TR Replies
Thank you for the great photo. I enlarged and could "see" many of the "lines". It provides a look of areas you have skied or some have mentioned in a ski report.😃
Who needs to get home for tea when you bring it with you?
Sounds like a nice ramble
This reminds me of a too early in the season tour on Jim Hill a few years ago. We went up via Lanham Lake and found it so heinous in low snow conditions that we decided to descend via Henry Creek. "Couldn't be worse than what we climbed up . . ." How wrong we were. I remember a point, in fading light, where I threw my skis down a 10' drop and then jumped after them, aiming for what looked like a deep enough patch of snow that I might not break both of my legs on landing. Good times!
This crew gets the prize for November turns - I think you squeezed all the juice Nov had in it (saying this in reaction to this and other TR's of yours this month). Well done!
Wow, good on you, guys - we were thinking about Catherine yesterday, but gave that idea up quickly, thinking it'd be a leg-breaker coming down the steep chute(s) in the dense trees. I bet you found solitude up there, which is worth a lot.
A GREAT team for a steep couloir. We have skied "Cascade Concrete" but the photo of Zach skiing thru the trees explains it.
The photo of Zach and Kyle viewing the "objective".😀
Nope! Clear sailing yesterday. a little compact snow/ice on the road but very manageable. Biggest risk in parking lot are people and dogs roaming about.
Sounds like a blast! Any snow on the roads/trouble getting to the parking lot?
Great TR. Thank you
Which mapping software did you pull those maps from?
Nice report! Only 10 cars at Smithbrook mid day. Good day to be out!
It was been a decade since I was there. Your trip report and photos bring back good memories. Kyle with the "soaring eagle" pose and Zach flying down. Thank you. 😂
Very nice. And the main reason I've given up lift skiing and easily accessible backcountry on weekends! See the photo of Crystal in the lift accessed reports as evidence. Good for you guys getting out and thanks for the conditions report.
Cool shot of the alien invasion. Now we know where meet them in the spring.
When a friend & I discovered that backside full of couloirs 35 years ago it was something special and given the heavy touring equipment at the time, a hard day. It's been mentioned but one time I know of & the avy run-outs tell you it's potential on a bad day. Once, a herd of mtn. goats ran up the ridge to maybe 50 feet before they saw us & retreated. After the laughter died, did a ski cut, thought it safe and a final jump sent the hill. Good on your team for pulling this off.
That's a tr that makes mine look so small. Great photos and prose. Well done. If you ever want to check out the Hogback cordillera of the Goats Rocks Wilderness accessed from White Pass I will guide you.
Hi all - For all TAYers (and other users of public lands) concerned with Vail restricting access beyond what is reasonable, I have initiated discussions with USFS regarding these concerns. For those of you interested in voicing your concerns, helping with the effort, etc, please PM me. I will be creating an email distribution list to start with, and add additional social media as this progresses.
I'll echo above but skied down from top around Noon. Lot's of snow and fun turns upper half but really tough the lower half of the mountain.
Great day and views all around.
Drinking at the High Mountain Lodge sounds like its something Id be adapt at!😄
The resort will not open until the 27th so your best bet for skiing would be to hike to the top of Pigtail Peak which is where the Great White chair deposits everyone at 6,000 ft. From there you just think about skiing down to the base or lapping places you liked the look of on your hike up. The backcountry is still a ways wsw from that summit and a good hike without the aid of the lifts. It's about an hour and a half to two hour hike from the base to the s...
Alright. Checking this place out tomorrow.
@filbo I’ve taken a gander at the map and have some ideas that I think will pan out but I’m wondering if you have recommendations for ‘can’t miss’ spots to tour?
From what I’ve seen (Ive skied at more than a half dozen Vail resorts) Vail will keep backcountry skiers out as much as they legally can. But truthfully, many other resorts do this as well. Whistler policies are even worse, as the Mountain actually owns the land. But then again, previous owners were not backcountry friendly either.
Thanks for the Pass info. Ill hit you up sometime. Yes, i don't expect to be at Whistler soon. I looked up the statistics yesterday and BC has had 300 Covid 19 deaths out of 5 million people...And they are very concerned and worried...Our numbers are 6 times higher.
I'm bummed by Stevens/Vail lately as well. All we ask is that they provide "reasonable" access to the backcountry. Doesn't seem like they are being reasonable lately...interested to see how this weekend goes for backcountry users up there
You’re right Mike. I’ve been dealing with Vail Corp since they bought Whistler. They don't like backcountry users, they don't like locals, they don't like the best riders who are always pushing the limit. They like family vacation skiers, low risk, and they like profit.
Was up there today on the way to the east side - friggin A - it was pretty fun for the 5 hours I had available. Never skied at the resort but may be worth checking out later this year.
Thanks for the heads up on lodging.
Touring white pass with filbo is a guaranteed good time! 5 star rating!
It's a bit of a drive from your town about two hours, if you ever make it up there is nearby lodging in Packwood and at the resort condos as well as a camper lot. You have posted a lot of tr's about Whistler in the past and it doesn't look like the border is going to open any time soon, which is a shame with all the good snow up in BC. Be glad to show you around at WP anytime.
I think it was just an afternoon squall. Nearly certain Blewett area wont be “in” for a bit again.
I lived north of Seattle forever, so never ventured to White Pass. Now in Wenatchee, it becomes more of a thought...
Yikes--thanks for the update. It was precipitating (rain/snow mix, looked like the snow level was at about 2800') most of the day out by lake cle elum yesterday--I was wondering if any that made it to blewett. Doesn't look like it, unless that's what chased you off the ridge!
Any highway map will do as the resort sits at the highpoint of Hwy12 at 4500ft. I think the resort is going to open really soon as there is so much snow.
Wow! The opposite of my day...That sounds fantastic. I might need to look at a map...
Lift reports go here: https://turns-all-year.com/forum/index/lift-accessed-ski-reports
Thought you might want to punch thru to the top? Should be pretty interesting as it warms up!😉
Actually one guy said he was going to do dawn patrol there today...