TR Replies
Nice work making the most of the high pressure -- how cold did it get at night? What was your sleep/camp arrangement?
Doh! We were thinking of going in there on Sunday also, but didn't cause I thought it wouldn't be worth it given what I saw on Kaleetan on Friday...guess I was wrong. Sorry Pete. :-[
author=John_Morrow link=topic=15702.msg65673#msg65673 date=1266943191]
Any pics of Twin Peaks or Round Mtn north sides by any chance?
Looks like fun easy tour potential.
Thanks,
John
Unfortunately not, Hanging out of the canopy with wind blowing 100+mph, hands freezing and slow card writing at 8000 feet was not working too well, so we had to get what we could :)
author=Lisa link=topic=15726.msg65639#msg65639 date=1266884088]
Hey Bob,
Nice TR. Bummer about the Neo Air pad ::) Stop by and say hello this week on your lunch.
Thanks Lisa! I managed to get the valve unstuck this morning so now I get to brush up my patching skills. I stop by later on.
"the downclimb shot gives me the shivers."
Me too! Actually it was fine except in the few places where you co...
Thanks for sharing the aerial images. They are great. You had a perfect day for the flight.
Thanks for reply, we were the group of 4 that came out after you. I just so happened to be in the rear on our boot to the car, so I know they are still lying in the trail. Bugger
We started down at around 4ish, but everything was pretty soft on that aspect by 2:30 when we got to the base.
And yeah.. "brown logs".... :( I think we call those persistant deep layer instablilities.
On the other hand... Big, corn filled open fields to carve turns on! ;)
Thanks for an awesome tour Salal!
And yeah.. "brown logs".... :( I think we call those persistant deep layer instablilities.
On the other hand... Big, corn filled open fields to carve turns on! ;)
Thanks for an awesome tour Salal!
From 5851 I skied down the ridge a short way (1-200 ft?) toward Gravel Lake before skiing down a gully. On the top I was really tempted to try the direct line but it sure looked like it cliffs out on the map. From the bottom it looks like it goes through but I'm not certain (caveat emptor!).
One cautionary word for those considering this tour or a variation: Goat Creek is steeper than it looks and the obvious route climbs up the creek most of the way. The creek itself i...
One cautionary word for those considering this tour or a variation: Goat Creek is steeper than it looks and the obvious route climbs up the creek most of the way. The creek itself i...
sounds like a great tour... i wanna try it!
author=airpoppoff link=topic=15702.msg65672#msg65672 date=1266942966]
also got some aerial shots sunday
http://blog.airpoppoff.com/2010/02/white-pass-aerial-shoot.html
Any pics of Twin Peaks or Round Mtn north sides by any chance?
Looks like fun easy tour potential.
Thanks,
John
also got some aerial shots sunday
http://blog.airpoppoff.com/2010/02/white-pass-aerial-shoot.html
http://blog.airpoppoff.com/2010/02/white-pass-aerial-shoot.html
Yeah, both of those (and the backside of Bandera) looked like they'd have some worthwhile skiing on them for sure. Kaleetan really popped out from the ridge, which was a treat. Somebody's been on it -- Anastasia saw tracks from the top.
Nice work guys -- looks like a really fun overnight!
Ah, I remember the ski out to the Lake Stuart trail head -- sounds like it is no better the second time around. :P
Ah, I remember the ski out to the Lake Stuart trail head -- sounds like it is no better the second time around. :P
author=Don_B link=topic=15699.msg65650#msg65650 date=1266899436]
Thanks for the good TR's. I've been wondering about another one near Granite that looks good right now. Has anyone tried Mt Defiance?
Totally worth a look at, especially with the road driveable to Mason/Bandera TH, Don.
When I've been up there w/o skis seems there are short slopes off all aspects, more or less.
Some visual enticement from...
What, no comments on this? Matt, this is awesome stuff. You answered a bunch of q's of mine on Goat Creek. Did you trend toward Gravel Lake a bit off 5851' or does one of those really steep gullies go? Lots of terrain and aspects back there.
Thanks,
John
Here's a pic of 5851' extreme left of Margy's right gaiter. Steep stuff, Matt.
we found some outstanding powder on the way to Poland Lake on a nice sunny day last week.
Hwy 3 to Cambie Creek parking is clear - very low snow levels this year. The parking lot is still snow covered (thinly), but the gate is not - lots of plowed piles of snow. It's like spring. You can put your skis on at the lot - no rocks or dirt...yet.
What was the snow depth at the parking lot? Was the gate covered?
Good job on the report Chmnyboy but you left out a few details about who did all the work to get us up Mt. Appleton, Kular, Blanco and Honcho deserve some credit for bringing way too many luxuries for us on our overnight excursion!
-Splitgirl
-Splitgirl
Sweet -- nice job y'all. Amusingly, it took us almost as long to get through our tour of NW Granite as it did for you to get up, down and out to the car...
Few more pics, three just isn't enough. Against better judgement about bringing his board, Andy wanted to try out his new homemade mini XC ski project they worked better in the soft wet of the Olympics......not so much on the hard packed wind blown crust on Rainier. His intentions were well thought out, short packable ski, with scalloped bases and side cut designed to work with a snowboard boot and a quick release crampon and in the right conditions ski down and turn quickly rollerblade sty...
Nice job Gents! I sure was impressed by that photo Joe took, looks beautiful out there. Glad to hear you guys got out there and enjoyed the good weather. I need to see the terrain out there with my own eyes someday soon.
