TR Replies

Wow am I glad I was there last Sunday and not today, yikes! Weather forecast is rainless for the next 10 days, too.

9/18/05 9:04am

JibberD

We were up there yesterday.

A great and humorous group of people who actually made it quite the blast to "work" with the available conditions.

I say go to Muir, and expect to ski the funkiest conditions you can imagine: a patch of week-old snow here, glacial ice there, slush, runnels, man-eating crevasses, mud, gravel, scree, candy ice shell with flowing water beneath, stream beds cut into ice, mini flash floods, sun cups, micro mud flows forming tiny deltas before your e...

9/18/05 7:59am

Sam Avaiusini

Geeeeez! I'll take the outcome of last Sept. 18th any day over the choss in that picture.... 8)
Glad I bailed and rode my bike today!

9/18/05 7:28am

philfort

:-(

Still better than last September 18....

9/18/05 7:23am

Paul Belitz

September 18, Corn on the Palmer

What, you don't believe me?

Ok, here's some photographic evidence.

The stuff above was no better.

At least we got September turns.

9/18/05 7:06am

Jeff Huber

Straw?? Hmm, I don't remember seeing straw a few weekend ago. I bet it was put there by Sasquatches, probably for nest making or something like that.

Congrats on the turns. Snow sounds nicer then a few weekends ago.

9/16/05 4:40am

Jason_H.

I think that a group of us are going sunday, unless we go to baker ;D . So this weekend is your second opportunity to enjoy some new snow...

9/16/05 1:02am

Lowell_Skoog

Next time?

Next time, definitely. Charles and I bumped into each other while picking up our sons at a birthday party Monday afternoon. Talk turned to the most recent trip reports and Charles confessed that he was going skiing on Tuesday. I'd been thinking the same thing, but couldn't leave town until later in the morning, so I drove up separately.

You just don't hang out at the right parties, Dave. ;) ;) ;)

9/15/05 11:32pm

ron j

Wait a minute,... you're Mark. ...and now that I think about it, what are you doing as a moderator on this board???

Fire him; go ahead, give him his pink slip. That would serve him right. But if you fire Mark, you have to fire me, too. No fair showing favoritism. >:(

9/15/05 11:17pm

Charles

Heh. ÊI accept the challenge.

Wait a minute, you're not everyone, you're Mark. That's completely different and this statement doesn't apply to you. Your documented lapses in judgement in the past disqualify you...and now that I think about it, what are you doing as a moderator on this board???

Dave, sorry about that. I guess I didn't cast a wide net because I didn't want to be blamed for the suffering of many other people.

9/15/05 9:04pm

Dave_R

Oh, I can scarcely believe it - my own neighbors went to enjoy a sunny day in the minefield (with fresh glop!) and they never thought to call.

And to think I almost headed up there on my own. I guess I need to practice acting more on those hunches. Next time?

-Dave R

9/15/05 7:26am

markharf

Thanks everyone. I will never ever question you judgement in the future.

Heh. I accept the challenge.

9/14/05 9:55pm

Charles

Thanks everyone. It was nice to not break the streak, although I've still got the same requirement for October turns - I won't ski on dirty old snow (hear that, Ullar?). I guess I will find out how much the gods care about me...

I agree with Lowell - it was strangely fun. That was definitely the weirdest snow I've ever skied, but certainly not the worst.

Jeanette, in this case breaking the "rule" worked out great because we did find better snow, or at least a lot more equ...

9/14/05 11:18am

ajjenkin

Given the forecast, Saturday and/or Sunday may be slightly satisfying too.

9/14/05 8:55am

Way to streak Charles!

9/14/05 8:46am

Lowell_Skoog

Great report, Charles. Glad I ran into you guys. Although the conditions looked desperate (icy bumps, cracks, lurking rocks and mud) I think it was not the worst skiing I've ever had on the Muir snowfield. It was a beautiful day and the skiing was fun in a perverse sort of way. I better be careful or you'll turn me into a streaker.

