TR Replies
Nice, Dylan! Beast mode for sure. I have yet to do that tour and really want to.
Robie, is this what you're talking about with Sunbeam Drainage? I saw someone's route on peakbagger going down there but didn't know anything more about it, it does seem like it could be nice! I'll have to try that if I do unicorn again, thanks for the info!
Andrew,
Thanks for the conditions report on
"Ski it while you still can" Unicorn.
One option for a more meaningful exit
Is skiing west into the next drainage and /or traversing high on west side of Foss peak ridge. Summit Foss peak and then ski out north thru Sunbeam drainage. It requires a walk to car or spotted car. Or a stashed bike or skateboard. Pretty much all downhill road from Sunbeam creek to snow/bench lake trailhead.
Robie
Thanks for the report. We could see the Tatoosh snowfields from Paradise lot while lower sections of Muir snowfield were socked in. Good to know the warm snow skied well...
@cumulus We did have ice axes out for the steep/crevassed sections: That section in the video was a benign bit shortly after roping up (I think you can wait to rope up higher), so we opted to cruise through then pull out ice axes as the slope steepened and crevasse signs emerged.
Man that looks nice! Love that side of the mountain.
Watching the vid (1:30) made me wonder what your rational was for roping up as a 2 person team. Roped together with no axe to arrest, a crevasse fall may pull both of you in? Seems safer without a rope...
Hard to say but I would think the couloir would have plenty of snow still. Likely to be a lot more bare spots down low though!
Nice Zap! I snuck in a DD at sunset last night in good conditions, I think it's the last one for the season for me as it's down to a ski width or less in places and a few "green" turns but still goes top to bottom. Cowboy and Mill valley probably have a week or two left with a little creativity...
Hah I found an iphone at 12k on Rainier that similarly just needed a charge to work again. Never found the owners, though
Cool report. Nailed it for sure. It's always motivating to ski underneath a big serac wall waiting to drop on a hot day!!!
Same thoughts as lilb907, this demystifies this line for me a lot
@lilb907 we can't just be scratching our way down these things now, can we?! Entry couloir was pretty mellow, it looked wide enough to make turns in all the photos I've seen as well. I think the crux of this line is routefinding & passing the schrund, the skiing itself wasn't that difficult...although we did have hero snow so take that assessment with a grain of salt. I heard you were skiing with my friend Sean up in AK!
Well done! Sorry about the injury, glad you're ok. We tried to do it in a single day push on Saturday and left the parking lot too late at 4:30am. We bailed back down the cascadian at what I call the "lunch rock" on the ridge below the false summit around 8400' due to the warm/soft conditions. The log crossing was the most heart-pounding event of the day for me, haha. Whoever set the skinner out linked remaining snow patches from the creek to Long's Pass with the prescience of some sort of je...
Nice line. Skied in great style too. Been wondering how wide that entry couloir is.
Am thinking about heading up there this weekend, do you think it’ll still be filled in enough?
The Sherwins around noon is a "fat ski day" and surfing.
Belly slides are GREAT with small legs and surf conditions. Could it be a couple "belly sliding" next to each other for a big juicy dinner?😀
@jon-rambo, that's wild. It must have died a few days after you lost it and then survived the rain and snow since there was no charge left in the battery to short anything. When I charged it up yesterday, it was still in airplane mode and thought it was September 9th, so that checks out... Strong work, Apple engineers!
DM me if you can. I'm in Seattle if you want to come pick it up.
I don’t believe it!! You found my phone.
Would you believe me if I told you I lost it last year on September 3rd?
Can’t believe it survived the winter. Here is my instagram if you want some proof that it’s mine 😀
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLqWd2Xh0ssQXwJGXvDgLYNltqJwzdJOlUb7oA0/?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
It really is a nice spot, but I’m always late. So often by the time you can drive close it is cooked. Beautiful pictures.
Strong work Tim! Always fun seeing your yearly new line on Rainier.
Sweet, thanks for the share. I think I remember you posted a TR back then? Oh yeah, here it is: https://turns-all-year.com/trip-reports/may-2-2014-dark-peak-first-ski-descent
Thanks for the memories
@happycamper 9070 still is pretty snowy- as of Sunday it was basically solid snow to the spray fields when I skiied the zipper via Roaring ridge approach. Big berm at the entrance as well, and very good coverage around Mt. Catherine. Give 2 more weeks and you should be able to drive fairly far up for easy approaches to Silver Peak area.
Love going up there on those sunny days just after the lifts close. Will miss Alpental for the next couple years - but worth it I think.
My memory is dim on this, but it seems like the melt on the lower slopes happened faster this year.
Anyone venture up FS 9070 to Olallie yet?
Awesome! Sounds exhausting but looks like a great time. Thanks for sharing!
Nicely done!
That's a big day. My one time up there it wrecked me.
We followed its tracks a bit. They weren't fresh, but maybe only 24 hours old. It crossed the valley and went straight up an 600 foot 50 degree slope.
Great pictures! What a fun trip. So was the Wolverine following your tracks?
So good! Way to go guys. That looked stellar. And great TR Kam.
Cool trip, Kyle. Looks like nice terrain and even an RV "hut" available
Sounds like convective showers. Post frontal cold air aloft over surfaces warmed from solar radiation- causing instability and thus snow showers. The cold air aloft also helps keep the ptype as snow even when the surface climbs above freezing.
As a long-time reader and newly minted TR author, I've noticed a decline in TR participation. This observation has prompted me to take action by providing some beta and a few pow-licious photos in hopes of raising the stoke, which could help build a more welcoming forum for all BC enthusiasts. Whether you're a noob learning the ropes or a grizzled vet trying to protect "your" stash, I believe we can benefit from sharing our experiences and knowledge.
I've personally gained a lot from...
Fyi I was up there this week and the road has been plowed (for logging) from the bridge to a fork about 1 mile from the trail branch. From the dry road there's solid snowpack. Approach conditions are optimal especially for biking. Beware logging trucks midweek.
Freaking glorious Tim!! Such amazing skiing and so nice to see someone that knows how to plant a pole. Two more for my list. Thank you!
We turned the corner right around 3k where the angle eases up. This involved some scrappy tree skiing. Might be better to drop a little further.