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Life on the Edge is a great line for a
number of
reasons. The terrain offers a number of possibilities, from consistent
fall line open bowl skiing to technical cliff hopping. The access is
relatively easy. It can be done from Carson Pass or quite easily as a
loop from there to Kirkwood. It's good in winter conditions but really
plays
well in spring. Plus it's got a great log/tree combo for lunch after
you ski it. Additionally, there are several fantastic couloirs that can
be added to the mix if you like. The line is located behind (south
side) the Sisters and is
accessed by ascending the Carson Pass side of Round Top to the saddle
betwen Round Top and the Sisters. You then scramble across the
rock/snow to the left of the Sisters until you reach here.
That's always the scary part for me as I hate traversing steep loose
rocks in ski boots. Take a deep breath (with or without additives) and
choose your line. You can start from where you are or head out the
ridgeline. The further you go the more technical it gets, but you also
lose vertical and in winter conditions you also are heading towards
more wind affected snow. If conditions are good you may want to drain
it down to 4th of July Lake but the snow gets more south facing and sun
baked as you get towards the lake so I typically end up at the
gnarled lunch tree across the shallow basin which is more easily
accessed by skiing down from where you accessed the ridgeline. After a
break head up to the saddle between Fourth of July Peak and the Sisters
and out either to Carson Pass or Kirkwood. Heading back to Kirkwood
there are several more yo-yo lines you can do on the way back, but
you've always got to keep high left to avoid the Caples Lake drainage.
When entering the
backcountry, proper precautions should be taken, including avalanche
beacon and the know-how to use it, shovel,
GPS,
friend, weather
information, and common sense. Click here for the latest avalanche
advisory.
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