TR Replies
Glad you had such fine time Amar.
author=kam link=topic=13002.msg54185#msg54185 date=1239602330] Surprisingly, we had all the mouth-watering breakable to ourselves. I for sure thought everybody would be out considering the ideal weather and snow conditions.
We must have been right behind your party - saw you in the parking lot - but we decided to take a more 'interesting' approach up to the saddle. We surmised that someone in your party must have been up there be...
Thanks everyone for the kind comments.
I'm assuming that you're planning to stay in the hut? Not much advice I can think of, just bring standard winter camping gear. The hut is n...
author=snbdman link=topic=12992.msg54177#msg54177 date=1239579709">
Thanks for the great report. A friend and I are planning an over night trip to camp Muir next Saturday, and would appreciate any advice for over nighting at Muir.
I'm assuming that you're planning to stay in the hut? Not much advice I can think of, just bring standard winter camping gear. The hut is n...
author=cascadesfreak link=topic=13002.msg54187#msg54187 date=1239603768]
Best turns ever! ::)
I'm a bit surprised my camera survived the jolting-jumpturn-gymnastic ride down the trap-crusted slopes:
Funny how even the most evil crust still looks sweet when you're not trying to hop in & out of it. ;)
Nicely done Amar and Kyle, great report and photos Amar!
Thanks for sharing this great TR.
Nice line and nice lunch!
Thansk for the TR and pics.
Thansk for the TR and pics.
Nice tr, amazing photos. loos like beautiful country..
Fairy Meadows is a wonderful place. Glad the weather broke for you and allowed you to "venture out and up". Your photos bring back great memories of a week at Fairy filled with new friends and powder.
I was riding the lifts at Stevens and my daughter and I ventured into the trees once early in the day. It ended with a double ejection faceplant into the crust by my 5 year old and me thinking I was pretty glad not be in the BC. It did turn to something the consistancy of three day old oatmeal by around 2:00 pm and that made is almost skiable if you didn't want to turn. But, as the saying goes, a bad day skiing beats a good day doing anything else.
Selkirks Rock!! ;D
I need another hut trip....
I need another hut trip....
The runout below the Nisqually Ice Cliff is really impressive in the background photo of Amar skiing the Chute. I may think twice about skinning that section of the glacier! Glad you guys had a good trip and got Gib Chute.
Thanks for sharing and nice TR Amar. Way to take advantage of the weather window.
I'm with you on the whippets. They obviously don't belong on every tour but when they are warrented, they can be life savers.
Snowboarders are ok. It's when they get split boards and venture o.b. that causes problems!
L...
I'm with you on the whippets. They obviously don't belong on every tour but when they are warrented, they can be life savers.
author=Kyle Miller link=topic=12992.msg54174#msg54174 date=1239575921]
Damn Snowboarders ;)
Snowboarders are ok. It's when they get split boards and venture o.b. that causes problems!
L...
Great TR, as usual. Nice work on a dangerous descent.
Those are great photos - many worthy of the stoke thread - just wish your larger versions were even larger (desktop size). Gotta get up there one of these days. Thanks for the TR.
Hey Matt -- fantastic photos as usual!!! Glad you had a great time in such a beautiful area!
Thanks for the report on the premature Valley Road plowing, Robie. I'll shovel a staircase at 4th Crossing today or tomorrow. I must say the hardcore looked rather soggy around the edges when you returned...
Thanks, Robie! I was kicking myself for not getting up there (had a back episode for the last week), wimping out, saying oh, my back ... I'd better not stress it. Now I know I was wise not wimpy :-)
My visit in February showed me what you and the lake dwellers have within half an hour of home! Feb was great, sounds like things are still excellent, you are in a good place. Thanks again.
Yeah, it was pretty ugly.
Nice side slipping with you guys, let's do it again sometime!
Nice side slipping with you guys, let's do it again sometime!
author=skinup link=topic=12992.msg54182#msg54182 date=1239595472]
Kyle,
What kind of splitboard gear issues did you face?
Oh just the standard traversing above gaping crevasses on icy slopes so I took my time making sure my edges were holding. I just picked up some crampons for my split so it shouldn't be a problem anymore though.
