TR Replies
Here's another view with different lighting. I sure enjoyed the outing - the sightseeing was at least as good as the turns. Thanks, Tim.
Impressive picture Tim. I don't think I have ever seen Table go wall to wall with that depth of slab. Did you get a look at the Arm or White Salmon?...Just got back from Valhalla. 100cm over the week.
I think I saw you guys in the distance while skiing around Mazama Ridge. We found similiar conditions, crust was firm enough to create a groomer type surface condition so long as no hard turns were made. The dust on top was perfect to soften it up and make it loads of fun. Not like the powder of earlier in the week, but plenty fun just the same.
More Powder Porn, since we are now lacking!
Nice - thanks for sharing. Sounds like a wonderful extended stay there.
I second the nomination of Chandler's, at least for breakfast (haven't slept there so can't speak to that but the bunkrooms looked decent enough). They gave us all a nice tasty belly bloat the morning before our trip into McCully.
I second the nomination of Chandler's, at least for breakfast (haven't slept there so can't speak to that but the bunkrooms looked decent enough). They gave us all a nice tasty belly bloat the morning before our trip into McCully.
Thanks for the report - sounds like you were on the SE aspect of Rampart Ridge, if I interpret correctly. I haven't skied in the rain yet this year, maybe tomorrow...
Funny you got out and worked through the potatoes after cc skiing- I thought you may get out after that, sounds like a heck of a workout in punishingly heavy snow. Rusty- lets chat about this week...
I decided to go out and have a look see around 11 and found fog and marginal conditions at the pass so decided to hightail it back to the Granite peak trailhead. It looked like it had not been rained on... yet. From the road I could see windslabs developing in the lee of the ridges, lots...
I decided to go out and have a look see around 11 and found fog and marginal conditions at the pass so decided to hightail it back to the Granite peak trailhead. It looked like it had not been rained on... yet. From the road I could see windslabs developing in the lee of the ridges, lots...
I once had a day in the wasatch of 36" untouched. It broke at my sternum to neck and I choked on chunks. It was the deepest quietest run of my life. Days like this, make a life, ;D
I did a night lap (on3/20) up Hyak with sid and the moondog. Saw your tracks at the switchback and was wondering who would be nuts enough to ski the face.
Now I know.
;)
Now I know.
;)
Gourmet-all-year? Where do I sign up? ;)
Seriously your pictures bring back some great memory. I spent 9 days in Tromso last March. Awesome place, awesome skiing even though they were missing a meter of snow (the ski-tech asked me do you use your skis for skiing? when he saw the edges). Hopefully you have good snow cover this year.
Here is a visual record of my trip, maybe your friend will recognize some of the locals!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/runningclouds/sets/72157605...
Seriously your pictures bring back some great memory. I spent 9 days in Tromso last March. Awesome place, awesome skiing even though they were missing a meter of snow (the ski-tech asked me do you use your skis for skiing? when he saw the edges). Hopefully you have good snow cover this year.
Here is a visual record of my trip, maybe your friend will recognize some of the locals!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/runningclouds/sets/72157605...
Sounds like you had fantastic conditions and a wonderful time Dave. 8)
Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to skiing with you guys again soon!
Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to skiing with you guys again soon!
author=John_Morrow link=topic=12758.msg53146#msg53146 date=1237565319]
Wow Lee,
Brings back memories of when I worked up in Misty Fjords National Monument more than 10 years ago. Always wanted to get up Salmon Creek out of Hyder and onto the Texas Glacier to access the icefields beyond. Never got back up there during the skiable months. Now you have re-sparked a dream of skiing a traverse from Salmon Creek to Behm Canal and get boated back to Ketchikan...
FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the most excellent TR.........
All great pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Silas is getting some nice competition for the "beyond the home court" category of reports, though these have the added benefit fo being "drive-to" locations. Thanks for sharing. That looks like some big and wild country.
Great pictures Lee, thanks for the inspireing reports!
