TR Replies
Kudos on a great trip and nice tr! Your pics were really captivating!
Nice work. I looked up at that line a few years ago on a cross country hike and remember thinking it would be a sweet run. I'll have to go back and look at my photos, but it seems the Honeycomb Glacier is noticably smaller in your picture then it was five years ago. Scary..
nice work!!! can't imagine 48 miles. The route I did for Glacier the week earlier from the east side sure is shorter but still some merciless schwack.
Maybe I shouldn't be but I was surprised to see the amount of snow melt after just one week from your pics and then when i was there again this weekend (tenpeak). all this sunshine has been nice too.
Snowdawg et al., it was nice to meet you Sunday on your way down. It was great to scope your evening turns from my bivy below Knapsack Pass. I didn't get much farther from where we met, stepping onto the Russell only to ice the beer. Stopped on the way back to admire the ice floes in Cat Eye Lake. Maybe we'll see you here again next year.
Nice TR! How were the suncups? What did you find were the best aspects for turns? What a great spot that is!
Big Snow, the gully we skied is off the other side of the ridge, not visible in the picture you are referring to. I wouldn't drop down this side which would entail steep talus and brush at this point in the season.
Instead of following the normal climber's traverse we cut NE and dropped into the basin on the other side of the pass. We couldn't see if the snow was continuous (you can if you walk down the trail from the pass a short distance) until we skied down to it. W...
Instead of following the normal climber's traverse we cut NE and dropped into the basin on the other side of the pass. We couldn't see if the snow was continuous (you can if you walk down the trail from the pass a short distance) until we skied down to it. W...
author=Lisa link=topic=10698.msg43554#msg43554 date=1216709723]
In lush alpine grass I enjoyed rest and solitude while a soft breeze soothed the blazing rays of sun and a lone Hummingbird sought pollen in the sparse Lupin.
now that's my kind of skiing! This time of year I find the urge to relax and enjoy overpowering my drive to get turns.
I like the article's giving credit to the cameraman's lugging of extra gear and making "double-time" to catch up with crew. Good shot of some of the glide cracks that are probably very present now...Props to the 70 yr old too! I hope I can still nail St. Helens when I'm 70! Whomever was busting out the tele in the video was doing a heck of a job too.
your dog is absolutely beautiful!
thanks for a great tr.
thanks for a great tr.
Thanks for the tr and conditions! Sounds like a good trip!
Nice to meet you guys if only briefly (around 3 on Sunday headed down). Sounds like a great tour and nice loop... nice photo's too!
Dan, I saw your camper in Maple Falls and wondered if indeed it was you. I thought you were going to Ten Peak with Ryan and Monica. I should have stopped to say hello but was catching up with Amar and Victor.
Great TR, nicely done climb and ski!
Great TR, nicely done climb and ski!
Congratulations Ryan to finally getting that long sought after line! 8)
Way to set and achieve goals Kyle.
Nice circut and thanks for the TRs.
Nice circut and thanks for the TRs.
Nice, Ryan. Glad you got it. Let's go climb some rocks.
Nice one guys. That trip sounds like fun, I wish that I could have joined you. Thanks for taking so many pictures (except for you Mack). ;)
Hey Keith, nice meeting you up there. Thanks for being our guide up Knapsack. You made some fine turns that day, keep on yodeling!
Here's 2 more pics of your descent on Mother...
Here's 2 more pics of your descent on Mother...
Great ski Dan. You have been a busy camper since Monika and I ran into you on Rainer. Give me a shout if you want to have that beer or need a place in Bham to chill and relax for a day or two.
Nick BC, Snowbell and I were just ahead of GoldMember's group. Here is a shot that I took of them before they removed their skis from their backs.
Pretty cool Dan. It would have been fun to hook up, but I'm glad your weekend turned out so well. Your dog was probably psyched as well :)
I am assuming I also bumped into Dan. He blew past us just before the snow starts on the ridge, and we started at 9ish. Unless there was another guy running up Baker all giddy from riding the NR the day before. My pleasure Dan.
