TR Replies
Wow -- I guess I don't really need to respond (I didn't know all that info. was in the file header - kind of freaky), but thanks for the photo complements. And hey, if we're geeks for having two D70's, then Jeff, you got be included for looking at the headers ;). Where'd you find that info.?
I confess I just got a D70 about a month ago, and this is the 2nd ski trip it's been on. I shoot about 4 times as much with the digital and have a 35-200 mm lens (with the 200 mm equivalent to a...
I confess I just got a D70 about a month ago, and this is the 2nd ski trip it's been on. I shoot about 4 times as much with the digital and have a 35-200 mm lens (with the 200 mm equivalent to a...
Yeah, one thing that hanging out with Kam has taught me (other than that I'll miss his infectious good humor when he's in Virginia) is that I need a better camera. A black Rebel XT is probably in my future - 8mp, really small for an SLR, and we've already got several Canon lenses in the family . . .
I generally think roped skiing is silly, but there are exceptions.
For me a huge part of the joy of skiing is the flying sensation that comes with the continuity of linking turns, unweighting from one turn to the next to feel the skis flex and catapult me into flotation again. Big exposure adds a complementary visual stimulus to this feeling. Therefore big exposure is good.
There is a heavenly mindlessness to skiing a long slope without stopping. The bigger...
For me a huge part of the joy of skiing is the flying sensation that comes with the continuity of linking turns, unweighting from one turn to the next to feel the skis flex and catapult me into flotation again. Big exposure adds a complementary visual stimulus to this feeling. Therefore big exposure is good.
There is a heavenly mindlessness to skiing a long slope without stopping. The bigger...
It sounds like the road is not yet open to Artist Point. Is that right?
Your picture makes it look like the north slopes are still nicely snow covered. How about the slopes south of Coleman Pinnacle? Some friends have been talking about taking a family backpacking trip out there soon (with kids). If the south side trail and adjacent slopes are still snowy, that probably wouldn't be a good plan.
Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
Your picture makes it look like the north slopes are still nicely snow covered. How about the slopes south of Coleman Pinnacle? Some friends have been talking about taking a family backpacking trip out there soon (with kids). If the south side trail and adjacent slopes are still snowy, that probably wouldn't be a good plan.
Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
...So there were two Nikon DSLRs on this outing...
yes, Phil and i own Nikon D70s. i brought along two lenses: 18-70mm and 10.5mm. i think Phil used a 28-200mm -- much, much longer piece than both of mine combined....
I agree that everyones' photos in this thread completely rock.
Greg, I cheated and looked at the summary details in the file header of one of Phil's images. He used a Nikon D70, and in the photo I looked at he used a focal length of 62mm. I've done this to Kam before too and have determined Kam also uses a Nikon DSLR (you probably know that). So there were two Nikon DSLRs on this outing, what geeks! ;-) Those Nikons sure take great photos, the colors are very vibrant! Though I think a...
Greg, I cheated and looked at the summary details in the file header of one of Phil's images. He used a Nikon D70, and in the photo I looked at he used a focal length of 62mm. I've done this to Kam before too and have determined Kam also uses a Nikon DSLR (you probably know that). So there were two Nikon DSLRs on this outing, what geeks! ;-) Those Nikons sure take great photos, the colors are very vibrant! Though I think a...
Indeed, those are some great action tele pics! What camera/focal length were you using for the tight skiing shots, Phil?
Kam, your pic of Phil skiing down the Roman Wall is outstanding!
Kam, your pic of Phil skiing down the Roman Wall is outstanding!
No waterskis, Kam? What happened? Did the Klown get too Doinked?
Paul: the Mega Bonks are the skinniest, and probably the lightest, skis i own. i needed all the help i can get to keep up with Matt, John and Phil. the first few turns on sidecut was interesting though...
Kenji, Paul and others: sorry for not being more social. but it was great to see you guys up there. and silly that we skied by and did not made eye cont...
This was an amazing trip, and it had that true "wilderness" feel for a ski mountaineering expedition. Good times with some great friends. ;)
Sounds like a great trip guys. Glad you enjoyed Holden Village too. The people there are sure nice.
Sky, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on why roped skiing is silly. It's interesting to understand how different people approach the sport...
Sky, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on why roped skiing is silly. It's interesting to understand how different people approach the sport...
Here's an exquisite route photo taken by Paul Klenke from Dark Peak on May 26. I won't draw the line because it's already screaming so loudly. Thanks Paul!
What a great trip! With a new kid I'm limited to day trips right now, so I really love the blow by blows of the bigger adventures. Thanks for the report and pix.
Jimmy O
Jimmy O
Phil H,
I agree with Philfort, you have some wonderful shots in there!
JimmyO
I agree with Philfort, you have some wonderful shots in there!
JimmyO
Phil, those photos are phantastic!
-Phil
-Phil
No waterskis, Kam? What happened? Did the Klown get too Doinked?
"Kam's group" included John Mauro, Matt Peters, Kam, and myself. We arrived at the trailhead ca. 11:30 on Friday night and fell asleep under starry skies. After sleeping past our 3:45 alarm, some light drizzle around 4 am got us out of bed and on the trail by 5 am (nothing like rain for motivation!?#). It drizzled a bit and clouds came and went over us, but as we approached the Roman Wall we ascended above the clouds and were treated to a clear summit. The skiing up high was nice, as K...
Sky poses with his tights, and admires my tent. That's right. Admires.
