TR Replies
Checked the WSDOT webcams earlier in the morning and thought about bailing on heading up. The dog was happy that I decided otherwise.
Rafe and I had a great time as well. Left the road at 1/2 mile before TH at noon on Saturday. Left behind about 60 cars that had populated the narrow road. Hummers with sleds and Smart Cars with ski racks - quite the assembly of folks. Never seen that many people up there.
Arrived to Crag View with tons of people. All campsites were pretty much taken, so we accepted our fav lower site that was on dirt, which was nice. Lightly rained on the way up and then poured when we got in the ten...
Arrived to Crag View with tons of people. All campsites were pretty much taken, so we accepted our fav lower site that was on dirt, which was nice. Lightly rained on the way up and then poured when we got in the ten...
It was a fun day for sure! We had great ski down to the alder not far above Annette Lake, and pretty OK turns back down to the car too. And despite how festive it was at points, we also never felt crowded - folks really spread out up there.
yes, mountain folk / people
Lytt til erfarne fjellfolk = listen to experienced mountain folk - from Norwegian mountain code- http://www.visitnorway.com/us/About-Norway/Safety-first/The-Norwegian-Mountain-Code/
Lytt til erfarne fjellfolk = listen to experienced mountain folk - from Norwegian mountain code- http://www.visitnorway.com/us/About-Norway/Safety-first/The-Norwegian-Mountain-Code/
I was there with Dave M. This is the perfect window - melted out enough for a short approach but enough snow on the back side for a continuous run down toward the lake.
author=Don_B link=topic=28702.msg120715#msg120715 date=1370236255]Phoebe was with us: Ted (Phoebe's owner), Anita, Randy, the other Don B[rooks] and me. Fun day
The only names I caught were Phoebe, the dog, and yours.
nice, I saw your invite after I got home from Green
- with the people hiking, it kinda looks like Tuckerman's ravine. good Av. rpts.
Ski crampons were not necessary, but one of our group members used his at one point. If we had been on steeper slopes, I probably would have used them too. Definitely bring them along.
I skied Lassen today (June 2). I was lucky enough to be up there with some non-skiers who joined me in ascending the southeast ridge (2000' up) and then returned that way and provided a car shuttle as I descended the northeast face to the desolated area parking lot (4000' down). I found a snow tongue that got me down to 7100'.
Thanks for putting out the call, Silas. I was there today with plenty of others enjoying the conditions. The only names I caught were Phoebe, the dog, and yours.
some pix here of other skiers and a happy dog
some pix here of other skiers and a happy dog
Nice video. Watching the snow fly out from under your heelsides is worth a thousand words as far as telling what the snow conditions were like that day. And that snow looked pretty damn good. Love that bowl when conditions are right. The lightly timbered slopes to skiers right are pretty fun too but they don't stay good as far down as does the bowl run.
Dan, it's overused but awesome, awesome, awesome, it would seem that the weather built character in all of you! thanks for the report
I've heard "Director of Fun" a few times. But "Director of Jealousy-Induced Torture" might work as well, for those unable to break away. ;)
Thanks for the great report, might have to pay a few personal fines to get an ounce of Silver before it fades away.
Thanks for the great report, might have to pay a few personal fines to get an ounce of Silver before it fades away.
Stoked to see this report; grew up skiing on Lassen when there was still lift operations.
Thanks for the beta on the road and parking. Did you guys need ski crampons for your early start?
author=MtnPavlas link=topic=28696.msg120686#msg120686 date=1370157926]
and for the warning that the Silver goods won't last too long.
Certainly things are opening up in the "water fall" gullies.
...further to rIDE's slide observations, on friday I cut a sizeable wet slide off the corner of the steep section below pan point, it also stepped down and loosed as a a 10" wet slab, and moved fast & furious. SE aspect too, about 3pm.
The road is snow free all the way to the trail head at 5,600ft because there has been some plowing done up there. However the plowing is minimal, so you might have to camp on snow (or mud as we saw some folks doing) if you park at the TH the night before your ascent.
We camped down lower because we were told that there is limited parking at the trail head, and we found a nice dry pull-out that had been cleared of fire debris. There are burned and downed trees everywhere up there...
We camped down lower because we were told that there is limited parking at the trail head, and we found a nice dry pull-out that had been cleared of fire debris. There are burned and downed trees everywhere up there...
