TR Replies
Nice job on Aussie, Lee. I have wanted to ski a combo platter of Aussie Couloir and Stonecrop Face in the same day. Stonecrop Face is a spectacular ski in a like setting, and I have yet to ski Aussie Couloir. Maybe someday I will get to combine the two.... How many people where at the hut on a Saturday night?
We saw many signs of activity from Saturday, mostly point releases and sluffs. Some had produced slides large enough to cause concern. We saw no such activity on Sunday. Maybe less solar radiation or just more time to consolidate.
Ron, congratulations to you and your group for reviving this historical route!...but why did you wait a year to post this TR? :) I wonder how many parties have done it since the 70's, when I did approximately your line on wooden Bonna 2400's several times. There's a variation of the 'Old Trail' that stays closer to the Nisqually rim along the abandoned powerline corridor. It has an additional short up, but you can ski down to Ricksecker Point without crossing the pl...
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=9486.msg38306#msg38306 date=1205811022]
Nice report, Ron. Thanks for an interesting trip idea and for letting us join you. I think you meant to say "WSW" of the Visitor Center, right?
Good eye, Amar. Right you are. I'll fix that.
author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=9486.msg38306#msg38306 date=1205811022]
All my fault, eh? I don't even how re...
That looks like some really pleasant, enjoyable terrain. Some time when I am coming from Oregon way I will have to try er out. About how long does it take on average to get to one of the good high points from the parking area? Where do you park?
Glad you made it back without a hairy ride.
Glad you made it back without a hairy ride.
author=ron j link=topic=9486.msg38279#msg38279 date=1205785600">
Years ago, Gary Vogt (pronounced "vote"), the "last of the breed" and a 30+ year vetran of skiing Paradise and surrounds, showed me on a map where the "Old Trail" came down from the old campground at Paradise (the old campground was in the Dead Horse Creek Basin, ESE of the Visitor's Center) to the road near Frog Heaven.
Nice report...
That's a deep thought! As a old spelunker now you got me wondering why they call it Cave ridge. anybody know?
author=Robie link=topic=9471.msg38225#msg38225 date=1205644522]
Kind of circumcised Cave ridge.
Gosh, I didn't even realize the ridge had the sort of body parts that get circumcised ::)
Nice ,very nice !
Cloudveil take note if these guys would had tan pants instead of those hot black ones they mighta got that 10,000' day in ! Note the thread "spring ski pants" in random tracks.
Cloudveil take note if these guys would had tan pants instead of those hot black ones they mighta got that 10,000' day in ! Note the thread "spring ski pants" in random tracks.
We scoped the route from the South. Aneroid remained obscured by a peak in the direct line of sight. It looks like you would head down the Fly creek drainage and stay high so as not to descend to the Imnaha. I'm ready to do that traverse, but I suspect it will be a few years of exploration to get that dialed in as an offering to guests. Something that also crossed my mind about a traverse and a night out: Megamid and Mountain House vs yurt, draft beer, little smokies and salmon? Hmmmmmmm......
Good times, Red, and thanks for laying down some good track. A few more photos can be found here http://picasaweb.google.com/bjwalker75/CannonMtnMarch2008
Ron. Sorry we got side tracked, I lost you guy's after Longmire and was following Jerry up to Paradise and when we got there, no Ron. From the pictures at lest you could see what it was you were skiing. We sure couldn't at B Bowl. We sat and ate lunch at the top waiting for a clearing, it never happened. Glad you had a good tour.
We planned to do Chair's north slope on Saturday, and found similar decreasing stability as we ascended towards the notch. We observed numerous crowns (presumed to be from during Friday evening's storm) on SE aspects in Chair Peak Basin in steep start zones. For most of the morning, we'd found good bonds between the new snow and the underlying crust, and mostly unconsolidated new snow. However, temps were rising all morning, and we realized we were racing time to...
How was the going through the lower trees? Last time I was there we went skiers left of the creek and it was tough navigating through them. Is there a better way to go or did we need more snow the day I was there?
Great TR WITH details! Thanks Ron. Hopefully I'll catch a swig of the liquid party with ya next outing. ;)
It was great to finally meet the crew and ski a bit of new (to me) terrain. By the looks of your photos, the snow did indeed get better - hurray! I'm still happy with the decision Amar and I made to hitch a ride back to Paradise, lap ECB and eat candy. Oh how I love winter in Washington.
Hannah
Hannah
Cool! Got any pictures....
author=Teleskichica link=topic=9481.msg38252#msg38252 date=1205729090">
Excellent! Sharing reaps many rewards . . .
Missed actually seeing you on the slopes, any chance you were fine tuning the way points for the rubber tire traverse and descent? ;D (If so, I'll need an update. ;) Haha)
Actually you hit the mark spot on, Holl...
author=russ link=topic=9472.msg38243#msg38243 date=1205718239]
Looking good - are you skiing the bows?
Good eye, Russ. Jennie is on the light skis, I will use them when she leaves, in my sad effort to keep up with the Austrians.
