TR Replies
Great day Silas. I hope you guys have fun up there somewhere today too. My TR with pics at NWH.
Very Nice!
I skied your exact line from it's highpoint on Saturday, even committing the same folly of heading to Knapsack pass first. I was able to ski down the back side after dropping ~50 ft and I believe skin straight across the melted out section of Spray Park in your picture, so it is definitely going quick on the flats of Spray park.
I skied your exact line from it's highpoint on Saturday, even committing the same folly of heading to Knapsack pass first. I was able to ski down the back side after dropping ~50 ft and I believe skin straight across the melted out section of Spray Park in your picture, so it is definitely going quick on the flats of Spray park.
Thanks for the TR. I was also in the area, and was happy to meet Telemack, Keith, et al, in the parking lot. (People carrying skis in July always introduce themselves to each other.)
I took the summer trail. Well into Spray Park, I ditched hiking boots and skinned continuously to the base of the Flett headwall, then crossed the north ridge of Observation Rock, then doubled back to my high point on a shoulder of Observation. I’m guessing it was the two of you I was following up the Fl...
I took the summer trail. Well into Spray Park, I ditched hiking boots and skinned continuously to the base of the Flett headwall, then crossed the north ridge of Observation Rock, then doubled back to my high point on a shoulder of Observation. I’m guessing it was the two of you I was following up the Fl...
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=17170.msg72281#msg72281 date=1279260566]...
Flett Glacier, Russell Glacier, and lower Ptarmigan Ridge to 10300 ft
We were grateful to have a nice well-constructed trail for the exit, despite the numerous exhausting ups-and-downs along its poorly designed route which add at least 500 extra ft of gain to the hike out, and the 3 miles back to Mowich Lake went by quickly in just over an hour.
Great trip!
Thanks for the report and inspiration - there is more to Russell than I thought.
Pavel
Thanks for the report and inspiration - there is more to Russell than I thought.
Pavel
Cool. Thanks for the report and great pics. I love the larger version of those ski tracks on Liberty ridge!
We were up near there one year and watched a boxcar size ice break off and crash down onto the carbon.What a commotion! Thanks for the report Amar. I almost always take the std. trail and stash some beers and canned pineapple in the last stream before the switchbacks. It makes that 500' gain on return more palatable. You mentioned jet boil. What we have done is one person pack a water filter and refill at waterfall pools on flett.
Nice tour, Amar. Follows the pattern of this spring/summer: weak/no snow low, lots up high. Did you boot up Mt. Pleasant? If so Keith and I folowed your line, sort of. We noticed how fat the Russell was up high. Last summer the Russell was a rock-toss from Jeff's line to the ridge. Spray Park Trail is definitely the way in for 2010.
Didn't know you ever went that LOW. :)
Didn't know you ever went that LOW. :)
You fockin' rock! A classic in any era... and bravely done. Here's to going down what most people only go up! 8)
author=telemack link=topic=17164.msg72259#msg72259 date=1279215212]
Nice one---you hit the very start of the hot clear weather. Did you know that all those months ago? ;)
Your vertical Joy-O-Meter was OK, but I shudder to calculate the ratio of v.f. divided by h.f.!
Thanks Mack,
If our crystal ball was that good, we'd be buying lottery tickets instead of planning our mountain travels. ;D Chalk it up to pure luc...
Some buds and I skied this tour both Sunday and today (thanks for the tip regarding the "money shot". Robie). What a difference in the snowpack. On Sunday we were able to keep skins on from just above Frozen lake all the way out to 3rd Burroughs. Today the snow ridge/sort of cornice between 1st and 2nd is discontinuous, there is a now snowfree rock band just past 2nd Burroughs, climbing to 3rd requires careful navigation to stay on snow, and the final curving slot up to the summit of 3...
Good tour eh ?
On sunday we had snow on that northeast entry off 3rd into granite creek. Looks like its a skip carry now. The slope that you climbed up to second burroughs would be a nice easy ski as well in reverse.
By the way I'm putting you two on my future retired mid week list now that I know you will skip work!
On sunday we had snow on that northeast entry off 3rd into granite creek. Looks like its a skip carry now. The slope that you climbed up to second burroughs would be a nice easy ski as well in reverse.
By the way I'm putting you two on my future retired mid week list now that I know you will skip work!