Yeah, the hut can be a bit cold. The reason for that is b/c MEC donated $3000 towards the installation of the hut on the condition that there would be no wood stove. The standard VOC way of dealing with it is to take 25 friends with you... Many bodies create lots of heat ;-)
We heard that might have been the case. It seems this is the cabin of choice for the current VOCers. I just wish the cabin had a stove, the white gas heaters are underpowered and no match for the space. :-[
Not a start, friend, just a better ending.
Lets not start that again. My butt is still hurting for the spanking I got ;D
I was up in Terrace last winter and met some of the guys who work on avy patrol to keep the road to Stewart and Hyder open. They do an amazing job considering the terrain.
There are several large construciton projects planned for Hyder relating to ferry and docks coming out to bid in the near future by AK DOT. I have been banned by my company from bidding these as they say I will purposely put in an ext...
I was up in Terrace last winter and met some of the guys who work on avy patrol to keep the road to Stewart and Hyder open. They do an amazing job considering the terrain.
There are several large construciton projects planned for Hyder relating to ferry and docks coming out to bid in the near future by AK DOT. I have been banned by my company from bidding these as they say I will purposely put in an ext...
It's great to see the area in winter. I've been there in the fall when the bears are chasing salmon in the river. Jill and I stopped in the camper and watched the Bear Glacier calving icebergs into the lake.
Without opening that dastardly old thread, I've been looking for an opportunity to concur with Mr Scotsman that there are times when a 3 pic limit seems to fall short of "the sweetspot".... :)
Wow Lee,
Brings back memories of when I worked up in Misty Fjords National Monument more than 10 years ago. Always wanted to get up Salmon Creek out of Hyder and onto the Texas Glacier to access the icefields beyond. Never got back up there during the skiable months. Now you have re-sparked a dream of skiing a traverse from Salmon Creek to Behm Canal and get boated back to Ketchikan! An unfathomable amount of terrain that virtually no one ever sees. Of course,...
Brings back memories of when I worked up in Misty Fjords National Monument more than 10 years ago. Always wanted to get up Salmon Creek out of Hyder and onto the Texas Glacier to access the icefields beyond. Never got back up there during the skiable months. Now you have re-sparked a dream of skiing a traverse from Salmon Creek to Behm Canal and get boated back to Ketchikan! An unfathomable amount of terrain that virtually no one ever sees. Of course,...
author=Pete A link=topic=12758.msg53141#msg53141 date=1237561000]
wow Lee, what a cool place to explore!
(by the way, i think your links back to your TR's on your personal site are busted....please fix them :) I wanna see more pictures!)
Just get rid of the last character (a double quote) in the url and it works fine.
wow Lee, what a cool place to explore!
(by the way, i think your links back to your TR's on your personal site are busted....please fix them :) I wanna see more pictures!)
(by the way, i think your links back to your TR's on your personal site are busted....please fix them :) I wanna see more pictures!)
It seems that Phelix Creek does not see a lot of traffic in winter. We found only two 2009 entries in the logbook.
There were groups ranging from 5-25 VOCers in the hut with New Years, mid January, end of January, end of February as well as last weekend. Perhaps they didn't write in the log book... Definitely an awesome place! Thanks for sharing the TR.
author=silaswild link=topic=12746.msg53092#msg53092 date=1237475052]
Nice smoked cod sandwiches in a warm apartment after the tour, no apfel strudel, tho excellent homemade ligonberry ice cream last night after a reindeer soup.
This has me thinking about a new website where people connect with each other over long strings of eating gourmet meals every month of the year. We could call it Gourmet-all-year, but it would never...
author=silaswild link=topic=12746.msg53092#msg53092 date=1237475052] Nice smoked cod sandwiches
Smoked Cod sandwiches!!! yummy!
author=mosetick link=topic=12738.msg53086#msg53086 date=1237450445]
I didn't intend to make it sound like you gave your seal of approval on the snow pack we encountered. Sorry, if it came out that way. ;) I admit that one particular column you isolated using my ski caught my attention when it seemed to slide on the crusty layer about 4ft down. Regardless, I would like to think that we could have skied the other side of the ridge, or perhaps something a...
