NW face. There were some ski trips, but mostly of the Straight Glacier. So I was pretty thrilled when Trevor posted a TR over at TAY about two weeks ago with some fantastic pics of the NW face. He had boarded the Straight Glacier but wanted to do the face. The trip came together a week later in a somewhat roundabout way in that Andy put up a partners post for last Tuesdays weather window to Sahale, and both Trevor and I replied also suggesting Pugh... Zack had been wanting to ski too, so we were four. Here's Andy's excellent report over at TAY. So I won't write much, just a brief summary and some more pics. We got to the gated road to the Pugh trailhead at the break of day and started hiking from the Mountain Loop highway up the road and trail, skis and boots on our back, up to Lake Metan. We hung our shoes from trees there and put boots on. A couple hundred more feet to adequate snow coverage and the skis came on too.

below Stujack Pass

heading up Stujack Pass

Stujack Pass

Sloan Peak

heading up from Stujack

approaching Pugh

Pugh NW ridge and Sloan

Mt. Pugh May 10, 2011

our route up followed the first ramp up from the top of the Straight Glacier (right hand side of pic), then traversing over to the second higher ramp on the left (avoid convexity directly above) click on above pic: link to video covering mid-day decisions

Baker and White Chuck

Three Fingers and White Horse

above the second ramp

Trevor and Sloan

Mt. Pugh needed a weather vane...

The summit is well filled. I looked around but there was absolutely no evidence of the summit horn to be seen (pic from last summer). It's at least ten feet tall.

descending off Mt. Pugh

sorry, not a lot of skiing pics. The mountain was in motion. Snow and rocks flying overhead skiing back down under that first ramp... no time for pics. Keeping an eye on the terrain and each other. Plus the cloud bank had risen and we were in the midst of it during the descent.

the Straight Glacier in fog on the way out

looking back

Stujack on the way out

farming the slopes below Stujack - note snow waterfall upper left

We used all the gear we brought: ski crampons, crampons, whippets, ice axes, sunscreen fun day, good company!

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Excellent shots. That looks like a great line.

[Josh Journey]

So did you take the standard route near the summit or a different way?

[Layback]

Wow - looks like an awesome trip!

[Magellan]

That is a great trip! You are right in that it doesn't see much action outside of summer.

[Stefan-K]

[Josh Journey]

I've been to the summit twice, just had to ask. And I appreciate you letting me know.

[Chief Joseph]

Might be a good place to go check out some avalanches? I envy you guys, wish I were there, and able to ski down.... Nice pics too.

[beaudaddy]

Amazing trip you guys had and the pictures/video were wonderful. I like the feeling you captured in the photo "below Stujack Pass." I took a couple pics of Pugh the week before you guys skied/summited it. Its from a Northeast angle flying at about 6,000'.

Pugh Summit and Straight Glacier to the right

Corniced summit of Pugh seen from the Northeast

[Stefan-K]

thanks for the comments everyone - and holy cripes those are great pics of the east face Beau! Thanks for posting those. Good to see especially since I was up in the top NE corner looking for a way up, hacking away at the endless snice/rime trying to find purchase while also aware that to the east there may very well be a cornice and drop off... (there was no good view of the east face and we were definitely staying away from any edges that may have afforded one) I couldn't find any decent holds so I backed off and traversed west and joined Trevors bootpack up. btw - all those views of White Chuck made me think of those fantastic sunset pics you took!

[the Zachster]

Pugh is a favorite of mine but I have only imagined what it would look like in snow. Now I know... MAGNIFICENT!!! Thank you!

[EastKing]

Purely Awesome!!! Great pics! Always would about that peak in spring!!