TR Replies
To those who went on this trip, how long was the walk (in minutes and/or in vert) before you finally put on your skins? How long was the skin up afterwards?
Juri - I'm glad you managed to recover a bit of that hero snow that our brothers and sisters had their way with the day before you.
The clip at the end broke off of one of my skins somewhere on the way up. Is it fixable?If you mean the little tail hook that is on the skin attach configurations with the elastic rubber piece at the tip bail, they used to make a repair kit for that system:
It was great to put faces to so many names. The TAY community never fails to impress me with the quality of its members. Thanks!
author=Michael & Allylink=board=tr0509;num=1130027432;start=0#11 date=10/23/05 at 18:17:42]... where the hell was the RonJ team though ;-)Michael and Ally - that's very kind of you to think of us. We were with you in spirit and talked about you guys the following day (Sunday). We were all pleased that you managed to hit such a great window of weather and skiing conditions. May we all hit many more together.
On Sunday Jeanette,...
Conditions for the 2000'+ vert ski descent were a mix of uneven frozen ice (ugh), smooth frozen ice (pretty nice actually), and some softer snow at lower elevations (very nice). Snowpack resulting from the three feet of recorded snowfall ranged from massive drifts to thin layers of ice, with just about everything in between.
You were right when you said you missed fall and plummeted right into winter for your first NH ski of the season. We ha...
yes, this was a fabulous day--a nice surprise too, because i was not expecting it to be that good. fun seeing the whole gang up there, but i agree with michael--
your presence and your infamous delectable bbq items would have been the icing on the cake! 8)
...where the hell was the RonJ team though ;-) ?
your presence and your infamous delectable bbq items would have been the icing on the cake! 8)
I've climbed it more times than I can recall without a bit of effort.Holy ambiguous sentence, Batman!
What a great day and perfect weather window! Seeing the weather today I am so glad we were out there yesterday!
Thanks for all the great pix to everyone, it was great to see the usual TAY crowd (where the hell was the RonJ team though ;-) ?) as well as some folks I hadn't seen in years.
PBelitz: the "unkown skier" is Kristina, doing her first descent on the Muir snowfield.
Thanks for all the great pix to everyone, it was great to see the usual TAY crowd (where the hell was the RonJ team though ;-) ?) as well as some folks I hadn't seen in years.
PBelitz: the "unkown skier" is Kristina, doing her first descent on the Muir snowfield.
What a fabulous day with fine folks!
I've never skied during my birthday week before. This glorious blue bird and buttery-sweet-corn day was a true gift. Thank you all for your presence. Kristina, I especially appreciate your company during our long lunch. Lovely photos from all to remember this for a long time. Thanks!
Hope to ski ya soon!
I've never skied during my birthday week before. This glorious blue bird and buttery-sweet-corn day was a true gift. Thank you all for your presence. Kristina, I especially appreciate your company during our long lunch. Lovely photos from all to remember this for a long time. Thanks!
Hope to ski ya soon!
Yes, Muir was outstanding yesterday! I guess you have to take those bluebird spring-like days when you can find them, even in late October.
What super and serendipitous crew of TAYer to pass a day with as well. This community continues to please...
The Muir hut has been refurbished and is in prime form with new cabinets, cooking area, paint, concrete floor and expanded bunks which should be able to accomodate close to twice as many climbers as before.
Pbelitz: fo...
What super and serendipitous crew of TAYer to pass a day with as well. This community continues to please...
The Muir hut has been refurbished and is in prime form with new cabinets, cooking area, paint, concrete floor and expanded bunks which should be able to accomodate close to twice as many climbers as before.
Pbelitz: fo...
Creamy, buttery, goodness was definitely a phrase of the day! It was wonderful to see so many TAYers out there, and missed a few, as well. Here are a few more pics:
http://static.flickr.com/25/55327848_f1aaf72af5_o.jpg (TAYers in parking lot)
http://static.flickr.com/31/55327791_6182d509f0_o.jpg (Doug at Muir)
http://static.flickr.com/24/55327753_c397e47557_o.jpg (Rainier from Paradise)
http://static.flickr.com/24/55327677_d86ea9826d_o.jpg (Greg on snowfield)
http://static.flickr.com/25/55327848_f1aaf72af5_o.jpg (TAYers in parking lot)
http://static.flickr.com/31/55327791_6182d509f0_o.jpg (Doug at Muir)
http://static.flickr.com/24/55327753_c397e47557_o.jpg (Rainier from Paradise)
http://static.flickr.com/24/55327677_d86ea9826d_o.jpg (Greg on snowfield)
A great day out for sure; I have no complaints about the fast, buttery snow! :) Great to see/meet everyone up there yesterday!
