TR Replies
I forgot to mention the last minute addition to our party. The third photo is (rocket man) John. We met him Friday night at the camp and he expressed some interest in coming, if he wasn't up too late partying. Apparently, snow is better than beer. He caught up to us about 30 minutes into our trip and was a great ski partner. Thanks John.
Thanks much, I was considering the west side down to Ollalie Lake but I may just head up the Cle Elum valley instead. It got quite warm today!
Thanks Again,
John
Thanks Again,
John
I found good snow on mainly SW facing slopes, especially first run about 10:30. I think that is because they were less baked. On the second run, maybe 11:30, near the top of Granite West, the SE facing slopes that face "in" to the ultraviolet reflector oven of the W face/bowl of Granite Real were already too soft. Anything that had caught longer morning sun was not good, so I turned SW. I would mention that the supporting morning crust overlay several to many in...
Which aspect(s) did you ski, dkoelle? Thanks for a Snoq Pass area report as I am looking for something to do tomorrow.
John
John
There is skiing, and then there is *skiing*. This was *skiing*. :D
Maybe pics tomorrow.
Larry
Maybe pics tomorrow.
Larry
I posted some more pictures here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jonathanshefftz/album?.dir=d0d7re2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jonathanshefftz/my_photos
This should be a direct link to slideshow:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jonathanshefftz/slideshow?.dir=/d0d7re2&.src=ph
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jonathanshefftz/album?.dir=d0d7re2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jonathanshefftz/my_photos
This should be a direct link to slideshow:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jonathanshefftz/slideshow?.dir=/d0d7re2&.src=ph
Some more pics here:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jonathanshefftz/album?.dir=/dedb&.src=ph&.tok=ph_oavEBnQL_LU0k
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jonathanshefftz/album?.dir=/dedb&.src=ph&.tok=ph_oavEBnQL_LU0k
The Hog Loppet is a great event for a lot of skiers. No problem with it. The HL skiers are on designated snowmobile terrain for a day. Fine too. The road is groomed constantly- once or twice or more weekly for the snowmobiles. I and others ski parts of the road on some non-motorized tours all winter. Snowmobilers share the road with skiers and in my experience are careful. It is not correct that it is just groomed for the HL, just groomed and ski track added by the organizer. Snowmobilers...
Great trip reports, buddy. Those lifts sure are addictive for backcountry touring. :)
Zap(still in the Sierra)
Zap(still in the Sierra)
Well unfortunately this guy (jimw) isn't hosting the video anymore, but there was a scene in it that was quite appropriate! Maybe send him a PM and ask for it? Some classic mano-a-bergschrund...
http://talk.splitboard.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=906&highlight=
http://talk.splitboard.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=906&highlight=
Watson,
Thanks for the thoughts. My work here is done if I've been able to elicit pondering on the Bus, bike ride home, Drive to work, or boring staff meeting - I've passed the baton.
1. Musing or vivid recollection? Yup, it's all fact. I do have pictures, but they are for friends and family.
2. As the great Dirty Harry said (with clenched teeth), "A man's got to know his limitations". On th...
Thanks for the thoughts. My work here is done if I've been able to elicit pondering on the Bus, bike ride home, Drive to work, or boring staff meeting - I've passed the baton.
1. Musing or vivid recollection? Yup, it's all fact. I do have pictures, but they are for friends and family.
2. As the great Dirty Harry said (with clenched teeth), "A man's got to know his limitations". On th...
Sounds like a great trip Silas... I know what you mean by the lifts. I think the most vertical I ever climbed in a day on my Europe trip was 3000ft...
Charles,
Looks like you found a gem.
I was also very interested in this route into Big Snow. I posted on a "discovery" trip on this route several years ago and was discouraged by some of the replies, suggesting that this seemed like a long haul without much reward. I haven't had a chance to get back, but still feel that it is a worthwhile trip, one that I think might be more rewarding as an overnight. I hope someone does it soon and reports...
Looks like you found a gem.
I was also very interested in this route into Big Snow. I posted on a "discovery" trip on this route several years ago and was discouraged by some of the replies, suggesting that this seemed like a long haul without much reward. I haven't had a chance to get back, but still feel that it is a worthwhile trip, one that I think might be more rewarding as an overnight. I hope someone does it soon and reports...
a few more thoughts this post evoked for me as i biked home from work.
both your 12/8 snoqualmie mnt report and this bergschrung report have interesting commonalitites.
first, they describe dilemas i can relate to and they are well written, thanks for the great reads.
secondly, for me at least the main theme is a question we all face often and must decide for ourselves when we are there-
what is the value of a great run vs. the risk?
always diffe...
both your 12/8 snoqualmie mnt report and this bergschrung report have interesting commonalitites.
first, they describe dilemas i can relate to and they are well written, thanks for the great reads.
secondly, for me at least the main theme is a question we all face often and must decide for ourselves when we are there-
what is the value of a great run vs. the risk?
always diffe...
is this report fact or fiction?
i am wondering cause:
1. it took place at *** mystery location.