9/14/05 8:40am

Sept 5, 2005, Mount Timpanogos Utah

We missed you Ally-sone! It's kinda freaky to think most of us skied over these gaping holes about three weeks ago ??? Here Jessica tries out her new waterproof climbing equipment 8) Good times! But let's be honest the skiing really sucked 8) Cass: Someday I hope to nail a shot like that!

9/14/05 8:04am

allyson

smollner--nice patch!! 8)

9/14/05 7:46am

allyson

looks like it was a great time up there! nice photos m dog, and cass, welp,...looks like it was a pretty white day, huh. ;D glad you all got a few turns in though (at least that's what it looks like), i was bummed to have missed it. alas, there's always next time... ;)

9/14/05 4:50am

sag

I got nice snow for my three runs.A little earlier in the day and down lower than the rest of the gang. Not to challenging terrain but I'm still new to skis so it was still exciting for me and good for my ego to take a few runs without falling . nice to see you Charles

9/14/05 4:05am

JMor

Way to keep that streak alive Charles!! :D

Lowell and I decided to "leave good snow to find better" and kept on hiking.....

Gosh, this seems to be the hardest "rule" for us BC skiers to learn, maybe when I "mature" ;) I'll finally remember it too, but then again, I might get to old to remember it anyway ;D. Sure makes you appreciate the good stuff when you return to it.

9/14/05 3:28am

Kevin Steffa

Chris - I can just make out the faint outline of that yeti behind you in the snowstorm...

My library of images from the muir snowfield looks very similar -- I think that I have scored a ratio of 1/6 on the blue/white scale for all my times up there -- snake eyes on a pair of dice!

- Kevin

9/14/05 1:18am

lapaz25

Sept 5, 2005, Mount Timpanogos Utah

Glad to hear you trust our opinions and judgment, at least most of the time! Great job on keeping your streak alive in these desperate times (getting less desperate, thank goodness!)

9/14/05 12:28am

bcpinhead

Ahhh, my old stomping grounds.
That is the place we had to go for Sept. turns.
There hasn't been snow there this late for almost 10 years.
That is awesome!!! Hopefully we can get some of that stuff this year.

Wasatch Bry

9/13/05 9:30pm

sheispiste

charles,
kuddos for keeping the streak!

9/13/05 9:25pm

Jeff Huber

Nice report and congrats for getting out.

9/13/05 6:14am

carter

Very nice shot, Chris. Perfect tele form.

9/12/05 11:03pm

cascadesfreak

what's your secret? spot metering and 2-stops over?

Shhhh!!! So much for the secret! ;) Aside from the metering, it was hard to go wrong with the composition from that spot, regardless of which direction the camera lens was pointed.

9/12/05 10:29pm

kam

Chris - Way to snap 'em -- that's one of the best white-out shots I've ever seen ;).

Wipe: well exposed. histogram shows a HUGE spike at 255. nice. what's your secret? spot metering and 2-stops over?

9/12/05 9:49pm

gregL

Ron's got more jokes than a squirrels got nuts. ;D

No one I'd rather place ice screws with than Ron J. Well written report, Jessica, sorry I missed it!

9/12/05 7:28pm

Darryl

is there a chance you'll teach this technique for next's year GTCR class?

Kam - we won't use ice screws in the GS/S&CR class, but Ron and I tested a couple of techniques for crevasse rescue using shorter (35 meter) ropes.

We also discussed some ideas for the new glacier travel route finding course. I'll send some draft ideas out this week.

We'll discuss the ideas at the course improvement work shop which i...

9/12/05 5:51pm

ron j

....Jerry, you knew I was standing downwind and you did it anyway ;) 8)

Jerry - you're such a vulgar clod 8)

I also didn't have much luck with photography yesterday myself; aside from this shot of the exceptional views and ski conditions from Carter and I's turn-around point at ~9,300-ft on the Muir snowfield...

9/12/05 4:46pm

snoslut

Couldn't think of a better way to spend my b-day than screwing around on the lower Muir/PG. The humor in the air was denser than the surrounding whiteout. Ron's got more jokes than a squirrels got nuts. ;D

9/12/05 10:17am

JibberD

Nice report here.

