TR Replies
Nice work! That's a good place to be when the snow is poor and the views are good.
Great photos and good discussion re: glacier gear. Thanks for posting! I'm stoked to try this myself now.
We all voted - you won the "Most Inspirational" trophy.
Congratulations on beating a field of at least 103 skiers! Did the first place come with a brand new car from the race sponsor?
Bravo.
Your TR confirms what my furtive glances from the freeway suspected: Hood is In!
Your TR confirms what my furtive glances from the freeway suspected: Hood is In!
Imo the views are better than at Mt Baker, the skiing wasn't that nasty, and "side slipping to the lodge" is surely an exaggeration. 'Course by 10am on Sunday Todd and I were having beers in the lodge. okay he didn't have any and I had one. Looks like you guys had fun out there.
Good to see you had at least some of the same view that those of us who have skied with Ross have gotten used to: And that is of Ross way the hell ahead on the uptrack while looking like he's barely breaking a sweat.
Beautiful trip!
Beautiful trip!
author=jakedouglas link=topic=33675.msg139249#msg139249 date=1424123315]
After posting my question I managed to find a couple photos of late season conditions including this one: http://photodb.danielarndt.com/2003/2003-08-eldorado/110-1075-p.eldorado.4.jpg
If this is a representative example of typical crevasse formation here, it seems that a person would be very unlikely to cross something that wasn't well filled in this time of year, assumin...
Thanks for explaining. Your answers are about what I expected.
After posting my question I managed to find a couple photos of late season conditions including this one: http://photodb.danielarndt.com/2003/2003-08-eldorado/110-1075-p.eldorado.4.jpg
If this is a representative example of typical crevasse formation here, it seems that a person would be very unlikely to cross something that wasn't well filled in this time of year, assuming you gained the ridge via the notc...
After posting my question I managed to find a couple photos of late season conditions including this one: http://photodb.danielarndt.com/2003/2003-08-eldorado/110-1075-p.eldorado.4.jpg
If this is a representative example of typical crevasse formation here, it seems that a person would be very unlikely to cross something that wasn't well filled in this time of year, assuming you gained the ridge via the notc...
I probably have my pro observers swizzled. I saw someone with a full, big pack and NWAC hat ski by while waiting for others at the top of Skyline ~4pm yesterday. I guess it could've been anyone, but it seemed odd to have that much gear for a daytrip on a sunny day with relatively little action.
I caught a chair with a lift attendant who was going to work for the evening shift. He asked if I'd been hiking lately and when I told him I hadn't, he said I'd missed out....
I caught a chair with a lift attendant who was going to work for the evening shift. He asked if I'd been hiking lately and when I told him I hadn't, he said I'd missed out....
I should also mention something about this winter season.
If this had been an extremely cold, dry winter so far, with little new snow even on the high glaciers. I might have made a different choice on Eldorado yesterday.
However, it has been a warm, wet winter, with lots of snowfall on the higher elevation peaks (which I consider Eldorado to be). I think the glaciers on the standard route on Eldorado have received quite a bit of snow this year, and also a fair amount of rai...
If this had been an extremely cold, dry winter so far, with little new snow even on the high glaciers. I might have made a different choice on Eldorado yesterday.
However, it has been a warm, wet winter, with lots of snowfall on the higher elevation peaks (which I consider Eldorado to be). I think the glaciers on the standard route on Eldorado have received quite a bit of snow this year, and also a fair amount of rai...
Good question Jake.
You're right that we didn't take glacier gear on this trip and I have done the trip solo in the past. I don't necessarily recommend either practice.
I've carried glacier gear on ski trips where I've deployed it fully (wearing harnesses, roping up, pre-rigging prusiks, even belaying). I've also carried glacier gear and only partially deployed it (e.g. wearing harnesses without roping up). These decisions are made on a case-by...
You're right that we didn't take glacier gear on this trip and I have done the trip solo in the past. I don't necessarily recommend either practice.
