TR Replies
Thanks for all the comments. Joe, if I understand correctly, the new policy of the park is that if they don't need to plow the road, they'll leave the gate open; GaryJan might be able to clarify. I called the wilderness info center the day before and they clarified the road would be open all night. The winds have been strange this year, and I'm noticed certain lines filling in differently than in the past, which may explain why you didn't see it last year. That 'zelda�...
Nice trip Kyle! Thanks for the link to Oyvind's report too. I have been wondering if any TAYers have been getting to the Big Chiawaukum chutes. The route home looks to make it a classic 1 or 2 day tour! Back in the 80's and early 90's I did several weekend trips up Wildhorse creek after Stevens would close and usuallly skied both sides of Deadhorse pass. Those trips were on "toothpicks and tennis shoes" so the chutes were not even considered. ...
Yeah, when we were there late Feb. early March, we has unstable conditions. We had a storm give us ~6" just before we arrived and skied safe pockets for a week. Good fun. Nice, new, clean camp. Warm tents.
Just got back from Joffre area near Pemberton, BC. Got to watch the spring avy cycle spring into action from safe valley bottoms. Snuck out for four days.
Just got back from Joffre area near Pemberton, BC. Got to watch the spring avy cycle spring into action from safe valley bottoms. Snuck out for four days.
Hey Scott and crew. That was I on the snowmobile. I caught a photo of one of the powder clouds coming off the Colfax Icefall. The wind was sure loading it up! The Headwall above the Thunder Gl. was pretty nice powder snow, transitioning to a mixed bag near the Thunder Gl. Icefall, then corn below and down into the basin. Great corn on Marmot Ridge near the Warm Cr. chutes heading back to Grouse Ridge.
Winner winner, chicken dinner!
Don't forget your skins and backpack next time you're in Seattle.
Don't forget your skins and backpack next time you're in Seattle.
Thanks for posting the trip Don! Just looking at this picture makes the crosseyed vertigo come back.
Update 4/18. An invisible hand has placed a huge boulder 1/2 mi before TH. You can drive around it but then there is a patch of snow only a truck with very high clearance can cross, and after it brown and more snow. First couple of miles you have to alternate between skin and carry all the time (or skin on brown). I broke a pole crossing one of the avalanche swaths, pushed on for another mile, and turned back. Funny how much extra work a missing pole adds... WMD is right: staying low at creek le...
Always nice to see stuff for the Hurricane area! :)
Sounds like a good day Tyler.
Are they done locking the gate at night now? 6:00 sounds early for a gate keeper. Or do you have special privileges? 8)
That looks like a tight line on Angeles. I don't recall seeing that one when I was over there last season.
I do recall skiing what I think may be your Legend of Zelda (?) line if it the one I am thinking of. Maybe near or a bit east of where you took the shot of Mt. Angeles? There...
Are they done locking the gate at night now? 6:00 sounds early for a gate keeper. Or do you have special privileges? 8)
That looks like a tight line on Angeles. I don't recall seeing that one when I was over there last season.
I do recall skiing what I think may be your Legend of Zelda (?) line if it the one I am thinking of. Maybe near or a bit east of where you took the shot of Mt. Angeles? There...
Thanks for sharing wmd. (I also love WMD's)
Bring back pictures next time.
Bring back pictures next time.
Good gettin guys!
Way to represent the split boarders.
Great pictures Kyle. It definately looks good up there.
So I have free-based Gu but never snorted it. Sounds straight off eight mile. ;)
Is it worth dehydrating?
Way to represent the split boarders.
Great pictures Kyle. It definately looks good up there.
So I have free-based Gu but never snorted it. Sounds straight off eight mile. ;)
Is it worth dehydrating?
Funny to think that there was bottomless pow conditions 2 weeks ago.
Nice Job Oyvind! We did Josephine that day. Looking to do Cutthroat tomorrow. Have a great day if you get out.
Thanks, WMD! I was having some misgivings about my chosen destination for tomorrow and your TR enabled me to reconsider my choices since Ruth was on my short list anyway. N
Nice job milking the Snoqualmie powder season!
