TR Replies
author=gravitymk link=topic=20444.msg86925#msg86925 date=1302128297]
Actually no, Alpental and Crystal are managed by the same company, not owned.
CNL owns Alpental, Boyne Resorts is contracted to manage. Crystal Mountain is owned by Boyne.
Doesn't it seem to be more likely the case that Boyne would shut down operations earlier at Snoqualmie to encourage patronage at their resort then? Of course, I've never managed...
Was up around Table from 930 to 1300 on Thursday the 7th. Both the Table (n'ly) and Herman (s'ly) avalanches had run before then.
In talking with the guy putting out the "High" hazard sign at the TH at 930 Thurs, he said they got a good hit from the sun around 1400 the day before and a handful of storm slabs released naturally.
Damn good skiing on N'ly slopes in the alpine/treeline on Friday for sure . . .
In talking with the guy putting out the "High" hazard sign at the TH at 930 Thurs, he said they got a good hit from the sun around 1400 the day before and a handful of storm slabs released naturally.
Damn good skiing on N'ly slopes in the alpine/treeline on Friday for sure . . .
Your Ruby trip looked great Jason. I better put it on my list. Problem is, things get on my list faster than they come off it.
Thanks for the great info and detailed list of ski options, Gary.
The only one of those which I've tried yet is Wonderland Trail to Rampart Ridge and into Van Trump Park, which we did intentionally in early January 2009 while the road was closed at Longmire for several weeks, due to the landslide on Glacier Hill past Nisqually Bridge.
The only one of those which I've tried yet is Wonderland Trail to Rampart Ridge and into Van Trump Park, which we did intentionally in early January 2009 while the road was closed at Longmire for several weeks, due to the landslide on Glacier Hill past Nisqually Bridge.
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=20475.msg87147#msg87147 date=1302376741]
We got to the park entrance just after 11am, and the ranger informed us that the road would be closed all day. WTF!! In numerous winter trips to the park, that's the first time I've actually had the road not open at all (endured many many late openings, obviously). What to do?
Welcome to the club, Amar! At least you got the straight poop at the e...
Way to make use of the day ebeam and co! I was going to give you a ring if the weather window was big enough for a multi-day adventure. As it was, a couple of friends and I went up and stayed in my parents cabin in marblemount after sampling this: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1012810
We also did not see any instability on north slopes, nor evidence of recent slides. I was a bit surprised, given the avi activity near the ski areas immediate...
We also did not see any instability on north slopes, nor evidence of recent slides. I was a bit surprised, given the avi activity near the ski areas immediate...
It was great running into you guys and hearing about your day when we met up again in the afternoon.
You know you made it big time when you have a "the" before your name. ;)
You know you made it big time when you have a "the" before your name. ;)
I agree that photo (and others on the link) is amazing. That was some of the harder bootpacking I encountered this season, waist deep the whole way up.
It was my first time on Lane but I had drooled at the line for years.
Thank you for a memorable experience.
It was my first time on Lane but I had drooled at the line for years.
Thank you for a memorable experience.
Thanks for the tip, Andrew and Amar for the pointer and commentary.
Outstanding photos Kath! :D
Kyle and Jake, outstanding effort! ;)
Kyle and Jake, outstanding effort! ;)
I like your idea of a short trip, old guy! Thanks for having me along on another of your adventures!
Awesome trip! The north powder was amazingly stable. I was checking the slope angle with my slope meter and was supprised to see that at 45 degrees we weren't getting any sluffing but on slopes approaching 50 was when minor sluffing occurred. What a excellent day.
Thanks guys for a good short day.
Thanks guys for a good short day.
author=kath link=topic=20479.msg87161#msg87161 date=1302393614]
i think this might be one of my all time faves ..
Kath, that is one prize-winning all-time best amazing photo! It deserves to be poster-size on the wall to keep the mountain motivation dreams flowing.
great story ... yes we'd love to see some pix .. neat talking with you guys ... someday we'd love to be skilled enough to ski up on castle .. though even the thought of just dropping off narada's face scares the holy crap outta us
Nice one guys! Scott, is the BHC your new Heather Ridge?
Hey Kath, Nice to meet you guys yesterday. I really enjoyed your pictures! I hope we get a chance to see the video someday soon.
