TR Replies
It's not wilderness, nor is it water shed.
If it is wilderness, they are not allowed.. I don't think there is much that can be done about it though. They know they aren't supposed to be there, so you wouldn't be able to approach them. Maybe call the ranger from a cell phone or something??? Who the hell would you call?
author=JasonGerend link=topic=13082.msg54474#msg54474 date=1240248689]
We woke at 2:00 AM
2:00 AM! and I thought Brenda and I leaving Renton at 5:30 yesterday was early. Needless to say we were one of the last parties out of the parking lot. We climbed the east side of the gully, as the snow was much smoother than that across the way from all the climbing and skiing activity. We ended up on (for us) an uncomfortably steep traverse towa...
Glad you guys had a good trip! I'll hopefully be able to join you next time Joe! Fun hanging out at the ski chicas though!
author=glenn_b link=topic=13080.msg54472#msg54472 date=1240247414]
Be assured your choice of gullies was not unique.
We were pretty sure it wasn't - it's such an obvious way to go (and fun at that!).
author=glenn_b] Do note the right sloping ramp just before gully constricts. This easily leads one to the upper slopes of the Cascadian route.
We thought i...
We woke at 2:00 AM (my idea - I was concerned about the predicted new snow getting dangerously unstable in the warming sun, and concluded the safest solution was an uncomfortably early start). We had three hours of sleep, and yes, I was the first one ready. The new snow didn't seem to arrive, so we ended up killing a lot of time on the upper mountain waiting for the snow to soften. Pictures later.
Tchüss!
Jason
Tchüss!
Jason
author=turchinc link=topic=13082.m...
The No-name Couloir strikes again. Be assured your choice of gullies was not unique. Do note the right sloping ramp just before the gully constricts. This easily leads one to the upper slopes of the Cascadian route. Great trip, thanks for the report.
I was up there yesterday. We left the parking lot fairly late at 9:30am and saw no ice, it was already soft and got progresively more so throughout the day. Summited arround 1:00pm. Ski down was mostly variable cement and porridge but fun. Some of the steeper lower SE facing slopes had slid by afternoon (small slides).
The stink of two stroke smoke in the parking lot was almost unbearable by afternoon.
The stink of two stroke smoke in the parking lot was almost unbearable by afternoon.
author=JasonGerend link=topic=13082.msg54465#msg54465 date=1240244109]
Summary: Extremely icy until about 6500’ and somewhere between 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM.
I don't believe it. Not until I see pics. Before noon? You never get up that early!
;-)
Greetings from Germany!
--chris
Nice work guys!
With Crystal closing I'm gonna have to get on my touring boots and try and keep up with you guys.
With Crystal closing I'm gonna have to get on my touring boots and try and keep up with you guys.
This has been coming up for the past bunch of years right after the ski areas close. In one of the past threads I think someone weighed in with apparent authority regarding legalities here, but I forget which way that discussion led.
I just hope the tracks sort of fade back by the time FR9070 melts to Windy Pass. They usually mostly do.
I just hope the tracks sort of fade back by the time FR9070 melts to Windy Pass. They usually mostly do.
Interesting that it wasn't THAT windy on the muir snowfield - we were across the nisqually having a go at the finger and got to about 9,400 feet before we could barely stand up.
I'm surprised you were still standing last night, Chris! Nice TR.
Thanks for the TR Chris, sorry to not have rousted ourselves out of bed this morning and made it up to join you guys... Joe, I don't know how you did it! Next time. Next time. :)
That does look a little sketch - nice job!
and good to meet you. You and partner were making nice turns.
Good to meet you up there and thanks for the pics. I was the skier in the blue jacket.
Conditions were perfect styrofoam early in the morning with a little postholing here and there which made for easy climbing.
Skinned for a ways but switched back to carrying soon enough. After lunch on top the snow skied pretty well to above tree line but was very grabby and gloppy below. We were driving away from the trailhead by 2:30pm. I got just under 3,000' of "skiing"...
