TR Replies

Nice Tony. Sounds like a good trip so far. Such a rad area.

I love that tour, winter or spring, great views. How far did you have to walk on dirt from the end of the road?

Yeah, I thought up this trip when I was trying to decide whether I should put together a team for Ski to Sea. Gotta say, this was waay easier to plan! It helps to have a big trailer for all that gear.

Cycling on Hwy 2 is not too bad, there is some semblance of a shoulder most of the way except for some bridges. And you see stuff you never notice when driving! Like the big Biker memorial close to the Lake Wenatchee turnoff.

Route update: From the Rainier Climbing Blog, the Ingraham Direct 2012 conditions received a very surprising update today, worth posting here for future reference:

May 27:

The ID made a comeback this weekend with 5 parties using the route to reach the summit. Snow accumulation from earlier in the week ranged from little to upwards of 2 ft, which m...

Lower approach

That is amazing ski.......it gives me vertigo just looking at the pictures!

Hey Telemack and Jason, thanks for the tips on what to check out up there, we had a great time visiting the saddles and scoping out some future trips.

That line through "Denman's Demon" was pretty bold.  Looking up at you guys from the bowl, we weren't sure it was going to go.  Nice job getting after it.

We were hoping you guys decided to take the higher route back to the car as opposed to following our track down low.  Those cliffs and the creek are bad...

Nice I like that ski route for a good day trip. Wanted to do that last week, but opted for the Cayuse/Crystal tour. Thanks for the report, Sounds like the snow is starting to consolidate a bit in the North Tamanos chute. I did a solo on that chute a couple years ago where the moat was a good 4ft gap and as wide a pair of skis.
I found that just left of the low saddle at Gov ridge (edge of the rock wall) was the best route down and back rather than all the slide alder on the right. IMO.

Great party and the perfect place to enjoy a thunderstorm! Thanks to Jeff for the BBQ and Brauts, and to everyone for helping me get some good shots. My TR at NWH.

pretty cool trip!

Was planning on doing something simular on the wet side. Kind of scared of biking down hwy 2 though.

Yowza!! Incredible in every sense - looks like it might be the hardest ski descent in the state so far (and Dan would know), along with fantastic pictures. You've got to write this one up for publication. Thanks for sharing.

Wow, a TAY/TGR collaboration - rare animal indeed! Too bad I was chained to the computer.

Update on Conditions From May 26: Good snow coverage the entire way with very little if any new snow from the systems earlier in the week.  The skin up to Blue Lake Col was very firm in the AM. Ski crampons would be helpful if you've got them. Possible to skin all the way to the col, although some were booting up. Great ski off the south side of the col at around 11AM and easy traverse and skinning up to the second pass. The descent off that requires a bit of a tricky entry as usual an...

The pow was still there today (conditions were pretty much exactly as Amar described), though the weather is definitely on the downhill slide. Waited about 30 minutes for a whiteout to clear before heading down, and it was raining when I reached the parking lot.

The work on the new trail has made this trip far easier. Yes, being higher up a south slope means earlier melt-out, but it's back to being a direct, smooth hike like it was before the blowout. Cheers to the NPS!

Thanks Amar, Jessie, and Bobby for another fabulous tour! What a perfect way to start the holiday weekend!! :D

awesome shots and awesome trip - thanks for putting stuff together amar!

B

The human lightening rod aspect was a little unnerving for those few brief moments....

If you guys want more pictures:

https://plus.google.com/photos/106101518970868714832/albums/5746865761096139441?authkey=CJix19mC_vfszwE

Great pictures and an epic adventure!

Nice work E$ and Dan - I recall Skier 505 (Sjue) saying some time ago, a trip never seems to fail when Eric is along:  Impressive in all regards. 

Good one! Thanks for sharing.... Great to sneak the weather window. I think that is why I went in August a while back, to make sure after all that walking I had a better chance.

author=zwinters link=topic=24835.msg105112#msg105112 date=1337828804]
Did you see any climbers up on Liberty Bell and the Early Winter Spires? I wonder if the rock is still pretty wet/snowy up there...

I saw climbers up there last weekend. Most were approaching on skis or splits, and were carrying ice tools for the steep snow chutes and ramps below the rock, which actually looked surprisingly clean and dry from below. Snow only co...

You two get the knarbar award of the year for sure! What's next? The N. Face of Big Four?!?!

Somebody should give out trophies for this stuff.  This would be another one.  But then, your friggin' closet would be full.  Thanks for the pics and story.

I just wanted to know "Does the snow still go to the bridge?"  And (as usual) Amar delivers what those inquiring minds want to know.