TR Replies
Mack is back to take a whack at crossing the tracks on boards with wax! Looking for cracks, enjoying snacks, probably wearing slacks.
Great to see the latest storm was a bonus. The photos and powder is great. It's been 6 years since Jill and I skied in the area. Is the road still memorable ?
Looking for your next trip report. ;)
Looking for your next trip report. ;)
I like this TR! No hype and just some beautiful pics from a few days in the mountains.
Fascinating. And a bit unnerving.
Coincidentally, the New York Times this morning printed this story about flood surges in the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/us/alaska-looks-for-answers-in-glaciers-summer-flood-surges.html
Perhaps what happened is a version of what Icelanders call a jokulhlaup. Here's the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6kulhlaup
But those seem to involve bursts of trapped sub...
Coincidentally, the New York Times this morning printed this story about flood surges in the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/us/alaska-looks-for-answers-in-glaciers-summer-flood-surges.html
Perhaps what happened is a version of what Icelanders call a jokulhlaup. Here's the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6kulhlaup
But those seem to involve bursts of trapped sub...
Nice update.
Thanks, Greg.
(and, yeah, Silas has been known to mooch; but then he shares well, too ;))
Thanks, Greg.
(and, yeah, Silas has been known to mooch; but then he shares well, too ;))
Thank you Amar for sharing these observations.
Okay you got this glaciologist to geek out pretty hard. That is really cool Amar.
So here goes:
water under ice (or in this case snow) is a balancing act between the immense pressure, the erosional (mechanical and thermal) force of water, and the density contrast. Plus it's on a incline, so you get many of the characteristics of confined aquifers. Pressure transponders placed in subglacial flow fluctuate wildly, but sometimes in predictable ways.&nbs...
So here goes:
water under ice (or in this case snow) is a balancing act between the immense pressure, the erosional (mechanical and thermal) force of water, and the density contrast. Plus it's on a incline, so you get many of the characteristics of confined aquifers. Pressure transponders placed in subglacial flow fluctuate wildly, but sometimes in predictable ways.&nbs...
very cool. inspiring and will definitely serve to inform me when my turn comes!
Hey there. I was with a group of Women climbing last weekend too. I was in the team of 3 who saw you on the way up, and there was a group of 5 that saw you on the way down. You left your helmet up on the mountain, and one of them grabbed it for you. I live in Bham too, so the plan was for me to bring it back. Message me, and we can coordinate. -Robin
Hey, I want in on OcTAYber pow on Ruth! I really need to make the time to get on that one, such a classic spot.
Thanks Amar - interesting. Reminds me of low-angle rotational landslides that have occured in slow motion after rains here in areas with a clay bed - similar issue. Very odd - can't say I've seen anything similar on low angled snow before.
Amar - wow and great report as usual. Melt water channels especially interesting. Bigger than I though from first couple photos.
Memorable Octo-pow both times James! Last time the Hell section was frozen runnels and roots on the way up, and plunge-stepping mud with ski tails a-snagging on the return. Totally worth it.
How about Skyliine Divide for our OcTAYberfest this year? If I can walk that far.
Iluka, you should definitely join us if you want a tour day in October :)
How about Skyliine Divide for our OcTAYberfest this year? If I can walk that far.
Iluka, you should definitely join us if you want a tour day in October :)
Mack, I thought the new powder was worth the walk when we went there 2 Octobers ago.
But maybe something different for this year's OcTAYberfest.
Some place without the evil root grabbing gully.
Anyway I do have Ruth envy now, such a great setting and views.
But maybe something different for this year's OcTAYberfest.
Some place without the evil root grabbing gully.
Anyway I do have Ruth envy now, such a great setting and views.
Good to hear from you Mack!
I did Ruth last October and the slope you climb (which is due north facing) was getting little to no sun and stayed really firm... so much so I walked down it with crampons. It was the east facing slope that was skiable at that point as it was still getting a lot of sun through the first part of the day and had softened up nicely. Some precip might help make those sun cups a little more bearable for October skiing.
I did Ruth last October and the slope you climb (which is due north facing) was getting little to no sun and stayed really firm... so much so I walked down it with crampons. It was the east facing slope that was skiable at that point as it was still getting a lot of sun through the first part of the day and had softened up nicely. Some precip might help make those sun cups a little more bearable for October skiing.
Good info, Andy. Did you go alone?
Doesn't sound as if Ruth will be a great choice by this autumn.
We sometimes call that bit above Hannegan Pass "the Hell section" ::)
Doesn't sound as if Ruth will be a great choice by this autumn.
We sometimes call that bit above Hannegan Pass "the Hell section" ::)
What a great trip, fantastic pictures to go with a wonderful collection of skied lines!
Really fascinating report. Just amazing what can actually happen. Stuff we cant predict in our wildest dreams.
Just another reminder of YOLO.
Just another reminder of YOLO.
I think the topo along with pictures 4 and 5 tell the tale of a meltwater blowout . All or most water leaving the upper whitman has to pass through this low point. Shocking that it's only 15 degrees. Now how much hydraulic force is needed to blow out or float off 3000 tons and its bonding ??
