TR Replies
Model post! Great example of decision making in the field and travel plan adjustments. I was eyeing the virgin King on Sunday, but made the conscious decision to leave the splitboard at home just to avoid temptation.
thanks for writing this up! i was quite glad that you & rory got so many great photos since my camera unfortunately drowned in my backpack during our rainy recon mission a few weeks ago.
it really was a blast going on this adventure with you guys! nice work on the route planning... it's one thing to get from point a to boint b safely in the mountains, but it's a whole different level when this process is repeated numerous times across a span of days in order to allow a...
it really was a blast going on this adventure with you guys! nice work on the route planning... it's one thing to get from point a to boint b safely in the mountains, but it's a whole different level when this process is repeated numerous times across a span of days in order to allow a...
Love the stats, Charlie - thanks ;- )
Thanks, guys, for chiming in - it's nice to keep the convo going here on TAY. We played it quite safe, stayed on West aspect and mostly in trees. The pow was more PNW-style than champagne-style but hey, I'll take it.
Thanks, guys, for chiming in - it's nice to keep the convo going here on TAY. We played it quite safe, stayed on West aspect and mostly in trees. The pow was more PNW-style than champagne-style but hey, I'll take it.
I'd wondered about trip-report scarcity too, so I plotted the numbers. This year is lower than the recent past, but not a lot. March 2014 isn't over; more TRs will appear.
Added the bonus plot to illustrate the point that TAY's not chattier than past years. 5 replies/TR is quite stable.
Added the bonus plot to illustrate the point that TAY's not chattier than past years. 5 replies/TR is quite stable.
1st picture classic . I 've seen that happen umpteenth times at that exact same spot !
Its not completely that they are cagey about stashes, which for anything out of the ordinary they are, but its also due to the potential backlash they get from the community for hitting a line now after this season's odd snowpack. Monday morning QB is all too easy and folk generally don't want that hassle. Conditions over the weekend were certainly great both days, especially higher up in the right places of course.
author=r1de link=topic=31325.msg131428#msg131428 date=1396280382]
Actually that looks pretty good! Is that Dave again?
Nope, it was Pavel & Pavel ( 8) 8) )
My impression is that people are generally quite gun shy this year. I certainly have a gut reluctance to exposure based on distrust of the snowpack at deep levels. There are less trip reports than any season since I joined TAY. Maybe people are just being cagey about their stashes but I suspect that uncertainty is widespread in the PNW.
author=flowing alpy link=topic=31299.msg131422#msg131422 date=1396269568]
nice tr kyle, enjoy n. yurp.
you represent the young of the pnw well!
bF
Wow, thanks for this.
It's a weird world I live in these days.
I blame it on the water.
Actually that looks pretty good! Is that Dave again?
nice tr kyle, enjoy n. yurp.
you represent the young of the pnw well!
bF
you represent the young of the pnw well!
bF
Yes Aaron, that picture was taken on the skin up to windy knob. Indeed a good run, the top pitch was a bit touchy.
Charlie, I see what you're talking about. It actually started a little higher up, closer to to that basalt out cropping.
Charlie, I see what you're talking about. It actually started a little higher up, closer to to that basalt out cropping.
My friend and I were up there and we tried to warn those guys that they may not want to go up there and mess with that steeper stuff as you approach the Castle itself, because it might unzip. We had noticed that the snow was slabby and reactive especially on rollovers and ridges. One of the group stayed down on the saddle which was a wise move. We later met up with them and I guess one of them went for an unwanted ride and was a bit freaked out. I am just happy no one was...
Very much appreciate your report, thanks!
I saw several point-source slides on steep E-SE aspects at the head of Paradise Valley above 4th Crossing today. A couple ran several hundred vf and entrained enough snow to be dangerous. The west face of Mazama Ridge was heavy 12-18" storm slab above lower density snow, but no instability noted on the moderate slopes we stuck to. Ski penetration highly variable from almost nothing to way too much. Pole penetration full length reverse...
I saw several point-source slides on steep E-SE aspects at the head of Paradise Valley above 4th Crossing today. A couple ran several hundred vf and entrained enough snow to be dangerous. The west face of Mazama Ridge was heavy 12-18" storm slab above lower density snow, but no instability noted on the moderate slopes we stuck to. Ski penetration highly variable from almost nothing to way too much. Pole penetration full length reverse...
Is this the wet slide that pulled out?
Nutrition before drop
https://www.flickr.com/photos/koelle/13524036355/in/set-72157642828454544
author=dkoelle link=topic=31253.msg131073#msg131073 date=1395668184">
There were one set of nice tracks we more or less followed.
Thanks dkoelle! Those were my tracks from the day before! I skied from Camp Muir to the Bridge solo on Sat. 3-22. What a great day too! The conditions were incredible on 3-22. All nice powder up high, and the sun was out. There was only one set of faint, fading tracks that I saw on my way down on 3-22...
Taken from Windy Knob I presume. That's one of the nicest runs in the Blewett area.
Awesome looking trip, thanks for posting.
Two more. Sorry, I'm having some trouble get pictures in here.
Here are a few of mine. Come back for Kenji's!
Sweet conditions!
Any of you above have images of Chair from Snoq?
Any of you above have images of Chair from Snoq?
We got the slot the day before you all. I just finished up a video. TASTY.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HHHjXwJxwk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HHHjXwJxwk
Nice work and nice report. Thanks for sharing.
