TR Replies

July 17, 2005, ghost of the lyall glacier

Greg and Michael: nice report and it sounds like you guys found some great skiing. nice photos and website, too!

7/18/05 9:02am

kam

...Fun Factor: 800' ski descent / 4000' ft ascent = .2 (better than average!)

nice, but isn't your Joy-o-Meter value of 20% a little high for a patch skier? ;)

7/18/05 7:30am

gregL

July 17, 2005, ghost of the lyall glacier

Nice one, guys. We thought about joining you, but the early hour and potential schwhacking made us pause.

"Zere is no word for boosh-whack een French"!

7/18/05 7:23am

sheispiste

July 17, 2005, ghost of the lyall glacier

It once again proved you don't need snow to have a good ski day.

Skip and Cass,
'Tis true...Sounds like you had a grand adventure and certainly righted the wrongs of yesteryear. Well done!

Your map and ground truthing situation gives me pause...I love maps (and glaciers). How sad that shrinking glaciers will soon shrink from updated maps.

7/18/05 7:00am

gregL

Thanks for the tips, Paul - the site's only been up for about a week, and I'm still working on ways to expand it, so any suggestions from TAY readers are welcome!

7/18/05 4:17am

wolfs

I was down in Grand Park late on Sunday (not skiing, sadly, must return to the Grand for some 3-pinning, reports from Charles and others from early- and late-winter are sure enticing). I was training the binocs at the Russell looking for ski tracks, but somehow I couldn't see any. It may be that from down there you can't actually see the triangular part and can only see the part that folds over and drops down onto the Carbon. Or mebbe I am just blind.
What's guesses by those that were there a...

7/18/05 3:47am

Paul Belitz

I'm jealous; I spent my weekend inside. Looks like great snow and excellent weather.

Nice site, Greg, aesthetically pleasing for sure.I would change one thing, though: when you compress an image in the html (eg, <img src=pic.jpg width=100 height=150> and the actual image is 200 by 300), the browser has to interpolate, and the pic quality suffers. If you resize the photos so you don't need the html to shrink them, the page will load faster, the images will look better, and if/w...

7/18/05 2:21am

Jeff Huber

Very nice Greg, et al. The photo with the red dot and tracks, looks absolutely delicious.

PS: Kudos on your new site, http://www.randosaigai.com/

I like the gear section with all the photos of the lightweight AT gear.

7/18/05 2:11am

Jeff Huber

July 15, 2005, Mt Adams

Thanks for the report Snoslut. I spent a lot of time yesterday looking at Adams, wondering what conditions were.

7/18/05 12:09am

cascadesfreak

We were able to total over 3,700 vf of skiing (OK, some booting over rocks included) ...

Not bad for mid-July!, especially this year 8) . Glad you were able to get out to enjoy the blue-bird day! Sounds like the Flett has melted-out quite a bit more in the past couple of weeks.

7/17/05 10:42pm

androolus

Awesome day on the Russell for me to. I saw a variety of skiers, but I don't think our paths crossed. I took the Charles method and spent the night. I started up the flett around 8am. When I crossed onto the Russell, someone started yelling at me. I'm not quite sure what. Perhaps "SCOTT" or maybe "STOP". Couldn't really tell. But I guess it seemed important enough for them to scurry up lower ptarmigan ridge to yell it again. I wonder what they were yelling about.

I ha...

7/17/05 9:23am

kam

Do these come in an AT version?

Aaron: yes, i think we can manage that, but the cost will be higher.... AT tax you know.. ;)

7/17/05 7:24am

OldHouseMan

July 16, 2005, Shasta H-W Ridge

Uhh Dude, You got the bindings mounted backwards! You got the heels pointing towards the tips instead of the tails.
Once you get that fixed, I'd say they outta work.

Do these come in an AT version?

Aaron

7/16/05 10:43pm

kam

Slider: nice report, and it's good to hear that there's still plenty of snow up north. a 300 ft. hike to the snow isn't all that bad; it could be worse. glad you guys managed great turns w/o suncups..

