TR Replies
I had to do my Christmas shopping 8)(belated celebration @ Dads). Sounds like fun I missed....Jerry
Jeanette, you've gotta stop with this "geezer" talk ???. I know some geezers and you and Ron aren't them...not even close 8).
I can't plow if you don't make contact...
Sounds like a nice trip. Where was JW?
OK, off to Paradise with the Scotsman and another McSomeone. Wish us luck.
I can't plow if you don't make contact...
Sounds like a nice trip. Where was JW?
OK, off to Paradise with the Scotsman and another McSomeone. Wish us luck.
Thanks for the report Robie. We're heading to Paradise this morning and will look for some of the powder you're predicting.
No slides?.....that's good. Sounds like there was a lot of activity that way over the weekend. I'm sure we'll be digging and cutting all day.
No slides?.....that's good. Sounds like there was a lot of activity that way over the weekend. I'm sure we'll be digging and cutting all day.
Breaking trail in the new snow was somewhat tedious at times with ski depth of 18 inches. Where were all those "youngsters" we hang around with for trailbreaking??
I knew there was a reason you let me come out with you so much ;)
I knew there was a reason you let me come out with you so much ;)
Great to hear you set a nice track back to the "Gap". I've been training some of my East Coast grandsons for the Grandpa Zap Sherpa school. Hope to join you this weekend with some of your trailbreakers.
Zap
Zap
Man...can you believe we got that stack of blocks up to 36 levels high.
Oh yea it was a good ski day to.
Aaron
Oh yea it was a good ski day to.
Aaron
Snomos, hmm. Today we saw a beautiful cherry red 1986 LMC 1500 snowcat on Heather Ridge road in perfect shape! It was not transporting snow sliders, only headed up to do work on the cell towers. Sure made breaking trail easy after it passed. ;-)
As for what should and should not be allowed in my back yard, I dunno what to say. The back side of Stevens was really great when it was the domain of liftless hard work, but somehow we have survived the remov...
As for what should and should not be allowed in my back yard, I dunno what to say. The back side of Stevens was really great when it was the domain of liftless hard work, but somehow we have survived the remov...
all i can say is tear it up--but don't die in an avalanche.
I was too tired when I wrote that to remember to mention how beautiful it can be to be in the clear air sandwiched between upper clouds and the fog layer that pours like milk through the valleys and passes, with lots of peaks to see between. I love amazing range of greys you see in this sort of weather, with just bits of blue and purple to accent the sky a bit. Rainier was particularly cool to look at - it seemed to be bringing some extra light down from above, so the visible portion of it ...
Schneebers that don't look to good. :)
MW88888888, there is no prize other than simply the warm fuzzy feeling which I'm sure is radiating through you as you realize that, yes, you started what has turned out to likely be the most active thread ever on TAY. Congratulations? I personally hope that you will continue posting as you have been doing, adding to your established record of providing good snow information and beyond.
"Oh no, not another Snoqualmie Mountain thread," I thought. But then I saw who the author was and I knew that everything would be OK. ;)
Great report Silas - full both of snow info and your own subjective experiences. That's my kind of report!
Great report Silas - full both of snow info and your own subjective experiences. That's my kind of report!
Nice TR Silas, glad you could keep your cool with us.
I think Tony took an easier route through the little cliffs at the bottom there, but when in Rome. . .
I think Tony took an easier route through the little cliffs at the bottom there, but when in Rome. . .
Me and two other guys summited gunsight and the snow was way deep and sticking.
Woohoo!! Very nice, have a great time ;D.
Very nice...glad your trip's off to a good start in that fine Alp pow! (hmm, moment of nostalgia there...) I presume you were able to find some extra epoxy to complete your newest pair of homemade skis before you left?...
filbo thanks for breaking trail. Did you ski from the summitt. Everything sticking good ?
Some of us had to stay inbounds and skier groom the trees.
Some of us had to stay inbounds and skier groom the trees.
Wow! I didn't see this one coming 8), Nice move boys!
Keep the photos flowing......Jerry
Keep the photos flowing......Jerry
very nice Kam, looks a little better than that bald knob in Virginia ;)
kam.
nice to see your great shots and the blue bird skies. it was puking here all day; deep in the north side of skyline ridge, lovely. keep us all posted on your travels. enjoy.
nice to see your great shots and the blue bird skies. it was puking here all day; deep in the north side of skyline ridge, lovely. keep us all posted on your travels. enjoy.
Good God Man.......!
I believe epic has be redefined.... ;D
I believe epic has be redefined.... ;D
MW8 and Jim: Thanks for your thoughtful posts. You've shown that you're willing to risk some exposure, not to gravity but to your peers. I respect that.
