TR Replies
Mind the windscouring - variable windslabbish snow caught tips readily. Slab's there in places, but the propensity to slide wasn't large. Sheltered pow was great on all aspects, unsheltered pow was only great on some. Expect some suncrust in the morning?
Where it was good, it was good.
Where it was good, it was good.
author=Bobby Ocean link=topic=26945.msg113675#msg113675 date=1358032006]
No trolls here; just inquiring minds.
Thanks!
Maybe less info is better info. IMO skiers tend to be the greatest exaggerators on the planet. They even out embellish politicians and fishermen.
Based on what I saw today Bobby there was pretty much a mixed bag of conditions. Good/light 6-10" powder on a firm/scratchy base in some North aspects,...
author=gfunk link=topic=26840.msg113650#msg113650 date=1358003638]
Which ones are the fly and the zipper?
Here you are:
http://www.summitpost.org/close-up-of-the-north-face/48866/c-152503
No trolls here; just inquiring minds.
Thanks!
Thanks!
author=bs. link=topic=26957.msg113667#msg113667 date=1358023052]
whitehorse has captivated me since i spent the weekend staring at it during the meltdown music festival last summer.... but every story i hear about it sounds like yours. someday i'll have to try anyway.
We almost made it last Feb, only to be turned around by scary windslab just below the summit plateau. The glacier skied like a dream. It's a p...
Gotta complain about an hour late on a perfect pow day Silas?? Next time you can drive! Was a pretty bomber day if you ask me.
i thought lone tree pass might be skiing well right now, way to go get it! That waterfall looks awful.
nice job getting out on the loop!
nice job getting out on the loop!
whitehorse has captivated me since i spent the weekend staring at it during the meltdown music festival last summer.... but every story i hear about it sounds like yours. someday i'll have to try anyway.
Accidents happen, yup -- glad y'all came out well.
That video looks like a much better way to get down Aasgard than walking -- very cool. Does he look back as he passes over the TC area, or not? I'm not real familiar with the lines on Dragontail.
That video looks like a much better way to get down Aasgard than walking -- very cool. Does he look back as he passes over the TC area, or not? I'm not real familiar with the lines on Dragontail.
I'll come break trail ;)
Great TR Zap&Jill -- so happy you're still pushing hard.
Great TR Zap&Jill -- so happy you're still pushing hard.
Rock on Zap & Jill :)
Looks like the "Master's Tour" is just around the corner ;)
Looks like the "Master's Tour" is just around the corner ;)
Thanks everyone for your thoughts, concerns, and kind words both here and in private.
We all have accidents now and then. I don't like to offer myself up as a case study, but I also didn't want to inspire to do something without acknowledging the dangers involved. i think most everyone is aware. just a reminder.
Lowell,
thanks. honored and humbled to think your angles would take the time to watch over me. But I'm sure they have their own to t...
We all have accidents now and then. I don't like to offer myself up as a case study, but I also didn't want to inspire to do something without acknowledging the dangers involved. i think most everyone is aware. just a reminder.
Lowell,
thanks. honored and humbled to think your angles would take the time to watch over me. But I'm sure they have their own to t...
feel free go get rad. Skin track is in, leave early.
stay safe, stay thristy
stay safe, stay thristy
Zap - excellent. Glad to hear you are doing even better!
Eh?
Thanks for the conditions report, Bryan.
Thanks for the conditions report, Bryan.
i feel like lowell skoog right now.
Nice guys! Jay you're sure getting a good Stevens tour the last few days!
author=WhiteyWhite link=topic=26956.msg113636#msg113636 date=1357964296]
How far from the car is the Fleur?
about ninety miles. Which is surprising, because according to JW and a few other skiers I know the Fleur is not--as one may easily think--in Africa, but is actually in North America. I'd draw a map, but I suck as an artist.
Excellent write up! It could have ended very different. Glad you made it out safe. In armchair mode, I don't think I would have dropped in at/after 4pm. Bodies make an erie thud when they hit. Hope everyone's in the habit of tying a stopper knot at the end of the rope before rapping into the abyss!
Looks awesome! Sweet pictures. How far from the car is the Fleur? I haven't skied around there and am hoping to get out there next week.
Wow, awesome read John! intense! glad you guys are ok. nice job getting after steeps in crappy weather.
Assuming you are interested in the answers, and not trolling:
author=Bobby Ocean link=topic=26945.msg113609#msg113609 date=1357955126]
Rain crust? Only where the wind had blown away some or all of the fluff.
Sidehilling up weird and slippy? Track was set yesterday, when we modified it to our own liking we found occasional (10% of the time?) sideslip.
Gangs of angsty teenagers in snowshoes? Nope, my (old) people. :-(
author=snoholic link=topic=26945.msg113610#msg113610 date=1357955313]
An hour late? Who does such things?
