Deadman exploratory

A tour with a view

Perfect telemark slope

Down the long ridge line

I can't remember a more bluebird winter day than today as I skied an exploratory route on the Deadman Ridge from Kings Hill in the Little Belt Mountains.
The sun shown brightly and the sky was a brilliant blue.
The snow was just about perfect for an off-trail exploratory and telemark ski trip.
Unfortunately, the top layer is a hoar frost, which will cause trouble later in the winter as it is submerged and could be the culprit in an avalanche.  That hoar sat upon an icey layer above several feet of powder.
I went off trail for some telemark skiing and then varied the Deadman backcountry trail route by skiing beneath it in several spots (see map from link below).
I went 6.6 miles, climbed almost 1,000 feet and descended 2,200 feet.
I topped the day with a soak in the hot springs in White Sulphur Springs.
Perfect!

Click here for map and more on trip