Chris
Chris
Nice report, although the downclimb shot gives me the shivers.
Great TR and nice photo's that's quite a drop in to the scramble part of the route! It was tricky for my dog on dirt and she has 4 legs. Been up there a few times and never dreamed of trying to ski it. nice job.
Thanks for the good TR's. I've been wondering about another one near Granite that looks good right now. Has anyone tried Mt Defiance?
No snowmo; the TH is about 1500' and the snow line in the Olympics seems to be about 3600'. The road is normal to Lena Lk TH, then some wash out/rock wash areas after that; sign says high clearance and I would agree.
Boot
Boot
Cool photos indeed. I'm not sure I've ever seen runnels quite like that.
But between your photos and your commentary, I'm kind of glad that I ignored the casting call and instead headed up for an admittedly more mundane, common, and crowded trip up to Muir.
But between your photos and your commentary, I'm kind of glad that I ignored the casting call and instead headed up for an admittedly more mundane, common, and crowded trip up to Muir.
Thanks for the kind comments lady and gentlemen. We can't all take photos like JH but I guess we all get lucky sometimes. ;D This trip happened to come after a particularly late night and once at home, unpacked and had the kids in bed it was all that I could do to post this one picture. I didn't realize that it was "magazine cover shot" material (Thanks Jim) but I did recognize that it made the rest of my pictures from the day seem less presentable. I look forward to ret...
Hey Bob,
Nice TR. Bummer about the Neo Air pad ::) Stop by and say hello this week on your lunch.
Nice TR. Bummer about the Neo Air pad ::) Stop by and say hello this week on your lunch.
I love the 'bonus couloir.' That thing cuts through the lower cliff bands like a granite half pipe. Very very cool.
Glad you had a good ski on the Matterhorn!
Glad you had a good ski on the Matterhorn!
I don't know about crevasses higher up. We were slow from the approach and only made it to 6,200'
I love the first photo! Would not have thought your trip approachable this time of year, then again it as been the year of easier access to what normally would be spring tours.
Thanks for sharing the details of your trip. By the way, did you get to the top of the cleaver? I wonder how the crevasse coverage was ~9k on the normally large one?
Thanks for sharing the details of your trip. By the way, did you get to the top of the cleaver? I wonder how the crevasse coverage was ~9k on the normally large one?
Went to check this route out on Sunday -- nice variation on the norm, but wow are the trees icy. It wouldn't have been too bad, but we had a friend who's new to touring this year, so the steep icy skinning was pretty rough. Nonetheless, we got a fine ski off NW Granite and a gorgeous day in the hills.
Nice way to get after it guys - hope your back is feeling better Josh - thanks for the ride to the airport after the L3!!
I was part of a group of 3 skiers and we came out around 4:30 PM yesterday and didn't see the skins. But, maybe you were in that group of 4 that came out after us. Hope you get 'em back!
Awesome pic. Can it be the home page shot?
You're welcome. Lots of goods in Tahoe and down 395 on the E side this season.
While I'm thinking of it - check out Red Lakes Peak too for a really nice long corn ski - the main gully that goes down the E face towards 88 is awesome. Good access for some pretty good vertical without too much fuss.
Be sure to keep sending pics. We need the stoke (and all the snow you seem to have...).
While I'm thinking of it - check out Red Lakes Peak too for a really nice long corn ski - the main gully that goes down the E face towards 88 is awesome. Good access for some pretty good vertical without too much fuss.
Be sure to keep sending pics. We need the stoke (and all the snow you seem to have...).
Nice work, looked like a great day to be out!
I went up on Saturday and found very similar conditions. The wind really picked up above treeline and steadily grew stronger until I hunkered down behind the rime on the crater rim.
Supprising how many people were up there. Maybe 50-60 people strung out on the ascent when I came down (noonish).
I agree that the top 1500' was very hard/icy, but after that, I found creamy corn down to below treeline. With the wind blowing as hard as it was on Sat...
Supprising how many people were up there. Maybe 50-60 people strung out on the ascent when I came down (noonish).
I agree that the top 1500' was very hard/icy, but after that, I found creamy corn down to below treeline. With the wind blowing as hard as it was on Sat...
Stunning -- was there any snomo assist on this one?
Good photos; the slopes look great. Any road condition problems?
That is a great view and a great shot!
I think I can see Mount Hood :)
Nice work!
I think I can see Mount Hood :)
Nice work!
Nice report. I found about the same conditions last weekend except for the surface hoar. It is a very fun tour when the conditions are good. The lower sections in the trees were challenging for me this time.
Hi Juan,
That was Lander, Dave's dog who was sketched on the steeper slope that we booted, so he tied him up to keep him from being scared and possibly slipping on the upper slope. Lander is still a pup and has a little separation anxiety as most pups do.
You must have been the guys who skied the sub summit of Lundin. That looked good, we thought about doing both but I had to be at work at Alpy by 4:00. Nice work skiing both slopes!
That was Lander, Dave's dog who was sketched on the steeper slope that we booted, so he tied him up to keep him from being scared and possibly slipping on the upper slope. Lander is still a pup and has a little separation anxiety as most pups do.
You must have been the guys who skied the sub summit of Lundin. That looked good, we thought about doing both but I had to be at work at Alpy by 4:00. Nice work skiing both slopes!