LOL. My lifelong ski and climbing partner is almost always an hour late.
More info would be great bro. Was there any hard layer underneath?? Havent heard that from Crystal folks this week.........
Congrats bro and here is to continuing down, or really I should say up, the road you are on. Inspiration move me brightly!!!
Darn ,I just knew you two were up there somewhere . Laurie and I skied all over Central looking for you. Finally drove around 200-230 and saw two skiers at rest on west. Must been you. Good job on a fine day !
Do you have a link for picture with route names? It's nice to have the names somewhat standardized in such a heavily used area :(.
You're looking good too! You two are an inspiration.
Rain crust?
Sidehilling up weird and slippy?
Gangs of angsty teenagers in snowshoes?
Any more beta would be great.
Sidehilling up weird and slippy?
Gangs of angsty teenagers in snowshoes?
Any more beta would be great.
Thanks for the response, John. I was skiing in a little bit different area than you and found a bit more of a firmer crust. That said, in my experience crusts are generally not very reactive and don't propogate unless effected by an event like rain or sun. I was more concerned with potential for soft slabs from the new snow.
Glad to hear you guys had a good day and were thoughtfull about the conditions.
And sorry for the degression.
Glad to hear you guys had a good day and were thoughtfull about the conditions.
And sorry for the degression.
Pete_H,
I'm only speaking for myself here but I didn't feel that the "bridging" you speak of was very strong, as it never really froze properly. Coming off the skis my boots would immediately punch through (I'm fairly light) until I was literally thigh deep and wallowing hopelessly. I'm also still learning, so instead of having the confidence, gained from long experience, to say "this conditions negates this other danger", I just see an ea...
I'm only speaking for myself here but I didn't feel that the "bridging" you speak of was very strong, as it never really froze properly. Coming off the skis my boots would immediately punch through (I'm fairly light) until I was literally thigh deep and wallowing hopelessly. I'm also still learning, so instead of having the confidence, gained from long experience, to say "this conditions negates this other danger", I just see an ea...
Good point Andy. My experience was some decent turns in open areas uneffected by cornice collapse and tree bombs and very poor turns in areas that were. Anyway, from what I hear better skiing to be found north.
I just found it interesting that this other party found some red flags from a layer I was pretty unconcerned with and wondering what their reasoning was.
I just found it interesting that this other party found some red flags from a layer I was pretty unconcerned with and wondering what their reasoning was.
Crust breaking just sucks for skiing. Pete: Bottom line it for us, if you will: Was it good skiing or meh? There are lots of conflicting reports fromt he area. If anyone is concerned about herding, there's no f'ing way I'm going to Skyline :).
Wondering why you felt that was dangerous. Any funky or rotten layers under the crust would be bridged and supported by the crust and I can't imagine that being a concern. There was a big avy cycle up there a couple days ago during the warm up as I'm sure you saw from the refrozen tree bomb and cornice chunder.
But being overly cautious is indeed better than being under cautious.
But being overly cautious is indeed better than being under cautious.
Enthralling read! It's hard to build bomber rap anchors, when you have to carry the loads of your guys BIG Kahuns!!!
There is some nice snow around Stevens especially on moderate slopes. We also found some quite good skiing on steeper lines if you pay attention to where the wind blew it. Stay out of the trees, unless you would like to see what WW3 frozen in time looks like.
True the new snow had a very poor bond on the rain crust, it wasn't slabby at all. The concern for us was what rain crust was collapsing on.
Incredible adventure! I'm glad all turned out well.
I'm also not sure what the OP means. I was up there yesterday too. The new snow had very poor bond on the rain crust but not slabby at all.
FWIW: On Wednesday night at Summit West I noticed sluffing of the fluff on the crust on short steep slopes (e.g. under the unloading station) -- a rare thing to see inbounds at Summit West.
Sounds potentially nice for moderate-pitched open areas. Or am I just being hopelessly optimistic? I've often found fun tours/turns in such areas in times of dust-on-crust. Also wondering how things are up around Stevens which got more of a convergence effect in the last round of snow...
Thanks for the update, I expected such might be the case. We were going to head up there tomorrow but think it best to do some ice climbing instead.
Andy I'll clarify. Climbing the ridge above the nice groomed road to the weather station there was significantly more wind scour, so the rain crust was much more shallow and hardened by freezing. The trees also force a lot of awkward, steep moves in there. I had crampons and the certainly helped in that section, but were no silver bullet. The whole section from the weather station to Heather is "sporty" right now.
Being one of those people, I'd add that the second pit was on a moderate slope but produced the same result as the first pit on a steeper slope. The rain crust provided false support (and a false sense of security) on skis. Lower down the rain crust disentegrated into a layer that skis could punch through, making turns in tight trees more challenging below 4300'. The new stuff is pure fluff though and made for some spectacular turns. Solid group!
