TR Replies
I hardly took my camcorder out Saturday because it was snowing so hard... and I just didn't want to fiddle around in the middle of a run - felt better just to board down non-stop in an orgasmic cloud of dust...
I did put some shots from Sunday here:
http://www.splitboard.net/talk/viewtopic.php?t=1648
I did put some shots from Sunday here:
http://www.splitboard.net/talk/viewtopic.php?t=1648
I dunno about this. I skied lots of little 40 degree slopes today, alone and without fear (though not without caution). As I recollect, the rollover in the photo is about 45 degrees steepness: maybe even steeper early in the season when the slope isn't filled in. That alone is enough to give pause....even if you didn't know that there was an avalanche fatality very near there a couple of years ago, and another just up the hill. Both were on small slopes s...
I was out on Sat. morning with a friend; we were up the Blueberry cat-track just a short ways before we heard of the slide. Me and another person used our radios to get in touch with ski patrol. I was a little amazed at the rumor mill about this slide--there were reports of a broken femur, that he had been buried 15-20 minutes, etc. I was glad to hear he made it out all right.
After all that excitement, we went on to have a heck of weekend skiing off of Pan-Dome. Nothing new to report on...
After all that excitement, we went on to have a heck of weekend skiing off of Pan-Dome. Nothing new to report on...
after not skiing for 1.5 years due to an injury this was a great return to freshiez land. (actually the doctor had said i could go lift skiing last year but there was no lift skiing and lift skiing sucks anyway.)
lots of people who post on this board had offered kind words during that difficult time and i'd like to thank you all for your encouragement and aver that i am, officially, back in the saddle. :D
lots of people who post on this board had offered kind words during that difficult time and i'd like to thank you all for your encouragement and aver that i am, officially, back in the saddle. :D
Thanks for the snow report Mad Dog. It's just great to have so much snow to evaluate. ;D
I was grounded by my wife on Sunday or else I'd have been there. As I was dragged around the stores I kept telling her that Ron, Jerry and Jeanette will be up there!
She told me to save my energy for clearing dog poop of the lawn when I got back from holding her handbag. ;D
Next time! 8)
I was grounded by my wife on Sunday or else I'd have been there. As I was dragged around the stores I kept telling her that Ron, Jerry and Jeanette will be up there!
She told me to save my energy for clearing dog poop of the lawn when I got back from holding her handbag. ;D
Next time! 8)
I was nice to see Gusk and company at Paradise, we exchanged a few ideas on our intended destinations. Winter has certainly arrived in the PNW with Paradise getting a coating of snow that just about tops what was there last season. Last Sunday there was 5 inches on the ground, this Sunday 57 inches! With the Longmire gate opening at 10:45 we took advantage of the wait and did some beacon search practice to fill the time.
Ron, Jerry, Darryl, and I decided to spend a little tim...
Ron, Jerry, Darryl, and I decided to spend a little tim...
I mainly went around the rocks and brush. Generally, however, I'd say that above the fan, the coverage is as you'd expect mid-winter. Below there, there's lots of twigs and sticks jutting from beneath the snow, and rocks and lumps under the snow ready to grab your unsuspecting skis. It's skiable, and fun, but with the really heavy snow I'd say it's not lift worthy yet.
Here's a pic of A'tal one month ago when I hiked to the top, and today, when I skied there.
Here's a pic of A'tal one month ago when I hiked to the top, and today, when I skied there.
hey guys, seems like it was a great day! nice photos too, cass...i could almost feel the face shots through the computer screen! ;)
Good lesson that nothing can be considered safe, under 5 feet of fresh...
I dunno about this. I skied lots of little 40 degree slopes today, alone and without fear (though not without caution). As I recollect, the rollover in the photo is about 45 degrees steepness: maybe even steeper early in the season when the slope isn't filled in. That alone is enough to give pause....even if you didn't know that there was an avalanche fatality very n...
whoa, when I heard "Table Mountain" I thought you'd have to be an idiot to hit Table in these conditions. However this little release, nowhere near Table, would have caught me by surprise too. Good lesson that nothing can be considered safe, under 5 feet of fresh...
