from January 23, 2006:
Backcountry snowboarding (splitboarding), Heather Ridge (Skyline Ridge), Stevens Pass, Washington, January 20, 2006
Skinning into Ullr's domain on
Heather Ridge, Stevens Pass | 
Snoslut breaks a double-wide
track with his splitboard | 
Nice fluffy powder
in the morning | 
Looking down Heather Ridge
to Stevens Pass | 
Lewis and Clark expedition
to the Pacific Crest Trail | 
Snosluttin' the glades
of Heather Ridge | 
Nice powder plume | 
Busting through a wind lip | 
More turns before the forest | 
Heading for a slot
between the trees | 
On the feet of a good rider | 
Snoslut busts a drop
down in the trees |
Photos by Charles Eldridge
| Backcountry snowboarding (splitboarding) trip report:
Heather Ridge (Skyline Ridge), Stevens Pass, Washington, January 20, 2006
Snoslut and I got up to Stevens Pass early and were planning on heading up Nason Creek to the Crest, but the Stevens Pass lower lot wasn't yet plowed (14-16 inches new). Headed down to the parking for Arrowhead - plowed but we couldn't see breaking trail all the way up there with just the two of us. Smith Brook parking wasn't plowed, so we headed back to Stevens Pass. With all of the new snow overlying more soft snow, the trailbreaking was very tedious. Very sensitive surface slabs right above the parking lot (shooting cracks), but otherwise pretty cohesionless up to the upper shack (around 5000 feet). There was too much new snow to get any turns on the less steep parts, but we had fun in nice powder snow in the open areas and continuing down through the trees to the Pacific Crest Trail. The snow got moister and heavier in the afternoon, as did we with snow continuing to fall during the day, so we left before the ski area day crowd hit the road.
Charles
Hmmmm...deep pow, fluffy in the morning and creamy in the afternoon. Hmmmm. Yeah trail breaking was tough and I now feel like a one legged man in an arse kicking contest but nothing a guinny and hot shower couldn't cure. The Lewis and Clark forest exploration thru some killer terrain in the trees sure made the day, Charles. Them open slopes sure were bottomless as I leaned back looking at the sky. Don't shake hands with tree branches unless you like looking like a yeti!
Snoslut |
|
|
|