Some additional pics from the trip
Some additional pics from the trip
Nice pictures, guys, sorry I missed it. It looked great from the window of Alaska Flight 314, though.
Thanks to all who made this a great day!
It was great to meet and ski with a whole bunch more TAYers. And it was nice to see Kam back from the snowless Hades otherwise known as Virginia. ;)
Hannah started half an hour after us, and smoked us all to the top. It must have been the blue skirt power. We spent some time buckling boots, trading lies, and shaking hands in the (new?) hut. JibberD cracked me up when I introduced myself.
"I thought you were 50!"
It was great to meet and ski with a whole bunch more TAYers. And it was nice to see Kam back from the snowless Hades otherwise known as Virginia. ;)
Hannah started half an hour after us, and smoked us all to the top. It must have been the blue skirt power. We spent some time buckling boots, trading lies, and shaking hands in the (new?) hut. JibberD cracked me up when I introduced myself.
"I thought you were 50!"
Hey Kam, There's a Muir in Virgina? Looks pretty nice!
oh, didn't i tell you? the mountains of VA are amazing. just recently a few volcanoes started popping up. i'm thinking about putting together a campaign to attract skiers. what do you think of this ad?
Hey Kam, There's a Muir in Virgina? Looks pretty nice!
Thanks for the report and great pic of conditions, Tony.
Kam - sweeeet photo.
Glad all you guys found such great conditions.
Kam - sweeeet photo.
Glad all you guys found such great conditions.
hey Tony: i think that was our crew that you passed on your descent. wasn't the weather nice? i was surprised to find such nice conditions too -- silky smooth. here's a photo of Skip gliding over the smooth stuff with spaceship-like clouds hovering above. beautiful day!
Eric, Charles
Thanks for the post. We've got a posse headed there this morning (Sat) and I appreciate the quick and timely post.
Nice photo of the snoslut sluttin' on the snow like a snoslut should...
Thanks for the post. We've got a posse headed there this morning (Sat) and I appreciate the quick and timely post.
Nice photo of the snoslut sluttin' on the snow like a snoslut should...
Zap, looking forward to hearing about the tour as it unfolds.
Interesting about the Lanin Park Ranger checking permits. The scenery changes, but the red tape stays the same, eh? We found regulations in the region (at least when I toured) were determined (as in the States) by the amount of development around the Volcan. We never ran into any Rangers (well, I didn't, but my touring friend was nabbed on Villarica the week after I left. When we skied it, we were the un...
Interesting about the Lanin Park Ranger checking permits. The scenery changes, but the red tape stays the same, eh? We found regulations in the region (at least when I toured) were determined (as in the States) by the amount of development around the Volcan. We never ran into any Rangers (well, I didn't, but my touring friend was nabbed on Villarica the week after I left. When we skied it, we were the un...
Eric wanted me to post a photo showing how smooth the best part was, so here's one from the stretch alongside Moon Rocks:
The weather was amazingly nice - hot in places with no breeze, and we never had to put on any extra clothing, even at Camp Muir. Couldn't find any traces of the crevasses on the upper snowfield, and those meltwater channels were only in evidence below the short carry (around 8200 feet). Like...
The weather was amazingly nice - hot in places with no breeze, and we never had to put on any extra clothing, even at Camp Muir. Couldn't find any traces of the crevasses on the upper snowfield, and those meltwater channels were only in evidence below the short carry (around 8200 feet). Like...
These people are stealing our snow!
Nice trip.
Nice trip.
I've spent six weeks in the past couple of years snowboarding volcanos (and regular mountains, and the odd handrail ...) in the part of the Andes you're in. Now I'm addicted and arranging my life to summer in the region, paid if possible. Of course everyone else should stay away because it really isn't a worthwhile trip ;)
If you stay in Pucon the Ecole hostel is a nice place -- kind staff, good food and the beds are better than what I sleep on at home. Jessica at the front desk has ma...
If you stay in Pucon the Ecole hostel is a nice place -- kind staff, good food and the beds are better than what I sleep on at home. Jessica at the front desk has ma...
