May 4, 2008, Van Trump Park
5/4/08
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2913
3
1st of all, thanks to all of you that have provided great inspiration and information to make some great trips happen! My first TR - I hope this helps you with the same. We were a party of three that left Paradise Sunday morning. We roped up to cross the nisqually, but didn't see any cracks. The sknow quickly got mushy just above the fan with pole penetration about 12" on SE aspects. It firmed up once we reached the ridge W of the Wilson gl.
We skied Van Trump park from ~10k down towards Comet Falls, took a wrong turn off Rampart ridge and ended up skiing all the way to Longmire. The snow was not quite corn - but a soft 2" on an even, firm base, really fun and fast for the top ~2k, then started to get stickier and mushier till we hit the trees skiers right of Comet falls.
We were intending on descending the "alternate approach" in Burgdorfer to Comet Falls TH, but accidentally went West down into Kautz creek. We were actually having too much fun on the semi soft-crusty west facing slopes in the old growth and just skied fall line till hitting the flats of Kautz creek. I guess we are easily amused. We should have stayed on the East side of the ridge, to get to Comet Falls TH. Once we hit Kautz creek, the forest was so beautiful and the weather so pleasant that we just kept on cruising gently down hill.
Eventually, finding the trail that crosses East back over Rampart ridge to Longmire. Never would have planned to descend to Longmire, but it was actually a very cool tour, thanks to the low elevation snowpack! We only had to put skins back on once for the quick climb from ~3600' to ~3900' over Rampart ridge. Then it was survival skiing to Longmire. It won't be nearly as fun when the lower elevation melts out though. We heard the heli as we were skiing into the trees by Comet falls, but didn't see anyone on the Van Trump side all day. Really hope the person that apparently fell in a crack is ok.
-Paresh
*couldn't figure out hoe to insert photos from Picasa, but here's a link
http://picasaweb.google.com/paresh.kamdar/VanTrumpPark
We skied Van Trump park from ~10k down towards Comet Falls, took a wrong turn off Rampart ridge and ended up skiing all the way to Longmire. The snow was not quite corn - but a soft 2" on an even, firm base, really fun and fast for the top ~2k, then started to get stickier and mushier till we hit the trees skiers right of Comet falls.
We were intending on descending the "alternate approach" in Burgdorfer to Comet Falls TH, but accidentally went West down into Kautz creek. We were actually having too much fun on the semi soft-crusty west facing slopes in the old growth and just skied fall line till hitting the flats of Kautz creek. I guess we are easily amused. We should have stayed on the East side of the ridge, to get to Comet Falls TH. Once we hit Kautz creek, the forest was so beautiful and the weather so pleasant that we just kept on cruising gently down hill.
Eventually, finding the trail that crosses East back over Rampart ridge to Longmire. Never would have planned to descend to Longmire, but it was actually a very cool tour, thanks to the low elevation snowpack! We only had to put skins back on once for the quick climb from ~3600' to ~3900' over Rampart ridge. Then it was survival skiing to Longmire. It won't be nearly as fun when the lower elevation melts out though. We heard the heli as we were skiing into the trees by Comet falls, but didn't see anyone on the Van Trump side all day. Really hope the person that apparently fell in a crack is ok.
-Paresh
*couldn't figure out hoe to insert photos from Picasa, but here's a link
http://picasaweb.google.com/paresh.kamdar/VanTrumpPark
Paresh welcome aboard! Nice report .
Mistakes are the mother of adventure (sometimes) :-)
A very good report and it will open some eyes to what is possible.
pictures are easy now you just have to shrink them to under 100kb
cheers
Mistakes are the mother of adventure (sometimes) :-)
A very good report and it will open some eyes to what is possible.
pictures are easy now you just have to shrink them to under 100kb
cheers
Thanks Robie. I posted a link to the pictures, now I just have to figure out how to take photos like some of the folks on this board!
Paresh
Paresh
Sounds like a neat trip--the way it worked out! Glad to have this tr as I can refer to it if I ever get back up north for a ski. From these tr's, I'm starting to get the "lay of the land"... THANKS.
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