I've carried glacier gear on ski trips where I've deployed it fully (wearing harnesses, roping up, pre-rigging prusiks, even belaying). I've also carried glacier gear and only partially deployed it (e.g. wearing harnesses without roping up). These decisions are made on a case-by...
Silas, Did you happen to see what the route looked like over to the Cowlitz Rocks (or see anyone over there)? It's been on my list for awhile and I'd like to get up there maybe next weekend.
Great TR.
I noticed that I don't see your partner wearing a harness and I recall that you skied this route solo last year as well. Never having been beyond the Roush-Eldorado divide, I'm not familiar with the ensuing glacier travel, aside from what I could see and photos online. My understanding was that it is more serious than something like the Sahale "Glacier", and not as serious as on say, Baker or Rainier. Still, I thought it was common practice to carry the e...
I noticed that I don't see your partner wearing a harness and I recall that you skied this route solo last year as well. Never having been beyond the Roush-Eldorado divide, I'm not familiar with the ensuing glacier travel, aside from what I could see and photos online. My understanding was that it is more serious than something like the Sahale "Glacier", and not as serious as on say, Baker or Rainier. Still, I thought it was common practice to carry the e...
Great pics, the chutes looked amazing. Whose cat was that?
Harlan led our group for the latter 3 days of the course. We dropped back into the area ~4pm along Skid Road. If you saw Dallas, perhaps he was out skiing in the sun? :).
Snowpack-wise, I've been surprised how much stratigraphy has been preserved in our snowpack in the face of all of this rain, something apparent even at Snoqualmie a few weeks ago.
From Stevens yesterday, though we didn't do full profiles: A bunch of ~2-5mm icy crusts in the upper snowpack are qu...
Snowpack-wise, I've been surprised how much stratigraphy has been preserved in our snowpack in the face of all of this rain, something apparent even at Snoqualmie a few weeks ago.
From Stevens yesterday, though we didn't do full profiles: A bunch of ~2-5mm icy crusts in the upper snowpack are qu...
Well that would explain why I saw Dallas schussing down beneath Skyline in the late afternoon... probably not a whole lot of layers to examine, huh?
author=jakedouglas link=topic=33679.msg139236#msg139236 date=1424114962]
Any idea what the mileage/gain is from the car before skinning begins?
It's about 2 miles / 2000' according to Hillmap...on mostly snow free trail.
Lovely photos as always. Any idea what the mileage/gain is from the car before skinning begins?
We dropped in Nisqually chutes about 230 PM. The upper ~1800 vf from Muir to the entry was kind of icy hard and satstrugi-ish with occasional nice turns where smooth. The chutes themselves were really really nice; a few inches of soft and predictable snow on a firm base. The exit as mentioned recently was well trodden and not bad at all. All in all a fantastic drop. A few pics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/koelle/sets/72157650791395806/ (includes bonus snow cat)
India pics hik...
India pics hik...
Looks like a fantastic day in the mountains, thanks for the great pictures.
Wow, driving to the trail head in February. That must be unusual.
Thanks for the great report, Lowell. Dan, I might be a few days behind you!
Thanks for the great report, Lowell. Dan, I might be a few days behind you!
We toured around in the BC as students in a Northwest Mountain School AIARE 2 course on Saturday. First time there; fun place! Snow and sun together are a fine combination.
In full profiles off the NE side of point 6780, we found quite the 130-cm snowpack layer cake. We discerned up to 25 layers, most in the upper half of the snowpack, with plenty of faceted forms and crusts. Snowpack tests ranged from moderate to hard, with sudden results in three-out-of-four pits at depths ranging...
In full profiles off the NE side of point 6780, we found quite the 130-cm snowpack layer cake. We discerned up to 25 layers, most in the upper half of the snowpack, with plenty of faceted forms and crusts. Snowpack tests ranged from moderate to hard, with sudden results in three-out-of-four pits at depths ranging...
Wonderful, Lowell. Thanks for the stoke, glad you had a great day!
