March 10, 2005, Mt Rainier, Van Trump and Turtle

Yes, I must say my new Atomic's rock!  This was some of the best skiing I've encountered in a long time, despite the variable snow conditions we had.

Amar:  Can you send me a link to your trip report photos?  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Much appreciated.

Nice report, Amar.
Glad to see everybody on the trip got new boards.
So Amar, are your new volk's the ones with the built in skin tip attach point and matching skins?  If so how do you like them?

Ron, my new Volkls do have the "Skin Clip" attachment point, but I don't have the matching skins. The folks at Marmot Mountain Works said they don't carry the skins, because they've heard bad things about them. I have no further specifics, and I don't really know where to look at or buy those skins. Anyway, my old tattered 64mm Ascension Clip-Fix skins worked fine on this trip, but I just bought a new set of the 80mm GlideLite STS on sale after reading the very positive A+ review of them in the latest Couloir magazine. I'm planning to use those skins for both the new Volkls and my trusty old battle-scarred Tua Mitos.

sounds like a great trip. I have seen that area many times from Muir and thought it would be a good ski. On a normal snow year
would the route up on the glacier be good into early summer? What about crevasses, are they a problem come summer? Anyway sounds like a great place that i will have to check out sometime and thanks for the report.

Sean

Where's the photo of Dave ripping it up on his snowlerblades?  ;D

Or was he going too fast to be photographed? ;)

I've got the matching skins for the Volkl skis.  I haven't formed a complete opinion about them yet, but I can say:
1) they're expensive ($190 at telemark-pyrenees)
2) they seem flimsy (the attachment and tail clip are cheap-looking plastic - I'm waiting for it to break)
3) they don't glide as well as Ascension's (maybe they just aren't worn in yet)
4) they don't have as much stick as Ascension (easy on the arms)
5) it's nice having a perfect wall-to-wall fit.
6) they are more difficult to remove than normal skins.
7) no more problems with kicking the tip off (of course, I don't think that's a problem with rear-attachment skins, which most people use these days).
8) they are pretty light

Phil, thanks for the detailed info on the skins. I think I'll stick with conventional skins that I can use on several pairs of skis.

As for photos of Dave skiing, I got some decent shots, but somehow none of them ended up with optimal background or lighting.

On a normal snow year would the route up on the glacier be good into early summer? What about crevasses, are they a problem come summer?

The route all the way up to Camp Hazard at 11600 ft usually offers good skiing into July, until suncups become too large. But maybe only through May this year unless there is lots of spring snowfall. The Van Trump Glaciers are basically inactive glacial remnants, crevasses are not a major concern and as far as I know, most ski parties don't bring ropes. The "Turtle" snowfield is actually also an inactive glacial remnant, I've climbed it in August when old blue ice is exposed, riddled with narrow (1-6" wide) crevasses which pose little risk. The biggest hazard on the Turtle in summer is a high risk of ice avalanches from the 300-ft high Kautz Glacier ice cliff towering overhead, which can send huge ice blocks tumbling through Camp Hazard and down the Turtle. The park service strongly discourages camping at Camp Hazard or anywhere on the upper part of the Turtle, there are lots of safer campsites along the rocky ridge to its west and on the upper Wapowety Cleaver.

1) they're expensive ($190 at telemark-pyrenees)

If you paid $190 for the skins, you paid more for the skins then I paid for the Volkl Norbert Joos skis which I got for $150 at Gart sports (they still have a pair for this price as of last night).

I still haven't mounted mine yet as I'm still trying to decide what to do with them. Do you like your pair, Phil? Are they just another noodley light ski (I already have TM11s and Miras)? Sorry for the thread drift.

PS: That's impressive you went 9 years before changing skis, Amar! Most people I know can't go 9 months before buying some form of skis, boots or bindings.

PS: That's impressive you went 9 years before changing skis, Amar! Most people I know can't go 9 months before buying some form of skis, boots or bindings.

Well, I made up for the lengthy hiatus with a sale-inspired buying spree, getting 2 pairs of AT boots in one day a couple weeks ago (Mega-Rides and Adrenalins, the latter to be used primarily as an alpine boot), along with 2 sets of skis over the next week (Volkl AT and alpine setups).

And technically, I did get new AT skis in 2000, when I warranty replaced my whole original rig. The Titanal rail on my Fritschi Diamir 1 broke (free replacement with Diamir 2), and REI suggested that I try getting the Tua Excalibur skis warranteed too (topskins were delaminating; Tua offered me the new Mito for less than half price). So I did go nearly 9 years without *buying* AT skis, and my Scarpa Denalis were the only AT boot I had ever used in all that time until this trip. If you have one rugged, reliable, and versatile setup, there's no need to go shopping all the time. I just hope my new gear is rugged enough to last that long, although I have doubts about the Mega-Ride sole's durability since the red Dynafit climbing post has already worn a 1mm deep circular hole in the heel after only 4000 vft of skinning. Anyway, I plan to keep using the old gear occasionally for sentimental reasons, and as my primary AT rock skis.

Do you like your pair, Phil? Are they just another noodley light ski (I already have TM11s and Miras)? Sorry for the thread drift.

I've skied them 5 days so far, on shallow powder (good), chunky powder (ok), corn (ok), breakable crust (poor), slush (poor), hardpack (medicore).
However, today I found conditions where they really shine.

A ski (old white Tua Excalibur with Silvretta 404's)) was buried at the base of one of the rolls at approximately 9200' a few years ago when we encountered a big wet slab break. If anyone, in this record low year, encounters this (and possibly a pair of skins) could they please pm me. I will probably try the trip at least twice before memorial day (not a whole lot else available soon) to see if it gets spit out. Thanks.