[Malachai Constant]

Some locals Skied the West Gullies of Si from the top of the Haystack for the first time Dec 30. The gullies had of course been skied back in the day.

Newspaper Article

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"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn

[puzzlr]

It's great that it was some folks from that community, waiting for years for the right conditions. It wasn't clear to me how far they were able to keep the skis on for -- all the way to the Little Si trail? The trailhead? Close to it?

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Mid Fork Rocks • flickr

[reststep]

The article says they skied down to 2200 feet.  I don't know what the elevation of the Little Si Trailhead is

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"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir

[Malachai Constant]

Little Si TH is 500' according to Green Trails

top of Haystack is around 4100'

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"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn

[DIYSteve]

I read that. Impressive. We've been looking at that line for 30 years.

Is he certain he's the first guy to ski it?

[reststep]

From the newspaper article linked in the OP

[the Zachster]

Pretty awesome achievement! 
I was hiking Mt Si on Wednesday and passed a guy coming up with a snowboard. Nothing surprises me on that trail but it did make me chuckle a bit. Now I wonder if he knew about this... Any reports of the first guy boarding off the haystack yet?  

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"May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"

[Bernardo]

The picture of them starting to ski off the Hay Stack is a classic, but am I the only one who thinks this is seriously dangerous?  Turns out they survived, but can one really know that such steep snow is avalanche safe?

Slopes have collapsed after several have skied them so that is not a conclusive indicator.

[reststep]

The article says they belayed to ski from the top.

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"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir

[Bernardo]

The article says the first two were belayed, but third was not.

[Malachai Constant]

Yes it was seriously dangerous, the difference is that those participating also knew that and did their best to minimize danger. They were experienced and had been planning this for a long time. They were not asking on a web forum if this was a good idea.

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"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn

[Bernardo]

If you are referring to my question, it was rhetorical.  I know it wasn't safe.  The  real question is, is it ethical?  Actually that's also mostly a rhetorical question which everyone has to answer for themselves.  I do find it ironic that in one thread we are reminded of winter hazards and lament a death, in another people who risked their lives and survived are lauded.

[Snowbrushy]

Bern, I saw the short video from the top and it's fairly routine terrain for expert skiers, which I'm not. It's the unknown conditions and avalanche dangers that kept them waiting for 10 years to finally ski it. They did their homework.

[ale_capone]

Pretty neat for all the parties. Seen a few mt si reports now. Didn't read the article, did the party 'claim' a first decent, or did others do it for them? Either way, I have lots of respect for Trevor k. He's been around, and knows his stuff. I would hardly put him in the high risk category.

But life's a risk, laud yourself if you are alive to read this.

[Backpacker Joe]

Now we can add Krazie Skiers to Kraizie Klimbers!

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"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."

— Abraham Lincoln