TR Replies

Washington Pass Pics, April 16-24

author=JibberD link=topic=16558.msg69247#msg69247 date=1272946707]
Thanks for the report Chris.

Are putting some good stink into those new boots of yours?

Well yes Douglas I am. Are you still sweating profusely in you midriff area?

5/3/10 2:02pm

lrudholm

Its a long approach, especially compared too stuff on Washington pass. Reynolds is a fun one in that neck of the woods as well.

5/3/10 1:22pm

JibberD

Thanks for the report Chris.

Are putting some good stink into those new boots of yours?

5/3/10 1:18pm

Scotsman

author=Robie link=topic=16558.msg69234#msg69234 date=1272940953]
Is the paradise river road plowed ?

If you mean the road from the visitor center down to 4th crossing... yes as far as 4th crossing as of yesterday. They actually scooped up the last of the snow exposing the asphalt just before we skinned up. We were able to stay on skis by using a foot wide snow shoulder... but only just.
exposed asphalt will increase shoulder...

5/3/10 12:10pm

Robie

Is the paradise river road plowed ?

5/3/10 11:42am

Scotsman

author=Robie link=topic=16558.msg69212#msg69212 date=1272931865]
Best to cross that one at speed and not looking down ;)

Trouble is there is a steep bit of uphill right at the other side= cross with speed= going down into da river!!!!!
Mofro and his 10 year old braver than me and crossed and as I said I went down to road.
Undercut snow my concern. It's the engineer in me that makes me such a coward. I had already ca...

5/3/10 9:17am

Scotsman

author=GregSimon link=topic=16558.msg69199#msg69199 date=1272925958]
Did you happen to notice if there's still snow to the nisqually bridge? I've never skied all the way to the bridge and was hoping to try that this spring.

Not to the Bridge in my opinion. You could probably still ski to the terminus Ok but expect a walk back to the actual bridge.I was checking it out too.

5/3/10 9:13am

Robie

Small bridge at 4th crossing a bit daunting

Best to cross that one at speed and not looking down ;)

5/3/10 9:11am

Mofro

Nice time feeling our way through the poor vis Scotsman, my son had a great time.

author=GregSimon link=topic=16558.msg69199#msg69199 date=1272925958]
Did you happen to notice if there's still snow to the nisqually bridge? I've never skied all the way to the bridge and was hoping to try that this spring.

I was eyeballing that on the way in and out and trying to connect all of the patches. Might s...

5/3/10 8:28am

GregSimon

25 April, Mt Pattison and environs, Blackcomb BC

Did you happen to notice if there's still snow to the nisqually bridge? I've never skied all the way to the bridge and was hoping to try that this spring.

5/3/10 7:32am

runningclouds

I think we saw you ski Pattison from Trorey
http://www.flickr.com/photos/runningclouds/4566004147/in/set-72157623818609673/

Good on you getting the line before the Whistler heli-skiers (so much for all their talk about being respectful of backcountry skiers, total bs in my view).
We were heading to the same spot but decided for a second run off Trorey after the heli-skiers started coming.

Great shots!

5/3/10 7:27am

JoshK

May 1, 2010, Wing Lake, Black Peak area

"He had skied off a 15' vertical road cut onto the flat asphalt"

Owwww... Talk about a flat landing.

5/3/10 6:49am

AlpinWeiss

I was in the group ahead of y'all on Saturday (apologies for the steep track in parts).

We headed up towards the S Face of Black Peak. About 7900' the snow started to change character and become much more wind-affected. We started to see a reactive top layer and given that our route to the col (up high to avoid cornices) only got steeper and more wind-exposed, we elected to turn around.

Skied good snow NE facing down to Wing lake where we skinned back up to the pr...

5/3/10 5:11am

hypermartyr

May 1, 2010, Pea Gravel Ridge, Mount Hood

Agreed. It is shaping up to be a good, long spring season!!

5/3/10 2:00am

Joedabaker

author=Teleskichica link=topic=16535.msg69164#msg69164 date=1272866986]
Slightly off topic... but for those of you using the Switchbacks, if you have issues with snowballing up under the toe or on the heal piece, which I and others seemed to have had quite a problem with in the past, clear packing tape applied to the plastic is the trick. No problems whatsoever now!

Let me know next time you break out those teles Joe, I'll join ya! :)

5/2/10 11:57pm

Teleskichica

May 1, 2010, Pea Gravel Ridge, Mount Hood

Slightly off topic... but for those of you using the Switchbacks, if you have issues with snowballing up under the toe or on the heal piece, which I and others seemed to have had quite a problem with in the past, clear packing tape applied to the plastic is the trick. No problems whatsoever now!

Let me know next time you break out those teles Joe, I'll join ya! :)

5/2/10 3:09pm

GregSimon

May 2, 2010, Alpental

I went up to pineapple pass this AM and skied down between 11 and 11:45. The top 600ft or so was heavy but nice, the rest was just heavy. But still better than I expected. And the snowpack (at least above 3500 feet or so) is still getting deeper in May!

5/2/10 12:46pm

stoudema

Nice - we were at Meadows and had similar conditions. There weren't too many people either so it was a good day. Hood's still got a good base, so early summer should be pretty good!

5/2/10 12:26pm

Daniel_G

5/1 Cayuse to Crystal traverse

thanks for the report and pictures.

