TR Replies
It was great running into you guys Aaron, will definitely know when we head out there again. I have a feeling we will be out there quite a bit more ;)
I would use the word tranquil over lonesome, it's a great to be away from the crowds I&#...
author=trees4me link=topic=27243.msg114805#msg114805 date=1359521851]
That looks nice back in there! Gotta be pretty lonesome in winter, even with other sledders out.
I would use the word tranquil over lonesome, it's a great to be away from the crowds I&#...
Hey Ron--We hit that area sunday morning, slab layer failed on isolation. Could not get anything to move with ski cuts. We were not to keen on the snow pack up there, took a few turns on the edge of the trees decided to bail for groomers. --j
To add a few points of data:
On Saturday (Jan 26) I was riding a few of the lift accessed side country lines and dug a couple of hasty pits. With a hand shear I was able to pop off a consolidated slab of snow on a planar layer about 14" down from the surface. This was not on the previouse crust. The snow density fell very similar above and below the layer that failed. Ski cutting did not produce any results and we did not observe any propagation but sluff was running fat and fast.&...
On Saturday (Jan 26) I was riding a few of the lift accessed side country lines and dug a couple of hasty pits. With a hand shear I was able to pop off a consolidated slab of snow on a planar layer about 14" down from the surface. This was not on the previouse crust. The snow density fell very similar above and below the layer that failed. Ski cutting did not produce any results and we did not observe any propagation but sluff was running fat and fast.&...
author=trees4me link=topic=27243.msg114805#msg114805 date=1359521851]Spirit Lake is wilderness, and for snowmobiles to get in and out would be pretty complicated.
That looks nice back in there! Gotta be pretty lonesome in winter, even with other sledders out.
Nice meeting you guys up there Aaron & Kendall, thanks for knocking in the skin track, I wish we would have started out there in the morning with you. Cant w...
That looks nice back in there! Gotta be pretty lonesome in winter, even with other sledders out.
author=joke link=topic=27172.msg114772#msg114772 date=1359500899]
To be fair - my friend is kind of an idiot. ;)
That's gracious. I like to think there is a real sense of community amongst backcountry folk. That being said I probably over- reacted. I think I may have been bullied as a small child so maybe I have unresolved issues. Time to move on.
Didn't see it, zestysticks -- you can feel free to PM me, Jim or Ron if you want to get in touch with us about something.
And yeah, drive-by comments like that don't really add anything, in my opinion. Glad your friend is okay, joke.
And yeah, drive-by comments like that don't really add anything, in my opinion. Glad your friend is okay, joke.
author=zestysticks link=topic=27172.msg114677#msg114677 date=1359412475]
???
For the past several days I have been mulling over your comment and in the end I must say that I am a little surprised that Marcus didn't delete your comment. Your comment is not in the right spirit. What are you trying to imply? That natural selection culls out the weak and genetically inferior? The guy is an idiot or retarded somehow because he went skiing alone? How s...
Hey ND -
My buddy Kendall and I (Aaron) were the other skiers you ran into up there. We managed to get 3 laps, each one being better than the last due to the falling/blowing snow. Hit me up the next time you're heading out there. Would be great to get out with some new folks. Here's a pic of Kendall dropping into the central line:
My buddy Kendall and I (Aaron) were the other skiers you ran into up there. We managed to get 3 laps, each one being better than the last due to the falling/blowing snow. Hit me up the next time you're heading out there. Would be great to get out with some new folks. Here's a pic of Kendall dropping into the central line:
Nice tour. We did a simular trip 5 years ago
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=9278.0
and only recall seeing seen one other report done by Kyle Miller a year or so after that. Now there are 2 in the same week.
Again, nice work.
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=9278.0
and only recall seeing seen one other report done by Kyle Miller a year or so after that. Now there are 2 in the same week.
Again, nice work.
Finally finished up my typically wordy TR last night. Lots of pics, too.
http://www.cascadeclimber.com/blog/2013/01/28/mt-rainier-gibraltar-ledges-january-18-19-2013/
Spoiler alert: The TR does not contain a translation of the enigmatic French phrase...
http://www.cascadeclimber.com/blog/2013/01/28/mt-rainier-gibraltar-ledges-january-18-19-2013/
Spoiler alert: The TR does not contain a translation of the enigmatic French phrase...