"I call BS"
I got in front by accident, and then Kyle couldn't get around me. No burgers, but we did have some smoked salmon and summer sausage up top... and then snorted some dehydrated gu.
It really was an awesome route. Thanks to Kyle for doing a great job at planning this out.
From our vantage I would say the summit looked obtainable, but somewhat technical. it was corniced and getting alot of sun.
I got in front by accident, and then Kyle couldn't get around me. No burgers, but we did have some smoked salmon and summer sausage up top... and then snorted some dehydrated gu.
It really was an awesome route. Thanks to Kyle for doing a great job at planning this out.
From our vantage I would say the summit looked obtainable, but somewhat technical. it was corniced and getting alot of sun.
Good work. I am curious if you topped out on the actual true summit of Big C? If not what would your impression be of continuing on from where you reached your high point.
Thanks,
Eric
Thanks,
Eric
author=Joedabaker link=topic=16396.msg68519#msg68519 date=1271467336]
That is such awesome terrain up there. I spent many summers hiking as a youngster up there. Glad you got a piece of that action, always wanted to ski that prominent chute and the Swath.
I am surprised how much snow there is in the Swath with the bad season and all.
Great work!
JOe The Swath needs to be hit. Call me ;)
Amazing Kyle, great p...
That is such awesome terrain up there. I spent many summers hiking as a youngster up there. Glad you got a piece of that action, always wanted to ski that prominent chute and the Swath.
I am surprised how much snow there is in the Swath with the bad season and all.
Great work!
I am surprised how much snow there is in the Swath with the bad season and all.
Great work!
Cool pics and nice one guys! Although I do call BS on your comment, "Scott took the lead..." booting up the couloir, unless there were smoked burgers waiting for him at the top.
Thanks Andy ,that's helpful. We need some cold nights.
wow! amazing helmut cam on the ridge! looks like a big drop skiers right.
Very well done! Kick-ass fantastic. I've always wanted to snowboard up there. Incredible terrain with a trailhead within 30 minutes of my house.
Dude, nice pics and way to nail it you guys! Great pics Kyle! Did you guys eat some delicious breakfast sandwiches to help you on your way? ;)
Way to get it out E. Looks like you're fighting some thin cover!
Looks like the sledders were working on the sidehill, digging out a bit to get past the debris.
author=Darryl link=topic=16359.msg68417#msg68417 date=1271282147]
Not only does she win rando races, she skis with a cat on her back!
and not only that, but she should have been the Lange girl too. Still think it's a crime that she didn't win....
Cool trip, I was wondering about that last week.
From your pics, it looks like you hit it about right, anymore snow and the approach is long. We did it about 8 years ago mid winter with very low snow elevation and the approach was tough, but well worth it.
From your pics, it looks like you hit it about right, anymore snow and the approach is long. We did it about 8 years ago mid winter with very low snow elevation and the approach was tough, but well worth it.
author=CookieMonster link=topic=16323.msg68303#msg68303 date=1271134497]
I'm not trying to be snarky, but CascadeClimber made these posts with the convenience of hindsight. This doesn't make him look smart or experienced ... it makes him look awfully sanctimonius.
This is your assumption. I'd be willing to bet CC didn't just read a Seattle Times article and think it was dangerous out there. A 5 year...
like the ridge ski with the sun....it was great with the music!
MY personel rule of thumb.
DO the the trees run all the way up to the ridge line? Is there a starting zone above the trees?
I'm of the opinion that the ups and downs of temperature of our marine climate causes tree bombs which in turn helps stabilize stands of old growth. All bets are off if there has been sustained deep cold or heavy rain .
DO the the trees run all the way up to the ridge line? Is there a starting zone above the trees?
I'm of the opinion that the ups and downs of temperature of our marine climate causes tree bombs which in turn helps stabilize stands of old growth. All bets are off if there has been sustained deep cold or heavy rain .
