TR Replies
Enjoying a fine April dawn patrol in the sun, Skip, Allyson, and I utilized the well-traveled skin track set over the past couple days (thanks Plinko and others!) to arrive at the top of Alpental around 8:45 this morning. Ski conditions didn’t look very promising on the way up with a semi-breakable surface crust on all solar aspects. Optimism returned as we dropped into the partially shaded northern slopes of International in consolidated powder (a bit funky with hidden hard chunks in a few sp...
Lowell:
2 members of the party, Mason Stafford and Jim Swayze, did summit both Hinman and Daniel on same day. However, Ben Haskell, Greg Allen and myself only summitted Hinman, due to exit time constraints. The route our group took was a type of reversal from Martin's original route, with our beginning over Kendall Ridge and exit from Chain Lakes. After having come down the Middle Fork valley, I could see how starting out that way would lead to some attitude of defeat before the journe...
2 members of the party, Mason Stafford and Jim Swayze, did summit both Hinman and Daniel on same day. However, Ben Haskell, Greg Allen and myself only summitted Hinman, due to exit time constraints. The route our group took was a type of reversal from Martin's original route, with our beginning over Kendall Ridge and exit from Chain Lakes. After having come down the Middle Fork valley, I could see how starting out that way would lead to some attitude of defeat before the journe...
Hi Aaron, Yes, that was me in the yellow jacket. I find that wearing a bright jacket allows folks to identify senior citizens and help us break trail. ;)
You had a nice tour and snow. Jill and I talked about going "up top and out" but she's still nursing a hip injury. Plus, I was concerned the temperatures and freezing level would rise by the time we got there. I noticed the telemetry temperatures up top remained below freezing yesterday and just started rising thi...
You had a nice tour and snow. Jill and I talked about going "up top and out" but she's still nursing a hip injury. Plus, I was concerned the temperatures and freezing level would rise by the time we got there. I noticed the telemetry temperatures up top remained below freezing yesterday and just started rising thi...
Jon had to get a little air with his new fat twin tips (no trees were damaged in the stunt).
author=MW88888888 link=topic=6838.msg27491#msg27491 date=1176343477]
...enjoyed powder down a completely untracked Edelweiss.
I admired your tracks on the way up and considered heading over that way for a run, but by then it was just baiking in sunlight.
Come to think of it now, I'm sure I saw Zap & Jill skiing down as I was just starting up. If Zap was wearing a bright yellow shirt or coat--bingo!
Phreadi, I was doing a search on St Helens and wondered if you had been up yet? I'm planning to go April 27-28 leaving from Seattle. Let me know if you're still looking to go. There might be 3-4 of us. Teles, and boarders.
Rusty
Rusty
Really nice to get more winter weather with you Ally. You did great out there.
the ski pic looks like pretty good Virginia legs to me ;)
Thanks for the heads-up, Stimbuck.
We appreciate your updates.
We appreciate your updates.
Great choice of partners, Ally.
It's good to see you back playing in the cascade wonderlands and it was sooooper seeing you at the GT class Tueday nite.
Hope to see you again b4 you leave.
It's good to see you back playing in the cascade wonderlands and it was sooooper seeing you at the GT class Tueday nite.
Hope to see you again b4 you leave.
Great to see you back in town, Allyson! I know how you feel, I spent years away from the Cascades back in my "ambitious" youth. Hope to see you again sooner rather than later.
Timing, dear folks, timing! Today was fine, as long as you beat the sun!
I summited at 6:33 am this morning and enjoyed powder down a completely untracked Edelweiss. Very, very nice. Then found boot deep down Debbies, and finally, soft snow over a firmewr crust down Sessel. Good stuff. Think Snow!
I summited at 6:33 am this morning and enjoyed powder down a completely untracked Edelweiss. Very, very nice. Then found boot deep down Debbies, and finally, soft snow over a firmewr crust down Sessel. Good stuff. Think Snow!
The road pass the lower trail head is still snow bound. Yeh I'm that weird mature boarder who lives at Cushman. 8)
author=Aaron_Riggs link=topic=6838.msg27487#msg27487 date=1176335502]
There was a skin track (thanks) to the top of Chair 2 and quite a few tracks in Nash...Nash was good but full of snow snakes
8)
Pretty lines on Pineapple ;) It was bright out today, hope you all wore sunscreen, my face looks like this: :-[
Hi Zap & Jill,
I too was lured by yesterday's report, but I got a later start today, leaving the parking lot solo at 11:30. Sounds like you needed to go just a tad higher. The snow way down low was bad, but by going higher I found the good snow, not the powder party from yesterday but more like the chowder party. There was a skin track (thanks) to the top of Chair 2 and quite a few tracks in Nash, which I skied down to the Snake Dance entrance. Nash was good but full of snow...