Way to get a rare 'ridge powder day. Those steep shots into Lost are a treat!
Glad to hear conditions are holding up after the dry spell and now storm systems coming through. Any thoughts on stability?
Cool action shots by the way 8)
Cool action shots by the way 8)
Looks like conditions were quite good! Glad to hear it. Hope to join up with you guys soon. ;D
author=kevino link=topic=27227.msg114726#msg114726 date=1359439735]
Looks like a good day out John and Jake. Wish I was back in the cascades...
Kevin,
Please let us know when you come back for a visit so we can set something up!
John
author=gfunk link=topic=27092.msg114338#msg114338 date=1358919476]
Yeah, Big Bertha is the massive avy path that runs down the west of Crystal Peak. It hits 410 less than one mile south of the Mather Memorial fork.
Hello again,
Another question for you as I am pretty unfamiliar with that area:
Is there a gully break in the west trending ridge off the top of Chinook Peak 6904' that affords a north facing line back to...
you're still skiing those faces? I figured you would have had that entire Caldera skiied out last week with all the high pressure we've seen recently. Give me another week or two to get some decent ski legs so I can keep up with you and i'll hit you up. I just got out on the my hippie stix last thursday for the first time this season. Did a quick run up to about 5,000' on round montain just east of the crest. see you soon filbo.
Aryn
Aryn
Looks like a good day out John and Jake. Wish I was back in the cascades...
Nice! The winter skis only spent one day on the rack; looks like it's time to take 'em down again!
Runcle, thnx for the local knowledge. Nice shots. Your skiing is amazing on the Neolithic gear you sport. Too much work for an old geezer.
Doug: thanks for the pix.
That second photo looks like I might do alpine turns at times---don't blow my cover.... ;)
That second photo looks like I might do alpine turns at times---don't blow my cover.... ;)
Crispin and the hounds on top of one of the Lowe peaks.............
Yup, it's gonna get nasty with the systems coming in tonight and tomorrow :/ Hope its stable by this weekend.
author=zestysticks link=topic=27172.msg114677#msg114677 date=1359412475]
What are you trying to imply? That natural selection culls out the weak and genetically inferior? The guy is an idiot or retarded somehow because he went skiing alone?
I agree that the comment was not in good taste, but I don't think he was trying to imply any genetic or mental inferiority, just that skiers with that level of risk acceptance are the ones...
Thanks for the heads up. Did you see many skiers taking their chances out there? With more snow falling today through Wednesday, and warming later in the week, it doesn't appear that things will be getting any less spicy anytime soon. I'm ready for another cold high pressure like new years week again.
Nice work! Good to see so many splitboarders getting after it!
Mac:
As requested.....
The flat light made for some difficult photo ops... You guys ski pretty well for a couple of old geezers :)
As requested.....
The flat light made for some difficult photo ops... You guys ski pretty well for a couple of old geezers :)
author=CascadeClimber link=topic=27200.msg114667#msg114667 date=1359405739]
It's hard to avoid sometimes...I saw a guy get partially buried in a big slide just below The Turtle on Rainier a few years back. He was going up on foot and two skiers came over a roll above him and triggered it. The climber was swept several hundred vertical feet down the slope. Somehow everyone walked away with only some missing gear.
Seems to me that there is a LOT...
We saw the same soft slabs on some north facing aspects. Curiously it didn't get better as we descended, it seemed to get worse. I was surprised by how wrong the NWAC forecast was, NWS had it right.
???
For the past several days I have been mulling over your comment and in the end I must say that I am a little surprised that Marcus didn't delete your comment. Your comment is not in the right spirit. What are you trying to imply? That natural selection culls out the weak and genetically inferior? The guy is an idiot...
author=T. Eastman link=topic=27172.msg114559#msg114559 date=1359188612]
... Darwin says...