And what a sweet thing to see some fresh snow up there given how parched it looked two short weeks ago.

After seeing the size of those crevasses on the Paradise Glacier I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to ski there...comfortably. Them big holes is gonna fill up and stuff, right?

I'd say the social setting of the joy-o-meter hit 99.9% on this one, with Darryl and Ron's safety course, Jeanette's grillin', new faces to known names and monikers. &...

9/12/05 9:33am

cascadesfreak

You can see a few pathetic photos here.

I also didn't have much luck with photography yesterday myself; aside from this shot of the exceptional views and ski conditions from Carter and I's turn-around point at ~9,300-ft on the Muir snowfield ;)

Great to see...

9/12/05 9:16am

cascadesfreak

Valley fog rose to cover our route in the early afternoon, but the sun burned warm through it.

Nice to see ya'll up there yesterday! Looks like your crew timed it better for the ski down with the visibility: About 10 minutes after you passed Carter and I on our way up the snowfield the clouds thickened and substantially reduced the visibility; Carter and I turned-around shortly thereafter near 9,300-ft and skied down most of the way in es...

9/12/05 8:48am

ron j

Jessica celebrates one of the many triumphs of the day.

Great TR, Jessica.

We just all keep learning, eh?
First we are reminded by seasoned glacier travel instructor Jeanette of her age old saying "a neat knot is a happy knot". Then former NOL...

9/12/05 6:06am

JMor

Even though the snow conditions weren't exactly the best, we made the best of this September day with some really cool anchor set-ups. Our new ice screws were very easy to use, the ice we were screwing into was fairly soft which probably makes a difference.

i can see the fliers for next year's Mountaineers class: "learn how to scr*w on the Paradise Glacier with the Mountaineers..." ;)

Kam, if all else fails, you can u...

9/12/05 4:56am

kam

so, were you piste about the whiteout? nice report. i can smell the new snow all the way out here...

Ron was eager to get busy with his threaded tools. He cleared the 4-5 inches of new snow down to boilerplate ice and set in his ice screws for some crevasse rescue practice. Jeannette set up a backup anchor and Eric helped me stomp snow to dig a bollard. We set up a few C and Z pulleys, looking for ways to maximize efficiency of a shorter rope. This was als...

9/11/05 11:13pm

lapaz25

Charles, I concur with Mark-go for Muir and go soon. HOWEVER, there's another system moving our way this weekend, so if you can wait it out, I'd say do so. The temps are remaining moderately cool-enough to keep the snow around, but not quite cool enough to make it an easier ride down :)

9/11/05 10:02pm

markharf

....not that I don't trust Silas' judgement...

Don't worry, Silas; Charles doesn't trust me either.

There is very good skiing in open areas on the Coleman Glacier above about 6800 feet, with some mixed awkwardness and (um, how shall I put this?) decidedly problematic areas lower down. On the plus side, I did get extensive practice in the "falling leaf" technique on pure glacial ice while wandering through fields of densel...

9/11/05 9:21pm

Charles

I am convinced that the only reason it snowed the past few days is because of the effort TAYers made last weekend to get a few miserable turns. Had no one gone "skiing" last weekend, it would not of snowed. That's the way Ullar works. ;)

Darn, and I thought it was due to the prayers I said to Ullar every night before bed. I told him/her that I wasn't going to ski in September unless there was new snow. This wasn't due to a disappointing Au...

9/11/05 6:31pm

lapaz25

Ah, yes...this was my day of redemption :) The glacial turns made last week definitely deserved a good snow fall to come. I described the snow as "8 inches or so of mank over glacial ice". The ice moguls were really few and far between, more of an undulating ski than a bumpy one. There's no doubt the snow was heavy, but extremely do-able. Incredible turns were had for an estimated 2200+'. Our JOM was approx. 48%-not too shabby!

After our regro...

9/11/05 2:36pm

sag

thanks for the news, at least something is falling up there, I'm sad I missed it.

9/11/05 10:27am

Jeff Huber