TR Replies
Glad to see you guys were out getting some :) while I had to work :(
Great photo Snowbell,
Gary
Great photo Snowbell,
Gary
Love that picture! Is that your doing, Mr. Bell? WOW!
That is a beautiful area. We have hiked it in the summer and have wanted to do a winter trip through this area. Good report and nice pictures.
Gary
Gary
Nice TR and photos. We haven't seen many reports from Hogback this season.
Great trip, thanks for the report. The weather window has been awesome. I've thought once or twice about that loop, what was the snow like on N aspects?
Lisa and Amar,
I think we may have skied down as you were coming up? Were you the group that left a barking dog tied up while you summited? We heard him as we skinned up for a second run across the valley
Beautiful day indeed but not quite the corn harvest we were also expecting
I think we may have skied down as you were coming up? Were you the group that left a barking dog tied up while you summited? We heard him as we skinned up for a second run across the valley
Beautiful day indeed but not quite the corn harvest we were also expecting
Yep, it's off of Cascade River Road. Definitely a potentially dangerous peak\lookout to access if the conditions aren't stable. The climbers we saw accessed the east ridge of it by crossing a N-NE aspect slope, with perfect angles, and a run out onto the frozen lake.
ahhhhh the sunshine and spring conditions were so great, and were made even better by the company! thanks again to all who joined us.
jim h--thanks for the info on the ne shoulder of castle--i've heard good things about those open corn slopes you speak of, especially once spring officially starts. 8) looking forward to exploring!
jim h--thanks for the info on the ne shoulder of castle--i've heard good things about those open corn slopes you speak of, especially once spring officially starts. 8) looking forward to exploring!
Amar, Dave Brown and I were up there Saturday enjoying the same conditions. Here is a photo taken at sunset on Saturday from a fellow Alpental patroller of mine from the top of Chair one.
As a newbie - congrats on the Centurion
Hi Jerm, It was so nice to meet up with you. Yes, the conditions got much better in the valleys north of Tseugaike. We got a nice 50cm dump of blower in the Tengapara area ,then it snowed just a little bit every day with no wind which kept everything OK . The resorts never really got a lot of fresh snow and there was a big wind event on Friday that moved a lot of snow around.
Leaving to go back to Tokyo this morning and its very cold and clear. Sad to be leaving this beautiful valley and a...
Leaving to go back to Tokyo this morning and its very cold and clear. Sad to be leaving this beautiful valley and a...
Great to ski with you guys, and thanks for stopping my runaway ski!
Looks like conditions improved through the week?
My pics (sunny ones are from the day I skied with you at Tsugaike/Norikura).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmalczyk/sets/72157623332997971/
Looks like conditions improved through the week?
My pics (sunny ones are from the day I skied with you at Tsugaike/Norikura).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmalczyk/sets/72157623332997971/
Nice! Am looking forward to hearing about your adventures.
Chris
Chris
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=15694.msg65554#msg65554 date=1266725769]
Three of us headed up the same route today, Feb 20, also hoping to find corn. Instead, we found conditions which were essentially identical to everything you describe for yesterday, including the same patch of powder and cupful of corn. Only change today might be that the breakable crust up high is slightly less breakable and mostly supportive on skis.
Same d...
Nice work you guys. Looks like a beautiful day. Can't believe it's spring already!
Thanks for the TR John -- good info on a new twist to Granite. Gorgeous pictures.
Three of us headed up the same route today, Feb 20, also hoping to find corn. Instead, we found conditions which were essentially identical to everything you describe for yesterday, including the same patch of powder and cupful of corn. Only change today might be that the breakable crust up high is slightly less breakable and mostly supportive on skis.
Kudos for writing such an accurate TR, Becky! It's not that easy to be objective and accurate, many others fail. Too bad we didn&...
Kudos for writing such an accurate TR, Becky! It's not that easy to be objective and accurate, many others fail. Too bad we didn&...
author=cons link=topic=15657.msg65547#msg65547 date=1266717404]
Yep, you hit the nail on the head. That was the spot, and everything you described sounds accurate. Except the couloir that was triggered ran NW towards Tomyhoi, not NE.
