TR Replies
I saw this sun thing you speak of in Idaho last week. My skins all itchy still. The temps were also below freezing. Terribly uncomfortable to us treefrogs. Careful or I will have to come down there and haunt your couch again once I recover.
Been really wanting to head out to the Caucasus Mountains lately and have been learning a bit about this zone. Hard to say if it would be a better bet going for powder or corn. Looks amazing and such a unique culture.
Nice report Mike! And great photos as always. Gets me psyched for the upcoming Spring touring season. And I like your website as well. I talked with a friend at the climbing gym recently who is having some Coop skis made for him. Who did the graphics on the Colchuck's? Pretty funky!
At what point are we going to try and just put some Dynafit bindings on two snowboards and call it good!
This sounds like a good goof at the next pond skim now that I've thought about it!
Impressive skis, Mike R, you can call yourself a legit manufacturer in my book.
Love the smiles in the pictures, they say to all.
This sounds like a good goof at the next pond skim now that I've thought about it!
Impressive skis, Mike R, you can call yourself a legit manufacturer in my book.
Love the smiles in the pictures, they say to all.
Bigeo - my greatest lament is putting my 1980s K2 Gyrators in the dumpster in NY when I moved to Colorado. I had to fit everything I owned in a Chrysler Grand Caravan and they drew the short straw. I can still see them as I drove away and wish I had strapped them to the roof. They have been the only ski or snowboard I ever got rid of. It was lesson. I loved those skis and wish I still had them.
Ron - that big yellowy-orange thing you see in the sky in my...
Ron - that big yellowy-orange thing you see in the sky in my...
author=telemack link=topic=39746.msg160045#msg160045 date=1519421109]
Whittaker's Bunkhouse is good too; cheaper, with all the cultural amenities of the Ashford valley ::)
We'll have to try the Whitaker's sometime. We stop there for coffee and b room.
And yes, the fireplace at the Inn is awesome. We got in early after a half day and just napped next to that fireplace.
Brian, do you not own this book? So worth it. Even if you never planned to ski any of the many, many, many routes, so worth it just as a coffee table book or kept within reach of the throne.
https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Coast-Mountains-Skis-Southwestern/dp/0969155018
https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Coast-Mountains-Skis-Southwestern/dp/0969155018
I bet they are a blast in snow like that. I still shop the bargain bins out of habit tho. Let me know if you have blem or irregular pile, any last year Demos?
I am green like the color of those coop skis. As in, with envy.
Wow, credit to both of you guys for taking a glass-half-full approach. Those both sound like tough ordeals!
One of my best ever tours early in my career was heli-touring up there! Silver Star and Big Kangaroo. Such a great little slice of the North Cascades. I'll have to get back there, thanks!
Nice! I'm at Whistler lots and would love a tour like that. Message me if you care to give specifics.
Brian
Brian
author=RonL link=topic=39758.msg160163#msg160163 date=1519850251">
Yeah give us a review of this longboards!
Those are home-made in my garage - 191 x 142. They tour way better than you'd think and are super fun to ski on. We pretend to be a legit ski manufacturer, but really I just make skis for friends and family. I'm up to about 60 pairs. coopskis.com. The only problem with a ski...
Thanks for the great pit pic. It was quite a storm cycle this and what came after.
Yeah give us a review of this longboards!
Poor guy had to take another lap in all that pow.
I hope you were porpoising the whole time on the banana boat skis! Great photos and post.
Radical! Nice to see some varied trip reports out here. A friend of mine is in Georgia for work for a few weeks and is hoping to get some skiing. Looks great.
The "meaning" of our gear is not in its substance, nor in its utility, but in the history we share with it.
A fantastic TR and a photo of the snowshoes short lived home. You created a wonderful story of the trip and the "finding". Plus, your family probably enjoyed "the trip". ;)
Way to take advantage of every hour! Looks like a fun bluebird day that you only got because you were willing to travel in the dark!
We need more photos of what we love where we live. And when there's a section on the people, that picture of Mike Rolfs and Larry Goldie should be the face page.
Glad you found them!
I had a similar experience with losing the tail clip to my skins just two days ago! I went back to my transition spot, no luck, one more run and I just knew that I knew where I'd lost it. Third visit was a hit and I went home whole. Pretty similar to your snowshoe Eureka. Thanks for the report.
