PSA: Sunrise Opens July 3

As my guitar gently weeps :'( :'(, I am growing more committed to climbing in E. WA for this weekend. Bummer about Dege.

Looks like I'll have to introduce myself to this particular tour area another season. My condolences to the regulars - I know the power of the tour rituals.

Hmm, flower hike to the east, or maybe some good old fashioned bumpy turns from the bumper at the end of 542 - here are June 30 and July 3 photo postings by WA DOT :

Jim, thanks for posting the DOT photos.  This was my plan "B" if Sunrise was a bust.  Jill and I will be there on Sunday and Monday if the weather forecast improves.

Maybe part of the issue this year is that much of what could be called a record snow year was that there were records for snowfall at the lower elevations. Not so clear that the upper elevations were getting unusually deep snowpacks (more like just a darn good year up there).

So with the deep lower elevation snowpack you get delays in road openings, especially those that are not forceably opened by plows. These delays mean more time for the snow up high to melt out.

Would this area normally have been abandoned as a good ski by July 4?

Just a thought.

Alan

Alan - that's my thought.

Jim, thanks for posting the DOT photos.  This was my plan "B" if Sunrise was a bust.  Jill and I will be there on Sunday and Monday if the weather forecast improves.

Cool collection, huh? Forecast looks better north, at least per NWS. I may see you up there. My thought is more tour than turns due to bumpy expectations.

Spoke to Ron Jarvis this morning about my "field report".
Below are two versions of the conversation, what Ron said and what I heard (WIH)

Ron, "Hey Scotty just need to ask you a few questions before we abort the Sunday's Chutefest"
WIH, " Hey Scotty you dumbass, you'd better be right or you're in trouble"

Ron" I just want to check where you looked"
WIH" Scotty you dumbass, you didn't look in the right places"

Ron" Shame you didn't go further along the ridge"
WIH" Scotty, you dumbass, you're a slacker"

Me" I think I'd better go  back up there and check it out properly"
Ron" No Scotty, you've done enough"
WIH" Scotty, you dumbass, get your carcass back up there and check it out properly"

Now Ron is my Jedi master, so I went back up, left my skis in the car and ran/hiked up to the ridge. Just as I got there the clouds came in and I couldn't see into the basin. I kept walking along the ridge nearly to Dege Peak, looking into all the coluoirs and chutes and couldn't see a thing. It started raining and I got wet and I never got a clear view down into the chutes but the snow in all cases was below the ridge line by 100-200 ft and looked thin.

My general sense is that there may be enough snow in the chutes near Antler peak to make it a worthwhile exercise to hold Chutefest but I can't be certain.

Ron had a more worthy scout ( Robie)out on the ridge leading to Burroughs and South west from Sunrise so maybe he had better luck than me. There is definitely snow up there but my scouting duty was Sourdough Ridge  from the visitor center north east.

I tried! :-[