TR Replies

Nov26, 2011, Artist Point

Hey Don, congrats on the new skis. Happy holiday season to all.
Let's change their name to the Thread Drifters in honor of the direction this TR has gone. ;)
-When approaching the trailhead and gearing up there, I try to have a song playing that is a good one to get stuck in my head all day. (I don't use a personal stereo).
-I free my mind by focusing on good posture and micro-adjusting layers or zippers, rather than
the repetition or muscle burn. With my head...

11/27/11 12:46am

Zap

Great TR and photos. Looks like you've got 2 dedicated skiing buddies, plus a competent photographer. ;)

11/26/11 2:04pm

mtneer ordinaire

Nov26, 2011, Artist Point

I'm unsure which dog impresses me more: the black one who posed so well or the white one who snapped such a great photo! ;D

11/26/11 12:34pm

jwplotz

november 25, 2011, Frog lake OR

There's usually a plowed out spot a few hundred yards east of the summer trailhead.

11/26/11 12:23pm

Hawthorne

That's a great quick-trip idea. Might have to try and beat the rain for it in the AM.

Thanks.

11/26/11 8:26am

Fall City Brian

Hey Rusty Knees, thanks for the shout-out to Summit! He spent the next day at Alpental and loved it. Huge thanks to Kevino for picking up my son's googles and then throwing up a post!

11/26/11 8:20am

Rusty Knees

Here's a little video of Ed skiing some bumps just East of Lower International. Great snow where there wasn't any avi chunks buried.

Ed skiing, and a little flying...

11/26/11 4:56am

bakershredda

Sweet! I'll be spending some time in that area during Christmas. Found Rock Mt. on google earth. I was wondering where exactly to park on 2, or if it's best to go from the north side past the lake? Thanks a bunch!

11/26/11 4:03am

alecapone

Great pictures.

None of the lower section on the way down?

11/26/11 2:35am

jwplotz

Oops. Date fixed.

Thanks!

Go Cougs.

11/26/11 1:07am

Garth_Ferber

Thanks for the snow descriptions! gkf/nwac

11/26/11 12:47am

Garth_Ferber

Looks great. I assume this is for the 25th. gkf

11/26/11 12:40am

ryanl

Nice one boys

11/26/11 12:16am

JimD

Cool. Thanks for the report.

11/25/11 11:41pm

RonL

Thanks for the good description of the layers. I was getting exercise at tracked out Hyak and didn't do anything more than pole tests. It certainly felt as you describe. The crust was supportive but not especially strong.

11/25/11 11:16pm

jwplotz

November 24, 2011, Mt. Hood Calm Before the Storm

A few more photos from the day...

11/25/11 3:53pm

freshie

Thanks for the reminder of that view from the highway, a treat I remember from back in a previous life.

11/25/11 1:08pm

Lowell_Skoog

author=trees4me link=topic=22472.msg96023#msg96023 date=1322273892]
Alpy lived up to expectations today -> circus and good snow!

There was a weak crust layer beneath the snow that fell overnight. Beneath that later the snow was surprisingly unconsolidated. Above that layer there was often a LOT of graupel--sometimes it seemed to make up most of the new snow. Very cohesionless. We skied the north backcountry and were surprised...

11/25/11 12:58pm

RyanPete81

Nice to run in to you all today. CharlieP and I started the day heading for the Kendall Stumps for a lap. Then we gained and crossed the ridge into Commonwealth where we caught up with Silas et al.

11/25/11 10:27am

freeskier

Hi Kevino! That black Tundra belongs to my brother, the owner of Summit. The goggles are his son's and he'd love to get them back. Thanks a lot for the post. (and the skin track......we were still using it today!) pm me when you get a chance and I'll get you in touch with him. Thanks again for exemplifying what a great community this is!

11/25/11 10:19am

trees4me

Alpy lived up to expectations today -> circus and good snow!

The buried rain crust caught me a couple times, but the 8-24" deep pockets made up for it. First tracks on a pillowy line down Felsen were pretty sweet.

As of noon no one had bothered to walk out of edelweiss, but that looked to be changing soon with the masses standing around at the top of chair 2...

11/25/11 10:18am

winterisbest

author=Charlie Hagedorn link=topic=22472.msg96017#msg96017 date=1322270802]
Very fun, and bluebird. Great to meet Matt, who gamely trudged all day on snowshoes. Skiing with boarders presents plenty of pow photo possibilities.

Top ~inch of the new snow was soft graupel, which skied well even after sunhit. Wslopes had thin crossloaded windslab (N to S), top 3" plated out occasionally with variable propagation, but elsewise nothing moving.
...

11/25/11 9:48am

Charlie Hagedorn

November 24, 2011, Mt. Hood Calm Before the Storm

Very fun, and bluebird. Great to meet Matt, who gamely trudged all day on snowshoes. Skiing with boarders presents plenty of pow photo possibilities.

