Feb 2, 2011, Mt St Helens
2/2/11
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
1600
1
Made a quick run up Mt St Helens and enjoyed a wonderful, sunny ski day. I'm not great skiier, here's the quick skinny. Left Seattle 3:30am, left Marble Mount snowpark 7:45. Brisk 1200ft/hour to summit at 2:30, at the car at 3:30pm.
I found the snow either windpack grains that turned buttery in the afternoon or, icy sections that went to corn. The exception was large sections of icy too dense to pole through and those stayed solid ice.
I was able to stay off that stuff following any of the rock bands (and lee snow) running toward the summit. The top slopes you could kick steps or skin across.
Not sure how this will change with the coming snow over the weekend but look forward to reading about it. Thanks to the good folks at Feathered Friends for inspiration!
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I found the snow either windpack grains that turned buttery in the afternoon or, icy sections that went to corn. The exception was large sections of icy too dense to pole through and those stayed solid ice.
I was able to stay off that stuff following any of the rock bands (and lee snow) running toward the summit. The top slopes you could kick steps or skin across.
Not sure how this will change with the coming snow over the weekend but look forward to reading about it. Thanks to the good folks at Feathered Friends for inspiration!