January 4, 2009, Baker backcountry
1/4/09
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
5017
11
The locals allowed me to join them today, likely because they knew we would not be touring far from the lift area. Their knowledge gave me some nice lines that I would have considered too risky. Later we watched someone set off a small but long slide where we had considered skiing but chose a more conservative route. After noon the wind picked up, so I headed for the lodge to wait for the others to return from more adventurous runs with more wind affected snow.
Looks fun! Way to play it safe. :).
Thanks for the report on route selection- the slide looks like its on the north face of the steep slope just north-east of Table Mountain- correct?
Looks good! Nice shots!
author=skinjob link=topic=11767.msg48956#msg48956 date=1231169801]
Thanks for the report on route selection- the slide looks like its on the north face of the steep slope just north-east of Table Mountain- correct?
Correct. It is called "Granny's". Or the BlueBerry Chutes. Often "Blueberry Chutes" is used to refer to everything from the OB gate on the Blueberry cat track to the Nose. The more specific names, Looking from the gate to the nose, are "Cheap Date", "Five Minute Trees", "Martha's Ladder", The Line", "Rod's Cornice" (rarely done, and the "BlueBerry Chutes" proper.
On the Blueberry Chutes proper, you have to read the wind transport. A lesser wind will lay the transported snow on the relatively shallow (25 degrees) upper part of this slope -- above the central tree in the picture. At the tree the slope steepens to about 43 degrees, and if the wind transport can carry snow that far, it WILL slab and fail reliably. Notice that the previous party read the transport correctly and skied the spine to the skiers left of the slope that failed. This spine is not a deposit zone and rarely fails in moderate conditions.
Oh Tim thats all very complicated. You should post a annotated photo so I nevert have to confuse my blueberry chutes again.
D
D
author=dberdinka link=topic=11767.msg48998#msg48998 date=1231202981]
Oh Tim thats all very complicated. You should post a annotated photo so I nevert have to confuse my blueberry chutes again.
Tim's New Year resolution: More beta for the Seattle snow sluts (SSS)!?
Will his Baker band of boys banish him?
2009 it's a brave new world.
2009 new year's resolution? slash as many local spots as possible from a base out of seattle.
folks need to get over the local-ness considering a metropolis of over 1M people is within 3 hours of all WA mtn goodness. meet new people. have more fun. leave the vibes for the lift line bro-brahs. unless of course you were hatched out of a raven egg high atop a mtn.
:)
folks need to get over the local-ness considering a metropolis of over 1M people is within 3 hours of all WA mtn goodness. meet new people. have more fun. leave the vibes for the lift line bro-brahs. unless of course you were hatched out of a raven egg high atop a mtn.
:)
;DBeauty!
author=mc link=topic=11767.msg49062#msg49062 date=1231264949]
meet new people. have more fun.
I've met so many new people and had so much more fun thanks to TAY! Charles is the man.
I've never noted even a hint of localism at Baker. Not once. There is too much terrain and space between snow riders. Wind-an-Sea Beach in La Jolla, off Gravilla street, that's localism for you....
i haven't had any bad vibes thrown my way up at baker either. in fact, the vibe there is making me like it more and more (currently taking their MEC 200 level course).
however, as far as space between riders goes i'm not sure about that. but like i said there are a lot of people within a short ride of the terrain.
i think what sparked my local-ness comment was the comment regarding more beta for the seattle snow sluts coupled with reading the "December 13/08-Blueberry Chutes-Small slab ride" thread.
it seems a lot of folks are hesitant about sharing knowledge with people that travel to a spot for the first time. tis a fine line. people don't want the added responsibility of having someone they don't know travel with them versus having them travel in unsafe areas near you and putting you in a bad situation.
hope to make turns with some of you in 09....
ciao,
mc
however, as far as space between riders goes i'm not sure about that. but like i said there are a lot of people within a short ride of the terrain.
i think what sparked my local-ness comment was the comment regarding more beta for the seattle snow sluts coupled with reading the "December 13/08-Blueberry Chutes-Small slab ride" thread.
it seems a lot of folks are hesitant about sharing knowledge with people that travel to a spot for the first time. tis a fine line. people don't want the added responsibility of having someone they don't know travel with them versus having them travel in unsafe areas near you and putting you in a bad situation.
hope to make turns with some of you in 09....
ciao,
mc
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