TR Replies
Good style!! Sounds like an awesome trip. Look forward to seeing Scott's photos!
Greg has skied the lower portion of the route before and was a backcountry ranger last summer and stared at the line all summer. The day before we took some high res photos from Kautz Creek crossing and a couple other pullouts. Plus some internet research.
great tour guys! and your pics captured it well. love that area year-round, but think it's probably best with lots of snow.
hey, did you ski the couloir depicted below this caption: "traversing to the northern ridge of Ragged (7598'), our camp for the 2nd night".
hard to tell, is that feature just a spur ridge off Ragged Ridge, or is it somehow connected to Elijah ridge or Gabriel peak? have long wondered about touring in the Elijah area...
<...
hey, did you ski the couloir depicted below this caption: "traversing to the northern ridge of Ragged (7598'), our camp for the 2nd night".
hard to tell, is that feature just a spur ridge off Ragged Ridge, or is it somehow connected to Elijah ridge or Gabriel peak? have long wondered about touring in the Elijah area...
<...
No ... this is a haiku.
Suncuppy skinning upwards,
Slushy delights through the larches,
crow with elf slippers.
Suncuppy skinning upwards,
Slushy delights through the larches,
crow with elf slippers.
We were the group that set the skin track ahead of you on Tuesday. What a day! :D
Yes, the road is open to (and past) the Fryingpan trailhead.
Yes, the road is open to (and past) the Fryingpan trailhead.
An update from a trip up there yesterday:
- Snow patches start shortly after the switchback where the trail is very close to the river bank but they are discontinuous for a while after that and not worth putting on the skis until another 20 minutes or so up the trail and closer to Glacier Basin. The snow on those patches is firm and easy to travel on by foot.
- Where the summer trail takes a hard right or you can skin out to your left to cross the creek, it was still possi...
- Snow patches start shortly after the switchback where the trail is very close to the river bank but they are discontinuous for a while after that and not worth putting on the skis until another 20 minutes or so up the trail and closer to Glacier Basin. The snow on those patches is firm and easy to travel on by foot.
- Where the summer trail takes a hard right or you can skin out to your left to cross the creek, it was still possi...
Hey Scotsman, appreciate the post. Does that mean the road to White River Campground is free of snow or did you start from somewhere farther away? Saw the campground was still listed as closed on the NPS site.
author=kamtron link=topic=40682.msg161821#msg161821 date=1527147211]
Up and over and down to the aforementioned crevasse, then back up and down the way we came up.
Gettin after it, Kam. Fuck... I work too much.
Sweet. Most of the time we take a big loop towards Pan Handle Gap on on the return. You didn't mention the use of bikes so I'm assuming the road to the trailhead is open at least that far?
Up and over and down to the aforementioned crevasse, then back up and down the way we came up.
Unfortunately I was not all that observant until we got on the glacier, at which point Forbidden really obstructs your view of the Quien Sabe.
I'll post the only picture I have of Sahale, and also my favorite picture from the summit (which my friend just sent me).
I'll post the only picture I have of Sahale, and also my favorite picture from the summit (which my friend just sent me).
this quote got me
The moment when hero or a fool gets decided.
this goes? this goes
The moment when hero or a fool gets decided.
Well done! Where did you scope and plan the descent from?
Thanks for cross posting, for those of us that have cut the fb wire.
Thanks for cross posting, for those of us that have cut the fb wire.
Very nice line! Congrats on a decent descent!
Nice! Did you get a good look at Sahale/Quien Sabe at all?
Wow. I don't see this very often. Good job on this!
FYI as of yesterday a crucial snowbridge is melted out in the middle section of the upper Nisqually.
Edit: Better stated, a large block shifted, causing the bridge to open up and necessitating a jump for an ascending climber or descending skier.
Edit: Better stated, a large block shifted, causing the bridge to open up and necessitating a jump for an ascending climber or descending skier.
Wow, cool trip. That some serious dot connecting.
How did fortune mountain look? Still snow or bony there too?
Nice! We skied Lewis and Del Campo, and I was hoping to see your tracks on Vesper, but couldn't distinguish tracks from that far away.
Thanks for the timely post. Nice pics!
Seems like the low snow year (east of the crest) combined with a hot May have shortened the Stuart ski season by a couple weeks.
Seems like the low snow year (east of the crest) combined with a hot May have shortened the Stuart ski season by a couple weeks.