Kath, Great set of images , especially the last one. WOW Glad to see you are in the mountains.
Word has it that MRNP had to get Paul B. and a Federal Hwys rep to blast the slopes (3X) across the road (and downhill from there) from Barnes Flats because of hanging avalanches waiting to happen; had a few runouts over the lower road.
Nice report; it's one ski trip (of so many of yours) that I haven't made. However, it is my all-time favorite snowshoe route on a sunny day--the sun lights up the old-growth forest from the bottom up, presenting views and understanding never...
Nice report; it's one ski trip (of so many of yours) that I haven't made. However, it is my all-time favorite snowshoe route on a sunny day--the sun lights up the old-growth forest from the bottom up, presenting views and understanding never...
Don, I like your 3 fantasies especially number 3 . As I've matured, I find it's more difficult to get ahead of the pack to be the first to reach the "promised land/slope". So I practice a Jarvis routine and allow the young and strong to set the track , then ski as much of the low hanging terrain as possible. Then return to the vehicle and head for a warm establishment that serves cold refreshments.
Those admiring fans will be at Sunrise this July awaiting your re...
Those admiring fans will be at Sunrise this July awaiting your re...
That Threeway shot was impressive. none of those Crystal slides would have been survivable. Of interest tho, the King didn't release at all with the bombs. You can see good size spontaneous slides mid way down treed slopes below threeway also.
Phewww! I was worried where you might go with the third fantasy. Tracking up Narada face is pretty benign.
A pleasure to read. Thanks.
A pleasure to read. Thanks.
The results of the blast that they did off Threeway was HUGE!! Not sure of the Height of the Crown, but it looks like a combo of Cornice and Crown, but it must be over 20ft high. Surprisingly the runout was only to the top of the Damn Fine Forest. Gets one pretty nervous about anything out there with that aspect.
Yeah, good stuff, Joe.
Thanks for sharing Paul's insights with us.
And Morningstar, welcome to TAY. :)
We look forward to your feeling free to contribute as you see fit.
Thanks for sharing Paul's insights with us.
And Morningstar, welcome to TAY. :)
We look forward to your feeling free to contribute as you see fit.
Joedabaker, I couldn't agree more with you. Thanks!
author=Joedabaker link=topic=20452.msg86970#msg86970 date=1302187122]
The two dynamic forces (top and bottom snowpack) are working opposite or each other creating a shear like you would have in like an earthquake fault zone. Holding it's energy until it gets released when either dynamic shifts.
That's how I understand it, as well. I had the pleasure of talking with Paul in his office at Crystal a couple of weeks back; a...
Living (and dying) In Avalanche Country is a great book about the folks who live in that area, and particularly about the folks who keep that road open in wintertime.
We were out there Sunday taking our niece and her partner for her first skinning trip. We spent the day lapping the ski area bowl where the Poma runs. 6-18" fairly dense on a firm crust.
The only other person we saw skinning there was altasnob and his friend Lindsay---quite a coincidence; it was only his second trip ever to HR.
We rode the face from the top of the rope tow to the road while Lisa brought the car down to pick us up, and even that skied-over...
The only other person we saw skinning there was altasnob and his friend Lindsay---quite a coincidence; it was only his second trip ever to HR.
We rode the face from the top of the rope tow to the road while Lisa brought the car down to pick us up, and even that skied-over...
More pics:
https://picasaweb.google.com/jhamaker/110324BrianWaddintonHutBC?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXx_IrVko3tSg#
https://picasaweb.google.com/jhamaker/110324BrianWaddintonHutBC?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXx_IrVko3tSg#
author=~Link~ link=topic=20452.msg86966#msg86966 date=1302159087]
Ski pole tests revealed a very, VERY well consolidated freeze/thaw crust below about 30cm of fresh snow. The storms came in wet after the warm up, and the new snow appears to be right-side up and well consolidated to the melt/freeze boiler plate. Silas's test-slope revealed some movement of the new snow, but nothing planar.
Now that is on the top surface, w...
author=Joedabaker link=topic=20452.msg86949#msg86949 date=1302146394]
But is the fact that Northback, an in bound ski run and South are still closed any indication of how Crystal feels about the avy danger level?
