TR Replies
Lets hope for some warm weather to help kill that layer. Maybe El Niño will finally kick in and spring snow showers will extend our winter so we can get back to some bottomless fluff again.
I was considering that run a couple of days ago but ended up skating on icy crust elsewhere. Not bad at lower and higher elevations. Must be between 4500' and 6500' or so. Anyone else have different observations?
I was considering that run a couple of days ago but ended up skating on icy crust elsewhere. Not bad at lower and higher elevations. Must be between 4500' and 6500' or so. Anyone else have different observations?
thanks for posting. That gives me a better idea of what to expect tomorrow. Nice pic!
alpymarr
Got your skintracks on Friday up Hyak. Thanks. Nice windless blubird day with virtually no one there. You're right though, the raincrust was brutal.
Got your skintracks on Friday up Hyak. Thanks. Nice windless blubird day with virtually no one there. You're right though, the raincrust was brutal.
author=Larry_R link=topic=6001.msg24839#msg24839 date=1168615898]Each week, I'm thankful that I'm simply able to see sights like this, and I try to remember that how strong or weak I am, or how well or poorly I ski is not really that important.
You know, a whole industry has grown up purporting to show you how to be a "soul skier." But I think you hit the nail on the head there.
same over below Silver Peak, toured up below the bowl and skied the meadows this morning 1/12/07. six-eight inches of fluff on that impressive crust . little too light of snow on my three pins and leathers for pretty turns but no one else up there to watch me flail. Nice morning though, groomer fellow stopped and told me he had -3 as a temp, I only saw 8 degrees or so on telemetry , wonder what sort of local variation one can have with the air so still.
pretty blue sky
pretty blue sky
It's a great area. I've headed up there for New Years the last couple years. There was a large group of about 8-10 people this year that laid down a nice track to the top of Sherman Peak on Sunday.
We came through on Monday and it was a quick skin to the top. We only saw 3 other people the whole day.
I still haven't gotten going early enough to do both Snow and Sherman Peaks, but maybe later this year (or next year).
As Telemack said, there was an a...
We came through on Monday and it was a quick skin to the top. We only saw 3 other people the whole day.
I still haven't gotten going early enough to do both Snow and Sherman Peaks, but maybe later this year (or next year).
As Telemack said, there was an a...
I skied the Phantom on Snoqualmie yesterday. I found the skinning awkward because
the new snow would give way to the boilerplate underneath. So if you have ski crampons,
bring em if you're going anywhere steep. Took one turn in the Slot, but couldn't hold an edge
with my ultra-dull-edged powder boards. I booted down 100 feet or so and still boilerplate
with a couple inches on top, so I opted for the Phantom which was good 10" or so dust...
the new snow would give way to the boilerplate underneath. So if you have ski crampons,
bring em if you're going anywhere steep. Took one turn in the Slot, but couldn't hold an edge
with my ultra-dull-edged powder boards. I booted down 100 feet or so and still boilerplate
with a couple inches on top, so I opted for the Phantom which was good 10" or so dust...
I'd say that the crust is pretty much boilerplate. I also agree that some major weather changes will need to happen to affect that crust. Kept thrusting my pole down through the fluff to try and break it, or to see if i was in a windslab area, and it was just like hitting concrete.....
I skied at Summit West on Weds 1/10 and the 4 to 10 inches of superdry pow pow was on top of hard unbreakable rain crust. I didn't dig a pit or anything but its gonna take some mighty weather changes to affect that layer.
Jimmy O
Jimmy O
glad to read a tr from this week...I've been wondering what the heck the snowpack was like up around snoqualmie, thanks for posting!
Is the 'crust' that you saw out by Chair breakable or is it pretty much boilerplate rain-ice crust?
Is the 'crust' that you saw out by Chair breakable or is it pretty much boilerplate rain-ice crust?
Nice report and photos. I've had Sherman Pass on my list for a few years but the conditions were not good during my last return trip from Red and Whitewater. We plan to swing by on the Zap & Jill, Shell 2 for 1 Grand Tour in February. :)
Hi Ian,
Fantastic pics - seriously. Jason told me you had prime conditions, but you really made it sing. What I hadn't realized is that you were on Sherman Pass. I remember that article in Couloir and thinking at the time I should put that on my to-do list. Perhaps I'll have to revisit the idea...
-s
Fantastic pics - seriously. Jason told me you had prime conditions, but you really made it sing. What I hadn't realized is that you were on Sherman Pass. I remember that article in Couloir and thinking at the time I should put that on my to-do list. Perhaps I'll have to revisit the idea...
-s
Cool Russ. Just let me know. I also have a second splitboard if he would like to give one a try sometime.