I too was lured by yesterday's report, but I got a later start today, leaving the parking lot solo at 11:30. Sounds like you needed to go just a tad higher. The snow way down low was bad, but by going higher I found the good snow, not the powder party from yesterday but more like the chowder party. There was a skin track (thanks) to the top of Chair 2 and quite a few tracks in Nash, which I skied down to the Snake Dance entrance. Nash was good but full of snow...
Yeah, good info about that on cc.com. I talked to another fellow that climbed it on Sunday and conditions were such that they could only ski from the bottom of the Hogsback down. Hit or miss on the volcanoes I guess...
Hi Greg,
Martin's 1999 group (Martin Volken, Mike Hattrup, Peter Avolio, Andy Dappen, Carl Skoog) did a horseshoe traverse around the headwaters of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. In my history website I summarize it as: "Ski traverse from Big Snow Mtn to Mt Hinman, Overcoat Glacier, Chikamin Peak, Gold-Burntboot Creek divide, Snoqualmie Pass".
In 2002 my group (Joe Catellani, Matt Firth, Bruce Goodson, Lowell Skoog) did a "thru route" starting at...
Martin's 1999 group (Martin Volken, Mike Hattrup, Peter Avolio, Andy Dappen, Carl Skoog) did a horseshoe traverse around the headwaters of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. In my history website I summarize it as: "Ski traverse from Big Snow Mtn to Mt Hinman, Overcoat Glacier, Chikamin Peak, Gold-Burntboot Creek divide, Snoqualmie Pass".
In 2002 my group (Joe Catellani, Matt Firth, Bruce Goodson, Lowell Skoog) did a "thru route" starting at...
Very nice Greg. I'll bet that ankle is feeling better :)
Lowell:
We skied out the Middle Fork. The snow was nicely frozen under the trees until the last 2.5 miles before the road end, and then classic springtime low-elevation glop for the remainder. Our sub-group summited Mt. Hinman on our departure day, after leaving camp at Chain Lakes and moving up thru LaBohn Gap. We then descended, broke camp at 11 AM, and continued down via Williams Lake and to the car at the Goldmeyer Hot Springs gate by 6:15 PM.
There was some discussion as to...
We skied out the Middle Fork. The snow was nicely frozen under the trees until the last 2.5 miles before the road end, and then classic springtime low-elevation glop for the remainder. Our sub-group summited Mt. Hinman on our departure day, after leaving camp at Chain Lakes and moving up thru LaBohn Gap. We then descended, broke camp at 11 AM, and continued down via Williams Lake and to the car at the Goldmeyer Hot Springs gate by 6:15 PM.
There was some discussion as to...
Yeah, I got some sun too. Aloe's your friend ;)
That was such a good day. Those two runs down nash were probably the best I've hit it all year...no debris, no people, no tracks. Knee-deep, quality powder feels even better in April. Somehow my face got sunburned 8). Thanks for taking the pics.
Awesome. Glacier Peak looks great.
There's a cascadeclimbers.com thread that should answer all possible questions of "where is this Old Chute and why do I want to go there." Summation: for some reason, things are shaping up this winter/spring such that Pearly Gates has a short waterice step, so people and resultant bootpacks are heading up Old Chute instead.
Is the Old Chute the one west/left of the standard route, Pearly Gates I think? And how long do you think, generally speaking, the route will stay skiable? I got whited-out off Hood once on foot and would love to ski it.
great TR Lowell...i love reading about the less travelled regions of the cascades.
and nice job pulling off a big multi-day tour during less than ideal weather!
and nice job pulling off a big multi-day tour during less than ideal weather!
Congrats on successful trip Lowell! Thanks for the great report.
Way cool. Indian Head Peak looks fun.
Nice! Way to work the mid-week days!
minimovie added
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIeGHlvxC5o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIeGHlvxC5o
nice shot! im envious of the bomber snopac you guys got now, we still got persistant weak layers and shit loads of depth hoar on north aspects,, http://avalanche.state.co.us/
Telemack,
Yes, there is a lot of potential for great tours in the Elkhorns and Wallawas. Here is a shot of Gunsight Pk with a nice looking 1,000 ft. north face, about a mile from Anthony Lake ski area, the steep couloir at the top looks like a good challenge. There are also many open ridges in the south of the range that we didn't check out.
Yes, there is a lot of potential for great tours in the Elkhorns and Wallawas. Here is a shot of Gunsight Pk with a nice looking 1,000 ft. north face, about a mile from Anthony Lake ski area, the steep couloir at the top looks like a good challenge. There are also many open ridges in the south of the range that we didn't check out.
Sounds great, Greg!
I'm curious, how did you end your trip? Did you exit west down the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River or east down the Cle Elum River? If you reached the cars in 6-1/2 hours from La Bohn Gap, I'm guessing you went west.
Did you ski to Mt Daniel and back in a day from La Bohn Gap? That would be a big day!