How was the coverage in the chutes off the back of Sourdough Ridge?
wow still good coverage! Thanks for the info; will try it out this weekend
author=telemack link=topic=17165.msg72261#msg72261 date=1279216138]
I packed her boots with my stuff,
You are soooooooo nice. ;)
Mack skis Mother
curious onlooker
Mack on Pleasant
curious onlooker
Mack on Pleasant
Nice one---you hit the very start of the hot clear weather. Did you know that all those months ago? ;)
Your vertical Joy-O-Meter was OK, but I shudder to calculate the ratio of v.f. divided by h.f.!
Your vertical Joy-O-Meter was OK, but I shudder to calculate the ratio of v.f. divided by h.f.!
author=BigSnow link=topic=17158.msg72250#msg72250 date=1279169752]
I read your assessment and quite agree with what you say.
My notes about Dwight Watson's Eldorado trips are almost absurdly detailed. But I went to that effort because I was disproving the idea that Watson had been the first person to make a ski ascent (or ski-assisted climb) of Eldorado Peak. I felt sort of sad doing this, because I'm a big fan of his, n...
Lowell,
I read your assessment and quite agree with what you say.
The traverse on the north side of the ridge being the route makes sense to me as it is fairly good terrain to move efficiently until the Triad. I have no idea how the south side of the ridge would work, but my view of it from HLP this year would suggest that it would go very well with the good snow cover it had several weeks ago and of course when they were taping. It looks to me like they skied b...
I read your assessment and quite agree with what you say.
The traverse on the north side of the ridge being the route makes sense to me as it is fairly good terrain to move efficiently until the Triad. I have no idea how the south side of the ridge would work, but my view of it from HLP this year would suggest that it would go very well with the good snow cover it had several weeks ago and of course when they were taping. It looks to me like they skied b...
author=Glorificus Adventum link=topic=17158.msg72229#msg72229 date=1279135608]
Looks like an outstanding trip. I was hoping that you could indulge me with a little trip beta as far as where is the skiable snow line and snow quality, thanks.
I encountered skiable snow just above the final band of stunted evergreens above the talus slopes--about 5600ft I think. Except for the ridge crossing into Roush Creek basin, the snow was conti...
author=BigSnow link=topic=17158.msg72240#msg72240 date=1279151171]
(sorry, but for some reasons no matter what I do I cannot post these two images.) I keep getting an error stating that the files I am attaching have the same name of files I have already uploaded. I will try later.
Rename the files and try again -- if the upload was interrupted there's a placeholder with the original name that doesn't allow the attachme...
author=BigSnow link=topic=17158.msg72238#msg72238 date=1279149881]
Other shots later on in the film clearly show them to be east of the Triad, in my opinion, so considering that they were skiing north facing slopes and south facing slopes all the way from Sibley Pass to Eldorado I would have to say them guys has legs! Was this movie from one day of skiing?
I've recorded my conclusions about Dwight Watson's early ski tri...
This shot is from the area just at the bottom of the little bowl north west of the peak east of Sibley Pass. Probably taken near the green spot on the map. The shot of Johannesburg I took was where the red spot is.
It is looking past Sibley Pass (actually below the level of the foreground) and onto Hidden Lake Peak. You can only see the true summit of HLP from this aspect.
It is clear they were skiing this very early season. Nice weather.
Al...
It is looking past Sibley Pass (actually below the level of the foreground) and onto Hidden Lake Peak. You can only see the true summit of HLP from this aspect.
It is clear they were skiing this very early season. Nice weather.
Al...
Here is a view towards Johannesburg Mtn. from the same area.
Taking parallax into account and using the sinuous arm coming off of J. Mtn. I would guess that they were a little east of where I stood to take my photo. Note, I am standing real close to the top of the little summit east of Sibley Pass. Therefore they could not have been as far east as the Triad on that photo.
(Other shots later on in the film clearly show them to be east of the Triad, in my opinion,...
Taking parallax into account and using the sinuous arm coming off of J. Mtn. I would guess that they were a little east of where I stood to take my photo. Note, I am standing real close to the top of the little summit east of Sibley Pass. Therefore they could not have been as far east as the Triad on that photo.
(Other shots later on in the film clearly show them to be east of the Triad, in my opinion,...
I was able to review my photos and review the rest of the film.
