TR Replies
cool vid. I liked the parts you captured of how to squeeze every last bit of skiing to the end.
Cool adventure...thanks for taking the time to write it up!!
author=radka link=topic=40667.msg161527#msg161527 date=1525934329]
Summary
We heard many times that Dark Peak is best done early season otherwise it turns in to a terrible bushwhack. We woke up 3 days in a row at 4:30am to accommodate all the logistics of the trip and managed to avoid the jungle as Swamp Creek was still buried under 5+ feet of snow. The final 2-3 miles of Agnes Creek trail (PCT) before Swamp Creek was still continuous...
Fun times for sure Mike and Jamie! We'll get it next time. Heddonaut. We thought of descending to Pelton and heading up the S glacier then over to Hurry Up. Alas. The promise of corn on baker lured us. Still I enjoyed all our adventures. Justin got to enjoy the spectacle on Rainier on our third day. While our trip didn't go as planned I was proud and happy to travel with partners willing to come back for another day.
Really enjoyed reading this trip report. Thanks shred!
thanks for the info. all, sounds like a well-considered call; and, glad to see you guys found a way through Gregg.
here's some oversharing re preferred route from Cascade Pass: in my opinion, the traverse out Mixup arm often feels unnecessarily hazardous--exposed to dangers above and below. it's less stressful and perhaps even easier overall to drop down into Pelton basin and then climb straight up towards Cache Col. this route is not without some exposure, but seems much le...
here's some oversharing re preferred route from Cascade Pass: in my opinion, the traverse out Mixup arm often feels unnecessarily hazardous--exposed to dangers above and below. it's less stressful and perhaps even easier overall to drop down into Pelton basin and then climb straight up towards Cache Col. this route is not without some exposure, but seems much le...
Agree. Get pictures and share with the Forest Service in Sedro Woolley.
That's freaking HUGE! Is the general assumption that this is still the weak layer from mid-February? Seems sort of unprecedented in my memory.
We climbed via the Sulfide Monday it was super hot in the afternoon, we went up to the point on the far right ridge in your picture on our descent. We sat and watched towards the Curtis/WS zone for an hour or so expecting something big to happen. No action for us though.
Thanks for the trip report! My wife and I have done a few summer backpacking trips into the Pasayten wilderness over the years. It's neat to see someone pull off a ski journey there, no small feat with the many river valleys and wilderness route finding.
It's still real out there.. hopefully, travelers are thinking about the potential huge results of cliff sluffs and cornice failure. thanks for sharing this ob.
Look a like a really fun route. Great ambiance in those buttresses.
Nice One! Another one to put on the "must do list"...
Awesome photos Lowell! They definitely peak my interest in a ski tour to this region. Thanks for taking the time to write up and share your trip!
author=Dave_R link=topic=40660.msg161501#msg161501 date=1525828673]
Any mush, or are things well-corned?
The snow was somewhere between corn and mush depending on aspect and time of day. I'm pretty sure we found better snow conditions than were present farther west in the Cascades during that time.
We chose not to descend the south flank of Mt Lago, for example, because we judged it to be likely to produce big mush...
Thanks Lowell, well done! That area's been on our list for a while and you've just moved it up a few rungs. Any mush, or are things well-corned?
-Dave
-Dave
author=pugetgold link=topic=40658.msg161497#msg161497 date=1525813654]
Chris - we were really lucky for your skin track on the face of little T. I was bonking pretty hard in that hot sun, Claire and I stopped to get some water from the trickle on the rock on the left, and then we powered up the last bit - not sure would have had the energy to continue without you all having just been there to set the track
I'll give the skin...
P.S. great video, keep it up! really captures the experience
Chris - we were really lucky for your skin track on the face of little T. I was bonking pretty hard in that hot sun, Claire and I stopped to get some water from the trickle on the rock on the left, and then we powered up the last bit - not sure would have had the energy to continue without you all having just been there to set the track
Nice to meet you both, I was in the party of three. You are correct about the route we took back. Thank you for the advice and congrats on making the summit - what an awesome route!!
Short video from one of my partner's, Chris M. https://www.flickr.com/photos/122054286@N08/shares/B3kVs7 If you don't want this video in your post let me know and I'll take it down. I'm not trying to hijack your thread - You wrote a great post and this is the only thing I have to add...
Short video from one of my partner's, Chris M. https://www.flickr.com/photos/122054286@N08/shares/B3kVs7 If you don't want this video in your post let me know and I'll take it down. I'm not trying to hijack your thread - You wrote a great post and this is the only thing I have to add...