Conditions were perfect styrofoam early in the morning with a little postholing here and there which made for easy climbing.
Skinned for a ways but switched back to carrying soon enough. After lunch on top the snow skied pretty well to above tree line but was very grabby and gloppy below. We were driving away from the trailhead by 2:30pm. I got just under 3,000' of "skiing"...
Lee,
Thanks for generating that big grin on Justin's face. He needed a break from his serious training to pull the keg uphill for the Crystalfest. I'm pleased to see that he'll be available for that important task. ;)
Thanks for generating that big grin on Justin's face. He needed a break from his serious training to pull the keg uphill for the Crystalfest. I'm pleased to see that he'll be available for that important task. ;)
We started out on the nature trail. This boardwalk trail through the 'happy creek flats' definitely lulls ones senses about what a typical north cascade ski approach should be like. This of course ends about a quarter mile up the east side of the creek.
From there, brush free and open travel, though small diameter downed logs with a foot of rotten snow cover, at 4 am in the morning, is still not a good combination.
We did find traces of an older 'happy creek...
From there, brush free and open travel, though small diameter downed logs with a foot of rotten snow cover, at 4 am in the morning, is still not a good combination.
We did find traces of an older 'happy creek...
Thanks for the impressive TR and wonderful photos! It was great to see the parts of those huge icefields I missed twenty years ago. Man, you guys were lucky with the weather, tho. Those comfy huts can be hard to leave when it's stormy, and we just did the 'weenie' variation from Bow Hut to Kickinghorse Pass.
Great trip report! Nice meeting you last night Chris!
I would think that snowmobiles can go up cold creek because there is a logging road there in the summer (when nordic center is shut down), but, silver should be off limits, due to fact that it is in a wilderness area I believe (PCT runs right through there). Biler's have plenty of terrain across the freeway @ gold creek, it's too bad to see that going on.
Nice one, Wipe...but I still think it's better on Aug. 30th. Good to see Frank out of his box. Kevin: what's up with your boots? I noticed them a while ago...did you "fix" your heel for good?
Nice trip and pictures. I always wondered what it would be like to get to that side of the highway.
author=peteyboy link=topic=13039.msg54427#msg54427 date=1240032950]
Hell, I'll sign up for traverse lite anytime as well. Doesn't sound nearly as scary or suffer-ful as your usual spring "breaks." Excellent decision to make it a ski trip with lots of actual skiing.
It certainly was a different trip this year. The suffer magnets have learned their lesson. Mark was even on a pair of Verdicts with so...
Worm Flows via Marble Mountain I assume is where paramagic was. Road to Climber's Bivouac is snowed in still and gated.
Just got back from there. Road is clear enough now for 2wd non-high clearance. Black ice in spots at 8:30 am this morning. Maybe some scraping on the underbody (we were in an XT6), but not enough to get stuck in. They aren't plowing the road anymore (I think...) so if it dumps and it stays cold, no luck.
Still skiable from the trailhead, ju...
Just got back from there. Road is clear enough now for 2wd non-high clearance. Black ice in spots at 8:30 am this morning. Maybe some scraping on the underbody (we were in an XT6), but not enough to get stuck in. They aren't plowing the road anymore (I think...) so if it dumps and it stays cold, no luck.
Still skiable from the trailhead, ju...
Hell, I'll sign up for traverse lite anytime as well. Doesn't sound nearly as scary or suffer-ful as your usual spring "breaks." Excellent decision to make it a ski trip with lots of actual skiing.
author=LeeLau link=topic=13048.msg54412#msg54412 date=1240018276]
david - ...... Labelled the slope tracks tele because some telemarkers came down that slope and faceplanted every turn thereby testing it nicely...
yeah, kinda looks like they were their own avalanche. damn freeheelers...
Dude! You have know idea how familiar that story is to me and buddy who did that same trip almost 20 years ago. We had downhill gear we packed all the way up. To make a long story short we made it to the summit, spent too much time taking pics and skied down to the trees and lost the trail as it got dark.. ended up on a steep north face covered in DEVILS CLUB hiking down.. fell several times, lucky not to break any bones.. ended up in a thick wet creek bottom with no idea which way was out.. dec...