The issue is not the trees but how they relate to the terrain. You can ski to Pineapple Basin and trigger small avalanches in the trees that have nowhere to go because of the configuration of the slope. Are the trees below a large path, above an unsupported slope of out in the middle or a bowl? Context will inform you how safe the tree skiing is.
The accidents occurred near or in actual avalanche paths, so does that make the trees a poor choice? That depends on how the terrain relates...
The accidents occurred near or in actual avalanche paths, so does that make the trees a poor choice? That depends on how the terrain relates...
Wow, it this cc.com?
I tend to go with the voice of reason, and not pow turns.
But Loren and I both have families and find it completely selfish to put ourselves in harms way as the BC was on those epic days. That's why i chose to ski in bounds those days.
It all comes down to choice and your level of comfort, and most of that comes from experience, educating, teaching and preaching.
Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.
I tend to go with the voice of reason, and not pow turns.
But Loren and I both have families and find it completely selfish to put ourselves in harms way as the BC was on those epic days. That's why i chose to ski in bounds those days.
It all comes down to choice and your level of comfort, and most of that comes from experience, educating, teaching and preaching.
Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted.
The little range that rocks. We go to the other hut, the cat-in Valhalla Mountain Touring (next hut north). Fantastic terrain and variety - always something good & safe, never skied out.
author=Snow Bell link=topic=16346.msg68332#msg68332 date=1271179710]
Jan, Jeff and Gary had to get going so Stugie and I thanked them for their company and climbed back to the nameless peak to tackle the chute skiers left. It looked pretty darned enticing.
It was hard to part company with you two knowing where you were headed. Nice job figuring your way out of some tricky terrain.
Joe, your TR is a great r...
I make no claim to extensive experience, but here is what I think I've learned from people more experienced than I.
1) It takes extraordinary avalanche conditions to take out stands of old growth, ie, heavy loading with especially bad weak layers. To me, this means big, upside-down storms on slick crusts or rain on snow.
2) Avalanches can probably run through trees for a while well enough to kill a person even without totally nuking the timber, so the evident path l...
1) It takes extraordinary avalanche conditions to take out stands of old growth, ie, heavy loading with especially bad weak layers. To me, this means big, upside-down storms on slick crusts or rain on snow.
2) Avalanches can probably run through trees for a while well enough to kill a person even without totally nuking the timber, so the evident path l...
author=alecapone link=topic=16350.msg68316#msg68316 date=1271170197]What would that type of snow be described as?
AleCapone looks just fine, it was probably me who scared the drivers off.
The technical description for that type of snow is "decomposing and fragmented precipitation particles". I usually think of it as "tired snow" because it has little response when a dynamic load is applied. It just sits there a...
author=Snow Bell link=topic=16349.msg68333#msg68333 date=1271180009]
Sorry it didn't work out to meet up on Sunday. If you did this trip on Saturday it would have been perfect because maybe you would have been fatigued enough for us to keep up. ;)
Nope, my money would still be on Kyle waiting for (at least me) at the top, even after a day like that. :)
author=alecapone link=topic=16350.msg68316#msg68316 date=1271170197]
HAha... I'm not that bad! Just not well shaven.
What would that type of snow be described as?
Alecapone is my bro and I'm honored to have his "shredded wood-chips" plume on my wallpaper.
And I know I'm funny-looking, but I have a big smile :D and one guy w/o boards is an easier stop decision than 2 with.
author=Oyvind_Henningsen link=topic=16359.msg68325#msg68325 date=1271177569]
No wonder this girl wins rando races!!!
Not only does she win rando races, she skis with a cat on her back!
If only the Gorge had a consistent 2,000' snow level, I've got to think that this place would be hugely popular with skiers. Instead we only saw a couple of people on Sunday, two solo hikers on snow shoes.
I think that it's the best backcountry skiing I've ever found below 4000'.
(Ok, the top is actually 4,300', but you know what I mean...)
I think that it's the best backcountry skiing I've ever found below 4000'.
(Ok, the top is actually 4,300', but you know what I mean...)
Strong day all the way around. Nice work.
Looks like a great adventure... love the POV camera work.
GoPro Camera?
GoPro Camera?