TR Replies
Here are a few thoughts about ski cutting in spring snow. If anyone has different or additional ideas, I'd love to hear them.
- The ideal place for a ski-cut is at a roll-over, where the slope angle increases. If you cut right along the roll, you maximize the chance of releasing the slope below, while minimizing the chance of being caught by snow above.
- The most effective cut involves side-slipping the skis. A straight traverse (without s...
Thanks Roger. That was actually the sketchiest part of the entire trip. When I went to try and huck my skis across the other side, I realized I could use them to balance instead :-)
Niko,thanks for the report. It would be wise to report the incident to Mountain Madness, so they can respond to it internally and/or to Ranger district for "outside regulation" .
In either case it serves the purpose of weeding out bad behavior (that is being implicitly taught to clients) in increasingly congested back-country (that we all are part of).
As much as it might be uncomfortable to make that extra step, it does go to the people who MIGHT do something about it ( as T...
In either case it serves the purpose of weeding out bad behavior (that is being implicitly taught to clients) in increasingly congested back-country (that we all are part of).
As much as it might be uncomfortable to make that extra step, it does go to the people who MIGHT do something about it ( as T...
Endagering others and then being rude is not a good way to increase your client base. He sounds more like a French guide in the Alps.
Lowell,
Agree. On the walk back to the car as I was thinking "what would I have done differently", ski cutting the top of the chute two or three times came to mind. It also struck me as a situation in which , if done quickly at the outset, a Whippet into the bed surface could've arrested the slide (if he'd been skiing with them)... after the first second, there was probably too much snow moving, but it was initially shallow enough and the bed firm enough, that I th...
Agree. On the walk back to the car as I was thinking "what would I have done differently", ski cutting the top of the chute two or three times came to mind. It also struck me as a situation in which , if done quickly at the outset, a Whippet into the bed surface could've arrested the slide (if he'd been skiing with them)... after the first second, there was probably too much snow moving, but it was initially shallow enough and the bed firm enough, that I th...
author=BigRed link=topic=21053.msg89993#msg899
Beers, a swim at baker lake
Job well done! That's what we should have done, too. I was one of the climbers/skiers you passed in the middle of the summit gully on your way up.
>it turned out we would have just had to wait anyways for the congested summit pyramid to clear out.>
I don't know how long you might have had...
Yes ladybugs do bite!
I learned this while climbing at the Gunks more than a few years ago. I was shocked! There were a ton of them, so maybe they are more aggressive when they are swarmed like that. Also, maybe more hungry.
Just be glad you are not and aphid!
Alan
I learned this while climbing at the Gunks more than a few years ago. I was shocked! There were a ton of them, so maybe they are more aggressive when they are swarmed like that. Also, maybe more hungry.
Just be glad you are not and aphid!
Alan
thanks, I also meant to add that Goat island mountain has a nice snow load . Now to work on the car shuttle aspect for next time. pics up
author=andybrnr link=topic=21046.msg89963#msg89963 date=1307295088]
I was curious to see the descent, so took a position about 60ft up slope on the roll into the couloir so I could observe the run, and remarked that I'd spot him. Once everything was set, he dropped in taking a shallow line to the left, and immediately triggered a small slough. He made his first turn back to the right, at which point I had a bad feeling, as the initially small slough was a...
Good show Robie (& crew)! That's a pretty impressive effort for someone weeks away from retirement!
I know ex-guide Andy Politz did a similar one-day trip back in the 70's on cross-country gear solo while training for an RMI climb of Everest. The RMI types had the advantage of starting from Muir after stashing overnight gear & descending Paradise Glacier to join your route at Cowlitz Saddle.
I know ex-guide Andy Politz did a similar one-day trip back in the 70's on cross-country gear solo while training for an RMI climb of Everest. The RMI types had the advantage of starting from Muir after stashing overnight gear & descending Paradise Glacier to join your route at Cowlitz Saddle.
Wow. I skied Mt. Townsend today, and saw a big one on a NNE aspect of the ridge E of Iron Mountain as I booted up the gullies above Camp Windy. On the ride down there were consistent small sluffs, nothing big, but I made sure I kept turning AWAY from them until they had stopped.
It looked like the S slopes had slide activity the past couple of days; now it's the other aspects.
Thanks for the warning.
It looked like the S slopes had slide activity the past couple of days; now it's the other aspects.
