TR Replies
hedonaut, thanks again for the info about the snow conditions in the ice cliff couloir!
Congrats Michael and Corinne, thanks for the report and great pics. Glad you found the weather window (and baby sitters) to pull it off! The Gouter hut sounds a little like the Muir hut having to make beds in the dinning area ;). On that last day touring alone from the top of the Brevant area just 2 weeks ago, I had those amazing views across the Chamonix valley to Mt Blanc. Really look forward to coming back to climb it some day.
Another beautiful day in the Cascades.
The early start (early for us anyway, we left Scotty's house just after 4AM) was essential as the summer like day delivered as forcasted. Despite being a weekend morning at Snoqualmie Pass, we saw only two cars at Alpental that morning. One appeared to be a couple of skiers strategically parked to access the Phantom (Slot?) and the other in the upper lot which we later found belonged to "speed flier Joe" and his winged buddy. ...
The early start (early for us anyway, we left Scotty's house just after 4AM) was essential as the summer like day delivered as forcasted. Despite being a weekend morning at Snoqualmie Pass, we saw only two cars at Alpental that morning. One appeared to be a couple of skiers strategically parked to access the Phantom (Slot?) and the other in the upper lot which we later found belonged to "speed flier Joe" and his winged buddy. ...
Great trip guys- looks like a lot of fun. I see you're getting into those alpine starts Dave- addicting aren't they?
Michael and Corinne: nice! The photos are amazing, especially the alpenglow on the Aiguille du Midi.
Nice report, and thanks for sharing. I have been thumbing through J. Moynier's book describing some of the routes in the area. The terrain looks spectacular! I'm planning to do a few tours there next year...
author=DP link=topic=9908.msg39944#msg39944 date=1209432680]
I had a look at your TR. The pic of Dave (?) skiing down towards the lake does show the same slope, just over a bit to looker's left (you can see the little larch tree on top of the rock in both pics). But the steepness, slope shape, etc. were basically the same. In fact, I originally traversed to skier's left (right in the pic) to avoid the rocks and ski a less steep line than the one in y...
Heres the same TR with more photos
http://www.splitboard.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=4979
enjoy
http://www.splitboard.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=4979
enjoy
author=Monika link=topic=9908.msg39934#msg39934 date=1209424213]
So we ended up skiing further skier's right, it was still steep but not as much of a roll over towards the bottom. We had much colder temps, every item of clothing I had on top of Asgaard pass wasn't quite enough.
the pics of Dave skiing down to Inspiration lake on Ryan's cc report don't show that part of said slope. maybe i can figure out how to t...
That's the Lillooet nation's word for themselves. So did you guys make a Duffy - Downton - Brew pilgrimage this weekend or what?
Thanks for the pics dave. I'll get another story and more pics up soon (a few days). I'm so happy you invited me! We got away with a lucky snatch here on a great route. So much fun. I am feeling so good to finally have busted over the top of that route and to ski down it this time (only waited 9 years).
If anyone has ever been up this side of the mountain, I'd love to hear more about it! I think it gets overlooked, but one can't be blamed with all the radness shuk...
If anyone has ever been up this side of the mountain, I'd love to hear more about it! I think it gets overlooked, but one can't be blamed with all the radness shuk...
author=skykilo link=topic=9914.msg39931#msg39931 date=1209421749]
Awesome pictures Michael, thanks.
Ditto. A thousand times over. :)
Gorgeous pictures Michael. What a treat you had with the snow and the timing.
And WAY to GO Corinne !!! How many other momas with little ones are doing a trip like this. wow. I can't imagine you have time to exercise with any regularity like others.
:) :)
NICE HIT!! Those pics are awesome! I've only been able to drool at your line...nice work guys. Way to nail it!
Very glad you all were okay. Especially with non release bindings in all of that slide -- whew!
Ryan or Dave C can correct me if I'm not remembering, but the location of your slide is where we saw evidence of a natural slide likely a day or so before we all did that Cannon tour. So we ended up skiing further skier's right, it was still steep but not as much of a roll over towards the bottom. We had much colder temps, every item of clothing...
Awesome pictures Michael, thanks.
Love hearing about more unstable weather over there - how about some shots that show bon enneigement on La Verte!?
Love hearing about more unstable weather over there - how about some shots that show bon enneigement on La Verte!?
Wow, heart-pounding stuff Amar - it's amazing the push adrenaline and abject fear can give us!! Sounds like you heli-rotated out of that hole. Thanks for sharing the trip and experience. I think I'll take Skip E.'s suggestion and throw on my harness as well - but of course then the rub is, when, and to whom do you tie off to? Everybody needs to agree ahead of time. It's only probabililty catching up with you, that and this La Nina spring with little consolidation or stre...
Liked the TR! We had a challenge of a different nature on Potluck pass in late May, 2005. Late season snow was sluffing due to poor bonding and hot days. We also "failed" to get completely around the Palisades and came out at Contact pass to our back-up car at Glacier lodge.
Here is our TR
Here is our TR
A bit embarrassing, given such an elegant prelude. No disrespect intended. Just very excited. And I'm Italian. Amo la montagna!
Does Sylvie know about Toby's other woman?
Who am I kidding, of course she does... Nice job y'all.
Who am I kidding, of course she does... Nice job y'all.
great photos--looks like it was an amazing trip! and i agree that the kings canyon np area is spectacular. thanks for sharing. :)
author=shred link=topic=9905.msg39897#msg39897 date=1209400216]
Its snowmobilers like that, that give the rest of us sled skiers a bad name. Unfortunate. >:(
No sign of ski/board tracks down - just snowmobile tracks up and down. The good name of sled skiers remains untarnished ;). (Chatted with some friendly sled boarders yesterday, though I've never seen any sled supported tracks up there.
