TR Replies
My first solo was on the Ptarmigan Traverse last year. This was my first solo ski trip. It felt different for sure than hiking, but there were a lot of similarities, too. In both I thought about decisions a lot, much more than when in a group. Mostly I enjoyed spending time and resting where I wanted and pushing myself rather than others pushing me. That difference is nice.
Another nice trip.
I remember my first solo trip, 9 days on the Wonderland trail, not quite as solo as your trip though.
I remember my first solo trip, 9 days on the Wonderland trail, not quite as solo as your trip though.
Great trip Jason and good point Ron. My first trip to Elk Mountain in the Olympics was solo. I had to bail on a line which I felt comfortable later doing with partners. But the solo experience was intensely rewarding even with the reduced agenda.
Good job, Paul! Glad you finally got this one done!
Heh -- thanks, but we were with some friends over on the Emmons (the one glacier you didn't touch!). The Ptarmigan ridge crew was Skye and Dan, I believe. Out of my league :)
Breathtaking words and photos, Jason.
Impressive trip.
As you so aptly communicate, I find solo forays on mountains are completely and totally different that climbing with partners; not necessarily better or worse, just immensely different, with a completely different risk reward package to constantly reevaluate. To me they are overwhelmingly rewarding, and at times terrifying when considering the consequences of a mishap or even lack of attention.
I've never been able...
Impressive trip.
As you so aptly communicate, I find solo forays on mountains are completely and totally different that climbing with partners; not necessarily better or worse, just immensely different, with a completely different risk reward package to constantly reevaluate. To me they are overwhelmingly rewarding, and at times terrifying when considering the consequences of a mishap or even lack of attention.
I've never been able...
Marcus, I think we may have seen you guys heading up to Ptarmigan ridge. Nice work and good decisions there . I gazed frequently on the Mowich face wondering what it would be like to try skiing, and glad to be where I was.
Jason, definitely do this trip, but not solo!
Merk, more pics posted. We often commented on how savy Molenaar was with the route choices based on obvious knowledge of the Mountain and terrain. I think he nailed it. Goi...
Jason, definitely do this trip, but not solo!
Merk, more pics posted. We often commented on how savy Molenaar was with the route choices based on obvious knowledge of the Mountain and terrain. I think he nailed it. Goi...
Those are some classy images! I really like the one with the late-afternoon light.
I was trying to figure out where the previous trip rpt. had made their descent above the Dome. Thanks for making note of that. That's a sweet slope, but not worth an unfavorable scenario.
Check out the Forest Service website as they offer degrees of steepness for all the routes on Hood. Sunshine/Coe Icefall is 50 degrees.
Turns...
I was trying to figure out where the previous trip rpt. had made their descent above the Dome. Thanks for making note of that. That's a sweet slope, but not worth an unfavorable scenario.
Check out the Forest Service website as they offer degrees of steepness for all the routes on Hood. Sunshine/Coe Icefall is 50 degrees.
Turns...
Nice goat encounter! Tell me those skis in that photo aren't Janaks... Kailas, maybe? How do you like them?
What's the coverage looking like over toward Little T?
What's the coverage looking like over toward Little T?
author=skykilo link=topic=7543.msg30219#msg30219 date=1184177443]
I'm not trying to detract from Carl and Rene's descent at all. Like I said, Dave and I pulled a dumb-monkey trick. They definitely skied the money shots. But your statement seems absurd to me. I've climbed that route three times and I can't say for sure whether there's been a ramp there or not; I didn't look there last time. I always climbed it farther to the r...
We should have a race, with different teams restricted to different elevation zones.
Well that sure is a round-a-bout way to go! ;D That's a great TR and awesome trip you guys had, nice work. Can't wait to see more pics! Is it feasible to circumnav at a higher elev on the mtn (not counting the crater)? It would be interesting to see how the trip time changes according to altitude.
damn! That's an amazing trip- it has been on my list for awhile! Well done, for sure.
Awesome, I really wanted to do this trip last week, but didn't want to go solo. It's cool to see that you guys got out there and were able to do it. That's exciting to see and inspires me to make a more conscious effort to plan better for it next year.
Ron-
New camera is Nikon Coolpix P5000. It's small and has 3.5 optical zoom for 36mm-126mm range, an optical viewfinder, fully manual and lots of other options, and 10 megapixels. I think it'll be a good compromise between the old skool Canon F1 that used to get me really great skiing shots and the ultralight Coolpix S1 that I've been using since my F1 got stolen. I want better skiing shots, but I don't want to lug a beast.