Lowell. Thank you for this timely post. It's 5 am and I on my way. Can't resist such amazing terrain.
Actually on Saturday the Paradise skied nice except the top portion. It was actually a tiny bit of new snow or corn on it. You may have seen our tracks. We actually turned around before reaching the upper part of it since you could tell the snow was getting icky. There was also a shorter run we skied a couple of times just below the Paradise that was really nice turning. I rated this part of the skiing which was most of the day a +6 on my scale of +10...
Mike thanks for keeping me of the couch! Just another example of if you don't go you don't know. Great fun.
All I want this year is to ride to the bridge!
I felt bad about my conditions report in the Blewett area so I hiked another 1,000 feet higher.
Dennis, thanks for the tip on the "Going Deep" series, I'll check it out. At the Avy I class we were told that AIARE is reworking the Avy II class and plans to split it into 2 tracts - recreational and professional. I think this will be a good option for 'amateurs' like us.
Lovely photography. I will be sharing on my FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shot-8-Freeride-Team/561702940520155
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shot-8-Freeride-Team/561702940520155
Hey, is that Peter intently looking at the snow block? I seem to remember following those red tele boots through Canadian powder last winter...
Glad to hear it Phil. I took Avy I this year for the 3rd time. It makes more sense each time. I took a class from Northwest Mountain School once, it was fun. Check out the "Going Deep" series from NWAC for continued learning.
I'm still an amateur. And I don't dig unless I feel it's really necessary. Nonetheless if you want the snowpack details from our pit that day, they're on NWAC here fwiw. (Sorry NW...
I'm still an amateur. And I don't dig unless I feel it's really necessary. Nonetheless if you want the snowpack details from our pit that day, they're on NWAC here fwiw. (Sorry NW...
The rapid snow melt has afforded ample pavement behind the signage. ::)
Great report! I completed an Avy I class this last weekend (shout out to the great folks at MW Mountain School in Leavenworth) and this stuff is making more sense. Reading your report reinforces what we learned.
I have to say that I liked Green Mountain a lot! The views were really spectacular and I like clouds - makes for better pictures ;)
And holy moley - the Suiattle River Road is really driveable again! My feet were hurting just thinking about all the road walking at the end of Ptarmigan Traverse in 2012.
Some pictures from my camera:
And holy moley - the Suiattle River Road is really driveable again! My feet were hurting just thinking about all the road walking at the end of Ptarmigan Traverse in 2012.
Some pictures from my camera:
Aki turns are great. The front paws/shovel initiates the turns, plus getting his own line. ;)
Thanks for the update. I like your BBQ. We use the same one. ;)
We saw you getting ready at the Canyon Y--we wondered if you would get a ticket parking so close to the No Parking sign LOL.
The snow you rode looked a lot better than what we thought it would be! Nice video.
The snow you rode looked a lot better than what we thought it would be! Nice video.
Nice video! From what we saw, at least some were not only challenged by the fog but seemed to be encountering a wet styrofoam crust that left them laying trenches--not easy snow to ski! Much nicer snow and weather today (12 Feb): corn snow
Right, Andrew, when the ski tracks look like 2 drunken snowboarders riding together, that's me skiing the fog, wide stance, trying to figure out which way's up! Notice I'm not featured in the video.
Thanks for the great report--with snow pit work! Maybe it's time to head up to Whistler....
"With much grunting we skied the N and NE aspects in disorienting flat light and poor visibility. " Yeah we saw your tracks today and wondered who in h*ll skis like that LOL Nice corn snow today (flat light and poor visibility as well).
The link doesn't seem to be working. 404
author=runningclouds link=topic=33546.msg138812#msg138812 date=1422733749]
My dream just came true, I am downloading your map and the app as I type. Can we have one for Baker please?
hey, glad you like it! sorry to say, no on the baker map.
many reason exist for my excuse, one of them is data availability, other is I made this Rainier map for myself then just decided to share it with a crowd that could hopefully get some use from...