TR Replies
Thanks for the details -- it's easy to get caught up in that enthusiasm. Glad you both made it out okay and I'm disappointed that the people out there reacted as they did. That's a bigger slide than I'd pictured from the first description. Lucky indeed.
No but we did some warm up laps on easier slopes just to get a feel for the snow.But in this incident the fun meter was way to high.It all started after the brother and I skied our third lap,we could feel the crust under the storm snow.Some people we knew were calling our names all stoked for the day.Andy and I have a uniqe relationship as brothers,we have been in the mountains together all our lives growing up with our family in british columbia.But I thought it would be cool to ski with this g...
My rule of thumb for outside of the closed ski areas at Snoq has become about 50inches. Maybe others venture out earlier. I had some fun runs down the Silver Fir Area this weekend but you had to pick your lines carefully, ski lightly, and I used rock skis. Of course I have rock skis from taking similar trips to what you just described.
Backside (out of bounds of ski area) of Cowboy-not the front where 7th heaven lift dumps ya.
I think Steven's opens Thursday, so it won't be available for skinning to after that.
~Lara
I think Steven's opens Thursday, so it won't be available for skinning to after that.
~Lara
you didn't mention if your group dug any pits or tested the snowpack before skiing....i'm just curious if y'all took a up close look at the snow.
Wow -- glad you're okay.
To my amazement there we’re no reactions. People just kept skiing like nothing happened.
It seems like there's more and more of this attitude, with respect to "small" slides, which strikes me as very dangerous. Looking at a weak early season snowpack, following a deadly year with a weak early season snowpack, I'm afraid we're set up to repeat it, especially as "first storm" enthusiasm...
To my amazement there we’re no reactions. People just kept skiing like nothing happened.
It seems like there's more and more of this attitude, with respect to "small" slides, which strikes me as very dangerous. Looking at a weak early season snowpack, following a deadly year with a weak early season snowpack, I'm afraid we're set up to repeat it, especially as "first storm" enthusiasm...
Great pics as always! Glad to see you made it out there, and were able to get fairly far up the road given the lowland snow!
We went sledding at Snoq. West on the 14th...it was good for sledding, but while boot packing I was thinking how I was punching all the way to the ground. Yeah, they need a bit more, nice pics though Jayme!
Excellent. Everything is proceeding exactly as I have foreseen it.
Thanks for the update!
Thanks for the update!
Looks most excellent. I miss you partners, dan and topher, already. Down here Bachelor is "not bad" at all. In fact it sucks. Well, "sucks" at least to be skinning above the open lift-assisted area without my buddies. ;-) I've got to meet some peoples down here in Bend right quick. Peeps with sleds would be especially nice to meet...
You looked warm in that picture !
Thanks for the report.
Thanks for the report.
author=lapaz25 link=topic=11494.msg47806#msg47806 date=1229362806]
Couldn't believe how good it was! The Stevens parking lots had quite a few cars to our dismay and the groomers had packed down some precious pow on the frontside. However, when we turned the corner on Cowboy, we were delighted to be greeted with sunshine, 24-30" of fresh, light pow, and only 2 tracks in sight.
Good work! Where exactly did you skin up, an...
thanks for the report. I was thinking of heading up there tomorrow but maybe I'll wait till Thursday and the new snow has fallen.
Anyone who rides the Toilet Bowl feels the flush of success! ::)
Thanks for the great report Jibber. It was an interesting snowpack! You're right about the skiing, but I'm glad I got the experience of that kind of snow and conditions in fairly safe terrain near the car. Many, many thanks for retrieving my skin!
I was there on a splitboard.
very cold and waayyyy too deep.
very cold and waayyyy too deep.
i didn't see any snowpack problems that i was worried about. definitely some minor crack propagation from thin wind buffed layers, some sloughing on top of that, but i didn't see any slab releases or significant point releases. the snowpack is so shallow, even with the new snow, that even smaller rocks and trees are anchors. i was more worried about hidden rocks and trees! however, with the wind buffed powder in some places, with this continued weather, i would expect to see more wind...
I experienced the same problems in the way of frozen wiper nozzles on my Subaru! I have never experienced that before in my many mountain trips, but it sure as hell is dangerous. I did some research and found many of the same experiences; it seems that Prestone makes a good winter wiper de-icer that preforms well, as well as another product called "Heet"...
