January 18, 2003, Mt. Baker Backcountry
1/18/03
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
4792
7
I prevailed upon my partner to allow the ski area traffic to slacken somewhat before we took to the Mt. Baker Highway this morning; this meant a leisurely 8:30 departure from town, and an even more leisurely 10:30 departure from the trailhead. The weather was no less than spectacular: blue skies, warm and friendly air.
Although the telemetry station stated a temperature of 58 [sic] degrees this afternoon at Mt. Baker, we found good powder skiing on north aspects and wherever else the sun had not reached. Our first stop was The Secret Bowl Where Everybody Goes, which featured 5 to 10 inches of dry powder on a firm base, variously wind-affected at the ridgeline but apparently stable to at least 45 degrees steepness. A rutchblock on a NE aspect at about 35 degrees just below the ridge released a fist-density slab cleanly on 4 (first jump) at the obvious crust. We noticed no other signs of instability save a bit of shallow sluffing in the steepest spots. The skiing was great.
The exit from The Secret Bowl, a short, steep, south-facing dogleg above a treed rollover, was the scene of my spectacular crash last June (the results: gigantic bruises in alarming colors; one broken fibula; 90 minutes of arthroscopic surgery; a wide variety of related indignities; a freshened sense of my own mortality). For this reason, we chose to depart early in order to beat the refreezing trap crust which would form in mid-afternoon. This was probably a good idea, since on the descent my brain stubbornly insisted that I was about to fall, go airborne and begin ricocheting around among the trees as I did 7 short months ago. I was quite gingerly about skiing the slope, but in the end we went leaping and bounding down into Bagley Basin in a mixture of soft/wet snow, crust, and mysteriously tenacious powder.
We finished out our day by skiing a line on the north side of Table Mountain which, while not quite as sumptuous and powdery as some of our previous runs, proved entirely adequate. For a finale, we traversed through the closed ski area, where the groomers were just beginning to manufacture corduroy from the ruts and scars of the day's paying clientele, arriving back at the parking lot just as the peaks turned pink, then almost scarlet in the alpenglow. Tomorrow (Sunday) will probably look much like today; if you're hesitating....don't.
Enjoy.
Mark
Although the telemetry station stated a temperature of 58 [sic] degrees this afternoon at Mt. Baker, we found good powder skiing on north aspects and wherever else the sun had not reached. Our first stop was The Secret Bowl Where Everybody Goes, which featured 5 to 10 inches of dry powder on a firm base, variously wind-affected at the ridgeline but apparently stable to at least 45 degrees steepness. A rutchblock on a NE aspect at about 35 degrees just below the ridge released a fist-density slab cleanly on 4 (first jump) at the obvious crust. We noticed no other signs of instability save a bit of shallow sluffing in the steepest spots. The skiing was great.
The exit from The Secret Bowl, a short, steep, south-facing dogleg above a treed rollover, was the scene of my spectacular crash last June (the results: gigantic bruises in alarming colors; one broken fibula; 90 minutes of arthroscopic surgery; a wide variety of related indignities; a freshened sense of my own mortality). For this reason, we chose to depart early in order to beat the refreezing trap crust which would form in mid-afternoon. This was probably a good idea, since on the descent my brain stubbornly insisted that I was about to fall, go airborne and begin ricocheting around among the trees as I did 7 short months ago. I was quite gingerly about skiing the slope, but in the end we went leaping and bounding down into Bagley Basin in a mixture of soft/wet snow, crust, and mysteriously tenacious powder.
We finished out our day by skiing a line on the north side of Table Mountain which, while not quite as sumptuous and powdery as some of our previous runs, proved entirely adequate. For a finale, we traversed through the closed ski area, where the groomers were just beginning to manufacture corduroy from the ruts and scars of the day's paying clientele, arriving back at the parking lot just as the peaks turned pink, then almost scarlet in the alpenglow. Tomorrow (Sunday) will probably look much like today; if you're hesitating....don't.
Enjoy.
Mark
Is this the Mark with whom Pete, Lara and I skiied Chowder Ridge in September? If so, congrats for finding a great stach even in the face of a Bowl Of Such Immense Popularity!
