Andrew McLean is hard to beat. Last year Andrew presented for the Friends of the Chugach Avalanche Center fundraiser. Who else could we invite. Kris Erickson!
Kris and I met as youthful ice climbers in Bozeman almost 20 years ago. Since then we see each other at trade shows and at Hans Saari Memorial Fund events. He's a sick climber and skier and an incredible photographer. Think all-mountain Beat Kammerlander or Heinz Zak. I knew he'd respect the salty Anchorage crowd that would pack the Beartooth to see him speak.
On October 28 over 400 people filled the Beartooth as Kris told yarns from skiing the world—Alaska, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan. The event raised over $10,000 for the Friends. These funds go toward weather stations, snow machines and travel expenses for the Chugach Avalanche Center.
After the event Kris and I played. We skied the Jewel Glacier above Crow Pass for a view, then we visited Pivot Point. Last year Ryan Hokanson and I scrubbed out a seven-problem dry tool bouldering circuit at Pivot Point. Ryan went to school in Salt Lake and I've been unable to find any loco recruits since then. For some reason Anchoragites think climbing mossy, chosspiles in the rain is weird. Maybe it is, but Kris understood. He's a hard climber. We had a blast.
Raven Peak and the Raven Glacier from the Jewel Glacier.
At Pivot Point we warmed up on easy jug hauls.
Kris on the Jay Rowe traverse.
Several of the problems Ryan and I scrubbed out last year had become chalked boulder problems over the summer. We know dry toolers staked the original claim!
Kris grabbed the camera when I finally ticked a full linkup of this traverse after 20-something tries over a year.
Then we spied a mossy and chossy gem in the forest. We scrubbed off the deep vegetables and removed the dangerous boulders. Then we pumped ourselves silly and took glorious tumbling falls into the leaves and devils club. The best part is we didn't come close to finishing the problem. We walked away giggling with aching arms. A project!
Thanks for coming up Kris!