We plead guilty to being the "ghost groomers". We "diverged" not because you were noisy, but because we were within minutes of our pre-determined turn around time; we had to both get home in time to put a 6 month old and an 8 month old to bed. We knew it was going to be heavy sledding back down, so we decided to head up towards the ridge above the lake and get a few turns in and see if we could see Grand Park at all. We didn't know you were there until we doubled back an...
There is an access road a few hundred yards west of the Ventilators, north side of the highway. We parked there two years in a row.
The "No parking" and "This area under video surveillance" sings are still posted at the Ventilators.
The "No parking" and "This area under video surveillance" sings are still posted at the Ventilators.
Where did you park the car? Are the no parking signs still there by the ventilation shaft?
Very nice photos with the large cliffs in the background.
Nice job Peter - looks like a sweet ride.
Glad to hear you finally got your fix before going completely bonkers. For what gaineth a skier who gets passing grades but loseth his or her immortal soul?
Way to get it- looks like it was pretty nice.
author=ron j link=topic=9481.msg38251#msg38251 date=1205728322]
... and a party was had by all ;)
Excellent! Sharing reaps many rewards . . .
Missed actually seeing you on the slopes, any chance you were fine tuning the way points for the rubber tire traverse and descent? ;D (If so, I'll need an update. ;) Haha)
Holly - Great TR.
And many thanks for the surprise... it was perfect... and a party was had by all ;)
And many thanks for the surprise... it was perfect... and a party was had by all ;)
Nice read ! glad you got out! Send it in as a essay and you might get some of those points back!
A few photos at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24314292@N03/sets/72157604130551635/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24314292@N03/sets/72157604130551635/
Cool, now there should be no problem getting Eric to assist you at Marmot! At least one of him ;)
Nice montage, great advertising for Trab Freerando! Eric looking very good, and very happy.
We were up there on friday and the snow was good as well...looks like our tracks were covered over.
Yowza - you're going so fast in the third pic that there's a cloud cavitating out of the air behind your head!
Have fun over there!
Have fun over there!
Melikes "skycountry."
How long are you for the old world, old boy?
I'm planning to make my way to Les Hautes-Alpes on the 25th....
How long are you for the old world, old boy?
I'm planning to make my way to Les Hautes-Alpes on the 25th....
Just to be clear, I meant shallow as in that the avalanches seemed to be confined to the upper 4-6 inches or so of the snowpack, not as in the angle of the slopes. :)
Hey, I always say, "This site is useless without pictures of high carbon lightweight astronomical shovels." I like the snow crystals in the photo.
Good job. Hope you stayed awake during the opera. It ain't over till the fat lady sings. Maybe she woke you up. You're a better man than me if you can get up for a cultural event like that after a day of climbing & skiing. Kudos.
Interesting - our seemingly stable conditions were exclusively on W/SW facing aspects on shallow slopes (inducting a housemate into the cult of Dynafit).
Thanks for the knowledge... still hunting for tomorrow's venue.
Thanks for the knowledge... still hunting for tomorrow's venue.
We were out on Mt. Catherine today. FYI, N facing slopes here showed widespread (but shallow) avy activity in previous 24 hours or so (the avy debris covered tracks that only had an inch or two of fresh covering them). Saw two weak layers in the top 6 inches of snow.
Glad you had a good outing.
Glad you had a good outing.
[quote="Morningstar"]Did you climb West of the creek or follow the summer trail to get to Surprise Lake? Also, it reads as if you gained the Thunder-Ridge just past the lake and not via Surprise Gap?
Mostly followed the summer trail until the basin below the lake. We tried the east side of the creek for ski out, but Rich wasn't too impressed ;D
We didn't go to the Surprise Gap. A small gap we took lead onto the Thunder Mtn...
Mostly followed the summer trail until the basin below the lake. We tried the east side of the creek for ski out, but Rich wasn't too impressed ;D
We didn't go to the Surprise Gap. A small gap we took lead onto the Thunder Mtn...
Great execution of avoiding the crowds. True Cascade touring. Lots more like this if one thinks out of our usual boxes. Those 6500'+ hills a bit east of there have been tempting me for years after a summer wander.
Thanks for the nice pictures.
Thanks for the nice pictures.
Wallowas are bodacious. CB was showing us some of the terrain a McCully-to-Norway tour might
cover, and it is worthy. Nice TR.
cover, and it is worthy. Nice TR.
Hey Kenji,
Did you climb West of the creek or follow the summer trail to get to Surprise Lake? Also, it reads as if you gained the Thunder-Ridge just past the lake and not via Surprice Gab?
Thank you, been there in the summer.
Did you climb West of the creek or follow the summer trail to get to Surprise Lake? Also, it reads as if you gained the Thunder-Ridge just past the lake and not via Surprice Gab?
Thank you, been there in the summer.
Hinman looks so inviting! Nice depth of field in difficult light!
Thanks, but I forgot to mention I had help from a couple breaking trail. They're camped near 4th Crossing & will no doubt have the uptrack re-broken before the road opens tomorrow. Sounded like they might try to break an uptrack on Bundy's as well...There was also a large group in Longmire today planning an extended weekend at Reflection Lk, which should ease the approach to the Tatoosh. The avy situation seemed real sketchy. I would especially avoid Narada...