Drove through there once on the way back from something, and thought we'd do a day of skiing. But there was only 1 foot of snowpack (it was New Years), and we couldn't see any appealing terrain from the pass (just dense trees everywhere...)
Looks nice in your pics though...
Looks nice in your pics though...
Glad I'm not there this weekend - predicted lows of -4 to -14 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ian
Ian
Nice. I've always wanted to get over to that area.
Thanks for the comments on bc boarding, I'll pass them on. He's focusing on school this year, but wants to join in next.
jimjar - thanks for the offer, I'll PM you.
- Russ
jimjar - thanks for the offer, I'll PM you.
- Russ
The coldest day of skiing I've ever done was somewhere around there. I have some crazy black and white shots I took for photography class probably 10 years ago. We were climbing frozen trees. It was wild looking stuff. I'll have to dig those up sometime.
Hi Ian! Beautiful photos.
Let's go climb Hard Mox this summer. OOPS, wrong Ian.
Like Telemack said it's not necessarily a secret, although 1) either not many know about it or 2) it's hard to get the hut on the weekend. We didn't see anyone out there and according to the log, there haven't been many skiers up there anytime recently.
Snow Peak Shelter - it sleeps four comfortably, five would be tight, six...no thanks. It's fully stocked, including cots! The physical location of the hut doesn't make much sense as it sits right on a very...
Snow Peak Shelter - it sleeps four comfortably, five would be tight, six...no thanks. It's fully stocked, including cots! The physical location of the hut doesn't make much sense as it sits right on a very...
author=Tophervw link=topic=5972.msg24748#msg24748 date=1168385691]
is that photographer available for hire?
Always for hire and very cheap! I'll exchange priceless photographs for trips :D
Ian
The Terminal Gravity was fine by me and made a great chaser for the Yukon Jack and schnapps :D
I'll spill the beans, sort of. It's not super secret; I learned of this in BC and Couloir, and my family and I had a great short trip in April 2005.
It's the Snow Peaks Shelter, south of Sherman Pass on Route 20 in Colville National Forest. 7+ hours, access through Republic or Kettle Falls. Contact the Republic Ranger District, Colville National Forest, Republic, WA for info. The killer is that reservations are by lottery and done for an entire calendar year i...
It's the Snow Peaks Shelter, south of Sherman Pass on Route 20 in Colville National Forest. 7+ hours, access through Republic or Kettle Falls. Contact the Republic Ranger District, Colville National Forest, Republic, WA for info. The killer is that reservations are by lottery and done for an entire calendar year i...
Russ~
Splitboard all the way. best option to test 'em out if ya can't hook up w/ jimjar would be Second Ascent in Seattle, $25 gets pick up Friday evening and return on Sunday by 6pm...best deal this side of SODO (reference dependent on your specific location, a good deal none the less).
Best of luck, I could imagine the approach skis could be a hassle to schwack through the trees and what not.
Cheers
VERY cool! A bunch of us did three days of great mountain biking over there last summer, some of it perhaps on the exact same slopes you skied. Kettle Crest trail, it's called.
If I recall, the drive was 7+ hours, Topher... not the kinda thing you do every single year... unless of course you did it in conjunction with trips to see (but then escape from) the in-laws... ;)
If I recall, the drive was 7+ hours, Topher... not the kinda thing you do every single year... unless of course you did it in conjunction with trips to see (but then escape from) the in-laws... ;)
Good God that is beautiful country! At 5,576 ft. a great spot. What is the travel time to that area? 6 hrs + from the seattle area? any other terrain shots?
and quite well documented, is that photographer available for hire?
Way to get IT! ;D
and quite well documented, is that photographer available for hire?
Way to get IT! ;D
Interesting report and nice photos. Thanks!
I’m curious about the hut you labeled “home sweet home.” Is that available to the public? (If you’d rather keep that information to yourself, I completely understand.)
I’m a big fan of backcountry huts that can be used for winter activities, and there are not too many available in WA, that I know of.
Thanks again.
I’m curious about the hut you labeled “home sweet home.” Is that available to the public? (If you’d rather keep that information to yourself, I completely understand.)
I’m a big fan of backcountry huts that can be used for winter activities, and there are not too many available in WA, that I know of.
Thanks again.
It looks beautiful over there. Thanks for the report and the very nice photos.
Nice to see a report from an unusual location in Washington. Thanks!
Anyone that has seen the debri pile from chair peak unloading down to source lake would not venture that way in high avalanche danger. I really don't think there is a safe route to snow lake divide!
Those short skies do make the steep switchbacks a little easier, and it was pretty efficient gliding up the track that day!
the rap wall is a mixed climbing venue. two tiers- the lower only has one route, the upper has several.
