TR Replies
I'm going to have a hard time topping this trip in 2014. A well executed trip with a rad crew.
"Almost a week later now, I'm still wondering if I should have gone instead, especially since such weather windows with light winds at 14000 ft are so rare on Rainier (usually only a handful of times in an entire January-July summit ski season). But I don't really regret playing it overly safe and just skiing Muir once again."
Wise choice! You do great reports and we would all wonder why you missed the class! Being solo is a much scarier game and you were sma...
Wise choice! You do great reports and we would all wonder why you missed the class! Being solo is a much scarier game and you were sma...
T East - Deal. Fairchild is one of the last prizes for me along the Front Range. Massive approach has kept it as a last Holy Grail. But I look at it everyday from my house and the 2,000 VF down the SE face is so appealing. Maybe this year?
MW88....
RMNP is an amazing place to ski. You picked a great route that day. I did scads of skiing there in the late-70s and early-80s as a transplant from the Adirondacks. Being a climber the abundance of granite made for great scenery. It was amazing that through some of the most improbable places, a sliver of snow would connect, or as you found, nearly connect these cool runs.
Skiing is cool because each area develops its own character and...
RMNP is an amazing place to ski. You picked a great route that day. I did scads of skiing there in the late-70s and early-80s as a transplant from the Adirondacks. Being a climber the abundance of granite made for great scenery. It was amazing that through some of the most improbable places, a sliver of snow would connect, or as you found, nearly connect these cool runs.
Skiing is cool because each area develops its own character and...
430 to 815 doesn't get me to the summit of Dragontail! Thanks for the report and enjoy the Big Sky Country.
May 7 update. I was able to drive to Beverly TH in standard passenger car (Legacy). The main North Fork road is loaded with potholes and the Beverly road is quite rough. Easy does it. I would estimate the walk is about .8 mile from Bean Creek crossing until consistent snow. Barefoot with rolled up pants works fine for creek crossing but it was quite active today.
Far SE drainage run off Earl was great proto corn. Two inch pole penetration by early pm. The crust below not very strong...
Far SE drainage run off Earl was great proto corn. Two inch pole penetration by early pm. The crust below not very strong...
Sure enjoyed meeting you and wish I could have gotten out in the mountains with you while you were here. Best for fun in Montana. Some day you'll find a partner who can keep up with you, but until then, keep me in mind.
I call the high point between Anapurna and Dragontail "Dino Rock", because of the balanced feature at the summit. I love that pitch down to the plateau.
I call the high point between Anapurna and Dragontail "Dino Rock", because of the balanced feature at the summit. I love that pitch down to the plateau.
Thanks, Kevin. Best wishes for you in MT. Some good stuff there, too.
Nice run! I too struggle with 2AM wakeup calls, sometimes the other side wins ;)
Boot - if Lake Haiyaha, the only pic I had was at dawn.
T East - yes, good year for the park, no complaining at all, just better non-stop descents can be found...like, as you mention, Tyndall glacier off the north side - I really enjoy that canyon better as the descent from the Divide is continuous and fun to Emerald lake.
T East - yes, good year for the park, no complaining at all, just better non-stop descents can be found...like, as you mention, Tyndall glacier off the north side - I really enjoy that canyon better as the descent from the Divide is continuous and fun to Emerald lake.
Beautiful mountain! I climbed the north face in 1980 when BC skiing wasn't even in my world.
Good work!
That's loads of snow for the Park. Don't complain, it's rarely that good. Do Fairchild it's fine.
Looks like the North Face of Hallets is next, eh?
That's loads of snow for the Park. Don't complain, it's rarely that good. Do Fairchild it's fine.
Looks like the North Face of Hallets is next, eh?
Nice bluebird skies. You have a pic of the lake from the summit?
Drove to the trail head today in a Forester with a couple of tries for the last drift. Hiked and skied up Earl via the NW ridge. Skied down the central gully on the W face. Snow could have been better but was more or less stable on a coolish day. Get on it; it's going fast down low.
me too, nice report as well.
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I skied the Nisqually Chute on Wed the 30th at 12 and it was the best corn of the day with only minimal rollers and no entrainment. The hazard was low when we skied through with no sloughing on steep solar aspects. Great skiing with a slow sticky exit. It might of met your risk tolerance had you been there;) We toured from the parking lot just before 7AM topping out just after 10 and headed down at 11:30 with enough ripe corn to make the trip worth it. It was a Dad's day out so we left at 1...
May 1:
Having decided not to make a summit ski attempt on Wednesday-Thursday, on Thursday morning I was headed back from Seattle to Paradise, joined this time by Drew Tabke and his friend Mike who was road-tripping from Utah. Our plan was to ski Muir to the bridge, perhaps including a ski of the Cowlitz Glacier from Cathedral Gap, and then head to the west side of Mount Saint Helens and Blue Lake trailhead that evening, hoping to find that uncommonly-skied route in good conditi...
Having decided not to make a summit ski attempt on Wednesday-Thursday, on Thursday morning I was headed back from Seattle to Paradise, joined this time by Drew Tabke and his friend Mike who was road-tripping from Utah. Our plan was to ski Muir to the bridge, perhaps including a ski of the Cowlitz Glacier from Cathedral Gap, and then head to the west side of Mount Saint Helens and Blue Lake trailhead that evening, hoping to find that uncommonly-skied route in good conditi...