I hit Crystal today, stuck the groomers in order to get the legs back. Hiked up to Avalanche Basin, a...
I hit Crystal today, stuck the groomers in order to get the legs back. Hiked up to Avalanche Basin, a...
Like that second photo a lot. Very nice light in the trees and B&W only enhances the shot.
thanks .
thanks .
That looks good. Don't blame you about the camera being left in the pack...those are some cold temps! Looked good up there!
Thanks for the report, was thinking of heading up there tomorrow, but maybe I'll wait now and go somewhere else tomorrow.
Sorry I missed it! As the day fell apart for us, so it's a double-shame for me. Looking forward to skiing with Chuck later in Dec...
Laura,
Cowboy Mountain brings back great memories of skiing to the highway and hitching rides as a kid.
Glad you got out there and chilled out with the soon-born.
Good to condition that newborn trail breaker in the prenatal stage!
That way your child can say that he/she was skiing that before they were born! :D
Cowboy Mountain brings back great memories of skiing to the highway and hitching rides as a kid.
Glad you got out there and chilled out with the soon-born.
Good to condition that newborn trail breaker in the prenatal stage!
That way your child can say that he/she was skiing that before they were born! :D
We were tag teaming your group up, went out to the backside and were rewarded with awesome turns, few sloghs on steeper sections, and a exit by headlamp-good stuff. I was really suproised by the conditions, even lower down on the frontside easily waist deep
Glad to see other TAYers were getting a piece of the powdery action. Looks like Skyline Ridge and beyond was hit, too! Most excellent day indeed!
~L
~L
Way to get after it!
We found similar conditions nearby on Big Chief Mtn ("backside" of the ski area). Still fairly boney below ~5,000-ft, but good turns up high. Great to ski sunny aspects holding deep dry snow!
My camera battery was in a frostbite coma for most of the trip, but still managed to get a few pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chriscass1/StevensPassBackcountryPolarisBowlDec142008?authkey=qGwd6UYhLnc#
We found similar conditions nearby on Big Chief Mtn ("backside" of the ski area). Still fairly boney below ~5,000-ft, but good turns up high. Great to ski sunny aspects holding deep dry snow!
My camera battery was in a frostbite coma for most of the trip, but still managed to get a few pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chriscass1/StevensPassBackcountryPolarisBowlDec142008?authkey=qGwd6UYhLnc#
Yeah PeteA, I'm a sweater too so cold days keep me dryer. Yeah we um um, charged down DD ourselves but it was dark. I didn't hit any rocks but hit many objects made out of wood and spent time digging the nose of my board out from beneath the alder. Eventually I just skinned down.
Btw, I'm stilling smiling at your friends comment about needing space for his turns.
Btw, I'm stilling smiling at your friends comment about needing space for his turns.
I had to front-butt my H2O bladder inside my bibs to keep it from freezing. Besides that, I'll take the cold & dry stuff over our usual conditions any day!
Nice to see so many people out having a good time.
Nice to see so many people out having a good time.
good to see ya too Mr. Snoslut... the blue sky was definitely a bonus, and I kinda enjoyed the cold temps...usually I'm sweating buckets when putting in a skin track, but yesterday I never broke a sweat. Skis managed to avoid any big dings until we headed down Double Diamond at the end of the day, then it was ping, ping, ping :) oh well..thats was rock skis and a p-tex soldering iron are for!
So nice to finally be skiing powder again!!!
So nice to finally be skiing powder again!!!
I was burning some time at work and saw these lucky few caught red handed. Looks like too many colors for staff. Wrong side of the road for you guys but I thought it was fun anyways.
Ah good to know. Keep us posted.
It certainly was beautiful and brutal at Paradise. Ron, myself, Chuck and Linda headed out until the thoughts of frostbite and maneuvering in the deep became a bit overwhelming, did one quick turn around and headed back to the new Paradise visitor center for a little "party". Winter has arrived ;)!! Nice visiting with everyone at Longmire prior to the gate opening.
Moscawulff wrote:
From that ridge across the way, there appeared to be some snow that looked rip for the picking.