2. you seem to be skiing as you enter the run but you seem to be snowboarding at the bottom.
3. if i remeber, you are the same fellow who has a 2 year old daughter at home to return to (which we learned about in the long discussion about your early season mnt snoqualmie venture) and i think most dads would chose the left hand route, especially if alone.
4. both rep...
i am wondering cause:
1. it took place at *** mystery location.
2. you seem to be skiing as you enter the run but you seem to be snowboarding at the bottom.
3. if i remeber, you are the same fellow who has a 2 year old daughter at home to return to (which we learned about in the long discussion about your early season mnt snoqualmie venture) and i think most dads would chose the left hand route, especially if alone.
4. both rep...
Yeah, way to hit it on a stellar day, Jeffey.
It looks like the Silcox is almost completely buried if that's it peeking out just past the road cut on the left. If it is, I'm hoping it will still be buried when we're there in about 3 wks; I'd like to ski over the top of it :D
It looks like the Silcox is almost completely buried if that's it peeking out just past the road cut on the left. If it is, I'm hoping it will still be buried when we're there in about 3 wks; I'd like to ski over the top of it :D
Wow, you got a great day indeed, and nice photos! Good looking snowpack as well. Thanks for the report Jeff.
I agree that that midfork approach would be shorter, easier to navigate, and yield more turns, which is probably why I'm interested in the northern approach. To me, a trip starting at 2200 feet and involving miles of skiing through the woods and then up into the alpine to 6600 has all of the elements of a great ski tour. With fast snow and some good navigation it should be doable in one day, though a long one. I was hoping last Wednesday to make it at least to Gold Lake and sort out the nav...
I was told by the people at the hotsprings that the forest service had to bring the road up to forest service standards, at which point they were going to turn it over to the private landholders and gate it at Dingford Creek. The folks seemed to think that was going to occur this summer. In that case, the northern route would be more appealing. I tried to get to the north side of Big S. from Myrtle Lake, and got cliffed out on two seperate tries. I do see that Beckie desc...
Whenver they finally gate the midfork road way below Hardscrabble creek, the northern route may start to have more appeal. I haven't checked in a while - last I saw the FS seemed vague about the gating plans.
nice!! that video is great too (i actually got it up on my computer this time jw!). here's to hoping the conditions and weather are good for us this weekend up there for the glacier class... ;)
I tried to approach Big Snow Mountain via the drainage from Gold Lake a few times back in the mid 90's, during mid winter, and got weathered out both times. Part of the problem was trying to navigate which drainage to follow, as there are several choices to be made along the way. I remember wondering why Beckie said it was a good ski route in, after finally making it to the lake on my 3rd try, the next summer. For skiing, I find the Hardscrabble Lake route much superior,&n...
Ditto on the interest. I got as close as Chetwoot lake on a backpack last summer, but we explored in the opposite direction (toward La Bohn gap/Necklace Valley). It's some nice country up there.
I've been intrigued with the idea of skiing into Big Snow Mt. since a map that I have shows a skier symbol used for marking downhill ski areas. When I saw that on the map, I thought, "Huh? A mapmaker's typo or joke?"
Anyone know if there were ever plans to punch a road in and operate a lift area in there? Not that I'd want that, but I am curious as to how that symbol made it onto the map.
Charles, I'd be up for some exploring in the area if int...
Anyone know if there were ever plans to punch a road in and operate a lift area in there? Not that I'd want that, but I am curious as to how that symbol made it onto the map.
Charles, I'd be up for some exploring in the area if int...
Jim, I was going to try Lake Dorothy to Gold Lake by the drainage between them, then SW up to Big Snow Mountain. Lots of cliff bands in this part of the Alpine Lakes, but on the map this route looks reasonable. I think this is the route Bergdorfer shows. Even if I had been able to drive to snow, I wasn't expecting to be able to get to Big Snow Mountain with the new snow and being alone. Hopefully I can try again with faster snow (and a partner). The Beckey route I remember starts at the Mid...
Bravo!
Having two naked descents under my belt (so to speak), Mt Lassen (not from the summit) and Volcan Casablanca in Chile (quite possibly a first naked descent), I cannot agree more - there is something unbelievably liberating about skiing naked.
And the funniest part is how a little skin reduces grown men to act like giggling school girls. A must do.
