Skiing the Bushido Gully on Half Dome
Last March 2021, Jason Torlano, Zach Milligan, and I met up in Yosemite for a little ski adventure: the first ski descent of the Bushido Gully off the shoulder of Half Dome. Here are a few photos that weren't in the Men's Journal story written by Chris Vanleuven. It was no easy task documenting this descent. The focus was on not making any mistakes, moving quickly and getting to the valley floor safely. As soon as the sun starts to warm the summit, the gully and the "death slabs" become a target for large chunks of ice, rock and avalanches.
The evening before we dropped in we arrived at the Diving Board at the top of the Porcelain Wall. We were hoping to get a good look down into what we would be skiing in the morning, but unfortunately an inversion of clouds had crept into the valley butting itself up against the face of Half Dome. Getting some assurance that the line would actually go wasn't going to happen that night, but the fog lingering below us made for a great opportunity for me to get some very unique photographs. A 25-year-old Ansel Adams took his famous photograph, "Monolith, the Face of half Dome" at the Diving Board in 1927. So this was a special place for me to be with my camera that night, basking in the alpenglow and watching the Yosemite backcountry reveal itself as the fog retreated into the night.
After a restless night wondering what lies ahead, we packed our bivi gear and clicked into our skis. Our packs weren’t usually this heavy for a descent like this. Not to mention, I was also carrying camera gear. Normally we would make the approach to the top of our line by hiking through the night, timing our approach to arrive at first light, doing away with all the extra gear needed to sleep a night in the snow. With heavy packs and heavy nerves, we started the traverse towards the Bushido Gully. After one rope-less pitch we decided it best to rope up. Being a traverse with limited features to place protection between belays, the rope was more of a false sense of security than anything else. Photo #25 (a rare photo of me) was taken by Zach, with his phone, of me being belayed by Torlano as I inched my way down and across the icy traverse. Unfortunately the photo doesn't show the 2000 foot cliff below us. As for the rope, it would have been useless in a fall there. There was no protection between Torlano and me- an absolute no-fall zone. And yes, that’s the only photo of me, barely visible at the top of the frame in an I-Phone photo. When you’re the photographer it’s rare to get any shots…so I’ll take it!
Once across the exposed, near 1000 foot traverse, we were able to breath a sigh of relief. When we saw that the Bushido Gully itself was filled in with a decent amount of new snow and less intimidating than we imagined, we were able to open it up and get some fun turns in! Getting good turns skiing chutes/couloirs in Yosemite is extremely rare. The elevations, temps, and constant flushing of the chutes and faces during storms makes for less than desirable conditions nearly every time. Skiing in Yosemite Valley is about an experience in an unreal mystical place, and sometimes becomes surviving an experience in an unreal mystical place.
After completing the Samurai Traverse and then pow turns down the Bushido Gully along the base of Half Dome, it was time for the final third of our descent, the Death Slabs. The slabs are the standard approach for climbers getting to the base of Half Dome in the summer months. In the winter, it’s a no-go zone. All the massive ice fall and avalanches coming off the face and summit funnel right down the slabs. This day we were lucky. Temps were cold and we made quick work navigating the rappels, down-climbing and skiing the occasional sections of snow connecting it all together. Starting at 6 am that morning on the shoulder of Half dome, we were standing at the edge of Mirror Lake on the valley floor around noon. Looking back up at what we had just descended with skis on our feet, heavy packs, climbing and camera gear seemed a little surreal. It was an unforgettable experience in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
Being able to share it with @yosemitehunterriver (Jason Torlano) and @zachary.milligan.9 made it that much better. Check out Chris Vanleuven’s amazing story about our descent in @mensjournal magazine, Nov/Dec 2021 issue as well as online. I'm fortunate to have such great friends as @yosemitehunterriver @zachary.milligan.9 and @chrisvanleuven to share in these experiences with. Thanks boys! Looking forward to more.
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