TR Replies
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...
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.
Kam, if all else fails, you can u...
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...
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...
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 :)
....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...
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...
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...
After our regro...
thanks for the news, at least something is falling up there, I'm sad I missed it.
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. ;)
I'll take that patch any day over the Paradise Pond Slide of last weekend!
Here's to a lowering of the snow level long enough to cover all of the boulders to a sufficient depth!!
Here's to a lowering of the snow level long enough to cover all of the boulders to a sufficient depth!!
I'm new to town and have recently discovered TAY. What a cool concept and website!!
This may be a really dumb question (like I said, I'm new to Seattle) .... Has anyone been up the Muir Snowfield recently? Reading through recent trip reports, I take it that the dry winter is making Sept tough this year. Is that correct? What about even hiking up to Muir? Is even that sketchy now?
Any thoughts would be much appreciated!! ;D Thanks
This may be a really dumb question (like I said, I'm new to Seattle) .... Has anyone been up the Muir Snowfield recently? Reading through recent trip reports, I take it that the dry winter is making Sept tough this year. Is that correct? What about even hiking up to Muir? Is even that sketchy now?
Any thoughts would be much appreciated!! ;D Thanks
Muchas Cassy Ass,
My brother lives in Coos Bay. I'm just going to need the waypoints and off I go! Good show!
Joe
My brother lives in Coos Bay. I'm just going to need the waypoints and off I go! Good show!
Joe
cass, you sure did sand it off to the base with this trip! nice report, and crazy viddy...now you just needed to put some of amar's stuff under the kicker, heehee ;D
I've got a pretty good idea of where at least one good 'Silica Cup' location might be, although sand dunes are transient by nature and this could all look different than what I remember from at least 4 years ago.
Oh and by the way check out
Oh and by the way check out
is that a pond at the base? a potential location for the Slush Cup perhaps.Possible, I suppose, but likely to hit more brush than water...
The local "sandboarders" mentioned another dune somewhere nearby where slush cup-style landings are common (sliding down a dune into a small lake at the base of the slope), though I wasn't able to locate that spot during my brief reconnaissance of the area.
Way to go!
Fun photos and and nice turns Cass.
Fun photos and and nice turns Cass.
is that a pond at the base? a potential location for the Slush Cup perhaps.
Atta boy, Wipe! Way to keep it real.
Talk to you when I get back at the end of the month.
-s
Talk to you when I get back at the end of the month.
-s
It was your pictures of the Palmer "glacier" that convinced us to head south!
err, I meant am. though I did pash people coming down who left at 2am.
I started up the trail head at about 11:15pmWow - your alpine start is quite impressive!
Looks better than what we have in the Cascades right now ;)
Bummer, I missed all the fun last weekend! ;) Nice patch work!
that was sort of like skiing on a popsicle! gotta love that hard stuff... ;) thanks for a fun day guys.
I'm impressed! Your resolve for September turns is very commendable.
Nice report, Lara.
Now you "got that out of the way". (Geoffrey Lewis)
Now you "got that out of the way". (Geoffrey Lewis)
Kudos for making the trek down there. I drove past Shasta in late August, it had more snow on it then I've ever see in August before and it looked (from I5) whiter/less rough then it typically does. The week I was in the Bay Area it was also much cooler then in Portland!
"What the hell were we thinking?"
I think I know the feeling!
Lara and Co. good to hear you got out for a hike on Sat. nice work on the patch skiing! you guys beat us by 10 vf. who would have thought there would be other patch-skiers in the area.... would love to see the photos ... i have a patch fetish. ;D
It would have taken me 28 laps to hit 560' with the snow we found this weekend. After 6 I was worked.
Well done.
Well done.
HB it was nice to meet you. Congrats on hitting the 10 year mark!
You guys were on the Pinnacle "glacier"? I can't think of what else that would be 'cause it's not "The Stash". I was checking that out on Sept 3rd and ended up "skiing" 30 ft of blue, dirty, crevassed to death ice on the Paradise (TR coming soon...)
Nice job finding some snow-much better than what we did.
~Lara
Nice job finding some snow-much better than what we did.
~Lara
...for a Joy-O-Meter score of 21.71% (560/2579).
21.71%! you're right, that is MASSIVE. glad you guys found more than two turns... ;) by the way, nice photos.
I still say you were nuts and I was too. I figured I would run into Jeff someday. I was the teleskier up there Saturday enjoying the good stuff. That was way better than the Dome in August. That marked 120 months and that could be the end. (ten years should be enough) Certainly the string will be done unless we get the same early start in October that we got with last year's awesome season. There sadly is no snow left for us nuts. HB
so there's sure to be a new installment to his ongoing "Instructional Series".
said video
Edited to add: And no, I'm not planning on counting this as official Sepember turns.
Somewhere in the raw footage, in the background, you can hear Steph asking "will this count for September turns"? Th...
more visuals...
1. this reminds me of Virginia...
2. Greg ascends a moraine crest
3. Greg and Skip make a figure-eight
4.
1. this reminds me of Virginia...
2. Greg ascends a moraine crest
3. Greg and Skip make a figure-eight
4.
Hole at bottom of Palmer
Oh my, I'm glad I didn't get to close -- that really does look like a Sasquatch den!
And to think that people have accused me (ME!) of fanaticism.
It was good to get out but I'm not sure about doing the same next weekend. Hopefully there will be some October snow. Here are some more pictures.
Jeff skiing
Jeff with White River in background
Plamer littered with rocks...
Jeff skiing
Jeff with White River in background
Plamer littered with rocks...
Nice find, gang (um... ah, I think). ;)
Kam, nice to see you in town.
Kam, nice to see you in town.
Another great September in the books.
Next year: scree fields.
Next year: scree fields.
10 gallons regular gasoline for Allyson's car, $29.93. Two foot long submarine sandwich for Skip's stomach, $8.68. 25 vertical feet of skiing in September, priceless!
Kelvin
Kelvin, Allyson & Skip
Kam & Skip
Skip levitates while...
Kelvin
Kelvin, Allyson & Skip
Kam & Skip
Skip levitates while...
very nice...that's a fun dune indeed! 8)