Thats not fair Zap. We need pictures!!! I wanna see some pics. You get me all hot and sweaty with this talk of Southern volcanoes, yet provide no photos for me. Ya got any photos...please say you do. I need something to satisfy me! I'll be down there rippin in the future...
I always hate the transition from summer to, full on, fall conditions...
In New England, we have decided to skip fall entirely this year and instead go straight from summer to winter -- TR coming up!
Any other thoughts on what the debris might be?
I'm not clear on where you found the debris, but there used to be a lookout on Anvil Rock. George Senner told me about it. He was stationed there during the summer of 1942, when the mountain troops were still training on Rainier. Here are some notes from my conversation with him on 6/15/2001. George passed away a couple years ago.
In the spring and summer of 19...
I guess we need to go back and pick up that glass Coca-cola bottle and look on the bottom, it should have a date there, that would give us somewhat of a clue :D.
Any other thoughts on what the debris might be?
Secret Cold War era Chinese Cosmonaut training facility complete with a house of prostitution?
The obvious moonscape, the lipstick and pink comb we found there... The political need for productive team building as an alternative to mutual destruction... A way out of the Cold War... Isn't it obvious?
They used to brace the tunnels of the ice caves themselves somewhat like they brace mine tunnels. But if these are truly 2x2, that seems like the wrong grade lumber for that job, you'd need 4x4 at a minimum.
... perhaps stuff to reuse to build some bunks?? ;)Oooh, yeah. Great idea, Ally.
Although it might raise some eyebrows with the rangers when we started arriving at the parking lot with these huge bundles of lumber strapped to our pack, eh? Mountain cleanup project?...
Nonetheless, if it was the Army I was reading somewhere (possibly on Lowell's site) that they used mules to haul in materials and supplies for the sold...
ruins of temporary shelters ...lots of smashed up wood 2x2's ...heavy burlap netting. Couldn't really figure out what they were for sure.
perhaps stuff to reuse to build some bunks?? ;)
no doubt you guys took advantage of the day, way to have a good time out there and discover some treasures!
Sorry Ron, when I saw "cave" in the title, I didn't read the 'Paradise Ice Cave'. I thought that you were talking about the little one that just opened up above pebble creek. That's what I get for multi-tasking ;D
Yeah, Rando, that's right. The Army trained soldiers for mountain warfair on Rainier. The debris was down in a terrain trap at the bottom of an avy slope (not an ideal winter camping) but I suspect if the debris was part of the soldier's camp(s) they were most likely up higher on the ridge 60 or so years ago. In fact I camped with RMI in 1995 during a winter seminar higher up on that same ridge.
Maybe they build 2x2 framed burlap tents to get snowed in for ready made...
Maybe they build 2x2 framed burlap tents to get snowed in for ready made...
Could it be remnants of use of the WW II ski troops of the Army 87th Regiment?
Jason - did you see the old SIGN?
and the old TIN beer cans?
Pretty cool, eh?
There's also several, what looks like (possibly) ruins of temporary shelters - lots of smashed up wood 2x2's and heavy burlap netting. Couldn't really figure out what they were for sure. That's what Do...
and the old TIN beer cans?
Pretty cool, eh?
There's also several, what looks like (possibly) ruins of temporary shelters - lots of smashed up wood 2x2's and heavy burlap netting. Couldn't really figure out what they were for sure. That's what Do...
I checked that cave out also. I couldn't quit walk all of the way through it with my skis.
It was nice meeting some of you (not sure who all of you were exactly). 8)
It was nice meeting some of you (not sure who all of you were exactly). 8)
Yeah, we had a good time, too, Silas.
Sometimes you just don't know...
at times making calls on mountain weather is nothing but a crap shoot, eh? Skip and the crowd he runs with can certainly cover ground, I do know that.
"One man's meat's another's poison" though. We saw some pretty cold, soaked and miserable looking souls coming back to their cars Sunday; but they all looked reasonably happy.
Another thing I like about playing in the mountains is there's really no "r...
Sometimes you just don't know...
at times making calls on mountain weather is nothing but a crap shoot, eh? Skip and the crowd he runs with can certainly cover ground, I do know that.
"One man's meat's another's poison" though. We saw some pretty cold, soaked and miserable looking souls coming back to their cars Sunday; but they all looked reasonably happy.
Another thing I like about playing in the mountains is there's really no "r...
Sometimes the kids have the right idea.
