The other weekend, I had the opportunity to ski with Glen Plake. Yes, the Glen Plake. It almost goes without saying, but the experience was incredible.
While visiting my parents upon my return, I showed my father pictures from the three-day backcountry trip that took us just outside of Glen’s home of Bishop, CA in the Eastern Sierra. Seeing the photos, my father—who knows Plake as many do for his Mohawk, rebel persona and bump-bashing ways—commented, “So, he’s a backcountry skier, too.” To this, I replied, “No, he’s a mogul skier, too.” You see, first and foremost, Glen Plake is a backcountry skier.
We’ll tell the whole story in next winter’s volume of Backcountry, but for now, here’s a sneak preview with some photos from the trip.
Glen skinning below the Checkered Demon (13,112 feet) with the Checkered Demon Couloir, a classic Eastern Sierra line, at far left.
Bootpacking under the hot, hot sun on the southern face of Mount Humpreys (13,986 feet) with Mount Locke and the White Mountains to the west.
Dry powder in an unnamed couloir off Humprey's northeast face. Even on slopes steeper than 40 degrees, Glen doesn’t make hop turns. He left them back in the ‘80s.
Sunrise in the Golden State: Looking south from our camp on Peaklet (10,400 feet) toward Mount Locke (12,834 feet) and the “Wahoo Gullies,” where greats like Yvon Chouinard and Allan Bard cut their teeth.