I had a similar experience with losing the tail clip to my skins just two days ago! I went back to my transition spot, no luck, one more run and I just knew that I knew where I'd lost it. Third visit was a hit and I went home whole. Pretty similar to your snowshoe Eureka. Thanks for the report.
that dude sucks...great pictures...
I was wondering about the meaning of Mazama with some of you at the cabin... inconclusively... so here it is:
Mazama: deer/goat like animal... def appropriate for a mountaineering group, and it seems quite a few other places and terrain features here in the NW.
Also there's a mountain that once was until circa 5677 BC when it imploded... (sort of transgender-like) and is now Crater Lake. Now I'm wondering if the word Mazama even existed in 5677 BC ??&n...
There is a long history of this guy (who is presumably the same person as freeski) hijacking threads to poopoo NC Heli. He might once have had a good point regarding an incident he was involved with the company. But now he is a broken record that will take a dump on any thread that mentions NC Heli. So much so that he created another username just for this.
Great to see that there are still a few backcountry related trip reports on the site. Looks like a beautiful day!!
author=Heli-Free North Cascades link=topic=39758.msg160077#msg160077 date=1519597384]
I like the photo of the guide wearing ear protection. That is smart. Helicopters can produce hearing damaging noise even on a fly by up to 300m away. Wow, I just noticed that the word hearing has the word ear in it.
By the way a friend informs me he scrambles around that area in the summer and it looks like a garbage dump similar to what under a ski area chairliftÂ...
Oh man very jealous! Sweet trip Victor and Jake!
It was. I recommend it to anyone who wants to check out some Alps touring - great food AND terrain. And these guys have a nice approach, including spending multiple nights at a couple of the huts instead of doing an end-to-end traverse, and using an access point that apparently has less avy issues than a few of the others in the range.
Last saw Larry while heading up for a late-in-day hike up to Blue Lake last fall, as he was heading down from bein...
Last saw Larry while heading up for a late-in-day hike up to Blue Lake last fall, as he was heading down from bein...
author=Jim Oker link=topic=39758.msg160069#msg160069 date=1519530869]
Looks like a stellar outing. Larry is a great guy/guide, eh? Spent 6 nights/7days in the Ortler Alps with him.
He's great. I bet that was a fun trip. Every time I'm with Larry I have a good time.
Looks like a stellar outing. Larry is a great guy/guide, eh? Spent 6 nights/7days in the Ortler Alps with him.
No injuries on my side but pretty sore muscles the day after. Hope you heal up well, if any of your friends get back there in the spring and find my ski tell them to give me a shout here. Saw your tracks down in the trees beneath the table pretty awesome snow day.
Sorry about your ski! I was down in the trees and had a long trip out with a dislocated shoulder. Snow quality was really excellent!
Sounds like you had a good trip. We have stayed at the NPS Inn at Longmire twice; it doesn't get the gate open in the morning but it puts you a lot closer! The Inn isn't cheap, but the restaurant and fireplace are both tip-top. And remaining in the park after the crowds leave? Indoors?? Priceless
Whittaker's Bunkhouse is good too; cheaper, with all the cultural amenities of the Ashford valley ::)
Whittaker's Bunkhouse is good too; cheaper, with all the cultural amenities of the Ashford valley ::)
I miss mid week at Hyak/summit area - thanks for bringing back some fun memories, Zap.
yeah looking forward to the next storm! Thanks for the update.
thanks Zap!
good catch Jacob! yep it's been four. realized that after posting but thought eh, the essence of it having been way too long is still there.
And what do you mean mediocre? All tours are great. Free your ass and the fun will follow...I'm pretty sure 'mediocre' is a descriptor solely reserved for 'padded seats'.
nice pics Kam. On that second shot did someone throw a ski pole to test the slope, or is there someone actually...
good catch Jacob! yep it's been four. realized that after posting but thought eh, the essence of it having been way too long is still there.
And what do you mean mediocre? All tours are great. Free your ass and the fun will follow...I'm pretty sure 'mediocre' is a descriptor solely reserved for 'padded seats'.
nice pics Kam. On that second shot did someone throw a ski pole to test the slope, or is there someone actually...
Things still quite nice up there today. Skied phantom trees this am, up to ~8" of fresh light atop a firmer base. The top 3/4 from the thunder creek exit skied wonderfully, the bottom section in the trees was quite crusty and made for challenging skinning on the way up. My partner appreciated his ski crampons.
only your third day!? i know the other two days and one was a pretty mediocre one ;)
glad to see your getting some nice turns!
glad to see your getting some nice turns!