Kevin- Nice report and photos.
author=russ link=topic=5957.msg24720#msg24720 date=1168295535]Yep, those are Dynafit bindings/boots (that's Tobin on the snowboard). If I recall correctly, he cut-off the tails of some old skis for those approach boards which have the climbing skins permanently attached.
On second look at the photo it looks like he's using Dynafit binding/boots.
goats, schwackin' gone wrong, high octane backcountry beverages, lynx tracks...sounds like a sweet way to bring in the new year!! move over dick clark!!! ;)
great photos too you guys--here's to a happy and healthy 2007!
great photos too you guys--here's to a happy and healthy 2007!
Russ lets hook up for a tour sometime. I have a set of short skis your son could try our. I also have a second split board if that is something you/he wants to try out. Personally once I used a split for the first time I never went back to the short skis.
Top of what is (I think) called No Fog, the gully you ski down and across to get to Source Lake from Great Scott Bowl. I saw at least 4 bolted routes. This is right off the summer path to the Tooth, so they could just be rock routes.
Route finishes at the highest icicles. If it is mixed ... looks pretty wild!
Route finishes at the highest icicles. If it is mixed ... looks pretty wild!
Kevin,
Nice photos! I noticed one of your party using shorter approach skis and snowboard. My 18 y.o. son has expressed interest in joining me on backcountry outings with his snowboard. Approach skis seem to be the best option for him since he's not interested in a split board setup.
Any feedback/tips on this approach? I couldn't tell what kind of bindings are on the approach skis, but I've been looking at the Karhu Karver binding/ski combo. If you're...
Nice photos! I noticed one of your party using shorter approach skis and snowboard. My 18 y.o. son has expressed interest in joining me on backcountry outings with his snowboard. Approach skis seem to be the best option for him since he's not interested in a split board setup.
Any feedback/tips on this approach? I couldn't tell what kind of bindings are on the approach skis, but I've been looking at the Karhu Karver binding/ski combo. If you're...
author=Jerm link=topic=5954.msg24712#msg24712 date=1168278698]
bolted cliff in No Fog?
Bolted cliff? Where is this again.
Is Rap Wall that bolted cliff in No Fog? Not a place I would have wanted to be yesterday....
Some friends and I were up in the Alpental BC this weekend. We knew perfectly well the avi danger and made sure to use the maximum caution on where to travel and where not to ski. Not to say that you can ignore the threat of natural slides, but using keen eyes and knowledge, it's do-able. Made it up to the Snow Lake saddle and camped the night up there, recieving a good two feet of light dry snow which gave way to graupel early. Awake to sounds of patrol blasting Denny. NOTHING is stable. W...
Some young skiers/climbers up at the Rap Wall at Alpental got caught in an avalanche up there. Ski patrol warned them not to head up on Saturday, but they stayed overnight through today. No one was hurt, but a couple got partially buried.
author=MW88888888 link=topic=5954.msg24679#msg24679 date=1168192567]
There will be ugly slides out there today. Devastating slides perhaps. For me, a warm bed, a hot breakfast, and dry clothes awaited.
Anyone see any of these?
I skied Alpental today expecting to see all kinda stuff rip but all I could make out were point releases. Impromptu ski cuts in the small bits of untr...
Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kevinsteffa/06_12_GoatWall
http://picasaweb.google.com/kevinsteffa/06_12_GoatWall
I was with a party of four. We decided against Kendall and went to Hyak's Silver Fir lift where we discovered we had the hill pretty much to ourselves due to the power outage. Skinned around and up to Nordic Pass, skied down to Nordic Pass, and open slopes nearby where the groomed trails were closed, and back out via trails and ski runs. Veru deep fairly dense powder in the forest 3K to 4K feet elevation in nice calm conditions, nothing sliding (yet). In open areas around Windy Pass t...
A whole gaggle of us were at Alpy this morning....we threw our backcountry gear in our cars at the last minute in case the lift lines at Alpy were too long we could opt for a tour...as it turns out with the power outage and all, it was a very wise decision to have the bc gear.
From the parking lot we could see the ski patrol setting off slides near shot 8, so we figured it would be best to skin for turns somewhere other than the ski area and give the ski patrol a break....could alre...
From the parking lot we could see the ski patrol setting off slides near shot 8, so we figured it would be best to skin for turns somewhere other than the ski area and give the ski patrol a break....could alre...
Suprisingly, a good day at the Pass. I was one of the leaders for a Mountaineers Ski and Snowboard course field trip at the old Mountaineers lodge site and it was very pleasant. The ski area was closed due to lack of power so you could tour everywhere. As Silas mentioned, the weather was mild and no wind. We dug pits and on our shovel shear test we found the failure about 12" down at 3400' at a slight rain crust. I was skiing on Friday at Snoqualmie Centra...
Yes, be safe today, and especially tomorrow. Avy forecast states that Sunday destrcutive slides are highly possible.