Thanks for the warning.
I thought I saw some tracks on some of the N coluoirs on Esmerelda.
you hit the sweet spot!
missed it this year but Ive been sneaking in there the last years after the lift close .
missed it this year but Ive been sneaking in there the last years after the lift close .
Andy, you did nothing wrong in not discussing the NWAC info.
I might try to answer this for Nick.
author=ebeam link=topic=20919.msg89897#msg89897 date=1307141259">
Great trip and report.
Just curious, your problem with your toe pc - do you think that it was somehow caused by your ski crampon or did you just notice it first because of your crampon? From the pictures it looks like you were using all dynafit equip (skis/bindings). I have heard of others having problems with inserts (binding pulling out / m...
Thanks for sharing this Andy -- must have been a terrifying ride for that guy, glad he made it through unscathed to learn from it.
Nice Randy -- great views up there for sure. We were over in the Esmeralda area. Fortune looked like it was in great shape.
Jealous! I had too much to do last night and didn't get to bed at a time that would allow me to wake up in time to get to Paradise and be functioning. Instead I went out on the lake, but the whole time I found myself gazing at Rainier imagining skiing...
Awesome Zap! I feel your pain, as I've been out recovering from a broken leg since March 20. Hoping to return to the TAY way in July.
Those must've been so satisfying turns!
Those must've been so satisfying turns!
Yeah. It was pretty crowded.
Left the lower lot around 8:45am and got in line. Skin up was great. Frozen to just slightly softened. Ski crampons would have been nice for taking the Pan Point bypass. Wind down low until it was blocked at about Moon Rocks. Started skiing down around 3pm after coffee time. Found lots of unskied areas off towards Anvil Rock and below it. Snow was great until just above Pan Point and then really chopped up on...
Left the lower lot around 8:45am and got in line. Skin up was great. Frozen to just slightly softened. Ski crampons would have been nice for taking the Pan Point bypass. Wind down low until it was blocked at about Moon Rocks. Started skiing down around 3pm after coffee time. Found lots of unskied areas off towards Anvil Rock and below it. Snow was great until just above Pan Point and then really chopped up on...
Great to hear this Zap!
Keep that rehab/PT going and meet the goals. There is a whole lot of stuff left for you.
Was at one of your favs today: Chinook. So much snow there. I think early July will only a few steps to get on snow there.
Keep that rehab/PT going and meet the goals. There is a whole lot of stuff left for you.
Was at one of your favs today: Chinook. So much snow there. I think early July will only a few steps to get on snow there.
Why aren't there wilderness incursions by dirt bike riders up to Colchuck Lake or Mt. Stuart, with them claiming they had no idea dirtbikes weren't allowed back there? My guess would be there's a hell of a lot less tolerance for something like that, on both sides of the coin.
Why is it incumbant on the skier to, "educate the sledders" about wilderness boundaries?
Why is it incumbant on the skier to, "educate the sledders" about wilderness boundaries?
two thumbs up Zap
all the hints you gave me re the RV has paid off
cheers
rob
all the hints you gave me re the RV has paid off
cheers
rob
Congrats, Zap! The season is far from over, glad to hear that you can start to enjoy it.
It's great to hear you're back on skis, Zap.
High Five :)
How is Jill's bionic knee doing?
High Five :)
How is Jill's bionic knee doing?
Nice lines up there! We re-used you skin track and got a few turns in on Monday before the rain hit. Found a single black fleece glove in the uptrack - if it's yours let me know and I can get it back to ya.
author=sizzling carbides link=topic=20987.msg89886#msg89886 date=1307135019]
Lowell, if it is within the law, then it seems to me to be OK. What about that don't you get?
I respect the right of snowmobilers to use the south slopes of Mt Baker as allowed by the law. I have no interest in trying to convince them to do otherwise. By all means, enjoy yourselves (legally).
What I was trying to say is that I disagree with the...
http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=270253
Just in case you wanted to know what the snowmobilers think...
"Don't engage skiers. They only want to rat you out."
"As far as I'm concerned, until I see a land use sticker on their skis that they pay for, like I have to, they don't have room for complaints."
Is this the impression we want to be making on them? It's obvious that the boundary is unclear t...
Just in case you wanted to know what the snowmobilers think...
"Don't engage skiers. They only want to rat you out."