I can email you pics of the slide.
My bad, I meant NW, but wrote NE.
Email sent, thanks.
a few pics.... andy and becky finding decent snow up high and some of the chunkier debris bits lower on the face...
Yep, you hit the nail on the head. That was the spot, and everything you described sounds accurate. Except the couloir that was triggered ran NW towards Tomyhoi, not NE. The wind was blowing hard on the ridges, but quite quiet in the bowls. Watching the winds on Shuksan was impressive. Strong NE. Didn't notice a shift N, we might have come down before that.
I can email you pics of the slide. I don't know how to condense them on this, and I don't like my fam seeing avalanche s...
I can email you pics of the slide. I don't know how to condense them on this, and I don't like my fam seeing avalanche s...
author=BeckyB link=topic=15694.msg65540#msg65540 date=1266706763]
The ski out was a predictably icy luge track, but for some reason I always enjoy those so for me it was a good ski from top to bottom.
Something's wrong with you.
;)
Nice work on the day off :)
Interesting TR and beautiful photos in your blog. Glad you avoided the sensitive snow first hand.
I am curious about the conditions setting up your remote triggers and their site(s) on Goat Mt. Here are a few questions/issues that maybe you could comment on:
The avalanche you remotely triggered, is its crown seen on the little knob in the center of your 2nd to last blog picture? Is this located roughly by the red circle on my attached picture?
Did the slide run d...
I am curious about the conditions setting up your remote triggers and their site(s) on Goat Mt. Here are a few questions/issues that maybe you could comment on:
The avalanche you remotely triggered, is its crown seen on the little knob in the center of your 2nd to last blog picture? Is this located roughly by the red circle on my attached picture?
Did the slide run d...
author=savegondor link=topic=15689.msg65536#msg65536 date=1266702147]
...is that fire-lookout open at all in the winter?
The FS says you can stay the lookouts, but access to them might be sketchy (e.g., this one sometimes and especially Three Fingers). The lookouts are not locked, but are winterized with shudders on windows (and door). You have to reach underneath the shudder to get in so it can be kind of difficult especia...
I swear I'm gunna score a snowmobile before the next such trip...access in remote locations would be very nice...esp the snowies...could avoid the 8 mile slog to the steeps.
Is that the HIdden Lake with the Fire Lookout at the top of the nearby peak? And if so...is that fire-lookout open at all in the winter? I suspect not given the avi terrain that surrounds it.
author=caverpilot link=topic=15618.msg65528#msg65528 date=1266695649">
Actually, it's St. Joseph Peak, immediately to the south. An epic ski-tour, for sure! See more pics of it here:
St. Joseph Peak
Sweeney Peak, St. Joseph, Little St. Joe, St. Mary, Ward, Como Peaks, Trapper, Bass Creek, hell most of the Bitterroot drainages provide good backcountry skiin...
Actually, it's St. Joseph Peak, immediately to the south. An epic ski-tour, for sure! See more pics of it here:
St. Joseph Peak
Sweeney Peak, St. Joseph, Little St. Joe, St. Mary, Ward, Como Peaks, Trapper, Bass Creek, hell most of the Bitterroot drainages provide good backcountry skiing.
ungated roads go high on Sweeney, St. Mary, Trapper. If the snow is down in the valley, you...
St. Joseph Peak
Sweeney Peak, St. Joseph, Little St. Joe, St. Mary, Ward, Como Peaks, Trapper, Bass Creek, hell most of the Bitterroot drainages provide good backcountry skiing.
ungated roads go high on Sweeney, St. Mary, Trapper. If the snow is down in the valley, you...
Good adventure, Holly! Way to explore - funny how everybody's already looking for, finding and talking about corn. And nice, knowledgeable sledders? Go figure. 8)
Nice, Scottie - looks like a dream fulfilled. Send more pictures. Sayanara.
Wish I saw the porcupine
We also skied that cute the last time we tried to ski the main chute
Cool Pic :)
We also skied that cute the last time we tried to ski the main chute
Cool Pic :)
Good job!
Thanks for the recon video report of conditions, wish I was with you guys.