I know, I know. In my city life, I'm a mild mannered 50 year old who drives the speed limit and goes to bed by 9:30 PM. But out in the "park", I'm transformed into some kicker-building, pond-skimming rebel. Actually, I don't leave the air on those kickers. I'm just part of the construction crew. But I do like that pond skimming. I guess skiing with 15 year olds will get you to try a few new things.
Actually, my son'...
Actually, my son'...
Great tactics! Doesn't the car use put this TR in lift-skiing? ;)
Greg, how come you've turned into such a rebel with the NPS. First it was for building kickers at Chinook Pass and now skinning up to Pebble Creek.! They're onto you Greg. ;) ;D
Did your bonus basin drop follow the obvious leftmost gully visible in your third last photo or did it go off of the ridge?
Your photos are making me rethink my plans for later in the week.
Alan
Your photos are making me rethink my plans for later in the week.
Alan
all right, dan from vulcan, getting raw with the gueule de bois
We had perfect timing for that visit to the Sedro Wooley DQ. A few minutes later and the bridge between reality and that DQ might have melted out! ;)
Took the summer trail- very fast with little snow. The headwall itself was actually fairly smooth (see pic looking across the top) down to the near the bottom. Had to ski around some sun cups down low, but it's late season and I'd say the top bit was nice for this time of year.
By my figuring, Dan climbed Baker twice entirely within the time required for us to do it once, by harder routes, with enough time left over for a third dash up to the summit had the mood struck him.
Thanks for the really cool TRs and photos.
Thanks for the really cool TRs and photos.
It was good to meet you on the mountain, Dan. To say the least, your line down the NR was impressive.
Josh
Josh
author=Telemon link=topic=10683.msg43501#msg43501 date=1216662981]
Thanks for the reports. I am contemplating a trip up the Easton or Squak glaciers this Saturday, so I appreciate the information. Nice to see that you are still skiing in July, Mack. We'll have to get together on Ptarmigan Ridge this August and September, Travertine and Rusty Knees.
Bob, I can provide additional details on route and conditions on Easton by ema...
funny thing. The bugs never even rose to nuisance levels. With all that water and wet meadow in McCall Basin I would have expected swarms.
author=scotteryx link=topic=10683.msg43499#msg43499 date=1216661793]
You must be talking about the Sedro Wooley DQ. What a zoo that place is. Between the staff and clientele you are always guaranteed a treat, just not the food.
That's the one; I think it's a job-training program for teens with fetal-alcohol syndrome, and half the customers are meth-heads. ;)
I say that with empathy, too, since I teach high school in...
Thanks for the reports. I am contemplating a trip up the Easton or Squak glaciers this Saturday, so I appreciate the information. Nice to see that you are still skiing in July, Mack. We'll have to get together on Ptarmigan Ridge this August and September, Travertine and Rusty Knees.
You must be talking about the Sedro Wooley DQ. What a zoo that place is. Between the staff and clientele you are always guaranteed a treat, just not the food.
Navigation, would definitely be easier if the trail were exposed as we got lost on the way out. We got a late start and camped at about 4000' the first night, and then skinned up to about 6000' and camped the next day. We stayed a little high on the south side of Tieton Pass and then headed west off the trail. There was only one steep section where we turned south and crossed the PCT. We tried to follow the PCT out and got royally lost as everything was under snow. We talked to another...
spent three nights in there over the 4th. was able to ski all the way into McCall ( off the PCT ) and the last mile or so of the PCT as well. Skied some of the same lines you did on the 4th and 5th.
our crew skied a good way out.
how were the bugs
our crew skied a good way out.
how were the bugs
Nice to meet you Keith. It was indeed a nice day to be out. We ran into another TAY'er on the way out too. I'm glad to see this forum get so much use.