Hey Jason,
Thanks for the report. I'm curious, what was the coverage like? Hitting rocks and brush?
-Gus
Thanks for the report. I'm curious, what was the coverage like? Hitting rocks and brush?
-Gus
Kris, Phuong, and I arrived on the scene shortly after the avalanche occurred. We did not witness the avalanche or the burial. We were informed of the burial by other skiers in the area. Kris skied down to the parking lot to get assistance from Mt. Baker Ski Patrol.
Phuong and I worked our way down to the burial site. The victim had been located using avalanche transceivers and probes, and was unburied by the time I arrived at the scene. Two of the vic...
Phuong and I worked our way down to the burial site. The victim had been located using avalanche transceivers and probes, and was unburied by the time I arrived at the scene. Two of the vic...
hahaha... imagine their dismay when they make the first chair to the top, and see that it's all mysteriously tracked out already. ;D
Oh wait, it's snowing another 2 feet before opening, nevermind!
ps. you are the avy control. tracked out = layers neutralized to some extent (as far as I understand)
Oh wait, it's snowing another 2 feet before opening, nevermind!
ps. you are the avy control. tracked out = layers neutralized to some extent (as far as I understand)
The slide was just outside of the backcountry gate off the Blueberry cat track. We were stopped on our way up the cat track by a patroller asking us to stay in-bounds and telling us about the burial (and happily, the recovery). We asked about what they had been doing in-bounds with regards to snow stability and control - and the reply was 'nothing' -- so, the whole ski area is effectively backcountry right now (except that after the hoards there on Saturday big chunks of potentially...
Is Blueberry Chutes over the back side, out of bounds, near the top of the Blueberry cat track? I was there in the chutes amidst the trees on Friday the 4th with minimal soft powder sloughing in the top few inches. It didn't appear to be dangerous there. There was no wind loading or slabbing in that sheltered location. I'm surprised to see that with only a few more inches on top of what I was on there was such a release. Maybe the location was a little different, or...
I was the first one down Double Diamond (up Tye Mill) Sat. and it was sweet. It had to be that steep to make good turns in the deep heavy snow. Made a second run down Wild Katz that was just as good - caught some face shots on the 1st day of the season! Hope it is a portent of things to come. We said we were going to stop to take some pictures on Wild Katz but the powder called and we just couldn't stop. ;D
Thanks for the report and the pics, Phil.
We'll look for your skin track ;)
We'll look for your skin track ;)
I wasn't there, Gary, but the word from Silver Basin was the snow was too deep for the terrain. It was apparently light and relatively stable, however. I guess if you have to have a problem...
Thanks for the report Phil,
1pm sounds pretty frustrating.
We're hoping it'll be better tomorrow,
-Gus
1pm sounds pretty frustrating.
We're hoping it'll be better tomorrow,
-Gus
We noticed similar things up at Bullion Basin near Crystal. (Hi Russ, and whoever else were the dozen other folks who helped break trail!) -- including that thin top layer that sheared easily. Maybe the bed surface was freshiez from overnight that weren't warm enough to sinter? Conditions weren't suited for surface hoar.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the wind has shifted around a bunch. Today the wind seemed mostly from the north and east, which means those...
Another thing to keep in mind is that the wind has shifted around a bunch. Today the wind seemed mostly from the north and east, which means those...
Thanks Charles!
Yup, really felt like winter. All summer baking in a hot tent surrounded by buzzing mosquitoes I've looked forward to this.
I'd like to follow up John's comment with a minor anecdote. On the way out I stopped at the convenience store next to the snomo dealer S. of Roslyn. Snomo mechanics working on machines. The loud whine of engines being razzed. Potential customers looking at machines. It's just part of winter in the Cle Elum valley, a very visable one and one wit...
Yup, really felt like winter. All summer baking in a hot tent surrounded by buzzing mosquitoes I've looked forward to this.
I'd like to follow up John's comment with a minor anecdote. On the way out I stopped at the convenience store next to the snomo dealer S. of Roslyn. Snomo mechanics working on machines. The loud whine of engines being razzed. Potential customers looking at machines. It's just part of winter in the Cle Elum valley, a very visable one and one wit...