Ski pole tests revealed a very, VERY well consolidated freeze/thaw crust below about 30cm of fresh snow. The storms came in wet after the warm up, and the new snow appears to be right-side up and well consolidated to the mel...
author=Joedabaker link=topic=20452.msg86958#msg86958 date=1302152771]
Thanks for the input Matt. I would not even rely on NWAC for a reliable report of Crystal's local conditions. NWAC does a great job but it is so vague covering a lot of area on a single report.
I talked with Paul Baugher, Crystal Head of Patrol last week at some extent about Crystals conditions. NWAC had the AVY conditions at considerable, but locally Paul said the the conditions...
Silas you da man! Sorry to use you here. Just trying to keep people thinking safety, sorry if any of this has hung you out in the wind.
totally unerstand where you're coming from, Joe. just don't think its up to Silas to break it all down in a TR.
author=Mattski link=topic=20452.msg86956#msg86956 date=1302151970]
leave it to NWAC for hard data, it is just a TR, not a forecast.
As for Crystal, it went big, with and without explosives, which really tells us in the Crystal BC that the MLK crust still persists.
Thanks for the input Matt. I would not even rely on NWAC for a reliable report of Crystal's local conditions. NWAC does a great job but it is so vague c...
Thanks for your input Juan, I don't suggest any rules. Just saying if you are traveling in high avalanche danger terrain and reporting it. It would be nice to have some details other than surface conditions. Do you agree that a lot of lurkers here tend to follow or go to where the reports are given?
I can't understand why I'm pandering to the lowest denominator of BC intelligence when we have such a good core of savvy climbers here, but given the circumstances in the last we...
I can't understand why I'm pandering to the lowest denominator of BC intelligence when we have such a good core of savvy climbers here, but given the circumstances in the last we...
I think Silas did a great job highlighting what he saw, leave it to NWAC for hard data, it is just a TR, not a forecast.
As for Crystal, it went big, with and without explosives, which really tells us in the Crystal BC that the MLK crust still persists.
As for Crystal, it went big, with and without explosives, which really tells us in the Crystal BC that the MLK crust still persists.
since when does a trip report have to cater to the lowest common denominator? safety, as silas aludes to, is not an objective hazard. the avalanche triangle is weather, snowpack, and terrain with the human factor right in the middle; terrain traveled through and skied is a choice, as are the many other elements of a ski trip that make up the human factor, and there are always safer choices. If there is someone out there who thinks after reading this report that they can go big in the crysta...
It's hard for me to armchair it since I have not been out for a few days. But is the fact that Northback, an in bound ski run and South are still closed any indication of how Crystal feels about the avy danger level? If you are going to report skiing where avy hazzards have been going off the hook lately, I would expect more than surface conditions. I want to hear test pit results from your trip. How many people do you think will assume that it is green light skiing from such a casual repor...
Sorry my posts are brief. "safety" is different for each person and group. I do not suggest anyone ski or not ski based on my reports. I'm only sharing what we found today.
Silas what was the snow looking like at depth? With the information you have, are you now endorsing Crystal BC as a safe place to wander with this report?
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=20362.msg86706#msg86706 date=1301689444">
Great trip, nice photos, thanks for the report. Ruby Mountain has been on my agenda for over a decade, I love summits with great views. Either as a summer day-hike (via the abandoned trail from Fourth of July Pass) or a ski trip up the north side like this. Gotta get up there soon.
There haven't been many TRs about skiing Ruby, a search turns up two from 2009 (
my partner that day was just convinced/converted the weekend before at paradise :) definitely uses new muscles! see you on the slopes!
author=powwow link=topic=20444.msg86919#msg86919 date=1302114587]
Alpental and Crystal are both owned by the same company. I don't know this for fact, but I would guess they made a business decision to close Alpental during the week, assuming they would pick up that business at Crystal and not have to staff two locations.
Actually no, Alpental and Crystal are managed by the same company, not owned.
CNL owns Alpental, Bo...
author=JPH link=topic=20444.msg86883#msg86883 date=1302029407]
The upper mountain is probably amazing right now, but I didn’t feel comfortable heading all the way up by myself with all the new snow, even though it did seem pretty stable. Go get it while it’s good!
We set out at 9:30 after a talk with Jay Wissman about skinning policy and proceeded to skin up to the top. We pushed two wind slabs, (50'wide, 1...