They skied exactly where I have described, probable including areas east of the Triad and up onto Eldorado itself in the southern facing drainages.
The angle of this shot is from ridgeline just near the small peak framing the east of Sibley Pass. Imagine their shot taken almost anywhere on the same line as this shot is looking. My camera may have had a wider field of view, but theirs was likely a narrow field...
They skied exactly where I have described, probable including areas east of the Triad and up onto Eldorado itself in the southern facing drainages.
The angle of this shot is from ridgeline just near the small peak framing the east of Sibley Pass. Imagine their shot taken almost anywhere on the same line as this shot is looking. My camera may have had a wider field of view, but theirs was likely a narrow field...
Those movies are very high quality.
My connection is very slow right now so I could only view the early part of the clip.
However, some of the views appear to be showing the group skiing either side of the ridge just west of the Triad, near point 6804 on the ACME mapper. The snowfields and glaciers that drain into the "north (or west) fork of Sibley Creek.
To me it looks like they were skiing both the north slopes (with the given views of Eldorado) and the...
My connection is very slow right now so I could only view the early part of the clip.
However, some of the views appear to be showing the group skiing either side of the ridge just west of the Triad, near point 6804 on the ACME mapper. The snowfields and glaciers that drain into the "north (or west) fork of Sibley Creek.
To me it looks like they were skiing both the north slopes (with the given views of Eldorado) and the...
Looks like an outstanding trip. I was hoping that you could indulge me with a little trip beta as far as where is the skiable snow line and snow quality, thanks.
Matt
Matt
Nick,
thank you again for a fine company; yes the group felt a bit like a bag of fleas :) -- I suspect it didn't help I crashed in. I now wish I continued up Russell but had to go home. Let me know when you go touring with The Lady in Red.
Jeff,
yes, ski boots would kill my feet as well; telemark boots were OK, I guess. I had sneakers and stashed them. That headwall was fun indeed; maybe earlier in the day would be even better.
Pavel
thank you again for a fine company; yes the group felt a bit like a bag of fleas :) -- I suspect it didn't help I crashed in. I now wish I continued up Russell but had to go home. Let me know when you go touring with The Lady in Red.
Jeff,
yes, ski boots would kill my feet as well; telemark boots were OK, I guess. I had sneakers and stashed them. That headwall was fun indeed; maybe earlier in the day would be even better.
Pavel
I've excerpted most of Dwight Watson's 1938 movie of skiing near Eldorado Peak on the following web page:
http://mountaineers.org/history/notes/movie/dw-1938-nwskiing.html
Eldorado is the third video clip on this page. My trip on Sunday failed to satisfy my curiosity about Watson's 1938 ski trip. I still don't know where a lot of those scenes were filmed. Someday I'm going to have to repeat the route from Sibley Pass and try to piece together where...
http://mountaineers.org/history/notes/movie/dw-1938-nwskiing.html
Eldorado is the third video clip on this page. My trip on Sunday failed to satisfy my curiosity about Watson's 1938 ski trip. I still don't know where a lot of those scenes were filmed. Someday I'm going to have to repeat the route from Sibley Pass and try to piece together where...
Great photos and TR. I remember seeing the trail off the moraine in our July 2006 ski trip up the Cooper Spur. A few years earlier we used the trail when Jill and I were heading for Snowdome.
The first photo is beautiful. Looks like a bit of a breeze in your second photo.
Pavel-- Daryl, the shy Aussie, and I were the other two. Hope you enjoyed our usual five person group with 3.5 ideas of which lines to ski. Daryl and I did the NE side of Observation while you and Rich did the NW side.
I think Sally kept a leash on Kenji or he would have been heading up Liberty Ridge!
Maybe we will get together sometime when our other Czech female partner (The Lady in Red) joins us.
Happy Turns.
I think Sally kept a leash on Kenji or he would have been heading up Liberty Ridge!
Maybe we will get together sometime when our other Czech female partner (The Lady in Red) joins us.
Happy Turns.
Pavel,
Thanks for the TR and pix. I'm thinking of heading up there this weekend or next. That Flett headwall is one of my favorite July runs ever; just the right pitch and consistent all the way down. I agree with Kenji that ski boots are a bad idea on the hike out on the Spray Park trail; I just about killed my feet doing it a few years ago.