You got me inspired to take a look at the map. There is so much good skiing within striking distance with Holden as your base. One time we went up Tenmile Creek (abandoned trail easy to follow) to Tenmile Pass and down into Fourth of July Basin then over to Flora. The top of Flora was melted out, but it would have been great. Skied pk 7734 SW of Flora. Highly recommended!
Northstar is a a long day. I have only done it with a night out (more skiing), but I know folks who have done it in a day from the village.
This past winter I mostly stayed close to the village, Copper Basin and some glades on Martin Ridge. There are not many skiers so I am often alone. However the operations manager/medic couple are always up for a good tour if they can get away. Upper Big creek, Hart Lake, Holden Lake, etc. In the spring, Upper Lyman, Cloudy Pass areas.
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This past winter I mostly stayed close to the village, Copper Basin and some glades on Martin Ridge. There are not many skiers so I am often alone. However the operations manager/medic couple are always up for a good tour if they can get away. Upper Big creek, Hart Lake, Holden Lake, etc. In the spring, Upper Lyman, Cloudy Pass areas.
...
really well done video, enjoyed watching!
nice work, talk about primo conditions
I think you need to have a slide alder delivery made in the approach before you ski these, or maybe slack line over a river with skis on your back, it just seems entirely too straight forward! ;)
Awesome TR and fascinating explanation of the xenoliths, thanks Jonn. Very cool.
Very cool. Without doing any research, I'm going to hazard a guess that the granite intruded a large magma chamber into the black rock. The molten granite then partially melted some of the wall rock (black rock) enough to break chunks off to float around in the magma chamber. The heat continued to melt them into rounder shapes (like ice cubes in water). However the black rock (which I'm guessing is a gabbro) has a higher melting point so didn't give up completely, and the chunks j...
Thanks, there were areas that were completely black. Seemed like the higher you went, the darker the rock got. Down lower not so much. A couple friends hit me up after I posted a couple pics and were interested in the zone for climbing in the warmer months. Not sure how access would be with everything melted out, but could probably land down lower and do some talus hopping up the fork we were camped in.
That looked awesome. Nice work "accessing the goods"
...sin frijoles. clever :)
author=radka link=topic=31635.msg132776#msg132776 date=1399259567]
We didn't get to Bean because the weather was so moody, maybe next time.
Nicely done!! I guess it's time to visit an old friend. Thanks for TR.
The xenoliths (black blobs) in those granite walls make an amazing texture! Were any of the nearby mountains made entirely of the black stuff?
DAY SEVEN:
Dawned clear, which was starting to make us worried; we were getting it too good. Alaska weather is usually pretty fickle, but hey we weren't going to complain. Cooked some bagel spinners with cheese and summer sausage then started to get ready. We toured up the mellow glacier run and the big couloirs we spotted the day before came into view.
Dawned clear, which was starting to make us worried; we were getting it too good. Alaska weather is usually pretty fickle, but hey we weren't going to complain. Cooked some bagel spinners with cheese and summer sausage then started to get ready. We toured up the mellow glacier run and the big couloirs we spotted the day before came into view.
Thanks for the great pictures. I was just at Grandes Monets in March but had 2 days of whiteout and really didn't see anything. Couldn't even see the glacier even though the ski run ran right next to it.
Just skied a couple lift runs to close Alpental for the season today, no rib discomfort until I sat down afterward, odd injury with long recovery I hear.
May 11 update: here's shred hucking like me, but with a better landing.
May 11 update: here's shred hucking like me, but with a better landing.
Great writeup and shots. I love your comment about jackass sidecountry sideslippers.
I thought everyone knew Lane! Tatoosh.
Thanks for the update and photos. It has been a few years since Jill and I skied the Copper Peak area. Nice folks. ;)
Thank you for the news from Holden. We've been there many times, and it has to be one of the friendliest most charming places on earth! And, I've never skied there, so next year for sure (mine clean up willing, I guess). Where else do you ski out of there as a day trip? Northstar seems like a pretty long day.
A few pics from the trip...
Good point. Not that he intentionally disrespected them, but his actions undermined their efforts. I agree...
author=jakedouglas link=topic=31617.msg132719#msg132719 date=1399069224]
Where's the best place to park and start from at this point?
Just a guess but parking at the climbers biv road gate and biking up the road might be an option.
Oh and I forgot, I did take video with teletuby vision, when I get help from some techy minded friend later this week I'll post it up.
author=avajane link=topic=31547.msg132798#msg132798 date=1399307721]
Most climbers are skiers but most skiers are not climbers. ..... People are people though, and there were plenty on cc who said "not cool".
True on both counts.
From an old climber......Most climbers are skiers but most skiers are not climbers. I'm sure, in general, most climbers are less apt to be joiners and are not as likely to follow direction as well. The technical discussions about rap systems on cc was for the most part because the set ups in the pictures were not what they were used to - perhaps because they came from back east. People are people though, and there were plenty on cc who said "not cool".