You wrote "A hasty palaver revealed a consensus that past experience amongst the group had seldom see winds diminish with increased elevation."
I thought the same on Saturday, but Skip found that:
"After leaving you, we continued through the whiteout to Muir and, to our delight, found the uppermost section of the trek both wind-protected and collecting snow. Moreover, we were approaching the top of the clouds, so v...
You wrote "A hasty palaver revealed a consensus that past experience amongst the group had seldom see winds diminish with increased elevation."
I thought the same on Saturday, but Skip found that:
"After leaving you, we continued through the whiteout to Muir and, to our delight, found the uppermost section of the trek both wind-protected and collecting snow. Moreover, we were approaching the top of the clouds, so v...
Gotta say I enjoyed my October turns more than my September turns 8) C'mon winter !
It was a rather challenging day, weatherwise >:(. I always hate the transition from summer to, full on, fall condtions, but then again Ron was able to crank out at least one more turn than me this past Sunday.
Well Ron, I guess that's photographic evidence of October turns in the bag. One more month and this Jibber's gestation period comes to end and..."turned all year." That'll be fun.
That was and interesting route yesterday. It opened up some new territory for me and tied some critical Paradise waypoints together.
Hey, have you heard about the secret cold war era Chinese cosmonaut training camp on Mt. Rainier?
That was and interesting route yesterday. It opened up some new territory for me and tied some critical Paradise waypoints together.
Hey, have you heard about the secret cold war era Chinese cosmonaut training camp on Mt. Rainier?
Nice effort, Chris.
Good to hear they have the Muir hut finished. Sounds a lot nicer now. We saw your truck waiting patiently in the soup when we got back to the parking lot. It looked none the worse for wear from the recent encounter with the brush.
Good to hear they have the Muir hut finished. Sounds a lot nicer now. We saw your truck waiting patiently in the soup when we got back to the parking lot. It looked none the worse for wear from the recent encounter with the brush.
Way to go Chris. Sounds like you guys were really moving fast too, at 3 hours 20 mins.
Good to hear that Camp Muir is being cleaned up. When we were there in July, you and I discussed how filthy and decrepit the place had become. Then in August we saw that the crumbling stone building that was being held together by strapping was being completely rebuilt, recylcling the original stone. Now a Muir hut make-over? Great news!
Yesterday we hiked to and sk...
Good to hear that Camp Muir is being cleaned up. When we were there in July, you and I discussed how filthy and decrepit the place had become. Then in August we saw that the crumbling stone building that was being held together by strapping was being completely rebuilt, recylcling the original stone. Now a Muir hut make-over? Great news!
Yesterday we hiked to and sk...
The Muir hut is looking nice, but the white painted walls have not dried - a couple of jackets received their own white spots from rubbing against them.
Great day out all around, creamy snow with marginal visibility. Great to meet lots of new folks, and a nice start to a streak! whooohoo!
Lara & Silas- great to see you up there as well!
We couldn't understand why there were no crowds at the parking lot at the start of such a fine weather day! ;)
Skip & I momentarily considered turning back in the white-out shortly after passing your turn-around point, but fortunately the sunlight began to filter through the fog at around 9,800-ft, and we seemed to be just below the t...
We couldn't understand why there were no crowds at the parking lot at the start of such a fine weather day! ;)
Skip & I momentarily considered turning back in the white-out shortly after passing your turn-around point, but fortunately the sunlight began to filter through the fog at around 9,800-ft, and we seemed to be just below the t...
Skip/Chris...we were thinking about you guys as you continued up in the whiteout. Glad to hear it was worth the trek!
I have my ID checked everytime I go to the park if it makes anyone feel better about things. But then, I look like a pass poacher.
Nonetheless, Silas, it was good to see you and the gaggle yesterday. After leaving you, we continued through the whiteout to Muir and, to our delight, found the uppermost section of the trek both wind-protected and collecting snow. Moreover, we were approaching the top of the clouds, so visibility was much improved over 700' below. It w...
Nonetheless, Silas, it was good to see you and the gaggle yesterday. After leaving you, we continued through the whiteout to Muir and, to our delight, found the uppermost section of the trek both wind-protected and collecting snow. Moreover, we were approaching the top of the clouds, so visibility was much improved over 700' below. It w...
Definitely a great day out there, despite the freezing rain that quickly crept up on us during our descent. Good to meet a few folks who were a bit newer to the Snowfield.
~L
~L