Feb 6, 2011, Wallowas
2/6/11
2780
9
Scraped up what was left of any untracked snow at Wing Ridge over the weekend. Skied runs in Salt Creek drainage and Little Sheep divide. No spectacular skiing to report, conditions were variable... mostly breakable crust to just crust. Stable skiing conditions... a solid rain crust ~12" deep with lower density snow underneath worth mentioning.
Enjoyed a great weekend with friends, lots of time for practice with my beacon at camp... I tried to beat the time of the Tacker users with my M2 but could not. My best at 2 minutes. Many many many thanks to the crew who came up to replace the sauna tent that burned down a few weeks ago. Would love to hear the story behind that!!
It started snowing as we skied out, the next group should get some great turns in...
Enjoyed a great weekend with friends, lots of time for practice with my beacon at camp... I tried to beat the time of the Tacker users with my M2 but could not. My best at 2 minutes. Many many many thanks to the crew who came up to replace the sauna tent that burned down a few weeks ago. Would love to hear the story behind that!!
It started snowing as we skied out, the next group should get some great turns in...
Nice.
Thanks for the report - it's always good to see something from the Wallowas!
Nice - I love it over there! Thanks for the report!
On the list for sure. Nice TR....beacon practice is always good. The terrain there looks incredible...do you have to hire a guide or can you have it to your own???
author=alpymarr link=topic=19474.msg82754#msg82754 date=1297141021]
On the list for sure. Nice TR....beacon practice is always good. The terrain there looks incredible...do you have to hire a guide or can you have it to your own???
Anyone can reserve the Wing Ridge hut (huts?); Wallowa Alpine Huts only offers guided catered yurt trips, but they are a real bargain.
And the terrain IS incredible!
author=telemack link=topic=19474.msg82755#msg82755 date=1297141473]
Anyone can reserve the Wing Ridge hut (huts?); Wallowa Alpine Huts only offers guided catered yurt trips, but they are a real bargain.
And the terrain IS incredible!
Yes the Wing Ridge huts are availible to anyone -- Note that there competition for open slots -- reservations typically need to be made at least a year in advance.
I have a trip there March 6th - 9th -- this will be my fourth trip there.
BTW -- The Wing Ridge "huts" aren't huts -- at least not in the sense of "Canadian Alpine Club" huts or huts in Yurp.
Rather it is a "camp" that uses large A-Frames covered with heavy plastic tarp with a canvas wall tent suspended under the A-Frame and attached to a plywood platform supported by the A-frame. The tents are heated with wood burning stoves, there is a Coleman two-burning propane stove for cooking and white gas fuled coleman lanterns for light. There is a kitchen tent and two sleeping tents.
http://www.wingski.com/
I believe WAH's are also offering non hosted trips now.
here is a panoramic view of just a portion of the terrain on Wing Ridge. Wing Ridge does not require you to tour with a guide, and so my group was on our own. I've been touring here annually for several years now, and the terrain available from both the Wing Ridge and Big Sheep huts is incredible.... well worth adding to your bucket list, we still have not skied everything within reach from either hut available. Click HERE for a fun topo map of the area.
Ahh yes, Wing Ridge is one of my favorite places. Thanks for the report Koda.
As a word of caution to all. The snowpack out there is more continental than maritime and buried weak layers can be very persistent (much like CO).
The photo is looking North across the Big Sheep Basin with Aneroid Mt on the middle left.
As a word of caution to all. The snowpack out there is more continental than maritime and buried weak layers can be very persistent (much like CO).
The photo is looking North across the Big Sheep Basin with Aneroid Mt on the middle left.
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