Mt. Baker area, Feb 18-20
2/15/06
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
2200
0
A brief outline of 3 days around Mt. Baker, staying at the Mountaineers Lodge. Temps. around 15-20 at night, 20s daytime, and no neew snow for about 10 days.
2/18: Lift skiing. Great views and my wife Lisa enjoys her re-conversion to fixed heel on randonee. Hard-pan, refried snow, OK where groomed, but icy bumps, cobbles and golf balls off piste. Some high haze. softened up a tiny bit late PM.
2/19: James Ellis (age 17) & I did some skinning while overthhills and our famlies hit the lifts. We went up to Herman Saddle, and it was slick---a mix of very hard wind pack and sun crust. Temps mid-20s, but so sunny we were sweltering in short sleeves. No breeze even at the saddle, then a punishing ride down (skis too stiff ? always blame the tools... ;D. some huge old wind-sculpted features, but hard to turm. Best snow was below N Table Mountain, and we decided that the best stuff was anything that had not been sun-exposed. so we headed up to Artist's Point and out Huntoon Point for the hot scenery, then skied down the facd to the road switchback, which was managable windpack. Caught a few free lift rides after 3pm.
2/20: A morning skin back up to Artist's with Professor Ted from the U. It was starting to flurry and get flat light as the front strolled in. We climbed up to below the front face of Table, dropped in directly above the main Bagley Lake, and surprisingly found some nice, deep, firm but eminently turnable old windblown show. the last half-hour of the trip got the best turns---Seek and ye might find. 8)
The snow seemed ridiculously stable, bullet-hard with nothing fresh. Crust, wind and surface hoar should make it interesting up there now that a bunch has fallen this week. Thanks to all the good famliy, friends and new acquaintances who made it a fine trip, and I expect we'll be tracking the fresh this weekend.
2/18: Lift skiing. Great views and my wife Lisa enjoys her re-conversion to fixed heel on randonee. Hard-pan, refried snow, OK where groomed, but icy bumps, cobbles and golf balls off piste. Some high haze. softened up a tiny bit late PM.
2/19: James Ellis (age 17) & I did some skinning while overthhills and our famlies hit the lifts. We went up to Herman Saddle, and it was slick---a mix of very hard wind pack and sun crust. Temps mid-20s, but so sunny we were sweltering in short sleeves. No breeze even at the saddle, then a punishing ride down (skis too stiff ? always blame the tools... ;D. some huge old wind-sculpted features, but hard to turm. Best snow was below N Table Mountain, and we decided that the best stuff was anything that had not been sun-exposed. so we headed up to Artist's Point and out Huntoon Point for the hot scenery, then skied down the facd to the road switchback, which was managable windpack. Caught a few free lift rides after 3pm.
2/20: A morning skin back up to Artist's with Professor Ted from the U. It was starting to flurry and get flat light as the front strolled in. We climbed up to below the front face of Table, dropped in directly above the main Bagley Lake, and surprisingly found some nice, deep, firm but eminently turnable old windblown show. the last half-hour of the trip got the best turns---Seek and ye might find. 8)
The snow seemed ridiculously stable, bullet-hard with nothing fresh. Crust, wind and surface hoar should make it interesting up there now that a bunch has fallen this week. Thanks to all the good famliy, friends and new acquaintances who made it a fine trip, and I expect we'll be tracking the fresh this weekend.
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