TeleRoss: If it's a race to the bottom, you're winning. ;)
TeleRoss: If it's a race to the bottom, you're winning. ;)
Is there a prize for the most responses and views to a post? If so, lucky me. Couple points I'd like to make, as it seems the issues raised here touched a nerve.
1) Ron_l had it right, this post was a direct copy of an e-mail I sent to friends around the country. Friends with whom I ski every year, around the globe and in all conditions; they know me, they know my style and my skill levels, so there was no need to expound on the details of why I did the things I did. It was simply a d...
1) Ron_l had it right, this post was a direct copy of an e-mail I sent to friends around the country. Friends with whom I ski every year, around the globe and in all conditions; they know me, they know my style and my skill levels, so there was no need to expound on the details of why I did the things I did. It was simply a d...
Overall, driving would seem to be one of the most hazardous activities that the average person does, and driving while tired would seem likely to increase the hazard. But I wonder how this compares to the hazards of injury/death from avalanches, encounters with flora (including tree wells), encounters with fauna (eg allergic reaction to stings - not a big worry in winter but different in summer?), equipment failure, etc.
I've thought about this...
Wow! Who knew that Columbia Golf Course was such a nexus for great skiers? Next you're going to tell me that Bill Koch learned to ski there or something. ;)
When the snow is good (which it hasn't been for several years running) the skiing at Columbia is really fine. It's only about a mile from my in-laws' house. The smokestacks on the horizon are easy enough to ignore and pretty soon your mind wanders to Scandihoovia...
Since my training table in Minneapolis consists mostly of Ch...
When the snow is good (which it hasn't been for several years running) the skiing at Columbia is really fine. It's only about a mile from my in-laws' house. The smokestacks on the horizon are easy enough to ignore and pretty soon your mind wanders to Scandihoovia...
Since my training table in Minneapolis consists mostly of Ch...
...PS - if you two don't receive the bottles of JJ within a few days, we'll have to assume that Homeland Security intercepted them. ;)
"bottles of JJ"??
Um.. ah, Charles I thought we agreed...
after that last "incident", we were ONLY going to ship JJ in the more explosively stable Gel form, shipped only in the padded and insulated, hermetically sealed, bomb proof shipping boxes?? ???
Hey Lowell!
I used to ski at Columbia Golf Course, too. Our high school skiing league used to have meets there.
Good to see you're making good use of your time in MN. I usually end up in pubs when I go back to visit. ;-)
Happy New Year!
Tim
I used to ski at Columbia Golf Course, too. Our high school skiing league used to have meets there.
Good to see you're making good use of your time in MN. I usually end up in pubs when I go back to visit. ;-)
Happy New Year!
Tim
It certainly does seem that on the internet it is easy for one person's discussion to be another person's criticism. I guess it takes a certain skill to contribute to an internet "discussion" in a way that minimizes the chances that it will be seen instead as "criticism". The culture of the specific forum must also come into play, and in this regard, given the "discussion" oriented nature of this forum, it would help if readers would generally give the "discuss...
Joking aside, I think it is an interesting question about what the relative dangers are when skiing. There probably aren't very good stats for this overall. Skiing at a lift area seems to introduce a significant hazard of collision, with other skiers and with hard objects. Overall, driving would seem to be one of the most hazardous activities that the average person does, and driving while tired would seem likely to increase the hazard. But I wonder how this compares to the hazards of injury/dea...
Thanks, Lowell. I realized (after all my posts above) that:
a) Samminator was right, I needed a nap. Decaf helped. :)
but
b) I'm re-learning something I found out when moving from Boston to the PNW - that I grew up working things out by sharing thoughts and debating and the culture was that this is just a way to help each other think by pushing each other a bit, but out here I've found many folks take that approach as criticism or otherwise as a negative. Lowell, username,...
a) Samminator was right, I needed a nap. Decaf helped. :)
but
b) I'm re-learning something I found out when moving from Boston to the PNW - that I grew up working things out by sharing thoughts and debating and the culture was that this is just a way to help each other think by pushing each other a bit, but out here I've found many folks take that approach as criticism or otherwise as a negative. Lowell, username,...
I applaud Jim for raising the questions that were in my head as well, because it may not seem like it from my TR, but the decision to go on was a challenging one.
I think the people taking pot shots from various sides of this discussion should note that MW88888888, the original poster, has consistently expressed his appreciation of Jim Oker's safety questions. Seems like a non-issue to me.
