TR Replies
Excellent work and nice tour! Monica, you go girl!
Looks like you also had a good day on plummer. My partner and I lapped Plummer and Denman milking out 6300' on saturday. The Tatoosh has so much to offer. Aside from the usual delays at the gate, the day couldn't have been better. Sounds like an enjoyable tour.
How close were you able to park to the summer colchuck TH? Close at all? I have only frequented the area in the summer months....Stellar tour gang.
I like those black and white shots! ;D verrrrrrrrrrrrrry niccccccccce!
Just a note on the name Leming variation to the Nisqually Chute. This was a name I gave it when Overthills and I skied it last year. It's not it's real name but was so called by us as one day we where casually sitting at the top of the Nisqually chute bucking up when two young, gifted skiers came up ( both post on TAY)and very politely asked if we minded if they dropped the chute first.
We said we didn't mind and off they went but they turned right over the arete...
We said we didn't mind and off they went but they turned right over the arete...
For what it's worth the wax did work good but now that I have to clean it off I'm kinda wishing I woulda used my skinny skins. I should have turned around and wentback down a bit just to see how the stuff breaks into a glide. I would like to try it on a multiple day tour.
The winds really have done a number on the north side of Shasta this year. The Whitney is the foremost glacier in the photo, then the upper Bolam can be seen further to lookers left. You may notice the blue hue covering these glaciers. A ranger mentioned that the east-side: Hotlum, Clear Creek, would most likely hold the best skiing. To far of a drive to go and scope them from the road for now.
SnowBell- I guess I was close enough with the elevations as I only was going by my topo and instinct on when and where we cut over. Little Africa? Is that the rocky section we booted over before we strapped back up? It is not on the topo so I have no idea what that is.
Anyway, good times, except for the tr writing- I somehow lost the first draft as my computer shut down after the battery ran out, and had to retype the whole thing.
Next time I will shout "not it".<...
Anyway, good times, except for the tr writing- I somehow lost the first draft as my computer shut down after the battery ran out, and had to retype the whole thing.
Next time I will shout "not it".<...
no, we didn't go up that chute. We went up the one just to the west of the Pinnacle. Between Pinnacle and Plummer. Didn't look like you have to drop too far to go the route you describe. There are some rocks that extend down a couple hundred feet, but looks like there may be a snow filled gap a bit higher.
That was a nice tour, and as usual, the Tatoosh always delivers. Really nice snow over there.
That was a nice tour, and as usual, the Tatoosh always delivers. Really nice snow over there.
Thanks for writting up a TR Chris. Good tour. Thanks for seeing it through. I was really pleased how well everthing skied really well from top to bottom. Thanks for scoping the line. The top was great but with the rollover I couldn't see nearly half of it from above. The lower portion of the bridge run was much more interesting than I had imagined.
One correction regarding the Cowlitz; I believed that we skied down to the shelf below one...
One correction regarding the Cowlitz; I believed that we skied down to the shelf below one...
I believe we got through the gate a little before 9.
Nice tour Mack. I assume that the gate opened at a reasonable time as you did not mention it. That is always a concern of mine when considering a trip up there.
Good to see the Oly wolf pack on the powder prowl.
Good to see the Oly wolf pack on the powder prowl.
That sounds like a fun loop. You must have really been moving ;)
I am curious; from the top of the Pinnacle chute did you tour around the south side of Pinnacle to reach Plummer? If so, how far down do you drop to gain the shoulder?
Also, passing good snow for other good snow? What got into you?
I am curious; from the top of the Pinnacle chute did you tour around the south side of Pinnacle to reach Plummer? If so, how far down do you drop to gain the shoulder?
Also, passing good snow for other good snow? What got into you?
Very nice tour guys! I was looking at the Tatoosh when I was up on Muir on Saturday and they looked so wild and magnificent. Great choice. ;D
author=Robie link=topic=9418.msg37981#msg37981 date=1205120202]
.............perhaps my breakfast partners who chose to ski the tatoosh did even better.
Enjoyed seeing you at the TT and catching up on your ski adventures. We did have a great time on the Tatoosh, thought about you and Gary over on the "other" side and wondered how things were over there. We actually had the whole mountain to ourselves. Rich...
Robie, I was amazed how well your wax (VR70?) worked on that springlike snow coming up the Valley Rd. I wouldn't have wanted to try it with my old-fashioned purple...powder's coming back, don't forget to clean it off...
I think it's a community of loose people. ;)
That's a nice line in the photo. The trip sounds like an adventure with ice, rocks, wanting climbing gear... Go Mack, go!
There aren't that many reports that come in from the peninsula. I am wondering how many "regulars" there are touring there. Any guesses? Is it a tight community of people or a loose pack of lone wolves? grrrr....
There aren't that many reports that come in from the peninsula. I am wondering how many "regulars" there are touring there. Any guesses? Is it a tight community of people or a loose pack of lone wolves? grrrr....