Best turns ever! ::)
I'm a bit surprised my camera survived the jolting-jumpturn-gymnastic ride down the trap-crusted slopes:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chriscass1/JimHillMountainTrapCrustAdventureViaLanhamCreekApril112009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJSKx8Tn14na4AE#
I'm a bit surprised my camera survived the jolting-jumpturn-gymnastic ride down the trap-crusted slopes:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chriscass1/JimHillMountainTrapCrustAdventureViaLanhamCreekApril112009?authkey=Gv1sRgCJSKx8Tn14na4AE#
Well done. Wonderful report and pictures.
Kyle,
What kind of splitboard gear issues did you face?
Kyle,
What kind of splitboard gear issues did you face?
there is a gps map of our route on the blog entry i listed in the post.
http://coachingendurance.com/blog/2009/04/spring-has-come-to-snoqualmie.shtml
http://coachingendurance.com/blog/2009/04/spring-has-come-to-snoqualmie.shtml
What is the best way to get from Hyak to Catherine? The last time we tried to ski in, we were turned around by a Summit volunteer patroller because we didn't have ski passes. She gave us the impression that the trail to Catherine was marked, but difficult to find.
Thanks for the great report. A friend and I are planning an over night trip to camp Muir next Saturday, and would appreciate any advice for over nighting at Muir.
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=12992.msg54154#msg54154 date=1239532005]
A combination of morning delays and gear issues (splitboard-related and crampon) had cost us a few hours
Damn Snowboarders ;)
Nice write up Amar I had a great time.
Looks great Oyvind and crew.
Thanks for living out a forgotten dream of mine. My friends have a cabin pretty close to there, and we spent a fair amount of time in my teens touring around the Nason Ridge vicinity. They slightly rerouted Hwy 2 in the late 70's (where you took the last picture) so there is a better view of that "Swath". It appears the avalanches have strong appetite for trees in there, as a result the Swath seems to have grown in width over the years.
Thanks for living out a forgotten dream of mine. My friends have a cabin pretty close to there, and we spent a fair amount of time in my teens touring around the Nason Ridge vicinity. They slightly rerouted Hwy 2 in the late 70's (where you took the last picture) so there is a better view of that "Swath". It appears the avalanches have strong appetite for trees in there, as a result the Swath seems to have grown in width over the years.
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=12992.msg54154#msg54154 date=1239532005]
Not elegant, but survival skiing never is.
Smiling at the bottom always is. :). Very glad your Whippet held. Excellent TR. Thanks for continuing to add conditions calibration information to the collective mind!
Thanks for sharing Amar. Great account and pictures. Living close to Baker, the Rainier area to me has only been through (mostly yours) pictures and accounts ... until last Friday. We climbed through the clouds to glimpse some of Rainier's beauty and impressive size on our way to Anvil Rock. I hope to be back someday with more time and better weather.
Great trip report. Thanks for sharing.
Great account of your trip. Enjoyed the the detail and excellent pics.
Thanks,
DW
Thanks,
DW
Superb trip and report - congratulations!
Here's the weather forecast on the morning we left town:
MOUNT RAINIER RECREATIONAL FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
342 AM PDT SAT APR 4 2009
SYNOPSIS...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER WASHINGTON WILL BRING DRIER AND WARMER WEATHER TO THE REGION INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER EASTERN WASHINGTON THROUGH SUNDAY. THIS COMBINED WITH A STALLED FRONT OFFSHORE WILL INCREASE THE LOW LEVEL OFFSHORE FLOW OVER WESTERN WA...
MOUNT RAINIER RECREATIONAL FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
342 AM PDT SAT APR 4 2009
SYNOPSIS...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER WASHINGTON WILL BRING DRIER AND WARMER WEATHER TO THE REGION INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER EASTERN WASHINGTON THROUGH SUNDAY. THIS COMBINED WITH A STALLED FRONT OFFSHORE WILL INCREASE THE LOW LEVEL OFFSHORE FLOW OVER WESTERN WA...
Great writing Jason and as always fabulous photos! Thanks for sharing.
author=ADappen link=topic=12968.msg54106#msg54106 date=1239391250">
And you're right about the Wenatchee-Something-Or-Other website I currently manage (WenatcheeOutdoors.org).
A little thread drift as the current of interest recedes.
I used your website to find some mountain biking trails in Wenatchee when I was there on some business. I was able to ri...
GReat TR.
We were up a few days before you and camped 400' above you under the cliffs at the bottom of the SE.R.MS. That is the route the Avy was on....not on the Diller. THe diller is the steep chute to lookers right that ends in a basin.
Nice pics.