To have hit those Palisades lines this time of year is magical! Took that same route once on the Independence Day a couple years back, rode a steep couloir down to Hidden Lake since everything else had melted out.
Nice trip report. Great photos and I especially like your link that shows your route. I'll have to start doing that in my reports.
Just a friendly reminder:
Please avoid the avalanche terrain south of the summit of Granite Mountain.
The are some fun and friendlier aspects nearby.
No judgement here. I've skied Granite too. I'm glad you had a great day.
Peace.
Just a friendly reminder:
Please avoid the avalanche terrain south of the summit of Granite Mountain.
The are some fun and friendlier aspects nearby.
No judgement here. I've skied Granite too. I'm glad you had a great day.
Peace.
Excellent TR. I know who I'm buying a beer for at splitfest this weekend :)
Third-to-last photo is impressive.
Way to go! Research and exploration delivers dividends!
Way to go! Research and exploration delivers dividends!
Thanks for the kind comments.
If anyone is tech savy and wants to see what I am up too been really pushing to post on Instagram every day.
You can follow me at Kylemiller411
I leave for Iceland and Norway on Wednesday :)
If anyone is tech savy and wants to see what I am up too been really pushing to post on Instagram every day.
You can follow me at Kylemiller411
I leave for Iceland and Norway on Wednesday :)
Great to see winter powder conditions in spring. To see places we have never seen accept a few in July. Your dialogue and photos were wonderful. Dege sure looks nice with powder and no tracks.
Inspiring, thanks for sharing. Looks like a fantastic trip.
Super awesome. Such a pretty area. Hands down beautiful up there...and best of all, it holds powder.
That's a peachy cornice photo on your blog,
...saved you the trouble.
...saved you the trouble.
Thanks for taking the time to write that, well written and good lesson for all. Glad everyone is OK.
author=Cornfed link=topic=31279.msg131271#msg131271 date=1395895273]
Nothing better than a road-trip that involves a stop over to ski some lines and take a heli-ski! I'll bet you'd have loved to extend this road trip! Great write-up. I enjoyed the read. Makes me want to knock it off my bucket list too!
That looks sick!
Nothing better than a road-trip that involves a stop over to ski some lines and take a heli-ski! I'll bet you'd have loved to extend this road trip! Great write-up. I enjoyed the read. Makes me want to knock it off my bucket list too!
Inspiring trip report! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the great Overview, Mike! Glad you two came out of this unscathed.
We skied a chute very close to the fluer the following day. We popped a 8" slab on our initial ski cut, which popped a few other micro slabs lower down the chute.
Here is a video that I took.
http://thesnowtroopers.com/2014/stevens-pass-wa-rooster-comb-ridge/
We skied a chute very close to the fluer the following day. We popped a 8" slab on our initial ski cut, which popped a few other micro slabs lower down the chute.
Here is a video that I took.
http://thesnowtroopers.com/2014/stevens-pass-wa-rooster-comb-ridge/
You take clients down that stuff? Do you advise them to launch bergschrunds, too, or ski around them if possible? My kind of guide!
That run is one of the best anywhere!! It goes on..and on..... and on....... So happy that you guys got to catch it on one of those March gem days when the sun and snow conditions are ideal. Hopefully Amar is spot on and we will have more powder days to come.
Looks like you hit it good! Very envious. Nice photos too!
author=dberdinka link=topic=31272.msg131198#msg131198 date=1395786120]
You are so fortunate (and also highly skilled) to have experienced such spectacular conditions. I dream of skiing the Park in conditions like that. Much jealousy.......
Don't worry dberdinka - I've drooled over a number of your posts ;)
Thanks for posting the amazing picture Runningclouds! That's a great perspective on our line. I'd love to have the Hi-Res version. Would you be OK with me using that on our website, mtbakerguides.com? If so, send it over to the email on our website.
I'd say that given my experience on the Head Wall, I had 100% fun. Lee and Jenni were probably closer to the 167% mark.
The Glacier Creek road is still pretty snowy. We parked down at the winter closure and ran t...
I'd say that given my experience on the Head Wall, I had 100% fun. Lee and Jenni were probably closer to the 167% mark.
The Glacier Creek road is still pretty snowy. We parked down at the winter closure and ran t...
Jim
I agree and that is why I am leery of chutes. In the northwest I think also due to the snow being wetter and more dense I think the steeper slopes greater than 45 degrees here in the PNW have greater risk of slab avalanches than in the continental climes. However, I am no expert so I often avoid these restrictive areas of terrain.
I can not blame folks for skiing them they are fun and the snow often stays nice since they are protected. I am just happy...
I agree and that is why I am leery of chutes. In the northwest I think also due to the snow being wetter and more dense I think the steeper slopes greater than 45 degrees here in the PNW have greater risk of slab avalanches than in the continental climes. However, I am no expert so I often avoid these restrictive areas of terrain.
I can not blame folks for skiing them they are fun and the snow often stays nice since they are protected. I am just happy...
Not sure this is the same Freya, but I may know her Dad, John Lockwood, great guy. Sounds like you had a fun trip. A bit intimidating crossing glaciers in white outs, but at least you found pow. Did John go along?
This is a long way from Kayaking and Pygmy Boats so it may not be the same person. He lives in Port Townsend. If so say Hi to him from Gordy.
This is a long way from Kayaking and Pygmy Boats so it may not be the same person. He lives in Port Townsend. If so say Hi to him from Gordy.