Hey - yeah, we saw you coming down the bottom half of the colour, impressive line! Good call on bailing on eldorado, the glop was pretty deep on the stuff lower down.
Right on. Seems we just missed you (a newly acquired friend mentioned you guys were up there). We were going up to Eldo, but backed out due to glop and lack of motivation. Spent the night and headed up CJ couloir. It was awesome! BTW, love the light and clouds in photo 4.
I assume you mean Worm flows via Marble Mountain Snow Park? So the road is drivable to the trailhead with high clearance? Anyone have more current beta?
you can drive to the gate at the eldorado TH. There is continuous snow from about 1/4 mile after the gate.
How close to the trailhead could you get with your car? Did you skin the rest of the road?
david - We kind of tracked everything out. Lookers right of peak and the small couloir to its right. Labelled the slope tracks tele because some telemarkers came down that slope and faceplanted every turn thereby testing it nicely
larry the location is close to Cerise Creek - Baldwin guidebook describes it
larry the location is close to Cerise Creek - Baldwin guidebook describes it
That is such a beautiful, crazy place. Way to give it a go! I feel lucky to have gotten to the top of that my first try, although I was going on the coattails of someone who was on their 3rd. Climbing out in the dark w/out a light sucks.
Now that was quite the "adventure". Good job on making the "adventure" a roundtrip. ;)
:D
Mack!
What an awesome trip, and I enjoyed using my whipit on the steep slope when I did my fourth face plant of the day. Just remember Free the Heel, Free the Mind, Free the Soul, ans when in doubt of your skills, Plant the Face!
Awesome!
Mack!
What an awesome trip, and I enjoyed using my whipit on the steep slope when I did my fourth face plant of the day. Just remember Free the Heel, Free the Mind, Free the Soul, ans when in doubt of your skills, Plant the Face!
Awesome!
LL, nice vid shot of you dropping into the couloir. Can't make out the line on the pic, but assume the shot may have been one of the slots on lookers left shoulder of the peak? Awesome anyway. Am curious about why the Tele label of the lines on pic #2 ~ something there making it tele-marginal?
Regardless of the legalities, of which I am ignorant, that snomo action completely sucks. I am not a super skier like some on this board but I really enjoy the Silver Peak area a lot. It's a minature mountain and sharing it with those machines would ruin a tour.
author=Gregg_C link=topic=13039.msg54344#msg54344 date=1239901725]
Traverse Lite: More skiing, less suffering....
The trip went as planned; we didn't get lost, we skied a lot of powder and brilliant corn, and there were no injuries or lost gear.
Wow Gregg is it true? glad it went so smoothly!! and all upper and lower extremity ligaments still attached ;)
Sorry I couldn't ma...
author=gregL link=topic=13018.msg54286#msg54286 date=1239766161]
Almost all filled in for skiers #5 and #6! Good to see you, and thanks for the sweet uptrack!
figure I'd jump on this TR train too 8)
Our party of three went up just after skiers # 5 and #6. Hoped to ski the Crooked but no vis for the entrance. Couldn't get any cornices to kick down but we opted for the more...
author=Scotsman link=topic=13025.msg54324#msg54324 date=1239858232]
I think I'm going to start keeping track of it like you and see where the numbers come out.
We can be like baseball players have have our own" batting" statistics for the season.
The ERA stat is a no brainer.
The women are in a "Leauge of Their Own"
Teleskichicka is still on the DL
Snow pit evaluation will be don...
author=vogtski link=topic=13025.msg54312#msg54312 date=1239847099]
We could hear the plows about two-thirds of the way down the Valley Road. I'd expect they may be starting out toward Reflection Lake by this weekend.
Wanted to correct this mistaken info, after a closer look today on the way to Cowlitz Rocks. The plowing has only just reached the base of Mazama Ridge. It's easy to escape the 10-20' deep sn...