4 cars in the ditch. Hmmm. I guess it's not just the ticket buying public that has problems driving the CM road competently.
I second that, Charles. Now is the time to be doing the exploring and letting the USFS know what we like. Otherwise we will be in danger of losing any chance of quiet opportunities, for the future, in the Cle Elum valley.
John
John
same sort of thing at stevens this am. i was there from 6am -> 9am. the good news is that the stuff that was coming down when I left was fairly light. fat skis and a nice wax job will help you "plane-off" better. my rig is all beat up so i was having a bit of trouble getting the speed to stay on top. just wan't high enough for the good stuff - it has got to be nice around 6,000 ft right now....
Larry, thanks for the report. Winter must be here if you are out doing your overnighters! I appreciate your reports from that area because there is often little other direct information (your snowpack model notwithstanding), and I think there is some great exploring that can be done there.
Good to hear from you all! Thanks for the report - I'm also surprised that there was enough snow to ski.
For those who missed it, we had a photo gallery of Katie's trip to Camp Muir in September of 2004, when she was 8 years old. It can still be viewed here.
For those who missed it, we had a photo gallery of Katie's trip to Camp Muir in September of 2004, when she was 8 years old. It can still be viewed here.
Nice work; that's a great little peak. How far up the road could you drive? Funny that I just sold my place at Cushman. We've skied Ellinor lots o times, sometimes the 'chute' but usually down the summer route. I have to say WOW, I didn't realize there's that much snow.
Great job! I used to ski the Elinor Couloir often when I lived in Olympia. My kids are just learning to ski, 3 and 6 years old. It might be a couple of seasons until I can get them to earn their turns!
Welcome to the TAY board mtneer :)
Even though you were in survival mode, it sounds like you had a good time.
Yipee, winter's everywhere.
Even though you were in survival mode, it sounds like you had a good time.
Yipee, winter's everywhere.
nice! i cant wait to get up goat mtn.
probably should wait for things to settle out though.
probably should wait for things to settle out though.
Zap, you're out there! Looking forward to the photos.
According to the local Vancouver newspaper, the Mount Baker ski hill received 14" of additional snow Sunday night. More snow is expected during the week; conditions this weekend could be considerably different than what we experienced last Sunday. Looks like a great start to the "traditional" ski year!
It was great to see actual snow!! ;D
And finish our first 12 month streak ever!
Way to go!
Due to the poor visibility Jizosh & I decided not to go all the way to muir, but settled with yo-yo-ing a wind loaded ridge just below the tippy-top of pan-point.
It was great to see actual snow!! ;D
And finish our first 12 month streak ever!
And nice to bump into you mr snoslut.
Now, where shall we go and play this weekend??
*zoom*
It was great to see actual snow!! ;D
And finish our first 12 month streak ever!
And nice to bump into you mr snoslut.
Now, where shall we go and play this weekend??
*zoom*
Nice report, Joe.
Way to ninja us all ;)
Way to ninja us all ;)
Nice work, Joe, first post of November! Looks like Stevens Canyon to Paradise might not be a go next week . . . it was kinda fun on Saturday with five inches of fresh.
Sounds like everyone that showed got a little taste of what's to come. Once again good pics ronj and jw. Maddog I still remember last years pic on 10/31. Maybe by next weekend eh? Allyson that was sick costume. I was a knuckledragger. ;D
this is starting to sound like Trouble-All-Year... ;)
oooh JW! Those misty photos look spooky and oh so Halloween like.
Nice work!
Hope to ski with y'all soon.
Nice work!
Hope to ski with y'all soon.
I made it though and got month 14.
Way to go! The worst is finally behind, winter is starting to return.
Glad to hear the day treated everyone so well-I was with you all in spirit :) Until next time...Ullr is treating us well so far
rj, jw, mad dog, and eric--ROCK ON!!! (no pun intended ;))
Oooo - that looks nice. Cant wait to ski with y'all again.
Michael
Michael
Yep, it was a very good day indeed, we really nailed the October turns ;D.