Torreys Peak: The Tuning Fork

The Tuning Fork on the north side of Torreys Peak (14267') is probably the single most popular spring ski descent in the region. Some people climb the couloir, but it is a lot faster to take the Grays Peak trail to the saddle and then to Torreys. It is sometimes in shape to be skied from the summit, but more often there is a little walking to get into it. It offers 3000' of skiing, most of it very steep. I took this shot from Baker Ridge, across the valley, in May, 1997. I have skied the route three times. And on June 20, 2003, it was hard to find the entrance, and Jonathan Kriegel and I skied the far west line (first line W of the Tuning right side in the photo).

Descending northeast from the summit puts one atop a steep ski route called The Little Diamond. It can be seen in profile in this photo, and can be seen quite well from the road to the Grays trailhead.