Paradise Environs April 6, 2008
4/15/08
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
1847
7
I picked up a new backcountry skiing companion who just happens to be my Doctor in Puyallup. Gate sceduled to open at 9 so we were pleasantly surprised as we cruised by the Longmire gate at 830 am. About 4" freshies over the 9" from Friday night. This was to be a gear and technique trial run for my companion who is a far better skier than myself. We skinned up to the top of Alta vista and then skied down to the horseshoe bend. Very good quality powder even though the vis was flattish. Made the transition to skins again and headed to back bowl for a look. On /Off Vis so we opted for a couple of excellent powder runs back down to the road using our uptrack. Andy and Regine were getting thier share and more! Two other partys were working the west facing slopes of Mazama as well. All was stable and great skiing.On off snowing with some peekaboo looks at the Tatoosh as we were leaving. I am kinda concerned about my future doctor visits where I have a medical problem and all we do is talk skiing !
I was in the Tattosh today with Snowbell, Skierlyles and Dave. Unbelievable powder, very deep on the north facing slopes and stability fairly good but some worrisome windloading and potential slab near the top of the Pinnacle/Plummer col( we backed off near the top).
Dave and MD2020 dug a couple of pits and there was a fairly easy shear at 18".
Ski pen was at least 10-12" at times .Visibility was a problem at times so we went lower and skied steep trees . There was loose snow sloughing as you skied the steep stuff and it pretty much snowed all day. Snowbell and Dave went on a more adventurous tour across the South Face of Pinnacle over to Plummer and reported excellent powder skiing but may have heard some whupping on the way up to Plummer.
Had the pleasure to spend part of the tour with Brenda and Md2020. Always great to meet them.
It was cold and truly like a mid-January day. Narada face skied good if a little heavy.
Dave and MD2020 dug a couple of pits and there was a fairly easy shear at 18".
Ski pen was at least 10-12" at times .Visibility was a problem at times so we went lower and skied steep trees . There was loose snow sloughing as you skied the steep stuff and it pretty much snowed all day. Snowbell and Dave went on a more adventurous tour across the South Face of Pinnacle over to Plummer and reported excellent powder skiing but may have heard some whupping on the way up to Plummer.
Had the pleasure to spend part of the tour with Brenda and Md2020. Always great to meet them.
It was cold and truly like a mid-January day. Narada face skied good if a little heavy.
author=Scotsman link=topic=9704.msg39056#msg39056 date=1207541156]
It was cold and truly like a mid-January day.
except that we're skiing out at 5:00 pm and I'm not worried about driving home in the dark. :)
great weekend in the Tatoosh. Every weekend should be like that.
We saw your trackage as we drove out during a moment of visibilty.Good job!
After the last time we saw Robie, we went down ridge and skied some glades, upper slopes had nice powdere but totally unbonded to a slick ice layer; cause us to avoid the steepest & tree-less; I had my skis slip out from under me in the trees and had a hard time getting up, because as I would rise slightly, me & the skis would simply slide down further. Mid slopes had a crust about a foot or so down that could catch and edge and send skis in different direction, not much of a problem if you kept you speed up and skis down the fall line (of course this was a heavily treed slope and you had to make a lot of right angle corrections; at the base powder too deep to find any layer below it with skis.
What a day. We found way more snow than we had anticipated and it skied great everywhere that we went. The Tatoosh delivered again.
I was prepared three weeks ago to accept the end of the powder for the season but now, (six great powder days later) I just can't get enough. I think that the prolonged season is more diffult to let go of. Yesterday marked six months of powder skiing for me this season. October 5th to April 6th. What a life and what a place to live it.
I was prepared three weeks ago to accept the end of the powder for the season but now, (six great powder days later) I just can't get enough. I think that the prolonged season is more diffult to let go of. Yesterday marked six months of powder skiing for me this season. October 5th to April 6th. What a life and what a place to live it.
I was up there as well...one of the splitters...great day indeed. I keep running into brenda and md2020 everywhere I go...there stealing all the lines out there ;)
Oct 5th was rather epic but I wish that the conditions on Rainier this weekend was alittle bit more stable. Vis was crappy.
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