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Remember, breaking trail and allowing old people to have fresh tracks is standard backcountry protocol.

It is not for nothing that Zap is known as "The Silver Fox."

... Remember, breaking trail and allowing old people to have fresh tracks is standard backcountry protocol. - Zap

Now there's some pithy wisdom. It's simply the right thing to do.  
Why didn't I think of that?  That needs expansive circulation.
Zap - Can I use that?

"butrsmoccrver", thanks for cruising by in Threeway, it gets lonely back in the basin by yourself and all that powder. :)

Hopefully, this storm cycle will smooth out some of the rocky ridges and the crust layer.  Yes, retirement has been great. Only wish I started thirty years ago when my body was a bit more flexible. Remember, breaking trail and allowing old people to have fresh tracks is standard backcountry protocol.

Zap

Killer job with the viddy production, Jerman.
You just keep amazin' me at how quick you crank 'em out.

Zap, that was me skiing past you guys under Threeway. I read from another TAYer that they opened it late on Sat. So, we decided to ride Crystal instead of Baker on Sunday. $50.00 bones and a few base craps later Silver basin was ours. Sorry, to give you a HEEY Haa riding past, as a "chairlift
stash stealer." BTW I enjoyed reading your post, esspecially last year down in Sierra's. You seem to get out more than anybody.....way to show what retirements all about!

BTW...Crystal...

Is Tye Peak the peak west of the saddle due north of Skyline Lake?  Or is it also known as Peak 5476?  I don't see it on a map I'm looking at.  The best trees we skiied were on a 25-30 degree north facing slope, still on the south side of the drainage, about 400 vf below the saddle.  The slope mellowed out after about 300 more vf and the drainage lead to another boulder field at about 4000 feet.  I would not call the trees small and spread-out, but good lines were easily...

I'm not sure that its seen a complete descent from the Hanging Glacier, as in including the final very narrow stretch.  George St James as well as a couple patrollers 5+ years ago all stopped somewhere near the top of the wide open section.  Don't know anything about other descents of the couloir.

Nice to see you're back, Zap.
Looks like your lessiones espanol didn't stunt your ability to find the goods  :)
Well done.

A snowboard descent of the NW couloir was reported by George St. James in 1993. He was accompanied by George Dobis on foot. The Bellingham Herald had an article about it on 6/24/93.

When we saw what ended up being your skin track going to the basin, we made a decision- use their track or make our own? We figured to let you have your peace. We skinned away and we were on top of a peak just North of Threeway and saw your gang making tracks. Good Job! One of our group members snapped some great shots of pristine powder on the King as you were making your 2nd accent.
Before all this I went into the patrol shack and inquired if they were planning on bombing South and they sa...

New movie tomorrow night 8)

ya, i would guess there is a big difference between skiing at the area and actually being in a gigantic north facing coulior after a week of high pressure and a then a small dump of snow. at first glance i thought this was a post from someone who was actually on the mountain itself. shuksan does look like it has some great ski mountaineering lines...

hey username...i saw a snowboarder biking towards the bottom of baker over the weekend...any chance that was you?

Tim-

I'm referring to what Beckey calls the Northwest Couloir- climber's left of the hanging glacier. And from what I saw, the entrance gully looked possible and the 50 degree section you mentioned also seemd to have a way thru. Of course, I may be completely wrong. I was just passing on what I saw for those who might be interested.

Phil,

Sweet video.  Captures the essence of how a brutal day can still be a blast.  But did it make me doubt the power of tele?  Never!  Just gotta upgrade to the 7 buckle boots and a pair of 25 year old legs and the steep narrow crud couloir with ice cave jump will be mine, all mine...

peace,

Jimmy

A group of 5 of us made an attempt at Chair Peak Sunday morning, but half-way up we opted out of because the exposed top-half of the mountain seemed too prone to sliding. We headed over by the snow lake divide and up the ridge as high as we could. It was hard under the new snow (about 12 inches up top), and sans the crusties underneath I've been reading about at Alpental. Great turns all the way back to Source Lake!

Ryan, I am not sure what you are referring to as the "NorthWest Couloir".  If you mean the line on lookers right of the Hanging Glacier, that is the White Salmon Glacier.  It looks filled in enough to ski, although you would have scant to no cover at the bottom and therefore a long, ugly scramble out. Best to give it several weeks to build a base. (The picture is from March, 2001)

OTOH, if yo...

Nice report Jeanette.  It was a wonderful day in the park and great to see you all again.

Just wanted to note that the road was very icy in the morning and stayed that way for the return trip.  Chains were required on all non-AWD vehicles (AWD required traction tires) and a ranger was making inspections on the road below Christine Falls on the way up.  So get that snow gear on your cars 'cause the winter weather is here!

Jeanette, thanks for pointing out the ptarmiga...

"From time to time I would have to scratch them roids as there was only dust on crust instead of boot deep just the turn before."  Bwwwaaahhhhhh, ha,ha!!  Funny stuff, slut.  

Last Chance nearly turned into Last breath. It was extremely difficult climbing back up to the road. JibberD and I basically crawled back up the slope on our knees as the slope was so deep in fluff. It honestly was the best snow of the day. You shoulda tried it ;)
Great day, great friends, great snow.
Nice meeting you Snowslut. That's one hell of a steep skin track you put in with those splitboards.
;D

Not that it's important, Tony, but we'll need to call first tracks today.  Left the lot by 6 am and down by 8 something.  In fact, I think we saw you near Debbie's.  We went down Schluct Chute in variable conditions, first time this year.  Fun adventure.

The snow at the bottom we thought was better than the top, mostly due to the variable wind blown powder.  But untracked powder by any name.

You're welcome for the skin track, although Ron had the steep switch-back pitch on Sideslip...

Thanks for the nice uptrack to the top. Great snow on Upper I. We did a second lap on Lower because we still found plenty of fresh snow. Visability was excellent after noon and with chair 3 groomed, it was a quick trip all the way to the car. Nice meeting you today SkinnyS.

Thanks for the note, Chris. Nice to meet you two as well.

Hi Lowell, Mark, and Bryan.  Liz and I were the couple who joined you guys in the basin yesterday.  Nice to have met you all, and shared some turns.  

sounds beautiful, its rare that we get these oppurtunities to skin  out at 1 am and find cold blower here in the northwest. Cheers!

Thanks Tony, but...it definitely wasn't nice corn. I think that others who were out over the weekend could vouch for that. You do know we only go out there for the fishing, right?  ;) The skiing is just a bonus  ;D