7/16/05 8:25pm

slider

July 12-13, 2005, Flett-Russell Glaciers, Rainier

Great report! This report was personally very interesting to me as I grew up in Yucaipa, in the shadow of San Gorgonio and about a 30 min drive from the trailheads. I've climbed San G countless times but never skied it. It's something I've always wanted to do when I head south to visit my folks. But the difficulty of hauling all my gear and the fact that I don't know anyone in the area that backcountry skis has always stopped me. You picked a great year to do...

7/15/05 7:17am

ron j

It certainly looks like smooth skiing snow.
Good call, guys.

7/15/05 6:50am

July 12-13, 2005, Flett-Russell Glaciers, Rainier

I have to say this was the best summer snow quality I've ever found (that's over nearly 40 years). Credit substantial late June snowfall and freezing nights.

7/15/05 4:37am

ron j

I know, how 'bout "Kam's OmniTips"?

7/15/05 3:41am

kam

Uhh Dude, You got the bindings mounted backwards! You got the heels pointing towards the tips instead of the tails. Once you get that fixed, I'd say they outta work.

i know. that's how you ski 'em. backwards. besides, they are twin tips... ;D

7/15/05 12:22am

ron j

Uhh Dude, You got the bindings mounted backwards! You got the heels pointing towards the tips instead of the tails.
Once you get that fixed, I'd say they outta work.

7/14/05 9:33pm

wolfs

Nice specialized equipment! If they don't work out for the cups after all, you can always use them to audition for some really really off Broadway production of "Stomp".

7/14/05 9:02pm

kam

How's the edge control? 8)

well, better than being on a beachball. it's the perfect reverse sidecut ski, i think -- 360-degrees of nonstop action.

7/14/05 6:10pm

How's the edge control? 8) Nice Kam, high five!

7/14/05 5:18pm

JMor

Kam, glad you didn't get swallowed up by one of those giant sun cups on your fall and came out with only a broken topsheet. Nice photos, glad you had a good time. Gotta love those "Kup Skis" ;D.

7/14/05 12:16pm

kam

Anyways, for anyone else considering San G., you might be interested in this website:

http://www.sgwa.org/

It has current trail conditions, a message forum and photos...

thanks for the link, Scole! it's really informative, and i found some nice photos. btw, i think this is the couloir on Jepson that we skied: http://www.sgwa.org/gallery/jepson4.htm. when we were in high school (Fontana HS), my brother Pat and i would ditch scho...

7/14/05 10:24am

allyson

there were tons and tons of super-deep suncups -- some of the biggest i've seen.

could these be southern california's definition of "sucker holes"?? :D shwacking through them must have been awesome!!

i'm glad you didn't "rip it down to the base" like the topsheet on your ski...yikes. i wonder...what does a 'professor kam' look like on top of a so cal mountain?? ;)

7/14/05 9:09am

skip

well played, Toe. When you get back, we've got the place to go for August...

7/14/05 7:46am

gusk

Wow Kam, that's really impressive and great photos as well.

7/14/05 4:56am

wolfs

Heh. I think I will pretty much pencil in Kam and Ko. as the one(s) I'm expecting to come up with the best "you went WHERE?..." summer ski report for all future years.

I've hiked up SanG probably three times, but never even considered hauling skis up there; frankly, while I lived in SoCal the idea of turns-all-year seemed pretty hopeless, even with the eastern sierra reasonably close at hand. Hell, even January turns were a challenge. But in defense of SoCal skiing I can say tha...

7/14/05 4:44am

Scole

Great trip.

I started out learning to snowboard at Bear Mtn over in Big Bear. While I lived down there, I always wanted to do the north side of San G. I have an old copy of Transworld Snowboarding which has an article of about San G as well as backcountry riding around Mt Baldy (another LA area mtn with some steeps).

Anyways, for anyone else considering San G., you might be interested in this website:

http://www.sgwa.org/

It has current trail conditions, a messa...

7/14/05 4:18am

kam

Mark: i agree, those suncups are 'prettier' than the ones in the NW. i remember sometime ago there was a discussion on TAY about suncups and why they form. can someone refresh my memory? Amar, didn't you do some research on the subject?

Ron, Cass, Jess, Paul, etc: yes, i'm glad my toe is in one piece. here's the damage done to one of my skis...ripped off at the base!. ...