For the past several days I have been mulling over your comment and in the end I must say that I am a little surprised that Marcus didn't delete your comment. Your comment is not in the right spirit. What are you trying to imply? That natural selection culls out the weak and genetically inferior? The guy is an idiot...
there wasn't much the group above us could have done with respect to the sluffing. they were just trying to get up over a really steep section. not sure they quite knew where they were though. being that we were coming up from below we just made the call to get out of that area since we were directly below and the only way up was staying below them.
aime--- yes, east. sorry about that. approx 4500'. a couple of the big chutes between chair...
aime--- yes, east. sorry about that. approx 4500'. a couple of the big chutes between chair...
author=mc link=topic=27200.msg114645#msg114645 date=1359394668]
i.e. rapid loading resulted in 30-40' shooting cracks at the end of the day and 6-8" soft slabs mixed with sluffs.
What aspect did you see this activity on? east? Thanks.
I loved the video. Keep it up!
"That's a cool thing" <-- understatement :)
"That's a cool thing" <-- understatement :)
author=Griff link=topic=27200.msg114652#msg114652 date=1359398084]
Sad to hear of people sloughing other people. That, me thinks, is only gonna get worse until one day there is a tragedy and a group gets killed because of the actions of someone above.
Learn your sport people............
It's hard to avoid sometimes...I saw a guy get partially buried in a big slide just below The Turtle on Rainier a few years back....
You are a hardy bunch! Great report thanks.
author=zwinters link=topic=27174.msg114551#msg114551 date=1359166933]
Well done, that's a pretty heavy looking line! Did you see Jason Hummel and party out there? I'm pretty sure that's about when they were in the Columbia Peak vicinity. Hummel's FB page has a couple sweet shots from their trip.
Yeah, half of our party (Erik Svege and Eric Wehrly) ran into them on the shoulder of Columbia. Brian Fletcher and I...
Awesome to almost run into you guys. Looks like you had a great mission. Love the spot you had down on the lakes. That same spot is awesome in the summer and is teeming with trout that are crazy easy to catch.
Cool, I get carried away all the time when skiing great snow. I was gonna guess you are a tele skier and just were really dipping down low. LOL.
Either way, great to hear the good conditions report. Thanks!!
Sad to hear of people sloughing other people. That, me thinks, is only gonna get worse until one day there is a tragedy and a group gets killed because of the actions of someone above.
Learn your sport people............
Either way, great to hear the good conditions report. Thanks!!
Sad to hear of people sloughing other people. That, me thinks, is only gonna get worse until one day there is a tragedy and a group gets killed because of the actions of someone above.
Learn your sport people............
deeper than expected yesterday. almost made the call to stay home but you don't know til you go. great turns in the snoqs area. welcome back ullr!
dumped all day. i.e. rapid loading resulted in 30-40' shooting cracks at the end of the day and 6-8" soft slabs mixed with sluffs. sluffs had some weight and were entraining lots of snow.
a little before dark on my way out the steep chutes and slopes above source lake were letting go r...
dumped all day. i.e. rapid loading resulted in 30-40' shooting cracks at the end of the day and 6-8" soft slabs mixed with sluffs. sluffs had some weight and were entraining lots of snow.
a little before dark on my way out the steep chutes and slopes above source lake were letting go r...
Meticulously documented! I love reading well thoughtI out reports like this.
Good skiing in the Tatoosh on 1/27. Not sure how many are venturing out there today but be careful. There is a rain crust to about 5,500 from 1/25 where temps hit 32 at Paradise (about a third of the way up to the Castle). On 1/27 there was only a few inches on top of that crust but it was incredibly reactive. Above 5,500 the crust disappeared, and the skiing was very good and no signs of instability (although we didn't venture to to highest, open peaks that looked wind affected). While on...
Cooler than a moos & twice as hairy! Who'd a thunk so many people would congregate on Columbia at the same time.
There were some deep pockets...but I actually meant to write waist deep...got a little carried away there. Now, if you are 6' 5" or taller that would only be thigh deep since I'm really short. ;-)
I did a ski patrol day the other day on the Mt. Tahoma Trails Association "ski"/"groomed" trails out of Ashford. The MTTA has been trying to get snowshoers and hikers (booters) to stay to the extreme sides of the groomed trail; trails are goomed for skiers according to the grooming coordinator. Lots of laughs. I mentioned this to 2 snowshoers coming down, and one said "I know, I know." I've spotted groups os snowshoers walking abreast, totally across the gr...