Your really making the rounds back there. Looks grand! I've poked around inner constance and warrior before. Always a cool area to visit.
author=Gregg_C link=topic=40645.msg161471#msg161471 date=1525665784]
Hi Mike,
We made it out this morning. It was definately not ideal but with good timing (early travel) and route selection variations we finished the traverse. The snow set up every night except the first night after Kool Aid Lake. I would post a pic or two but my phone made an unplanned plunge into Downey Creek this morning.
Awesome glad you made it!...
One sled, one bike last week. Was back up at the summit yesterday and a lesser skilled sledder poached again. I was super pissed off as he was not capable of riding down the headwall and was slowly and precariously dragging his sled down inch by inch as our party skinned up directly below. I was wishing bad things for him! I thought last week was just a fluke incident and let go, but... WTF?
Hi Mike,
We made it out this morning. It was definately not ideal but with good timing (early travel) and route selection variations we finished the traverse. The snow set up every night except the first night after Kool Aid Lake. I would post a pic or two but my phone made an unplanned plunge into Downey Creek this morning.
We made it out this morning. It was definately not ideal but with good timing (early travel) and route selection variations we finished the traverse. The snow set up every night except the first night after Kool Aid Lake. I would post a pic or two but my phone made an unplanned plunge into Downey Creek this morning.
Kickass! I've been looking at those Argonaut coolies for a long time. Would love to get them in winter conditions. And it's cool to see the W ridge notch couloir is finally getting its due. I've been wanting to ski that one too, but it's hard to get anybody interested in anything other than Ulrichs (which is understandable, once you've looked at it from Longs Pass). You guys have a great nose for the goods.
Definitely a bit of time warping........Whatever happened to my 150 watt Pioneer receiver and huge three way floor speakers? Nice turns!
author=Roger Strong link=topic=40630.msg161459#msg161459 date=1525605383]
N. Ridge skiable Drew? with or without raps?
Sorry, I'm unable to process your query. I'm a skier, not a descender-in-ski-mode. Snow on the entirety of the ridge was shit, ice and hard texture. Center-punching the Coleman Glacier on the other hand made my underwear dirty.
N. Ridge skiable Drew? with or without raps?
Sorry I didn't reply earlier to your FB Message. Might have saved you the trip. Obviously if the ski patrol and the Hiway department can't control things, the backcountry is better left alone for a while.
Glad to hear we weren't the only ones who had to cancel plans this weekend. We attempted to start the Spearhead on May 3 and again on May 4, but patrol wouldn't allow access at Blackcomb due to avy danger. The frustrating thing is that we had friends who just got off the Spearhead on May 2 and reported great conditions.
As a backup plan, we were going to drive up Duffy Lakes road to ski into Keith's Hut and explore that region. We stopped into a gear shop to buy the...
As a backup plan, we were going to drive up Duffy Lakes road to ski into Keith's Hut and explore that region. We stopped into a gear shop to buy the...
author=nbsar link=topic=40598.msg161442#msg161442 date=1525494172]
Posting Photos of the Poachers (People, sleds, and/or Trucks) can result in useful enforcement from the sledding community.
Snowmobilers of many stripes know that visible wilderness poaching brings the closure of riding areas sooner, so guilty parties may get talked to or a righteous beat-down from sledders intent on keeping the little slice of heaven that is currently open for motor...
Posting Photos of the Poachers (People, sleds, and/or Trucks) can result in useful enforcement from the sledding community.
Snowmobilers of many stripes know that visible wilderness poaching brings the closure of riding areas sooner, so guilty parties may get talked to or a righteous beat-down from sledders intent on keeping the little slice of heaven that is currently open for motorized use.
Snowmobilers of many stripes know that visible wilderness poaching brings the closure of riding areas sooner, so guilty parties may get talked to or a righteous beat-down from sledders intent on keeping the little slice of heaven that is currently open for motorized use.
30 feet to snow is as good as it gets at Meadows. ;D Keep up the good work!
Fantastic! Loved the images on Insta as well.
Coleman headwall is looking pretty fat right now !
Onward, We were able to start skinning at Boston Creek.
We stayed on the left side of Soldier Boy untill treeline (around 5k) where the terrain opened up and we were able to cruise over to the arm.
There were a few short little brushy shenanigans, but all in all, the route was quite enjoyable.
I think this route is ideal when there is snow to the road, but It would most likely be a brush fest with thinner coverage.
We stayed on the left side of Soldier Boy untill treeline (around 5k) where the terrain opened up and we were able to cruise over to the arm.
There were a few short little brushy shenanigans, but all in all, the route was quite enjoyable.
I think this route is ideal when there is snow to the road, but It would most likely be a brush fest with thinner coverage.
Thanks for the report. At what point were you able to start skinning? Can you say a bit more about using the SB Creek cut? How are the routefinding and schwackiness ?
Something like 1-2 miles of snowy road to the trailhead, melting fast.
Fun times!
Fun times!