Thinking out loud - Is there a damming effect in that area ? must have been.
Thinking out loud - Is there a damming effect in that area ? must have been.
Since the amount of glide is a function of the amount of water at the snow/ground (or in this case glacial ice) interface, a lower angle slope should afford a greater buildup of water covering this interface and therefore a lower coefficient of friction than a higher angle slope (more pooling of water, slower draining, etc.). So yeah, I could believe that lower angle slopes above the minimum threshold would be more likely to release to glide than steeper slopes. Though at some point the impact o...
Glad you were able to check this thing out from nearby!
I'm reminded of something I either read or learned in my avy class, about glide avalanches preferring lower angled slopes than is typical of other snow avalanches... maybe some can confirm my foggy memory? 15 deg is apparently the minimum angle for these avalanches according to
I'm reminded of something I either read or learned in my avy class, about glide avalanches preferring lower angled slopes than is typical of other snow avalanches... maybe some can confirm my foggy memory? 15 deg is apparently the minimum angle for these avalanches according to
Awesome want-to-keep-staring-at pictures all.
A group of us did a trip a few years ago from Paradise to the Whitman stopping short of Little Tahoma. As we were passing, possibly nearby your photo, the glacier on which we were skinning went "thump!!!" and seemed to settle, then reverberate like we were on a drum. It did this a couple of times and even though the angle was so shallow, the time of year was late spring and we had no real fear of avalanche it was so weird that we headed for the rocks damn fast.
We were over on the Cowlitz the same day. Heard you might be over there and looked, but we headed out too early to spot you. Thanks for the cool report and photos. I love the photos steam vent wisps.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Saw that phenomenon also from my Paradise Gl trip July 13. What you saw there perhaps a match to what I guessed would be from afar: a slope below typical avalanche angle and in snow much too recycled for typical avalanche mechanics. So, something else involved, probably water. Lots of it. Perhaps a mini outbreak of large quantity collecting beyond some block or dam, and then releasing to super saturate that little slide and make a big Slurpee along the glide layer where it could get thru the nev...
Thanks for taking the time for this great write-up--love the scholarly combined with the tr info and pics..
Any signs of a vent coming through the underlying ice. I was reminded this past week while in Oregon and California, that we do have active volcanoes and that they often vent on quite far away from the summit. Makes me wonder if there was some hotter air coming through the ice and melted the deeper snow layer overlying the ice, causing this low angle slide.
great report Amar... so cool to see photos of such a unique occurrence in the mountains
Wow. Nice trip. It looks like your knowledge of the area paid off on some excellent runs.
I know who to call when I get around to doing Daniel... Definitely getting to the top of my list.
I know who to call when I get around to doing Daniel... Definitely getting to the top of my list.
Thanks, Kenji! Your pictures are awesome!
I was taking some pictures of you from Shuksan (too funny we were both awake).
Here is a picture of Kenji looking at the Moon:
And here Kenji is about to get hit by a double shooting star:
I was taking some pictures of you from Shuksan (too funny we were both awake).
Here is a picture of Kenji looking at the Moon:
And here Kenji is about to get hit by a double shooting star:
Thanks guys, but see what Radka saw from Shuksan on the same night! (hope she wouldn't mind..) You can read her TR on NWHikers.
There aren't many 'I want' things that I really want. But I really would want one of those hellracer wings - ...Wot a laugh that would be!!!!!
Wonderful photos. The 1st one is my fave...the colours...!
Wonderful photos. The 1st one is my fave...the colours...!
Your TR was excellent and the photos give us a look of some of the terrain. ;)
When we hiked out of our five day summit trip in via the PCT and the Sitkum Glacier on Saturday, we saw your solo ski registered in the trail head log. We indeed were a wee bit jealous you brought the skis. Cheers to your success!
author=Kyle Miller link=topic=28995.msg122032#msg122032 date=1374077051]
Awesome photos and nice ski lines. I camped up on Disappointment earlier this season as well and it did not disappoint.
Thanks Kyle - some of your previous TRs from the Glacier Peak area were inspiration for both the camp spot and ski lines!
Awesome photos and nice ski lines. I camped up on Disappointment earlier this season as well and it did not disappoint.
Thanks for the report - love the stars!
Nice work! Great pictures. I hiked into Mackinaw yesterday to meet some friends coming out from their ski - that old growth is really incredible.
Wow what a weekend! I went there solo once, but all I did was go up and back. Nice work skiing multiple lines and spending an extra night near the top. Great pictures. Thanks for the report.
I had the same experience with my Black and Tan coonhound on Mt St Helens years ago. When we got off the snow a 65 pound hound lay down and let me know we were not moving if she had to do it all on her own. But they are such wonderful ski buddies- couldn't complain.
author=snoholic link=topic=28965.msg121858#msg121858 date=1373251700]
Director of Fun hard at work.
My buddy Brian, the ranger in the middle, reports that this was his most enjoyable run this year. :)