Having two naked descents under my belt (so to speak), Mt Lassen (not from the summit) and Volcan Casablanca in Chile (quite possibly a first naked descent), I cannot agree more - there is something unbelievably liberating about skiing naked.
And the funniest part is how a little skin reduces grown men to act like giggling school girls. A must do.
This would be the one time shrinkage probably would work in your favor.
Well, I think I got the name wrong, the photo is of the Kingpin
on your overview photo, not Camel Toes...hmm it certainly
looked like Camel Toes as I was looking up at it.
on your overview photo, not Camel Toes...hmm it certainly
looked like Camel Toes as I was looking up at it.
Nice photos. And way to get on it. I was poking around that area in the
same time-frame you were, but still have a few of the left-most one's to
get to.
Here's a photo looking down Camel Toes
same time-frame you were, but still have a few of the left-most one's to
get to.
Here's a photo looking down Camel Toes
Nice exploring (once again) Charles. Did you have a particular route in mind for getting up to Big Snow, had you been able to get up the road? I've wondered about a route from the north as well, though when I poked around that area a bit last summer (hiking), there was certainly no no-brainer route. There was a creek-bed that was fairly dry that looked to maybe head up into the alpine from the hiking trail that might avoid a serious brush thrash, and a bit after that there was a ridge that...
I'm loading a bunch of photo's and other info onto a photosite and will post a link to it here shortly. You will be able to see the large format pictures there....... so stay tuned.
Great Charles,
I've been intrigued with the potential of that area. Cascade Powdercats is the commercial operator in that area. I've been wondering about the NW facing slopes off Windy Ridge. Does it look like there would be some runs on that side that may hold dry snow in winter?
I've been intrigued with the potential of that area. Cascade Powdercats is the commercial operator in that area. I've been wondering about the NW facing slopes off Windy Ridge. Does it look like there would be some runs on that side that may hold dry snow in winter?
author=gregL link=topic=4540.msg19360#msg19360 date=1145550447]
I think I'll watch you guys. . . .
Perv. ;D
Be careful in the deep tele turns, don't want to snip anything.
Sweet! That's a lot of lines back there... :)
I think I'll watch you guys. Kinda turns the whole mountain into a "no fall zone" . . .
...but later when the weather warms and you see that great looking snow slope that slides straight into a thawing lake or pond, avoid the tempation to treat it as a water slide and hit the sitting glissade into the drink. The plunge isn't so bad, but the sandpaper slide (think 100 grit) and the slap, slap leave a lot to be desired. ;)
cool. How about a new category, "first naked decents"?
I'll second the naked skiing thing. Everyone must do it once (or many times) in their life... :D
For me it's all about exploration. Perhaps Sled-heads' desire to go to new places brings them into conflict w/ skiers.
Tell me more about the HogLoppet conflict. It always seemed to make sence to me to close off Sauk P. E. for a one day event as ther eare so many more skiers than sleds that day. It is the one time a year that they try to groom the whole ridge. But you wanna be in the fore-front and finnish before 9am if you can because all...
Tell me more about the HogLoppet conflict. It always seemed to make sence to me to close off Sauk P. E. for a one day event as ther eare so many more skiers than sleds that day. It is the one time a year that they try to groom the whole ridge. But you wanna be in the fore-front and finnish before 9am if you can because all...
author=MW88888888 link=topic=4519.msg19345#msg19345 date=1145494852]
Like I said, where is not important. I don't care if it was a first descent, although that is fun to imagine.
I enjoy skiing where no one else is (especially next to a town of 2 million souls), and revealing where this area is may compromise that in the future. sorry, nothing personal.
Nah, I'm just being an ass and...
I skied the bergschrund once, so yeah, it's totally been done 8)
Like I said, where is not important. I don't care if it was a first descent, although that is fun to imagine.
I enjoy skiing where no one else is (especially next to a town of 2 million souls), and revealing where this area is may compromise that in the future. sorry, nothing personal.
I enjoy skiing where no one else is (especially next to a town of 2 million souls), and revealing where this area is may compromise that in the future. sorry, nothing personal.
As Username says, I'm sure it was already tagged.... ???
Hey MW88888888 wtf! You post such an exciting trip report but leave out the best part. Like delivering a killer joke but leaving out the punch line. At least what peak was to be so lucky to have been graced by your presence?
Username - such an appropriate response! ;D
Username - such an appropriate response! ;D
Hey nice trip report, but I'm pretty sure that *** got tagged *** years ago by ***, and the *** face of *** was *** by ***, ***, and also possibly *** on *** **, ****. Here's a pic from the first descent of ***:
*
*