Hope to ski with you again soon......Greg Lange
Hope to ski with you again soon......Greg Lange
Hi Greg:
Yep, that was me. All that whining I was doing about my knee on that trip in September turned out related to a torn meniscus and related damage, which kept me out of action until recently (didn't miss much, from the sound of it). I'm now back to a once-a-week-backcountry schedule, mostly up around this area, mostly Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Glad to ski with any or all of you again; get in touch through Pete or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Hope you're enjoying this inordinately sunny January.
Mark
Yep, that was me. All that whining I was doing about my knee on that trip in September turned out related to a torn meniscus and related damage, which kept me out of action until recently (didn't miss much, from the sound of it). I'm now back to a once-a-week-backcountry schedule, mostly up around this area, mostly Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Glad to ski with any or all of you again; get in touch through Pete or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Hope you're enjoying this inordinately sunny January.
Mark
Ahhh...
Mark -- thanks for pointing me here so I can spend even more time in front of my monitor.
I guess Saturday was a good as it looked from the confines of the lifts. I hadn't skied since New Years Day, so I had to do something on a spring day in January. After all, I had a new helmet, goggles, and BCA hydration pack to try out. I'm also off to my annual visit to friends in Vail (I hear it's "the" place) next weekend. With very sorry conditioning, a day a lift skiing was in order to whip myself into shape. I hope it will lessen the pain I'll feel at 11,000-feet next weekend (yeah, right).
The area wasn't so bad. It was hard for sure, but I got to use my freshly sharpened edges at 9 AM sharp, thus avoiding the crowds that didn't materialize until near 11 AM. In the afternoon, NO ONE was on the more challenging terrain off of chairs 1 and 6, so the only craziness I experienced was coming back to my truck at the end of the day... scary stuff. I know, nothing I can do will really paint a good picture of lift skiing last weekend.
I'll certainly give you a shout to see what bc adventures may be out there. I, like you, am feeling my age. Back, shoulder, and neck problems have really hampered my fitness level. It's time I spend more time away from the lifts and enjoy the backcountry... and some nice soft powder.
Gary
Mark -- thanks for pointing me here so I can spend even more time in front of my monitor.
I guess Saturday was a good as it looked from the confines of the lifts. I hadn't skied since New Years Day, so I had to do something on a spring day in January. After all, I had a new helmet, goggles, and BCA hydration pack to try out. I'm also off to my annual visit to friends in Vail (I hear it's "the" place) next weekend. With very sorry conditioning, a day a lift skiing was in order to whip myself into shape. I hope it will lessen the pain I'll feel at 11,000-feet next weekend (yeah, right).
The area wasn't so bad. It was hard for sure, but I got to use my freshly sharpened edges at 9 AM sharp, thus avoiding the crowds that didn't materialize until near 11 AM. In the afternoon, NO ONE was on the more challenging terrain off of chairs 1 and 6, so the only craziness I experienced was coming back to my truck at the end of the day... scary stuff. I know, nothing I can do will really paint a good picture of lift skiing last weekend.
I'll certainly give you a shout to see what bc adventures may be out there. I, like you, am feeling my age. Back, shoulder, and neck problems have really hampered my fitness level. It's time I spend more time away from the lifts and enjoy the backcountry... and some nice soft powder.
Gary
Good report, Mark.
You DO seem to have a handle on the Baker goods.
You DO seem to have a handle on the Baker goods.
As all of us BC skiers age, it seems every year there is something new to deal with, (ache and pain wise). I have heard that yoga and pilates are a great way to keep in shape. I have not done yoga, but continue to do two to three days of weight training a week, and take a Pilates class. Yoga and pilates seem to be a very good way to keep the core strong, and with that core strength I feel you may be able to age a little more gracefully. At least we can only hope. ;D
Hey markharf,
The NWAC mentioned turns-all-year in their monday detailed avalanche forcast because of your post about the remaining powder in the baker backcountry. way to go.
The NWAC mentioned turns-all-year in their monday detailed avalanche forcast because of your post about the remaining powder in the baker backcountry. way to go.
Mark: My wife twisted my arm into booking a Snowater condo from 2/19-22. If it comes to pass, might you be able to sneak away for a day shot?
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Good to see you out and about.......Greg
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Good to see you out and about.......Greg
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