Thanks - one of my favorites - need to get up there soon.
Highly enjoyable report, thanks for the stoke!
Rad. Nice work! We just missed you at the TH. Probably left around 11pm!
Was just going to add a post to this. We lost 2 potential ski partners due to other commitments (or lack of commitment), so Gavin and I meet up at 2:30AM Monday for the same trip as you described. I would suggest this route as "effectively" being out because of how skinny the snow already is down at 5500/5600' and will be unskiable below 6200' and the first big rock scramble any day now. We turned at our prescribed turn time of 1pm at the false summit after...
pics
Summit
Longs pass on the return
Stuart from afar at dusk
Summit
Longs pass on the return
Stuart from afar at dusk
author=andyrew link=topic=40721.msg161750#msg161750 date=1526906190]
Did you have time to tag any summits?
no, just Cosho, which was skiable; Kimtah, Katsuk, Mesahchie would have been scramble/climbs at this time and
yes, my head was up in the clouds spirit floating but for the errant arrow aimed at whatever was keeping my brain from frying under the sun--heh! psychedelic... Glaciers convecting to the sky....
..dude, good trip report. And I like that 1st image; the square shape brings more ground & sky into the frame, cool shapes & contrasts.
Beautiful pictures. Curious to see that slide on Wasiliki Ridge, if you have a picture.
I started the day on May 21 by putting my America The Beautiful Senior Pass on the dash of the car. Thank you to Jim Oker and “heretic†in my May 14-15 Alpental trip report for mentioning the right pass to use (not the Discover Pass) without getting a warning..
Excellent country. Thanks for joining...and great pics!
thanks for the post. My wife and I are heading up to Washington Pass for two days of skiing. I hope the snow holds up for another week or so.
Stellar photos, tons of ém!!! Great job gang; both the shredding, and bringing back the imagery!
That second photo though.
I looked at that line and a couple folks skiing it last year. It's damn real. Good work.
I looked at that line and a couple folks skiing it last year. It's damn real. Good work.
author=mccallboater link=topic=40668.msg161580#msg161580 date=1526221760]
Late April of 2017 I skied the Haute Route. Your pictures show an amazing amount of snow in places that last year were dry.
I was also on the Haute route last April: http://mountainlessons.com/skiing/haute-route-part-2-verbier-arolla
Last year was decidedly low tide, and thankfully, this year was much fatter. There was no grass walking for us, tho...
Ryan, it means "split in two".
Repeated period-doubling bifurcations are one of the standard routes to chaos, fractals, and all that.
Repeated period-doubling bifurcations are one of the standard routes to chaos, fractals, and all that.
What does "bifurcated" mean?
Nice to see that you're still a gamer. Way to get after it.
Nice to see that you're still a gamer. Way to get after it.
Fantastic Stefan! Great photos. Love the spontaneity of it all and pulling it off.
Looks like a great way to visit intriguing country. Did you have time to tag any summits?
Jim Oker's correct about the required trailhead permit: you'll need a NW Forest or America the Beautiful pass.
Happy birthday young man! cool to see pics of places I've only been to when mostly free of snow... that's quite a traverse! Makes the one we just did look rather paltry... Wished you (we all!) had better snow--for safety, fun and freedom of line selection. Way to make it a memorable celebration
author=kamtron link=topic=40695.msg161739#msg161739 date=1526841012]
I thought the same thing! Beautiful slope.
Badass tour you guys pulled off. Very neat looking terrain. That traverse on Clark looked a bit spicy. Traverses are calling!
Thanks!
Clark Mt. proved to be much more complex than we had imagined it to be.
author=Jake the Brit link=topic=40695.msg161738#msg161738 date=1526837699]
Wow..epic traverse, not bad for an old guy ;D
...that Lauhna image is fabulous, wall-worthy & provoked a bit of ski-line drooling.
Great effort, I rekcon you don't need to go back there for a while!
Thanks sir! I think I'll give it a couple weeks before I go back..
author=Jake the Brit link=topic=40695.msg161738#msg161738 date=1526837699]
...that Lauhna image is fabulous, wall-worthy & provoked a bit of ski-line drooling.
I thought the same thing! Beautiful slope.
Badass tour you guys pulled off. Very neat looking terrain. That traverse on Clark looked a bit spicy. Traverses are calling!