I'm curious, how did you end your trip? Did you exit west down the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River or east down the Cle Elum River? If you reached the cars in 6-1/2 hours from La Bohn Gap, I'm guessing you went west.
Did you ski to Mt Daniel and back in a day from La Bohn Gap? That would be a big day!
Hello Oyvind this is Eric.
I hiked heather lake on pilchuck one day after you hiked it. It was nice beside the sloppy snow.
If you are ever in the need of a partner give me a call, I'd love to get out!
I hiked heather lake on pilchuck one day after you hiked it. It was nice beside the sloppy snow.
If you are ever in the need of a partner give me a call, I'd love to get out!
Evening on Ellinor; way good. Road still not passable to the upper TH?
Hey, are you the "mature" boarder I climbed the chute with about 2 weeks ago, who lives on Cushman?
Hey, are you the "mature" boarder I climbed the chute with about 2 weeks ago, who lives on Cushman?
Hi Kenji, good report. Has your daughter done more freeheeling since Baker?
I made some of my first "downhill" turns on cross-country gear in the Mt.Seymour ski area many years ago. The short steep trails down to Goldi Lake and the surrounding back country were thrilling then. I haven't found the ski runs interesting on tele gear for a long time. While the terrain above the resort is quite accessible, it also has a real element of danger and adventure. And the views can be spectacular!
I have no real complaints with the Havocs. The...
I have no real complaints with the Havocs. The...
Thats a good question, and I'll ask him. As far as skiing, it didn't seem to be good, and he didn't bother bringing a mountain axe, but I don't know if he has ever arrested with the condor thing.
Nice TR. Any idea how well Mike likes the Grivel Condor pole grip?
Hi Pete, I think we met once on Van Trump several years ago.
At least, heavy skier traffic helps to stabilize the slope a bit; we can call it backcountry grooming ;)
At least, heavy skier traffic helps to stabilize the slope a bit; we can call it backcountry grooming ;)
Finally, a Pilchuck report!
any bootpack up there, or just skin tracks?
any bootpack up there, or just skin tracks?
Nice report and photos. I remember a Spring day a few years back when Jill and I began the day with an early morning walk at Cannon Beach, OR and ended with a suset descent of "The Edge". ;)
Nice to meet you Kenji. I think Becky and I are the dots in your third photo.
The slot is still in decent shape. The top 100vf was a little icy and crusty, but good enough to positively set an edge into and ski/sideslip. Once at the dogleg, conditions improved to 6"-12" deep somewhat bumpy mank that was pretty easy to turn in. There are a few holes starting to show up in the slot but they can be easily skied around.
Red Mtn. got a ton of traffic this weekend....
The slot is still in decent shape. The top 100vf was a little icy and crusty, but good enough to positively set an edge into and ski/sideslip. Once at the dogleg, conditions improved to 6"-12" deep somewhat bumpy mank that was pretty easy to turn in. There are a few holes starting to show up in the slot but they can be easily skied around.
Red Mtn. got a ton of traffic this weekend....
Like Pin said, Diamond is skiable through July on the north side (which holds good snow and has some nice bowls. The closest approach this time of year is from the west/southwest side (about 3-4 miles or so, depending on snowpack). The west side is good through May, but obviously loses snow sooner than the north side due to exposure. It's a nice ride, with about 4000 feet of vertical. The mountain is rather large (the above picture doesn't do it justice!), with several days of skii...
Wow, the photo of Red provokes thoughts about the state of the backcountry...without judgement of course. I like your Defiance idea, doubt it looked like Red solitudewise, yet just as accessible when the road is in.
John
John
Sorry I couldn't meet up with you this weekend. That is an exciting little run. Thanks for the picture. Is that from two Sundays ago on Kendall when we were looking at it? And yes, mind the sloughing in that crux. It acts exactly as you described.
Yes, we too were pleasantly surprised by the mis-forecast and the vacant ski area. Our party of three did the cheap and dirty: we used up left over coupons to get a free lift up to the top of Silver Queen and then traversed out to the lizard's back. Then a nice sun drenched run down to Crystal Lakes basin where the low angle snow was the best corn of the day. We followed this with a quick skin over the col towards sourdough gap, and then a run down towards Placer lake.&nbs...
I took some pictures of kaleetan peak and such for people to see how much snow. Clickr or Flickr
including this delightful picture of 3 tayers.
Foolishly I didn't wear the camera when skiing the main chute...because I was scared that I would fall. The corn was so excellent that I felt more secure on...
including this delightful picture of 3 tayers.
Foolishly I didn't wear the camera when skiing the main chute...because I was scared that I would fall. The corn was so excellent that I felt more secure on...
Gee, Ron Thanks for the Robie Show ! Sorry gang but I left my camera in the car.
And actually I stay awake at night thinking of how I'm going to ski like JW and what tomorrows condtions might be.
And actually I stay awake at night thinking of how I'm going to ski like JW and what tomorrows condtions might be.