Thanks for the TR and pix. I'm thinking of heading up there this weekend or next. That Flett headwall is one of my favorite July runs ever; just the right pitch and consistent all the way down. I agree with Kenji that ski boots are a bad idea on the hike out on the Spray Park trail; I just about killed my feet doing it a few years ago.
Yeah it was good to see you and Mrs. Freebird! Nice 20 mile walkabout where?
That camera turned backward is interesting, nice pack.
Good to meet you too Wolfs.
I kept saying that you should have jumped in the truck, three days in a row would have been an effort.
We ended up with the 6000vf skiing and close to 14,000vf of butter on our mountain bikes the next 4 days in the Hood River vicinity.
Legs could use a rest. ;)
That camera turned backward is interesting, nice pack.
Good to meet you too Wolfs.
I kept saying that you should have jumped in the truck, three days in a row would have been an effort.
We ended up with the 6000vf skiing and close to 14,000vf of butter on our mountain bikes the next 4 days in the Hood River vicinity.
Legs could use a rest. ;)
Nice one Amar and crew.
We skied up to the edge of Avalanche and ironically had some discussion about nearly everything you touched on. Potential softer snow as we descend on the steep slopes, potential avy with the soft snow, hiking up to get out and back to the traverse. A portion of our group was already nearly down the SW chutes with no idea that we were thinking of doing the Avalanche Headwall.
So even though we got separated on the exit traverse, we opted to keep it together and...
We skied up to the edge of Avalanche and ironically had some discussion about nearly everything you touched on. Potential softer snow as we descend on the steep slopes, potential avy with the soft snow, hiking up to get out and back to the traverse. A portion of our group was already nearly down the SW chutes with no idea that we were thinking of doing the Avalanche Headwall.
So even though we got separated on the exit traverse, we opted to keep it together and...
author=loofus link=topic=17157.msg72201#msg72201 date=1279059657]
The lack of a lower crossing has made skiing the Langille Bowls a major undertaking.
This is true. I have heard rumor of a lower crossing, but have yet to find it. Maybe it's down below treeline? Nice report and photos - the snow sure was nice on the Dome for this time of year, even if a bit unconsolidated.
Nice report. We (stoudema and myself) were up there Friday night and Saturday morning and put down some of the tracks on the dome (two reports were posted over the weekend). A rather large climbing party put in the bootpack when they summited early Saturday morning and they were breaking down their camp at the top of the dome when we arrived at around 0930. We contemplated going higher up the Sunshine, but having ditched our glacier gear at the base of Snowdome in exchange for lighter packs a...
Sneakers are OK -- the trail is mix of dirt, mud, and then some snow as you go higher. From the pass we skied/skinned.
I recommend hiking boots to the pass. The path is mix of bare, mud, snow and also some brush since we weren't quite on it. Ski boots would be ok if you don't plan to hike back via the Spray Park trail. Have fun!
Perfect to see the photos and TR, since Keith Henson and I are going to Knapsack Pass with family tomorrow.
Did you folks skin, boot or sneaker to the Pass?
Did you folks skin, boot or sneaker to the Pass?
Pavel, good to have you along. Sally and I opted to continue on the glacier to a high point on the ridge (~9500') and had a good run down. It seems we missed you all, Flett guys, by half an hour or so.
Thanks,
That picture is funny! I am sure they had a great workout.
That picture is funny! I am sure they had a great workout.
Great photo -- that's a long haul on stubby legs.
Scatter creek was going pretty good but there were low-clearance vehicles at the trailhead. The traverse around Cathedral Rock was dry all the way to Peggy's pond - our two intrepid french bulldogs made it there with minimal assistance, so I would say its ok!
(however, they were pretty sacked by the time we got to the pond)
(however, they were pretty sacked by the time we got to the pond)
Yeah, I busted through the snow down there by the lake as well. Ended up breaking the lower part of my whippet. (Fortunately Black Diamond carries replacement lower shafts.)
I have never understood why Beckey says that the climb up the block is class 3.
I have never understood why Beckey says that the climb up the block is class 3.
Nice post thanks Jim!
here's a few photo/video links from the venture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11723786@N06/sets/72157624482978036/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackmc/sets/72157624354919587/
here's a few photo/video links from the venture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11723786@N06/sets/72157624482978036/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackmc/sets/72157624354919587/