photo of table tourers

3 weeks ago I found myself in almost the exact situation, about 200 yards left of the left edge of the picture.
It was late in the afternoon, I was very comfortable with the stability.

We had done 2-3 runs in Mazama bowl in relative solitude with 2-3 other parties, all playing nice together.

We then did a shot down to the valley floor from skiers right of Herman Saddle. There was another group ahead of us. We waited for them to go, assuming they would take the 2 chutes skiers right (fall line from them). When they did not go, we started down 1 by 1 on the chutes skiers left (fall line from us). As soon as one of our group went, one from their group went, angling left to the same slopes we were skiing! To top it off a number of the people in their group were having trouble keeping their skis under them, total junk show. This left me pretty annoyed at the behavior of this group, while not dangerous based on the conditions of the day, I felt it rude and stupid.

We then skinned down valley and started back up a skin track a just to the left of the picture. I got a bad feeling, it wasn't the avy danger, but the number of people above, below and amongst us, including the rocket scientist from the previous run. I felt that something bad was going to happen. Not "somebody dying" bad, but I had the feeling like I would have to deal with something if I stuck around. The feeling sort of reminded me of the times when rock climbing that I left a crag early rather than watching the neighboring party deck, risking them falling on me or at least having to clean up their bloody mess.

I voiced this concern, my party was awesome. They pressed me on my thinking, and all I had was a "feeling", I was forceful that I was headed back to the car, but that they should press on if they wanted to. They were up for keeping the party together and we peeled and beelined for the cars.

In hindsight, we missed about 700 ft of the most chopped snow and most populated skiing of the day. We would have probably been fine. In all likelihood no one would have gotten hurt, there would have been little drama. If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

Can't believe the freakin' mobs you folks have to deal with over there these days! I grew up down valley from there a bit. What a change.

They were at it again last weekend. One clown was booting up directly under the horn and lapping the line pictured. Solo. I asked him where he came from and he mumbled something about skinning being annoying.

Then there was the retarded skin track running across the pictured line, under the horn and up thru blueberry chutes. Why degrade several of the main descents with an unnecessary skin track?

Additionally moronic was the skin track up thru the gut/ravine coming down from Herman Saddle. Why? Just why, when there is a way more efficient, safe, nearby and established track going to the same location?

All are great examples of how to:
1. maximize your time in exposed areas
2. maximize risk for collision with those descending. No one expects anyone to be below in these spots if they didn't see you drop recently.
3. Speed bump the line for you and other descenders
4. Work harder on the up. The direct, steep line up is not easier. It is harder to ascend a steep up track. You spend lots of energy just holding on and making those steep turns. Take the slightly longer but more gradual, established path and you'll make more runs.

What can you do for folks like that? Maybe the key is to let them make their own mistakes and stay away from the stupid. Maybe they'll learn from reading here and get right.

On the up side we successfully (and respectfully) called some snowshoers off the steep skin track up to artist pt and found that most skin tracks were paralleled with separate boot/snowshoe trails. Could this be a happy sign for coexistence in the new year?

What can you do for folks like that?

When humanity gets me down, a USGS map is handy.

Baker has been home for me for a long time and unfortunately that seems to be common practice on Table. It's been getting worse as gear has improved and more people are setting out for their own turns. I was up there that day skinning a wonky track up Hermans and was very glad to be away from that gong show. There are other places to go that are more interesting for skiing too.

They just need a little mentoring. Hopefully it can happen gently at some point before mother nature gets around to doing it more crudely.