We were up a few days before you and camped 400' above you under the cliffs at the bottom of the SE.R.MS. That is the route the Avy was on....not on the Diller. THe diller is the steep chute to lookers right that ends in a basin.
Nice pics.
You'll come back; we've got lots of open, spectacular areas up here.
Andy - Thanks for the TR. It's a pleasure to read your material again and thanks for contributing your talent to TAY! You are one of my all-time favorite writers from Powder (sorry, I was not aware of your Wenatchee website).
Thanks for the welcome. Joe, you have a good memory. For many years I was a contributing editor of Powder but with small balls, frail knees, and marginal abilities, I was justifiably put out to pasture. And you're right about the Wenatchee-Something-Or-Other website I currently manage (WenatcheeOutdoors.org).
Niko, it doesn't require that much coverage for a little hell-to-heaven transformation of those slopes. You're right, we didn't continue on to the true summit...
Niko, it doesn't require that much coverage for a little hell-to-heaven transformation of those slopes. You're right, we didn't continue on to the true summit...
Beautiful report--and very tempting. Here's why: Last October a friend and I climbed the burns to the ridge (exactly the route in your topo) and were driven crazy by the obstacles--especially on the way down, in the dark. I'm astonished there's enough snow to make that slope skiable. I take it that you didn't go all the way to the summit like the guy who went via Rat Cr. Thumbs up, N
A great TR and photos. It brings back memories of a trip a few of us did in that area in April 1999. We started at the Elfin Hut and did the Garibaldi Neve traverse and climbed/skied Mt. Garibaldi along the way. We then setup camp in Sphinx Bay for a few days. Your photo of the Burton Hut was interesting. The snowpack was enormous in 1999 and we only saw the pole with the ball attached to it that marked the location of the hut. I always wondered what the hut looked like. During our trip, w...
Nice effort. That picture of the Sphinx Hut brought back memories of my first extended backcountry winter skiing/climbing trip. Gotta love those huts, although I think I nearly froze in the Sphinx hut. The near-side huts used to be stocked with wood ,not sure about now. First skied/climbed the environs around Garibaldi Lake in 87' as part of a UW climbing club trip. Spent 8 days split between the various huts climbing/skiing Garibaldi, and various lesser summits.&nbs...
Great TR guys, Glad to hear that Sky is getting out in Vancouver!
As Oyvind said, Great contrast shot of the red pants. It highlights the steepness, and the picture was caught at the right time as he was coming around on the turn.
Surprised you guys could make any turns with that much walking/vert. Should have taken mileage donations for that walkathon.
As Oyvind said, Great contrast shot of the red pants. It highlights the steepness, and the picture was caught at the right time as he was coming around on the turn.
Surprised you guys could make any turns with that much walking/vert. Should have taken mileage donations for that walkathon.
Great TR Andy and a privilege to have your report on TAY.
I have read some of your adventures on the Wenatchee something or other dot something, get out and do it webpage.
And if this is the same person who wrote articles for Powder and other skiing mags, I recognize the name and the writing style.
Welcome and look forward to reading more of your stuff.
I have read some of your adventures on the Wenatchee something or other dot something, get out and do it webpage.
And if this is the same person who wrote articles for Powder and other skiing mags, I recognize the name and the writing style.
Welcome and look forward to reading more of your stuff.
Zap,
Thanks for the comment. Regarding my gray-bearded friend, he must be a look-alike of who you're thinking about. Matt is a life-long Forest Service stiff and a guy who usually says 'yes' when you ask him the night before whether he's available to ski. Gotta treasure those partners. Another sterling attribute: He's also almost alway in good form when you photograph him.
Thanks for the comment. Regarding my gray-bearded friend, he must be a look-alike of who you're thinking about. Matt is a life-long Forest Service stiff and a guy who usually says 'yes' when you ask him the night before whether he's available to ski. Gotta treasure those partners. Another sterling attribute: He's also almost alway in good form when you photograph him.
Great trip and area, picture of Sky and Ryan are very nice. I like the contrast of strong colors of clothing against the white of the snow. kudos jason
No worries Jason. Thanks for the ledge :-)
Here are some pics of you. Sorry about the tilt
Here are some pics of you. Sorry about the tilt
Andy,
Welcome to TAY ! I enjoyed the TR and photos on the link. Is your gray bearded ski partner still working with North Cascade Heli Skiing ?
Welcome to TAY ! I enjoyed the TR and photos on the link. Is your gray bearded ski partner still working with North Cascade Heli Skiing ?