Nugget Creek

Lunch break and equipment adjustments

Out on the flat we were treated to magnificent vistas

Our merry band of Wayne's Wednesday Wild Walkers

Last year it was too warm, and we didn't get enough snow to do the Nugget Creek option from the High Porphyry-Ranch Creek backcountry ski trail in the Little Belts that begins at Kings Hill Pass.
At our Wayne's Wednesday Wild Walks we skied the nearly 10 mile point-to-point run that gained nearly 1,700 feet and lost nearly 3,000 feet during all the daylight hours, leaving no daylight on the table.
We found mostly good snow, although there was some crust and ice where the wind had hit it.
We also avoided avalanche conditions by skiing around the final high point, rather than over it as we usually do.
Earlier in the week we had broken trail on the lower stretch.

Makeshift binding repair

This is a rather complicated run, with most of it off trail and through trees.  We had to be careful to avoid a spot where the ridge splits away from Nugget Creek, something we were able to do with the help of Wayne Phillips' navigation skills.
We had some equipment failure when Jasmine Krotkov's ski binding broke.  But, she rigged a rope fix that got her out handily.
Once we had gotten out into the flat below the final high point, we all marveled at the tremendous views to the south and east, revealing the Big Belts' Mounts Edith and Baldy, and the high Crazy Mountains.  Of course, there was the magnificent scenery of the Little Belts around us.