Here's a few more photos
1st Picture: Mowich Lake from Knapsack Pass
2nd Picture: Hessong Rock from Mt. Pleasant
3rd Picture: Mt. Ranier from Mt. Pleasant
Jeff
Here's a few more photos
1st Picture: Mowich Lake from Knapsack Pass
2nd Picture: Hessong Rock from Mt. Pleasant
3rd Picture: Mt. Ranier from Mt. Pleasant
Jeff
Did you go over Knapsack Pass or summer trail? The headwall looks pretty rough.
Thanks for the feedback... the rockfall was pretty amazing to watch (from a distance of course). Conditions up there are good... snow is very soft... but surprisingly it did not stick to my (untuned) boards. A layer or two of wax sure wouldn't have hurt though. We did not ski the Langille Bowls... but there is quite a bit of good snow to be had up there... albeit melting very fast, as you can see in the video. Hope the weather is as good for you as it was for us!!!
I think it's just under 5 miles to Tieton Pass then close to 2 more to camp at McCall basin. It's only about 15 min or so and 200' vertical up to the upper basin and snow in photo 1. A week earlier would have been better, as we couldn't find a continuous snow path through the upper basin until we were above it. That discovery made the ski out and the skinning the next day a bit easier.
Wow! That would be a long ways in with snow starting at 4000'. I'm not...
Wow! That would be a long ways in with snow starting at 4000'. I'm not...
Hi Scott- that neat little lake looked kinda muddy turquoise down lower. It's nice sight from that vantage point for sure.
Thanks, Ron. This line is sort of a Fathers' day tradition for us, but we had to give up on it that weekend of many slides in mid-June.
I think those tracks are from a day or two ago, but we added ours around 1:30. If those skinny fingers melt out, it might be possible to scramble across to the wider pitch on lookers left and get down that way. Interesting how the top is melting out while the exit route at the bottom still has great coverage. Maybe it'...
I think those tracks are from a day or two ago, but we added ours around 1:30. If those skinny fingers melt out, it might be possible to scramble across to the wider pitch on lookers left and get down that way. Interesting how the top is melting out while the exit route at the bottom still has great coverage. Maybe it'...
Thanks for the beta TonyM.
Is that a blue Cat-Eye Lake I see below the headwall? It's seems like its been brown silt for years.
Is that a blue Cat-Eye Lake I see below the headwall? It's seems like its been brown silt for years.
author=Rusty Knees link=topic=10674.msg43445#msg43445 date=1216533855]
Thanks for an encouraging report. I've been trying to find time to get up there. Your TR might be the inspiration I needed. Looks like the snow on the summit was pretty nice. If it's still there in 10 days I might be able to get some.
Plenty of snow on Vesper, the chute up to Headlee (sp.?) Pass may be another story.....Vesper Glacier looked like...
It was nice to meet you up there Dan. When we saw the ski tracks down the N Ridge we were guessing who had made them. Asking another party on the N Ridge route who had seen the skier shredding by their tent if the skier had a beard or not, our strongest suspicions were confirmed that Dan the Man was the owner of those lines. Last time when I climbed the N Ridge (with Monika) the icy section you downclimbed had a lot of snow on it and was totally skiable. Again, great job.
Nice report Mike. We were up there last year over Memorial Day weekend and the snow started at 4000'. It snowed hard and the wind blew for a few hours the first evenng, enough to lay down an inch or so in camp and winddrift to fill in on the glacier. It softened the next day with blue skies and it was a fantastic ski down. Hard to find the trail out, but great conditions. Lots of blow downs on the trail last year. They must have cleared those since, as you didn't mention them, and I�...
Nice work you guys! Great pictures! Some of those moon shots were beautiful (one of Dan's was amazing). Nice to see a Tele geezer with the bunch ;D I think the only way the trip report could have been better is if Rusty knees had been along. In 2004 I climbed that route, saw a lone skier come down through those late summer crevasses and realized for the first time that was doable. See you up there!