Now I know why I've stopped posting trips - a nice report, some humorous adds followed by a flurry of uninvited criticisms. (unless the purpose of a post is to provide a target)
While Jim may have some good reasons for making a different decision if he were there - he wasn't there and the decision wasn't his to make.
Jim, when you report your future trips, I'm sure we'll be happy to hear the basis for decisions you made. We might not even tell you that you were wrong!
While Jim may have some good reasons for making a different decision if he were there - he wasn't there and the decision wasn't his to make.
Jim, when you report your future trips, I'm sure we'll be happy to hear the basis for decisions you made. We might not even tell you that you were wrong!
Are you sure it's kosher to send that through the mail?
I eagerly await its arrival. With a name like Jarvis, it's got to be good.
I eagerly await its arrival. With a name like Jarvis, it's got to be good.
Jim and Sky: Jarvis Jelly
A little known fact is that JJ is not just an awesome skiing aid, but an all around multipurpose backcountry solution for just about any problem which might present itself. It's nanotube technology ensures that these common concerns you have expressed (with the exception of the serious hazard relating to the drive home) become just figments of an overconcerned mind. Vince and I took the precauti...
A little known fact is that JJ is not just an awesome skiing aid, but an all around multipurpose backcountry solution for just about any problem which might present itself. It's nanotube technology ensures that these common concerns you have expressed (with the exception of the serious hazard relating to the drive home) become just figments of an overconcerned mind. Vince and I took the precauti...
Nice post Tony! And great video work as well. I knew those were pretty epic conditions requiring sequential dawn partrols, and the video sure brings it back!
As for all the differing viewpoints it's good to see and discuss.
B
As for all the differing viewpoints it's good to see and discuss.
B
Wow!
I think some people need naps.
MW....Great Photo.....Glad you were there to get the shot! 8)
I think some people need naps.
MW....Great Photo.....Glad you were there to get the shot! 8)
:)
I'm with ya on the logs, Sky. One of my only two ski injuries of note (as in needing some pro medical attention, both were at lift areas, by the way - perhaps something about risk calculations when there's a clinic a short slide away) was due to log-impact while being one turn too greedy for freshies in the trees. Kinda cool in a way - I saw I was in trouble, butt-planted, but had gone just a little too far so one of my arms smacked against a log. PAIN!! I put my weight on the arm to s...
I'm with ya on the logs, Sky. One of my only two ski injuries of note (as in needing some pro medical attention, both were at lift areas, by the way - perhaps something about risk calculations when there's a clinic a short slide away) was due to log-impact while being one turn too greedy for freshies in the trees. Kinda cool in a way - I saw I was in trouble, butt-planted, but had gone just a little too far so one of my arms smacked against a log. PAIN!! I put my weight on the arm to s...
paul and monika--nice trek! and awesome photos to show for it. you guys are such rockstars. 8)
oh yeah, and way to attack that alder!
oh yeah, and way to attack that alder!
funny, that's right where I grew up. made trips all winter by bike to that Columbia golf course for classic and skating and sliding since I was little.
Nice hills there for those Minnesota plains
:)
Nice hills there for those Minnesota plains
:)
Nice trip! I love that photo looking east with McGregor and Oval.
>:( Ah, well. There's goes a beautiful relationship!
Well, Mr. Scott, you just claimed first place in the all time best-first-post contest! From which side do you access WA Pass?
Charles,
I'd like to hear more about your decision-making process. Did you take any precautions between using the 'fish scales' and eating your next snack? ??? I wouldn't want to see you catch Salmonella. However, this is unfamiliar equipment to me so maybe my thinking's just not quite right. I just want to understand.
I think I've had more close calls with logs than just about anything else. Tripping, slipping, getting skewered, catching a tip, YIKES!...
I'd like to hear more about your decision-making process. Did you take any precautions between using the 'fish scales' and eating your next snack? ??? I wouldn't want to see you catch Salmonella. However, this is unfamiliar equipment to me so maybe my thinking's just not quite right. I just want to understand.
I think I've had more close calls with logs than just about anything else. Tripping, slipping, getting skewered, catching a tip, YIKES!...
Wow, huge change from Thurs, when I did not see any avalanche debris at the hairpin. I am hoping that things settle down there for next weekend. BTW, if you frequent the WA Pass area, I am looking for a backcountry skiing partner(s). I have a Yamaha Rhino side by side atv with tracks, and so can get up to the WA Pass/Rainy Pass areas with relative ease (just a bit noisy). David
It was raining soooo hard,I had a new digital camera,not knowing its tolerance for moisture resistance,I decieded to protect it until I was sure . Sorry.
Pictures? Video? Sounds like quite a show!