With all the cars in the lot, I was discouraged. However, we were able to the find seclusion I desired. Oh, and face shots on demand, just like the day before in Crystals slackcountry.
It was bluebird for the most part. Darkening clouds eventually surrounded ou...
the aforementioned ridge across the way
From that ridge across the way, there appeared to be some snow that looked rip for the picking.
With all the cars in the lot, I was discouraged. However, we were able to the find seclusion I desired. Oh, and face shots on demand, just like the day before in Crystals slackcountry.
It was bluebird for the most part. Darkening clouds eventually surrounded ou...
A fine start to the powder season. For about 3 out of every 4 turns I could imagine it was mid-winter. Now instead of taking out low snow anxieties on repeatedly waxing my skis I can work on base repair. Thanks for all the trailbreaking.
Agree. Silver on Saturday was a nice start. Just our group and a soloist. Eventually 2 others came along for a lap and disappeared.
Got real antsy after turning the corner past the lift and saw that break trail was required. Pow between saddle and party knoll was good, deep but vis was spotty. Face shots on demand.
Glad to meet you Clem.
Then there was solitude on Stevens on Sunday.
Got real antsy after turning the corner past the lift and saw that break trail was required. Pow between saddle and party knoll was good, deep but vis was spotty. Face shots on demand.
Glad to meet you Clem.
Then there was solitude on Stevens on Sunday.
Okay, maybe cold was an understatement. It was really really cold!!
Glad we departed earlier, because it doesn't sound like it got any better later in the day.
Interesting thing is that the telemetry says it was actually warmer up top than at the base of Crystal. I'm sure that once you factor in the wind chill, it was close to 0˚.
Glad we departed earlier, because it doesn't sound like it got any better later in the day.
Interesting thing is that the telemetry says it was actually warmer up top than at the base of Crystal. I'm sure that once you factor in the wind chill, it was close to 0˚.
author=TobyT link=topic=11485.msg47778#msg47778 date=1229319742]
Saw you guys skiing down from "Eurobowl" or "Innerglacier" (can't remember what Tim calls it) coming back to the North side at the end of your day. Are you guys going out tomorrow? Might brave the cold if you are...
Hell yes!! We won;t get to the parkng lot until about 9:30, though. Gotta let it warm up a bit.
Telemon: if that pi...
:). Looks like you guys had fun!
That was me in the grey MB with the roof box. I skinned up with the loose group to the last rocks before the bottom of Pan Pt and skinned back. Saw about 5 trying to go up right of Pan Pt.....
I think the police were there in force due to worries about the road and drivers going off the road and such. Just be glad we don't have the need for the US Park Police to come in the summer.
I think the police were there in force due to worries about the road and drivers going off the road and such. Just be glad we don't have the need for the US Park Police to come in the summer.
Looks like you found the deep stuff.Are the blueberry chutes,all of the chutes you can see as you skin up the ridge between Baker ski area and Table mountain.I just like to no for my reference, we skied there the day before.
Saw you guys skiing down from "Eurobowl" or "Innerglacier" (can't remember what Tim calls it) coming back to the North side at the end of your day. Are you guys going out tomorrow? Might brave the cold if you are...
While skinning up to the basin, we were a bit optimistic in hoping that the forecasted cold day (and wind) wasn't going to be too rough. Man, it got cold quick. Got a few good laps and bolted for the car. Even the car was cold.... the left front tire kept locking up for the first half mile until it warmed up (cold breaks or grease/oil maybe? I dunno). Was nice to get some good powder runs, though.
author=Stugie link=topic=11485.msg47761#msg47761 date=1229309842]
Looks like it was looking pretty good up there! I really like that first pic. Way to get it.
I'm guessing that is the undulating terrain between the east end of Table Mt. and the Blueberry Chutes.
author=Robie link=topic=11484.msg47770#msg47770 date=1229314908]
Cold ! It was so cold Mindy Ed and myself retreated early to Bullwheel for a beer just to warm us up. check out the telemetry 3 degrees plus wind chill ! maybe -20 ? Good powder for sure but that cold puts me in reptillian thought mode.
What a difference in just a few days . . . Just Tuesday we were at the Banf film fest, discussing warm weather and a 2" base...