5/2/10 10:58am

ebeam

South Early Winter Spire, April 29, 2010

Nice pictures and write up Cons.

Not that I would ski that one, but I know what you mean how it feels better when you click into your skis compared to climbing in boots.

5/2/10 6:41am

Jason_H.

5/1 Cayuse to Crystal traverse

Thanks for the invitation Kyle. It was a good time.

While I didn't really take photos, I did pull out the camera a few times.

5/2/10 3:14am

Stimbuck

You really do get a sense of how much snow the equipment operators have to deal with!

5/2/10 1:05am

skier8484

5/1 Cayuse to Crystal traverse

author=Kyle Miller link=topic=16535.msg69118#msg69118 date=1272774252]
I'm glad you liked our skin track but we didn't exit via 410. ;)

Myself and two others can claim the tracks out to the HWY. Skiing above ~5,000' was gerenerally really good, with good visibility holding throughout the tour.

Definitely can vouch for the amount of snow up there; the cornices near Naches are fat!

5/1/10 4:35pm

Joedabaker

It's to bad I missed out on that one. I did that a couple years ago and called it the "Chutes and Summit Tour". When we skied what you call Smoka there was thunder and lightning and just enough snow to ski the chute's crux as it rained relentlessly. I considered reenacting that trip today if I had partners, maybe minus the Naches summit. I like the ski from the peak above Deadwood to the lakes, that cornice can get huge. That is a great run. Nice trip guys!

5/1/10 3:15pm

Joedabaker

author=Kyle Miller link=topic=16535.msg69118#msg69118 date=1272774252]
I'm glad you liked our skin track but we didn't exit via 410. ;)

Thanks for the track it was very effective. It's hard to believe the skin tracks were yours, so mellow.
Sorry to have missed you.

author=md2020 link=topic=16535.msg69117#msg69117 date=1272772973]
That's when you'll really sta...

5/1/10 1:59pm

Kyle Miller

I'm glad you liked our skin track but we didn't exit via 410. ;)

5/1/10 1:24pm

md2020

South Early Winter Spire, April 29, 2010

Thanks for the report Joe. It's been so long since we've been able to ski from Cayuse before they open Chinook. Hopefully Brenda and I will be able to get up there in the next week or two. Great to hear there's so much snow. Now if the weather would settle down long enough for it to corn up. That's when you'll really start appreciating that setup.

5/1/10 1:02pm

cons

Haha, 175 Kilowatts. Those snowblade short skis would have been the ski of choice for that upper section/choke.

5/1/10 2:05am

JimD

South Early Winter Spire, April 29, 2010

Yowza! NICE. What length are yer skis?

5/1/10 1:25am

wickstad

April 25, 2010, Vesper Powder

author=shred link=topic=16481.msg68907#msg68907 date=1272426244]
HAHA. It is funny to compare our styles, so very contrasting. Jim is so solid making all those turns. He makes it look so effortless, me on the other hand, well I guess I am just to lazy... ;)

In the words of Brad Pitt: I think that's "the shit"!

5/1/10 12:18am

kuharicm

25 April, Mt Pattison and environs, Blackcomb BC

I especially like that first picture.

4/30/10 11:12pm

Erick Heyl

April 18 Columbia Pk, Montecristo

Way cool, excellent pictures! :D

4/30/10 3:26pm

telemack

gogobadboys

VisIbility is desirable.

I'm planning a geezer tour in mycast with some pals next Sat. and i will surpass U fo sho

4/30/10 2:44pm

~Link~

25 April, Mt Pattison and environs, Blackcomb BC

author=alecapone link=topic=16521.msg69046#msg69046 date=1272639309]
Kyle has yet to get to the immediate Stevens pass back country it seemed a good choice.

???

I had a great day touring my yard with the lawn mower... A bit of overcast, but great visibility.

Cheers

4/30/10 12:52pm

Joedabaker

We skied the "Closed Blackcomb Glacier" the same day and were treated to powder very similar to your pictures. For a closed slope it got quite a few tracks on it by days end ;D.
A lot of skinners going up to to the Spearhead vocalizing the powder hoot as we ripped on by.
Thanks for sharing your pics the breaks in the day were very nice!

4/30/10 11:20am

eduardo blanchard

April 18 Columbia Pk, Montecristo

Yep we stopped at the top of the couloir on the ridge... No way to make the summit with no climbing gear

Here's what it looked like.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QTpLSI1hTj8/S9t0O6KoSTI/AAAAAAAAATM/4aqLB7smFcs/s1600/_MG_0017_edit_small.jpg

Here's also a picture of our original plan, the coulie that comes off the main summit. I think it would have been possible to negotiate the rock barrier on the ski down, but i'd want some gear to climb it
http://2.bp...

4/30/10 9:47am

skier8484

April 30, 2010, Goat Mountain

Nice work. Hopefully I can join up next time.

4/30/10 8:36am

David_Coleman

April 18 Columbia Pk, Montecristo

Kyle - when don't you cover some ground? ::)

4/30/10 6:56am

David_Coleman

Damn - we skinned right under that Couloir a few yrs back, but were opting for a different route. Now in hindsight, wish I would've skied that. Looks sick. I'll have to go back.

4/30/10 5:55am

Kyle Miller