TR Replies
It's funny because we really saw nobody all day. Could hear some voices out yonder. But we kept crossing a well packed skin track between ridges and wondered where the herd was.
author=Robie link=topic=24197.msg102277#msg102277 date=1332255172]
Excellent tour ! Thanks for letting us read along .
" headed west" ?
Point 6904' on the north of Gap 3 should have a name. Ive heard it called Chinook peak.
It's a great easy scramble off the Crystal peak trail and good skiing down to Deadwood lakes.
Right you are, it's west. I fixed the original post. Tha...
Nice to meet you Jan. The snow was very consistent on the north side, as you said it would be. On the front side we took a line in the trees way skiers right of the uptrack. it was nice up top but turned into thick trees and a few little cliffy bits at the bottom.
my buddy's name is Jeff.
Christian
my buddy's name is Jeff.
Christian
I call gap 3 "Nat Col" because the USGS map has Nat right there, and Peak 6904 "Nat Peak"
Gap 4 could be called Nat-King Col because it's halfway between Nat Pk and Silver King.
Gap 4 could be called Nat-King Col because it's halfway between Nat Pk and Silver King.
Here is a link to a few photos from the trip
https://picasaweb.google.com/102519030898366604944/5GapLoopCrystalMountainBackcountry3182012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPu4r_vJpJ_myQE&feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/102519030898366604944/5GapLoopCrystalMountainBackcountry3182012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPu4r_vJpJ_myQE&feat=directlink
Your pics are excellent. Always wanted to get that area, maybe later this season when things calm down again. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent tour ! Thanks for letting us read along .
Point 6904' on the north of Gap 3 should have a name. Ive heard it called Chinook peak.
It's a great easy scramble off the Crystal peak trail and good skiing down to Deadwood lakes.
Point 6904' on the north of Gap 3 should have a name. Ive heard it called Chinook peak.
It's a great easy scramble off the Crystal peak trail and good skiing down to Deadwood lakes.
Sweet trip guys! Sounds like you squeezed every ounce of light out of that day.
Cool tour--in the true spirit of the word. This seems to get forgotten in the realm of turns, and yoyoing, and such. Thanks for sharing. Lowell's word "flow" comes to mind.
J
J
Thanks Dick for TR and leading another successful Mountaineers trip, here are a few pictures from the trip. It's getting harder to pull out headlamps as days get longer. Great trip, thanks everyone for breaking a trail and being a great companion.
Christian and Mike?
I was the solo skier doing a couple of laps on the phantom side. Kind of funky with the S facing crust but not a bad morning's workout. Quite a bit of snow on the waterfall finish which looks like it will be in shape for quite a while. Glad you got fun turns on the N-side.
Jan
I was the solo skier doing a couple of laps on the phantom side. Kind of funky with the S facing crust but not a bad morning's workout. Quite a bit of snow on the waterfall finish which looks like it will be in shape for quite a while. Glad you got fun turns on the N-side.
Jan
Thanks for the skintrack up phantom trees, went solo in the afternoon. Chickened out at about 5,000. That was my goal though.
Thanks, Jake! I am glad you like the picture of my crash ;D We are pushing our old Nikon D40 to its limits, but I got a brand new 10-20mm Sigma lens for my birthday that I like a lot.
Didn't even know it existed.
...The leprechaun that is...no I meant the cabin!
Nice place to hang out- pretty ritzy .
Thanks for sharing.
...The leprechaun that is...no I meant the cabin!
Nice place to hang out- pretty ritzy .
Thanks for sharing.
Dude, you are THE photographer, fabulous pics, even without much backdrop & mellow grade. I especially like the one of the ski, skiing on the person.
Can I ask you what camera are you using??
Can I ask you what camera are you using??
author=timmyfitz link=topic=24180.msg102201#msg102201 date=1332137730] Heard from another tourer coming out when we went in that Crystal Peak was skiing great too.
Yeah...It was OK ;)
author=Marcus link=topic=24165.msg102170#msg102170 date=1332079882]
AP, Jessica and I went to the Kendall area yesterday to see what we could find. Nasty, heavy mush with a rain crust in the top 6 inches persisted up to about 4,000 feet, but above that was some excellent heavy powder. Lightly snowing most of the day, though it was 36 degrees at the car when we left at 3. The top 6 inches of saturated snow didn't react much in a pit test, but I managed...
author=Kyle Miller link=topic=24180.msg102204#msg102204 date=1332164858]
We put in the skin track up to the gap and were going to go for the peak but were not happy with the mini slabs.
Be safe out there peeps and there is a new slide path that took out a handfull of trees just East of there.
P.S. It is Placer Peak (Referenced because of the lake below it)
Thanks Kyle, not really knowing the area well is that...
Do you mind sharing details about from where you started? I've been interested in skiing in the area but have no idea where to park. If not, no problem (I like a good sightseeing drive, esp. if there are hill people involved).
curious, do you access that area via lifts and then skin out southback? or skin from parking lots?
on a semi-related note, there was widespread surface hoar (1-1.5 cm) on top of several inches of low density snow, which was then covered with some grapel and then snow yesterday afternoon. im sure the sun took care of the hoar where it could, but something to keep track of as this next storm comes rolling through...
-mc
on a semi-related note, there was widespread surface hoar (1-1.5 cm) on top of several inches of low density snow, which was then covered with some grapel and then snow yesterday afternoon. im sure the sun took care of the hoar where it could, but something to keep track of as this next storm comes rolling through...
-mc
“Let no man in the world live in delusion. Without a Guru none can cross over to the other shore.”