Top ~inch of the new snow was soft graupel, which skied well even after sunhit. Wslopes had thin crossloaded windslab (N to S), top 3" plated out occasionally with variable propagation, but elsewise nothing moving.

11/25/11 9:26am

stoudema

Looks like fun! Nice shot of Hood from the highway! Should be some fun to be found tomorrow before the warmer weather moves back in...

11/24/11 12:18pm

Charlie Hagedorn

November 24, 2011, Alpental

Pretty morning, heavy snow. Quite a bit of slide debris everywhere, all of it covered with at least a little new snow. Sluffs and small slabs clearly ran yesterday in the 3-6" atop a thin crust; might move again with more loading, it cracked a little between skis. Instability on that layer seemed greatest on SE-SW aspects, at least locally. NW slopes had light windscouring.

Snowing very nicely in the afternoon at West. Happy T-day!

11/24/11 10:16am

Koda

November 24, 2011, Mt. Hood Calm Before the Storm

author=skier8484 link=topic=22462.msg95982#msg95982 date=1322177775]
The weather is moving in now; fingers crossed for some pow turns tomorrow.

hoping to find some safe touring tomorrow as well. Yeah, I'll never get tired of that view either... beautiful photography, thanks for sharing I love photos of Hood.

Cheers

11/24/11 8:57am

snoholic

November 24, 2011, Alpental

We ended up at west also, for a drink.

11/24/11 8:34am

Kneel Turner

No, you shouldn't slow down till you can feel your own heartbeat tapping on the backs of your eyeballs. At which point you should just maintain that pace.

...and yes, think of beer.

11/24/11 3:45am

Rusty Knees

author=Teleskichica link=topic=22449.msg95952#msg95952 date=1322119703]
I kinda figured you'd be dreaming about women and beer, Don. No?

Thanks for the ideas, Holly. Large women and large beers - now that is something to climb for. Ellen will share a beer with me, but the women will have tostay a fantasy. ;)

author=Robie] Hear your own heartbeat... ...

11/24/11 3:35am

E_N

Thanks for the link Mike. Good to see that side of the issue at least put something in type, though I think they had to work really hard to invent the idea of inactive snow making equipment on the hill being some kind of advanced danger which the public is incapable of dealing with.

11/24/11 3:02am

Robie

As my ski friend Ken Z says "When else do you slow yourself down , enjoy the nature of places and hear your own heart beat."

For myself when it gets hard I tell myself this is where you wanna be.

11/24/11 2:30am

Zap

author=kneel turner link=topic=22449.msg95948#msg95948 date=1322112725]
I usually just look down adoringly as my Drifters glide through the snow. I mean, they're so AWESOME!!!

I agree. ;)

11/24/11 2:13am

Teleskichica

I kinda figured you'd be dreaming about women and beer, Don. No?

11/23/11 3:28pm

kevino

I put in the skin track yesterday - let me tell you, that was a bitch

To who ever was in the dark/black truck this afternoon at hyak - i got your goggles. hit me up

11/23/11 1:51pm

Kneel Turner

November 20, 2011, Skyline Lake, Tye Peak

I usually just look down adoringly as my Drifters glide through the snow. I mean, they're so AWESOME!!!

11/23/11 1:32pm

counterfeitfake

Here are a couple!

Nice to meet everyone!

11/23/11 9:09am

Griff

Dude, just a great story though. It would appear that we all are crazy and I wouldn't have it any other way!!!

11/23/11 7:19am

Trolleyman

Yes you are correct, but I skinned up to top of Silver B on the King and came back down the ridge. Next time I will title it differently to avoid any confusion. I was trying to give more of a perspective of conditions so that we all return home safely.

11/23/11 7:14am

mikerolfs

I never understood the appeal of skinning up/skiing down Mimi/Tumwater/Sunspot.

Its the only spot with snow right now

On the occasion that I go up there for exercise I follow the uphill travel policy...

I'm pretty sure you prefer the other side of the mountain ;)

It only takes a little creativity and common sense to avoid this conflict.

11/23/11 7:03am

aaron_wright

I never understood the appeal of skinning up/skiing down Mimi/Tumwater/Sunspot. Most people use this route if they go up there and that is what lead to the long standing uphill travel policy, but most people seem to ignore that policy and continue to use that route. I can imagine that it's very frustrating for workers who use that route for snowmaking and other maintenance to constantly have to watch out for skinners and booters while speeding up and down during work hours on down days. Eve...

11/23/11 6:41am

mikerolfs

Here is the whole story:

http://www.justgetout.net/Wenatchee/23175

Most compelling is that if the area gets pushed into it, they could post "keep out" signs that are legally enforceable. The argument that the area has hoses and electric cables across the only skiable run where snowmaking is in progress is pretty good. The concept that the area paid to make the snow and hikers are using it for free is a little harder to respect. I'm a pass h...

11/23/11 6:23am

E_N