"As far as I'm concerned, until I see a land use sticker on their skis that they pay for, like I have to, they don't have room for complaints."
Is this the impression we want to be making on them? It's obvious that the boundary is unclear t...
Great trip and report.
Just curious, your problem with your toe pc - do you think that it was somehow caused by your ski crampon or did you just notice it first because of your crampon? From the pictures it looks like you were using all dynafit equip (skis/bindings). I have heard of others having problems with inserts (binding pulling out / miss aligned) on dynafit skis.
Just curious, your problem with your toe pc - do you think that it was somehow caused by your ski crampon or did you just notice it first because of your crampon? From the pictures it looks like you were using all dynafit equip (skis/bindings). I have heard of others having problems with inserts (binding pulling out / miss aligned) on dynafit skis.
author=ebeam link=topic=20987.msg89895#msg89895 date=1307140657]Better education of boundaries per uses will solve the problem for those people wanting to follow the rules. And, my experience suggests most people fit that category.
I would add that making these issues known to the rest of the sledding groups would be a help as well. I have done quite a bit of riding on Mt. Baker, and did not know a bunch of the information that has b...
This has been an interesting and useful TR - the actual trip and the sled discussion.
I appreciate some of the sledders describing how sled travel actually works. That helps me to understand certain behaviors and hopefully helps me not to jump to conclusions about intent (e.g., intimidation or not). Sledders and skiers often do have different perspectives and that can block solutions to conflicts if we don't understand each other. I also caution whether you can have real communic...
I appreciate some of the sledders describing how sled travel actually works. That helps me to understand certain behaviors and hopefully helps me not to jump to conclusions about intent (e.g., intimidation or not). Sledders and skiers often do have different perspectives and that can block solutions to conflicts if we don't understand each other. I also caution whether you can have real communic...
author=Erik Henne link=topic=21034.msg89893#msg89893 date=1307140133]
Was it Rainier beer as the keg cover implies?
Indeed it was; it couldn't rightly be anything else :D
The keg koozy was actually made by one of our guys to try to prevent the beer from freezing overnight up there since the temperatures were foretasted to be below the freezing point of Rainier (~27*F in case anyone was wondering). It worked out great act...
Was it Rainier beer as the keg cover implies?
author=Lowell_Skoog link=topic=20987.msg89879#msg89879 date=1307133045]
Snowmobiles around Mt Baker should be restricted to the roads. If you can drive to a place in summer, I don't have a problem with snowmobiles going there in winter. Conversely, if you can't drive there in summer, I don't think you should be snowmobiling there in winter. I won't argue that this rule needs to apply everywhere, but I think it should apply around Mt Bake...
Wow! Sounds like a real party! The Tent Squatter- a new mountain relic has been discovered :D Great TR!
author=Lowell_Skoog link=topic=20987.msg89879#msg89879 date=1307133045]
Snowmobiles around Mt Baker should be restricted to the roads. If you can drive to a place in summer, I don't have a problem with snowmobiles going there in winter. Conversely, if you can't drive there in summer, I don't think you should be snowmobiling there in winter. I won't argue that this rule needs to apply everywhere, but I think it should apply around Mt Bake...
Cool trip Trevor!
I'll have to take a closer look at your blog ...
I'll have to take a closer look at your blog ...
author=freeskiguide link=topic=20972.msg89808#msg89808 date=1307060954">
Does anyone know what the courtisy is concerning commenting on TR. with out it being considered a hijack.
I think in general people are very interested to hear whatever information a trip report generates. If you do have specific questions then it's probable that others have posed those questions in the past.
Snowmobiles around Mt Baker should be restricted to the roads. If you can drive to a place in summer, I don't have a problem with snowmobiles going there in winter. Conversely, if you can't drive there in summer, I don't think you should be snowmobiling there in winter. I won't argue that this rule needs to apply everywhere, but I think it should apply around Mt Baker.
Arguments about "restricting other people's freedom" don't...
Arguments about "restricting other people's freedom" don't...
author=Lowell_Skoog link=topic=20987.msg89835#msg89835 date=1307076342]
Skiers who feel as I do should absolutely not stop going to the south side of the mountain. Be civil to snowmobilers, but don't give up the mountain to them. Keep them honest, as Amar has done.
Lowell is dead on in the idea of keeping sledders honest! We have been working hard on our side of the line to call out violators and make these types...