Thanks for the lesson in NTN. It was great to hook up with you and looking forward to some less harrowing turns in the future!
Thanks for the lesson in NTN. It was great to hook up with you and looking forward to some less harrowing turns in the future!
We put in the skin track up to the gap and were going to go for the peak but were not happy with the mini slabs.
Be safe out there peeps and there is a new slide path that took out a handfull of trees just East of there.
P.S. It is Placer Peak (Referenced because of the lake below it)
Be safe out there peeps and there is a new slide path that took out a handfull of trees just East of there.
P.S. It is Placer Peak (Referenced because of the lake below it)
Which one's Prosser?
Is Crystal Peak the lookout site peak? North gully off that? Thanks,
John
Is Crystal Peak the lookout site peak? North gully off that? Thanks,
John
author=Marcus link=topic=24165.msg102170#msg102170 date=1332079882]excellent heavy powder.
Yep!
author=winterisbest link=topic=24144.msg102167#msg102167 date=1332046754]
Where is this?
That line is called 'hourglass'
The closed (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) Mission Ridge ski area.
Nice picture, took me awhile to figure it out, good eye for picking such a good line.
McCully and WAH are so fine. The "free" beer comes with the very reasonable trip price and CB's expertise and raconteur spirit.
A buddy and I splitboarded up on Tuesday and found the same mixed bag of conditions and snow. And before we start the whole 'up-hill policy' debate, we checked in w/ mountain ops and got the go-ahead ;)
yeah the sauna yurt was pretty nice but it was super hot so we couldn't stay in it too long. The stove chimney was glowing red.
I thought tuesday and wednesday were great. Today was great too. Didn't really notice the stiff slab. My dog thought the attack dog was amusing, Jamie didn't.
Hey Marcus,
Sorry I missed you guys ........... You couldn't have had 3 better partners to show you around the area. Hopefully this won't be your last trip to the Olys.
Thanks for taking the time to be part of Greg's Second Saturday Series and for being willing to share your experience.
See you Saturday??
Gary
Sorry I missed you guys ........... You couldn't have had 3 better partners to show you around the area. Hopefully this won't be your last trip to the Olys.
Thanks for taking the time to be part of Greg's Second Saturday Series and for being willing to share your experience.
See you Saturday??
Gary
Saw that area as well going over the pass and made the gears in my head start turning. Thought it looked quite nice. Nice to see it is
little issue with water. Streams, when open, are running low.
The challanges are the canyons. 45 degree, avy potential. Which is perhaps why the high orbit is a better choice-providing a blue bird day and soft edgable snow.
cheers
David
The challanges are the canyons. 45 degree, avy potential. Which is perhaps why the high orbit is a better choice-providing a blue bird day and soft edgable snow.
cheers
David
author=rong link=topic=24128.msg102066#msg102066 date=1331845413]
I have done the high circumnavigation in early summer on skis at ~8500', and the low one twice on foot (on the t...
I have done the high circumnavigation in early summer on skis at ~8500', and the low one twice on foot (on the timberline trail). My hat is off to you folks for just the attempt. Very ambitious indeed.
From a terrain standpoint what did you consider to be the toughest element. In summer I always found the water crossings difficult. How are they on skis? Ron
From a terrain standpoint what did you consider to be the toughest element. In summer I always found the water crossings difficult. How are they on skis? Ron
it was a pretty fun trip... though i wish i'd gone after the storms that are raging down there right now.
we were actually on becker pk the first day and maggies the 2nd.... but you are still right about jake's! the emerald chute was looking a little thin.
we were actually on becker pk the first day and maggies the 2nd.... but you are still right about jake's! the emerald chute was looking a little thin.
I thought it was well worth the time away from work. Jamie forgot to mention that the hazard outlook included both possible stiff slabs and also vicious attack dogs.
maybe there should be a sidecountry forum for trips like this. A forum for trips where you ride the lift and call it backcountry, but still stop in for a latte and cheeseburger between laps 8)
Thanks! Your post on the Tam McArthur hut trip was an inspiration...made me want to book a trip there and take better photos..
Wow, you're sure right. Grouse camp showed 1"WE in 48 hours or so.
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/nwcc/sntl-datarpt.jsp?site=507&days=7&state=wa
Thanks for not letting it lure me in too.
John
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/nwcc/sntl-datarpt.jsp?site=507&days=7&state=wa
Thanks for not letting it lure me in too.
John
Nice. It's a beautiful place with a nice variety of skiing and peak bagging and such, and they run a pretty OK operation. If you are up for somewhat steeper terrain, try their Norway yurt operation down at the south end of the range too.
Did you use the sauna yurt? I'm a fan of it.
Did you use the sauna yurt? I'm a fan of it.
Great trip I bet - but man, that's the boniest I've seen Jake's before June.
Nice - looks fun. I've been wanting to hit Potato Hill for awhile now, just haven't got to it (like you say it takes the right conditions). Nice to hear you scored some good pow!
It was good to meet you Tyler -- apparently we were pretty lucky to even get a gate opening, so I'm even more satisfied with how the day went. Hope the prez was useful, I was happy to share it.
Glad you enjoyed your taste of the Oly's! Sorry I couldn't make the skiing, but thanks for the presentation!
Nice!
I went backpacking and hiked up to the top of Eagle Cap in summer heat years ago. All I thought about though was how awesome it would be to ski there.
I went backpacking and hiked up to the top of Eagle Cap in summer heat years ago. All I thought about though was how awesome it would be to ski there.
Nothing like the weather,stars and the moon aligning! Nice report, thanks.