Did you see the big, fat porcupine near the top of the chute?
I saw one out there a couple weeks ago.
But on our trip the fog was so intense and we screwed up and missed the main upper chute and skied a more easterly facing chute in a surface crust.
When we got to the bottom I said that this does not look right and pulled out the map, compass and GPS. We were slightly off mark. Dar...
Thanks for the recon video report of conditions, wish I was with you guys.
Did you see the big, fat porcupine near the top of the chute?
I saw one out there a couple weeks ago.
But on our trip the fog was so intense and we screwed up and missed the main upper chute and skied a more easterly facing chute in a surface crust.
When we got to the bottom I said that this does not look right and pulled out the map, compass and GPS. We were slightly off mark. Dar...
That sounds like Silas -- his gear always makes me feel fat.
Silas,
were you the guy who showed me his 5 lb skis? (about 12?). I was the solo guy with the red climbing boots. The wind was nasty on the ridge, but I crossed over and there was much less wind on the west side. There was even less wind on the top!
were you the guy who showed me his 5 lb skis? (about 12?). I was the solo guy with the red climbing boots. The wind was nasty on the ridge, but I crossed over and there was much less wind on the west side. There was even less wind on the top!
Thanks for the link. I'm shooting for an ascent Sunday morning on splitboard. Welcome the company if anyone would like to join in.
If only ski area could put their fuel/energy into something more constructive, like grooming nordic ski trails (instead of destroying them). To a paying nordic skier, it seems like a major waste of resources for a closed hill.
Beware snowshoe races at Hyak on Saturday too ("Romp-and-Stomp"). I still can't figure how to drive the car with my snowshoes on. :)
Beware snowshoe races at Hyak on Saturday too ("Romp-and-Stomp"). I still can't figure how to drive the car with my snowshoes on. :)
For anybody else interested, directions for the shortcut (again, appreciation to the folks from Bellingham Mountain Rescue who were kind enough to lead):
Starting from the Heliotrope parking lot, skin up the road until you hit the outhouse on the left hand side. From there it's a relatively modest bushwhack about a 1/4 mile SSE to the creek/wash, which you follow south and up. Turn more uphill at the second gulley to the east (best seen in google earth shots), gain the ridge,...
Starting from the Heliotrope parking lot, skin up the road until you hit the outhouse on the left hand side. From there it's a relatively modest bushwhack about a 1/4 mile SSE to the creek/wash, which you follow south and up. Turn more uphill at the second gulley to the east (best seen in google earth shots), gain the ridge,...
My estimate is nice dry tennis shoe hike up to about 3600' and then we followed the boot pack up to the SW rib around 4600-4800' where the wind speed drained my enthusiasm and caused me concern about a ski blowing away. Probably < 35mph, but no fun for a geezer.
A fun morning out, and a quick drive back to town to enjoy the balmy afternoon.
A fun morning out, and a quick drive back to town to enjoy the balmy afternoon.
author=Big Steve link=topic=15656.msg65408#msg65408 date=1266520622]
Thanks for the cheery snow report, John. :'(
Since I hate to be the teller of bad news, Steve, here's some good:
Rumor has it there was "perfect corn' on Granite today, so turn that frown upside down, partner!
John
this scares the whoomphin heck outta me ...
btw .. great pix
btw .. great pix
I'm really glad we didn't go up the SE ridge which was where we were heading. It just looked slabby and we'd have to cut switchbacks on exposed terrain. It was more of a feeling to reverse our course from that direction.
Then up higher, I'm really glad I stuck to tight switchbacks in the trees. I was tempted to just make them longer and go out on the open slopes. I would have been toast if I did that too. The main clue was the heat. Next time I'd get an alpine start...
Then up higher, I'm really glad I stuck to tight switchbacks in the trees. I was tempted to just make them longer and go out on the open slopes. I would have been toast if I did that too. The main clue was the heat. Next time I'd get an alpine start...
Great job with awareness and navigation choices. Anything you'd do differently?
Did you get a look at what it was sliding on?
Did you get a look at what it was sliding on?
Thanks for the cheery snow report, John. :'(