We climbed over the intervening ridge, but didn't ski the couloir at its end. We then descended directly to the trailhead, more or less. We never really considered the shot directly from the summit since we/I wanted to ski one of the lines to Coney Lake.
author=Scotsman link=topic=9415.msg37969#msg37969 date=1205111279]
Nice Work !
Thanks, bro. I saw from the TRs that you-all were busy at Paradise. Stay in touch.
That's a burly tour. My brother did pretty much the same thing last year. Did you descend to Coney lake and then climb over the intervening ridge (perhaps to get to the Couloir at the end of the ridge?) Or did you descend direct from Cannon summit into the drainage that is only about 3/4 mi from the summer trailhead? If the latter I've looked at that before and wondered whether it was cliff-free.
Thanks for the picture Mike.
The skiing was stellar on Wednesday morning and so was the weather. The gully was filled much higher than when I skied the couloir last year around the same time, so skinning was an option even high up in the couloir.
The skiing was stellar on Wednesday morning and so was the weather. The gully was filled much higher than when I skied the couloir last year around the same time, so skinning was an option even high up in the couloir.
Nice spooning, people! Waste not, want not. Great pictures, all way around.
author=Pete A link=topic=9401.msg37908#msg37908 date=1204910068]North couloir (Wood creek) had been skied by three folks the day before so it was unfortuantely pretty thrashed...
Actually there were two of us (although we took an extra lap in the lower couloir). We didn't make it to the very top of the couloir because of shooting cracks where it was a bit windloaded:
Thanks for the tour Mack. That was a great way to enjoy the sunshine.
In Volken's Guide "Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass", he uses "McClellum Butte" - that reference was handy when I posted. National Geographic Topo and Burfdorfer's guide lists it as "McClellan Butte". I suspect the second is the usual spelling, but don't know.
If weather continues the way it is, maybe a couple of weeks to firm up...
If weather continues the way it is, maybe a couple of weeks to firm up...
Good job and an interesting route. Our group skied the chute at about 1.00 Pm and it was very nice and not sloppy at all due to the cloud cover that kept coming in and out.
Glad it all worked out for you.
Glad it all worked out for you.
Holy Guacamole!!...now that's a tour...
That's McClellan Butte, right? good job on a solo. Could you give a wild guess what date it might start to firm up? Thanks.
Nice! This looks like old-school powder skiing at its best. Your group is the real deal.
WORTHY!....with the worthy.
Holy crap, powder framing. Great shots. I love the second one -- thanks for the report. We're up for a hut trip near that area next week and now I'm drooling...
I've always appreciated your beta. Could you PR me with some ideas for an introduction to the Coast Range? you see, I'm jaded about the Sea to Sky highway. I hate it. I'm hoping and guessing the Coast Range has alternatives that don't include that awful dangerous road.
-Jayme
-Jayme
I drove over the pass last weekend, looked up that chute and thought for the first time in many years "Hmmmm that looks like a good ski".
I guess I wasn't the only one.
Nice work!
I guess I wasn't the only one.
Nice work!
Nice work. I love that area. One of my most memorable days is skiing down the glacier below your route. Always wanted to get up in there to ski more. How time flies? I was so peeved I had to go to Las Vegas (ski-mountaineer hell) for a conference. I didn't even want to look at the pictures as my arm chair stokage may just entice me to do something stupid :).
Nice - busy week for you! Makes me want to quite work (it's been a long week, but not of skiing...).
author=danhelmstadter link=topic=9402.msg37915#msg37915 date=1204919594]
The weathermen screwed up again, a sunny forecast materialized to a blend of morning sunshine and clouds (beautiful sunrise) giving way to all high clouds. The surface conditions above 10k were variable, with mostly glaze surface ice from 11k to 12.2k, with the occasional patch of windslab. I have wanted to ski the NE or the E face for sometime, but access from the north entails bushwhack...
We set the skin track Sun morning and got to about 5k and backed off. We did 4 tap tests, the first failed below Friday's rain crust while digging the column. Two sluffed in the top 15 in. of fluff at 5-10 taps from the wrist. The fourth failed on the rain crust at 5-10 from the wrist. Slightly unsatisfied ;), we dug two rutschblocks. The first sluffed on flex of the knees. The second sheared quickly and clean on the rain crust at knee flex. T...
I'm old(er) and dumb. Not sure I could keep up on the climb (and not so sure on the descent but would lvoe to try!); otherwise would love to join in on something like that.
Another nice descent guys.
I am kind of young and a little dumb, can I come with you?
I am kind of young and a little dumb, can I come with you?
author=LearnToTurn link=topic=8782.msg37889#msg37889 date=1204868514]Hi there L2T-
If any one is interested who is safe on steep stuff, let me know.
Feel free to keep me in mind for your tour ambitions in the Olympics. I tend to wait until the spring to turn my attention westward as the access i so much easier but this season I am already day dreaming about some trips that I have in mind. I am available to ski most days and ste...
Nice Pete -- I've been wondering how that north bowl access was... good work.