Warren Miller’s, Off The Grid (utah segment)

The Hypodermic Needle and Dresdens Face (photo: Will Wissman)

It was clear after our last endeavor up the south side of Little Cottonwood Canyon that we needed to get an earlier start and take less time in-route. Aaron Ward notified me that there was a booter going up the Y couloir and we could continue up the ridge from there. It was a good sounding plan and I was stoked to be out amongst the burl of this Wasatch zone again. Also this time we were going for Dresden’s Face and the Hypodermic Needle….and, Will Wissman was going to shot the lines from an opposing peak. Good Plan, hard to make this one work though, a lot of things need to come together. Timing and conditions must be right to get a worthy photo.

The boot pack up the Y saved us a lot of time, then we blazed on up the ridge, Ward doing the majority of theroute finding. It worked well, we only had to go down and around a few jagged rocks on the ridge. Along the ridge, we could see that the snowconditions in coal pit gulch were fairly scoured. We hoped that our lines were in better shape. Nearly 3.5 hours since we began hiking we reached the base ofthe final steep pitch. It looked steep, luckily there is an oldskin track which will give us firm hiking snow. Another hour and I’m looking down the Hypodermic Needle. Its fully rocked at the top but there looks to be a easy way in from 80 yards down the shoulder.Ward has hiked to his line, and I’m finally ready to drop. Will has said the snow looks good in thechutebutlooks firm inthe apron, and that my best bet is to stay skiers right as I come out. The chute its self is around20-50 feet wide and 40 something degreesso keeping the speed undercontrol willbe achallenge.

I start downthe shoulder, as the pitch increases the snow improves. I see my entrance, butI can also see thatmy sluff is going to be an issue. I decide to dive-in in front ofit and keep the rungoing. The snow is skiing like a dream as I make8quick fluid turns. By now however, I’m sensing that my sluff is closing in, one more turn andit’snipping my tails. Well, ‘so much for my sunday drive’ I think as I switch from mediium to long radious turns. I’m half way through the chute in another second, hauling ass, I know at this speedI’ve left my sluff trailing by a ways, but slowing down is nearly impossible. I’m probablygoing around 50 mph as I fly out of the chute and into the apron. Forgetting Wissmans advice to stay right, I stay fall line and my eyeballs start to rattle. It’s not that bad though and the angle is getting lower, but my legs are on fire. I start tomake my turns more across the fall line and bring my speed under control. I let out a couple of yells in celebration: what a sweet run! In the photo you canseeAaron and mylines. It was awesome to be sitting at the bottom, watchingWard drop, and rip this face. Notice the mandatory he stomped towards the bottom. Nice work Wardo! and Thanks for another sick day.