New camera is Nikon Coolpix P5000. It's small and has 3.5 optical zoom for 36mm-126mm range, an optical viewfinder, fully manual and lots of other options, and 10 megapixels. I think it'll be a good compromise between the old skool Canon F1 that used to get me really great skiing shots and the ultralight Coolpix S1 that I've been using since my F1 got stolen. I want better skiing shots, but I don't want to lug a beast.
Thanks for the report. Headed up there this afternoon...
- Matt
- Matt
author=Lowell_Skoog link=topic=7543.msg30210#msg30210 date=1184130503]
Conditions are everything, and clearly the ice cliff was different this year than during the July 2000 descent. There was no sidesteppable ramp that year.
Lowell,
I'm not trying to detract from Carl and Rene's descent at all. Like I said, Dave and I pulled a dumb-monkey trick. They definitely skied the money shots. But you...
Great job -- I love reading about all the other folks, doing other things on the same mountain while we were up there. Nice work!
Thanks Ron. Lowell and Carl with Bruce Goodson did it in 3 days back in 1996. Lowell wrote a nice article that got published in Backcountry magazine in Nov 2002. I believe Lowell also attempted it with Gordy in a day (of course) some time later, but got turned around. Lowell also mentions a couple of other parties who did it in 1986 and 1990, both in 5 days. The Boulton Gang also did it on foot in 1969 in 6 days.
http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/subjects/R.html
...
http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/subjects/R.html
...
We did at the trailhead at least, but didn't get any pics. It seemed to be a lot whiter over there than in the Maude/7FJ/Fernow area. The benches just above treeline seemed well-covered from what I recall.
Wow.
Nice one, Paul.
I don't know that anyone else has ever done it in three days, have they?
Nice one, Paul.
I don't know that anyone else has ever done it in three days, have they?
Did you guys have views west towards Buck Mtn? How was the snow looking over that way. I was considering a trip in that area this weekend.
Did I ever tell you Lowell, I was up there the day your brother skied the n ridge (it was my first climb of baker)? I passed him and partner by on the way up and Carl was carrying a lot of gear (like he was apt to do). I didn't realize until I had meet him years later that they were one and the same.
And, of course, nice work Sky and Dave. :)
And, of course, nice work Sky and Dave. :)
author=jd link=topic=7543.msg30171#msg30171 date=1184070231]
That has got to be one of the most extreme pitches done in the Cascades so far. I'll leave it to Lowell to judge.
I don't rate them. I just record them.
Conditions are everything, and clearly the ice cliff was different this year than during the July 2000 descent. There was no sidesteppable ramp that year.
Way to nail it! Like the TGR TR too ;D
It was another beautiful day on the mountain, with great friends. More photos here
I called it quits at the last shrund/crevasse when I crossed the snowbridge and looked at the nice steep slope Oyvind and party had skied. A fall there would deposit you into the biggest, ugliest crevasse on the Elliot.
It was only Oyvind and Monika who skied that slope. I took one turn and judged the conditions to be very dangerous given the consequences. I side stepped down. There's a big ice cliff there in addition...
Nice TR and pictures.
We were there on July 7 and had a very enjoyable day. Despite a perfect, calm, weekend day, we saw just a handful of other skiers and a few hikers. The skiing was very good to excellent.
And the butterflies were amazing --one could actually hear them flying by! We've seen them before at this time of year on Mt Adams, too, always flying from east to west, but never so many at once.
We have done this trip several times...
We were there on July 7 and had a very enjoyable day. Despite a perfect, calm, weekend day, we saw just a handful of other skiers and a few hikers. The skiing was very good to excellent.
And the butterflies were amazing --one could actually hear them flying by! We've seen them before at this time of year on Mt Adams, too, always flying from east to west, but never so many at once.
We have done this trip several times...
Great pics, jd,
You're covering plenty of solo ground, that's for sure.
You're covering plenty of solo ground, that's for sure.
Yeah, nice pics.
So what's the new camera & what do you like about it?
So what's the new camera & what do you like about it?
Nice camera! Looks like you guys had a long day, nice work. Glad I missed the blue ice/ski mix, but it would have been nice to have joined you for the climbing.
Select climbing shots - let's see if I can use this thumbnail rig:
Oh, looks like I mis-read my notes -- that was supposed to be "a 7-day ascent."