Nice work Erik! Glad to see you guys got out there. As you know, I love that area.
Visablility was good on the summit of Hood on saturday, except for some haze that got worse as the day went on, couldn't barely see Jefferson by the afternoon.
Approximately what's the elevation there? I'm not to familiar with this area, just curious for some statistics. I feel that everyone in this community learns something when someone shares this type of experience.
Nice report Pete, I wondered if you guys were going to proceed with the ICG after the news. I was one of the 2 skiers you talked with--we later realized that we'd also bumped into you guys on the N side of Snoqualmie a few weeks ago.
I think you picked the plum by hitting the Sherpa instead. I wish I'd thought of the skateboard technique for the flat swamp skate--definitely in the bag of tricks now. Conditions on the way out were unusually kind--and the cold beer at the c...
I think you picked the plum by hitting the Sherpa instead. I wish I'd thought of the skateboard technique for the flat swamp skate--definitely in the bag of tricks now. Conditions on the way out were unusually kind--and the cold beer at the c...
We summited st. helens on Saturday...was supposed to be a multiday/multiple summit tour...someone forgot a sleeping bag!? :'(
We noticed the clouds around Adams and Hood, and thought that visibility & snowpack probably wasn't great above about 8000'. Once the clouds came over and blocked out the sun over helens, we almost instantly felt the snow change to a trap crust.
Also, a LOT of snowmachine tracks all over as well. However, we talke...
We noticed the clouds around Adams and Hood, and thought that visibility & snowpack probably wasn't great above about 8000'. Once the clouds came over and blocked out the sun over helens, we almost instantly felt the snow change to a trap crust.
Also, a LOT of snowmachine tracks all over as well. However, we talke...
Animal,
Welcome.
Just noticed this report from last week. As an avid proponent of Olympic skiing I have to commend you guys for taking on a serious tour that few others have done. Thanks for sharing.
Welcome.
Just noticed this report from last week. As an avid proponent of Olympic skiing I have to commend you guys for taking on a serious tour that few others have done. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for posting the TR, Matt. I'm the dot in the middle of the slide in the top pic, and am hoping to learn from this experience. If you can't learn from something like this, then you can't learn.
wow matt, glad to hear you guys are alright. that's a big looking slide!
Amazing that a tooth of slab on the lower looker's right is still intact.
Amazing that a tooth of slab on the lower looker's right is still intact.
author=Pete A link=topic=9909.msg39899#msg39899 date=1209401416]
and while crossing the upper swamp flats Andy introduced us to a skinning technique we all appreciated. I’d never tried putting one skin on a ski and leaving the other without a skin…but it works great and you can propel yourself across the flats as if you were on a skateboard, moving much faster through thick snow than skating on AT gear.
Pictures coming soon.
Nice work y'all. I was wondering if you'd run into some spooky conditions after finding huge, billowy powder bumps at Alpental, which rapidly turned into a cinnamon roll/shmoo bonanza as the day heated up. Glad you got some good turns out of it.
Glad everything turned out okay, Matt!
In your second picture, it looks like the slide started at one of the steeper locations in the picture. I presume you descended a different way. Did you get a sense of how terrain-sensitive the hazard was? An important lesson could be the choice of slopes to descend. I don't mean to criticize--I hope to learn something too.
In your second picture, it looks like the slide started at one of the steeper locations in the picture. I presume you descended a different way. Did you get a sense of how terrain-sensitive the hazard was? An important lesson could be the choice of slopes to descend. I don't mean to criticize--I hope to learn something too.
Its snowmobilers like that, that give the rest of us sled skiers a bad name. Unfortunate. >:(
Nice report. It was good seeing you guys up there and thanks for the in the field heads up on the crevasse & slabbage action. My buddy & I intended on a summit bid the next morning, but contented ourselves with doing some laps before it got too warm.
I had a similar experience skiing the Spearhead Traverse about 5 yrs. ago. Two of our party of 4 skied right across a crevasse which was totally unremarkable. The 3rd person was right in my tracks and went in over his head. He had 1 of our 2 - 30m ropes, but at least I had the other. We quickly set up a belay and helped him out. This was an early april trip with a normal or better snowpack; supposedly the safest time to travel our NW glaciers.
Since then I'...
Since then I'...
Glad you're and everyone in your party is okay. That's a scary thing.
That's a lot of work. Way to get it! That postholing shot is awesome. Those are the kind of steps you put your head in when you're up to your waist in snow and bemoan to yourself, "What the hell am I doing?" Followed by, "Oh, man, it's just right there, maybe an hour." It never is :).
The top is a lot more filled in than when we were there. What a great year for snow!
The top is a lot more filled in than when we were there. What a great year for snow!
Thanks Wolfs, Snow Bell and our new Euro friends put you beta to use this morning. Another early start and we left the base at 6.00 am and used the skin track up to the top of Three way exit chute that you had presumably set. Skied really well as you said, not powder but close. We then hiked up Silver Basin and the Euros,Paul and Jaakko skied Brain Damage while Joe and I dropped Hourglass.
Soft and quite skiable but getting unstable. Called it quits at 10.00 amd and then went to Campb...
Soft and quite skiable but getting unstable. Called it quits at 10.00 amd and then went to Campb...
Thats hard core man! Well done on keeping going with all that knee deep trail breaking.
I got exhausted just thinking about it. :D
I got exhausted just thinking about it. :D
Nice shots man! The dog following in...wow! Did I say nice shots yet!?
here's to spreading the love scotsman! 8)
looking forward to photos...
looking forward to photos...
Agreed -- great shot. I've never seen a dog do a front flip before...