Great photos (love the second and third especially - very moody). Thanks for keeping up the travelog, Silas.
"Wet powder" - that phrase has been the object of some amusing conversation.
I hope you get some clear weather, not just for your sake - I want to see the views in your photos!!
"Wet powder" - that phrase has been the object of some amusing conversation.
I hope you get some clear weather, not just for your sake - I want to see the views in your photos!!
I am in awe of those powder baskets. Reindeer hide webbing?
That's why good communication is key. I know Skybum is familiar with the lingo and understands how to apply the knowledge. One of the last times I went out with him (3 people total) we all split up along the trail and each did compression tests in different types of terrain that we planned on riding. It was a great way to collect a lot of data in a short amount of time. But without good communication skills and knowledge this is all pretty usless..
...
...
It's interesting how a pit test can be interpreted so differently by people in one party. It's certainly not an uncommon occurance.
I guess it's just the difference of comfort levels, terrain, familiarity with a spot and conditions. I see it a lot amongst my friends and find it interesting in a clinical sort of way. Both of you seem to have had flags go up, and it sounds like you adjusted your itinerary accordingly. Which is the appropriate response.
I guess it's just the difference of comfort levels, terrain, familiarity with a spot and conditions. I see it a lot amongst my friends and find it interesting in a clinical sort of way. Both of you seem to have had flags go up, and it sounds like you adjusted your itinerary accordingly. Which is the appropriate response.
I didn't intend to make it sound like you gave your seal of approval on the snow pack we encountered. Sorry, if it came out that way. ;) I admit that one particular column you isolated using my ski caught my attention when it seemed to slide on the crusty layer about 4ft down. Regardless, I would like to think that we could have skied the other side of the ridge, or perhaps something a little steeper than that and still avoided a slide, but perhaps I'm dreaming. ...
Good day out. I had fun.
I really wouldn't have called the conditons stable at all. It's why we wallowed in low angle trees.
I really wouldn't have called the conditons stable at all. It's why we wallowed in low angle trees.
thanks for partnering up Steve. it's good on a day like that to share trail breaking duty, so there is a little energy left for the descents. WOO HOO!
as a side bar it was good to ski newton without the constant nuisance of the mt hood meadows howitzer in the background.
as a side bar it was good to ski newton without the constant nuisance of the mt hood meadows howitzer in the background.
Silas - I've had multiple days with you not far from Kendall Knob that were more fun than what I experienced in the area on the 15th. It was a fun day out to be clear, but more in the "being out in a storm" way than "wow, the turns were just mind blowing and plentiful everywhere" fashion. I was with our mutual pal who survived a full burial some 20 years ago near Crystal, and I think she wisely steered our group away from the runs that would have been steep enough for de...
Judging from your (Silas) TRs I can’t believe that you're too stressed about missing the best Cascade snow of the season ;) Not to worry though, it was on the heavy side at Snoqualmie… but what it lacked in quality it made up for in quantity. Okay it was a bit of a wallow fest, but a great time and a very fun group. I love the extreme summit photo on.... Kendal Knob! Thanks Lisa.
Wow, I am missing the best snow of the year. Although, January 2 at Crystal still remains high on my list. Thanks for the photos of awesome snow!
author=shred link=topic=12698.msg52973#msg52973 date=1237253047]
That first shot is money!!!
I'm fairly certain that photo pinpoints when and where I caught the cold I woke up with yesterday. Well done, Weep.
Hey Michael, of course you are remembered fondly!
Cookie Monster you are one comprehensive snow evaluator. I am also interested in their response to your last set of questions about how far they continued to travel after they figured it was unstable. Not too bag on them anymore, but mainly because that is when the thinking gets interesting. It sounds from the report that they were around 5k from the description of "the opening below the summit" That is well past where I imag...
Cookie Monster you are one comprehensive snow evaluator. I am also interested in their response to your last set of questions about how far they continued to travel after they figured it was unstable. Not too bag on them anymore, but mainly because that is when the thinking gets interesting. It sounds from the report that they were around 5k from the description of "the opening below the summit" That is well past where I imag...