7/14/05 2:47am

sheispiste

Kam.
As always, lovely photos. Great trip for true hot summer, sun summer turns. Glad you are all in one piece after your tumble.

7/14/05 2:22am

ron j

Great report Kamster. I'm certainly glad you didn't stub your Kameltoe on that fall.

7/14/05 2:20am

cascadesfreak

Nice work (and torture points) on July turns Dr. Kamel; glad you didn't end-up being plucked like a chicken on that fall ;)
Good to know you still managed to find some bush schwacking (and skiing) in the desert. 8)

7/14/05 2:11am

Paul Belitz

Yikes! Glad your tumble didn't have more serious consequences.

That's what you get for skiing when you should be surfing! ;)

Very nice photos. Those suncups are insane!

7/14/05 1:38am

markharf

This one is a good candidate for that "Got Suncups?" thread on TTips . . .

I agree. I hope you'll cross-post (and save me the trouble).

I'm noticing that all those California suncups look pristine and white, almost luminescent. By comparison, ours are dismal and grungy, and I don't know what to make of t...

7/14/05 1:05am

gregL

This one is a good candidate for that "Got Suncups?" thread on TTips . . .

7/13/05 8:21pm

sag

that truely was one of the most fun rainy days I can remember. it was nice to see you all hope to ski with you again soon.

7/13/05 5:24am

cascadesfreak

Glad I was "in town" for the Slush Cup this year! Thanks all for the fun day in the rain! 8)

A few pics (fortunately my camera survived the slush cup spray and rain; though my scanner doesn't seem to be working so well today):
1) hmmm, perhaps I should get out of the 'landing zone'!
2) An almost be...

7/13/05 12:57am

philfort

Hahaha this one is great

7/13/05 12:36am

ron j

July 4, 2005, Mt Maude, North Face

Finally pawed through my gigabite of stills. Most are darker than I like (still trying to get the new camera figured out in low light) but they still reflect the fun that was had by all.

Here's VINCENT starting to slow in what may have been one of the more memorable runs of...

7/12/05 9:42pm

ron j

Great Viddy, Sam, a classic in itself.

7/12/05 6:34pm

Dave_R

July 8, 2005, It Hasta Be Shasta

Nice road trip Lowell! Now I understand your comment about using up your hall passes for a while.

-Dave R

7/12/05 12:33pm

Sam Avaiusini

July 4, 2005, Mt Maude, North Face

If Josh would hurry up and get me his video footage, we could put all this to rest with a little MPEG entertainment! ;D

Hallelujah! It's finished. I made 2 versions, based on your connection speed.
They can be found here:

7/12/05 10:50am

allyson

July 8, 2005, It Hasta Be Shasta

oh man...i am still laughing at some of the craziness that went on on sunday. ("jerry, did you acutally just say that??"). :D couldn't believe some of the things that came out of people's mouths, as well as the looks on people's faces! good times, good times. thanks for a party well done all, and for making the cold wet day so fun!

7/12/05 5:37am

Jeff Huber

Thanks for the excellent reports Lowell. Good to see you guys had a great time.

7/12/05 2:07am

Lowell_Skoog

Shastina is a 12,330-foot satellite peak of Mt Shasta, due west of the true summit. It's very prominent when viewed from I-5.

7/12/05 12:20am

gravyb

Is Shastina a nick name for Shasta? I've done Shasta a couple times skiing down the main Av. Gulch route back to bunny flats. Is Shastina a false summit? Seems like there's a small false summit on the north side of the mt. with some great looking ski lines. I know; there are no dumb questions, just dumb people. ;)

7/11/05 11:56pm

NickD

Did that finger four years ago on a semi whiteout day while waiting for a good weather window on the big hill. We could barely see anything--quite exciting to be skiing blind next to that slag, as you put it Lowell. Yes, sort of like leftover steelmill stuff. We had a normal snowfall year in mid June. I thought some type of heat buildup underneath melted the snow. Very strange at the time in that Shasta itself was totally snow covered down to BF TH. Maybe one of our volcano scientists can explai...

7/11/05 9:40pm

Garth_Ferber