I don't know if I've seen so many people in the frame of a backcountry ski vid at the same time. Fun. Looks like you guys were ski partying like its 1999.
Hey, sorry I missed you up there! We made our descent a little later in the afternoon, and I found the upper few thousand feet (new snow indeed) to be relatively fast and carvable (splitboard difference perhaps?). I was surprised by that, expecting slush.
I noticed some significant slide activity: there were number of loose wet releases - some sizable - on the SE slopes, and a couple that stepped down to slabs. Also, the Nisqually chutes appeared to have a significan...
I noticed some significant slide activity: there were number of loose wet releases - some sizable - on the SE slopes, and a couple that stepped down to slabs. Also, the Nisqually chutes appeared to have a significan...
Speaking of this trip, I left a bit early and on the way out on the front side of Silver, I ended up setting off a 10-20ft wide sluff that traveled down very slow. I made a few more turns and some how managed to turn right into the slide and it knocked me down stone cold. Almost dislocated my shoulder, and ended up with snow in spots, all my pockets and down my pants.
Be careful out there.
Be careful out there.
Thx Garrett for this report. Looks like you made the most of what the weather gave you.
Can you comment more on the road conditions? Sounds like you guys had to stop 5m short of TH because of snow on road? Would a high clearance vehicle had made it to the TH? How far were other folks making it up the road?
Can you comment more on the road conditions? Sounds like you guys had to stop 5m short of TH because of snow on road? Would a high clearance vehicle had made it to the TH? How far were other folks making it up the road?
Sweet photos, Jim. Looks like you, guys, had a grand time. Thanks for the TR.
Thanks for the report, Silas, and for the warning that the Silver goods won't last too long. Was wondering about that one as I saw a photo from a friend of mine who hiked to Silver yesterday as well and his photos had very little snow in them so was worried for a bit. Gotta go grab it while it last, huh?
My thoughts have been consolidated. GREAT to run into you guys today.
Beautiful photos as always, Jim. I'm a bit envious as it's 0 turns all year for me.
Hope to ski with you in '15!
Bruce
Hope to ski with you in '15!
Bruce
Dusk patrolled Pilchuck today. Right in your tracks a few times I'm sure (even noticed the exact point where you decided to go up again rather than down). Sadly I had no time for bonus lap. If I did I would have done it too.
Annoyance with Hwy 9 traffic and some misnavigation in attempt to avoid traffic resulted in not starting from car til 5:30. There is one particularly bad pothole stretch on the approach road too just past Heather TH but fortunately it improved much past that....
Annoyance with Hwy 9 traffic and some misnavigation in attempt to avoid traffic resulted in not starting from car til 5:30. There is one particularly bad pothole stretch on the approach road too just past Heather TH but fortunately it improved much past that....
Shoulda stuck around a while! That slush set up nicely and skied FAST!
I'll try to post some pics of Stuart when I get them uploaded. The bottom was looking pretty damn bare.
Silas checking IDs and collecting admission to a secret stash
I looked at the video but do you have any stills of stuart?
Nice work! Try Pyramid Peak, as well. That one will test you.
Fantastic TR and photos. Always great to hear of your adventures. ;)
Holy smokes, perfect name Maroon Bell, for that location.
Great pictures, looks like quite the playground for your new job.
Good fortune to you on that and your endeavors!
Great pictures, looks like quite the playground for your new job.
Good fortune to you on that and your endeavors!
Great stuff sky! Keep living the dream.
Had done the unthinkable, would you have told?
Had done the unthinkable, would you have told?
author=freeskier link=topic=28669.msg120597#msg120597 date=1369944845]
I think it's just good clean livin' Silas......not by you of course, but someone else must have been up in the area that day! (;-))
;D
Holy hell that looks fun. Aren't you supposed to brew up and drink a tea of poison oak in order to become immune to its effects?
Love the inspiring tr's. Keep 'em coming.
Love the inspiring tr's. Keep 'em coming.
I think it's just good clean livin' Silas......not by you of course, but someone else must have been up in the area that day! (;-))
author=Jonn-E link=topic=28614.msg120588#msg120588 date=1369895401]
Having recently ascended that 'schwack and then slide alder/boulder field, I cannot imagine doing that in touring boots!
Also experienced the total white out up there. It was either a stairmaster in a sensory-deprivation chamber, or at it's worst, a total vertigo-inducing hallucination that is unfortunately very real.
We debated about bringin...