October 20-21, 2012, Heliotrope Ridge, Fresh Snow!
10/20/12
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
3706
1
We decided to try our luck at Heliotrope Ridge with an overnight trip this weekend. After setting up camp at Hogsback, we skinned up to the ridge in the clouds. The visibility was quite low at the top. We tried to wait for a clearing to drop in, but the clouds and snow were persistent. At about 6500 feet, we dropped below the clouds and had great visibility all the way back to camp.
It must have snowed almost a foot on us during the night. We got up early and put one more lap in. The visibility was still poor, but the skiing was great! By the time we arrived back at camp and packed up, the sun decided to break out. Despite a broken backpack strap, some skin trouble, and a tree down on the road, it was great October skiing, quite the improvement from last month's conditions.
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It must have snowed almost a foot on us during the night. We got up early and put one more lap in. The visibility was still poor, but the skiing was great! By the time we arrived back at camp and packed up, the sun decided to break out. Despite a broken backpack strap, some skin trouble, and a tree down on the road, it was great October skiing, quite the improvement from last month's conditions.
jtmaier & co.: Thanks for the morning track, much appreciated.
Afternoon turned out to be great, we got 4 runs off Heliotrope in spectacular dry powder, the top turns were a bit wind crusty but the rest of the runs were awesome.
I will add more pictures later but these two show the snow quite well:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/runningclouds/sets/72157631831913262/with/8116589776/
Afternoon turned out to be great, we got 4 runs off Heliotrope in spectacular dry powder, the top turns were a bit wind crusty but the rest of the runs were awesome.
I will add more pictures later but these two show the snow quite well:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/runningclouds/sets/72157631831913262/with/8116589776/
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