Hey, that pond is already looking good. And wouldn't it be novel to have a snow landing instead of a rock landing....
What do you think the size is?
What do you think the size is?
Ha! What are you doing next Saturday?
Here is a shot from Camp Sherman the morning of the 5th. A buddy and I began the skin up around 7:00 AM, timing the ~ 2:00 PM ski descent quite well considering. My first time up there and it was a great experience. Thank god the conditions were as they were!
Great job you guys! I wish I coulda been there. How soon will you be ready to go back up? :) I think my training regiment while you were up there of driving 4 hours to the coast, drinking for 12 hours and driving 4 hours back has me in tip-top shape. I'm ready for a 1-day ascent!
Thanks for the heads up on the Lane-Plummer mix up Ron. I've edited to correct.
Here is another shot looking down directly onto the slush pond for planning purposes.
Here is another shot looking down directly onto the slush pond for planning purposes.
Great Photos!! Max and I did our best to clear the slush for you. Glad it worked out... It was nice to meet you and we'll hope to meet again.
Steve
Steve
Hopefully you have the same dumb luck next time you make a reservation! ;) The weather could not have been more perfect.
It was really cool watching you and Becky ski down the Corridor as we topped out at Camp Curtis. You can even see two small little black dots in one of our pictures.
--Q
It was really cool watching you and Becky ski down the Corridor as we topped out at Camp Curtis. You can even see two small little black dots in one of our pictures.
--Q
Skiing down is definitely the way to go but I gotta admit, the last little ski down the Interglacier with my full backpack just about killed me! And thank goodness the Rainier rangers didn't steal our cached shoes ... that would have been horrible!
What a GREAT trip! Thanks again everyone (and Pete for organizing!) It was so fun being up there w/such fun friends and meeting some nice new folks from TAY. Can't wait to do it again ... but next time Na...
What a GREAT trip! Thanks again everyone (and Pete for organizing!) It was so fun being up there w/such fun friends and meeting some nice new folks from TAY. Can't wait to do it again ... but next time Na...
Nice effort you guys.
Way to use your head.
Way to use your head.
That's a sweet tour, Justin.
Way to nail it before many of the good lines are gone.
And ditto on what Scottie said - thanks for checking out the slush cup for us.
Great photos, too!
Here it is about a month earlier looking from the Paradise Gl on Rainier.
Way to nail it before many of the good lines are gone.
And ditto on what Scottie said - thanks for checking out the slush cup for us.
Great photos, too!
Here it is about a month earlier looking from the Paradise Gl on Rainier.
Second to last photo shows the slush cup venue. :D
Looks like pond may be ready by mid -August.
Thanks for the TR and could you climb Pinnacle every two weeks to give us a picture of the slush cup pond forming? ;)
Thanks
Scotsman.
Looks like pond may be ready by mid -August.
Thanks for the TR and could you climb Pinnacle every two weeks to give us a picture of the slush cup pond forming? ;)
Thanks
Scotsman.
Awesome job!!! Sounds like the weather Gods were with you and you had an enjoyable trip and great group! I was wishing I was with you - or at least hanging at Schurman with a beer while watching you slog up and ski down - as I admired Rainier from the city/coast. Skiing's the way to get down, huh!
Nice! I was wondering if y'all were TAY folks. Great to meet you and nice job Sunday. A perfect weekend. Fortunately the ranger didn't find my shoes, so the hike was only painful, not hideous.
Great pics guys...Great to meet you up there!
I probably don't need to start a new thread since the route was described so well already. Jeremy and I were fortunate to have slept through our alarms set for 3:30 am! We started up at 5:30 and descended around 1:15 and that may have been a bit too early given the conditions. It was a bit firm on the top section under the bergshrund but softened considerably around 12,000 ft. We recovered several items on our way down including a therm...
I probably don't need to start a new thread since the route was described so well already. Jeremy and I were fortunate to have slept through our alarms set for 3:30 am! We started up at 5:30 and descended around 1:15 and that may have been a bit too early given the conditions. It was a bit firm on the top section under the bergshrund but softened considerably around 12,000 ft. We recovered several items on our way down including a therm...
dumb luck = me making a climbing reservation three months ago that actually coincided with a 14,000ft freezing level :)
Way to finally tick this one off Pete. Thanks for thinking far enough ahead for the rest of us to join you -- great trip. Glad I got it in before the over-eager ranger stole my shoes...