The Best Rock in the Universe.
Stop p-footing around with all of this sking stuff. Is that Sky sending the sick alpine proj? You should totally publish that in the NWABJ.
Patches-all-year. Sky with a salute to Kam.
...whoa! that's the mother of all patches.. add a 10-mile schwack to get to it and i'm in heaven.
sweet day you all, and again (as it usually seems to be), we lucked out with the weather! part 2 up bare (or bear?) mt. was a nice finish too, have to love the extra daylight! thanks all for a great day, and i will try to post some pictures soon... ;)
Thanks for the pictures, Paul and Phil.
I've asked another Paul of the peakbagger variety for permission to use a certain exquisite route photo from earlier this season. I'll post it to the thread if and when he replies in the affirmative.
I've asked another Paul of the peakbagger variety for permission to use a certain exquisite route photo from earlier this season. I'll post it to the thread if and when he replies in the affirmative.
Sky poses with his tights, and admires my tent. That's right. Admires.
The route from the approach. Much is hidden behind the buttress.
Sky and Dave on the upper face. Right about here Sky and Phil started giggling like school girls. Dave and I managed t...
The route from the approach. Much is hidden behind the buttress.
Sky and Dave on the upper face. Right about here Sky and Phil started giggling like school girls. Dave and I managed t...
The most difficult part of being a desk jockey was knowing that you guys were up there skiing and the forecast over the weekend besmirked us none.
And that just made it that much more special for us ;)
just kidding... oh wait, no I'm not. Sky and I discussed the clouds as we headed back over Stevens Pass on Saturday ("yeah, looks crappy - it's totally socked in over here - sweet!" "oh damn... there's some blue patches"...
Great trip, guys, congrats on safely completing a very significant wilderness ski descent.
I know you wanted a light pack, Sky, but you shouldn't have to resort to eating THAT just to keep the weight down. I figured this trip wouldn't be my cup of tea, especially with the nasty tra...
I was quite pleased with the weight of my four-day pack, which was approximately 60 pounds. . .
and the coprophagic stench of our wilderness breath.
I know you wanted a light pack, Sky, but you shouldn't have to resort to eating THAT just to keep the weight down. I figured this trip wouldn't be my cup of tea, especially with the nasty tra...
Thanks for the note at the end Sky ;)
The most difficult part of being a desk jockey was knowing that you guys were up there skiing and the forecast over the weekend besmirked us none. This mid-week sun followed by forecasted bad weather is killing me. But, at least I can armchair ski-mountaineer with your TR and I'm sure soon to be added pictures.
The most difficult part of being a desk jockey was knowing that you guys were up there skiing and the forecast over the weekend besmirked us none. This mid-week sun followed by forecasted bad weather is killing me. But, at least I can armchair ski-mountaineer with your TR and I'm sure soon to be added pictures.
Excellent reports and photos, Amar! In addition to the sundogs, I really liked the photo of North and Middle Sis. abrutly interrupting the barrens of McKenzie Pass:
Another place to add to my summer hiking list. Thanks!
The snowy flanks of North and Middle Sister dominate the view to the south.
Another place to add to my summer hiking list. Thanks!
Max actually didn't have skis with him. I can only assume this is because his Dynafits must have top-secret modifications that he is afraid would get ousted if he used in the US ;-)
Thanks for the great reports and pics Amar. Wow, you really packed it into a short trip! Way to go.
Paul
Paul
After pulling out my top map, I can visualize your route down. I had thought that perhaps you had skied north-easterly on the steep ridge line from Winchester to the Low Pass trail. It looks like you had nearly 3 miles of hiking to get back to the Winchester trail. Add on the original 2 miles up Winchester and I would say that you earned those turns. The photos from your trip show how much snow has disappeared in the last two weeks.
but the solar halos formed this day were even more spectacular, including a double halo above Middle Sister.
WOW. A beautiful sun dog.
Thanks for sharing.
Excellent!
Jessica
Hey Thank you for the report on a favorite trip. Suprising that that the big break crevasse hasn't opened yet. One might take note that you skied to the south of a couple of little pest crevasses near "Land's end" that we have noticed in recent years. "Land's end" is the last rocks on climber's right around 7600'. These crevasses or glide cracks are around 7400' and would have been north of your descent line.
A great ski on Winchester indeed!
...and then there were 2, and the 2 headed up for a 2nd run over to the 2nd peak of the day; after the first half of the Winchester Crew departed for Seattle. The beginner tele-crew (Allyson & I) packed our tele-skis up to the top of "Bare" (sic?) Mountain just east of Twin Lakes, beneath an ever-widening giant suckerhole in the clouds above. Nice evening su...
...and then there were 2, and the 2 headed up for a 2nd run over to the 2nd peak of the day; after the first half of the Winchester Crew departed for Seattle. The beginner tele-crew (Allyson & I) packed our tele-skis up to the top of "Bare" (sic?) Mountain just east of Twin Lakes, beneath an ever-widening giant suckerhole in the clouds above. Nice evening su...
Team Carter: sorry i missed the harvest. good to hear that it all worked out. i would have enjoyed seeing the Cass with half a binding... however, i did manage to meet up with Ally-sone and Cass at Twin Lakes to camp for the night. though i had skis with me, i did not partake. but i trust your "buttery sweet" description...
Greg: after i declined and hung up the phone, i thought, "gee, it might be the perfect opportunity to test out those dishwashing gloves he gave me." ;D anyway, i'm glad you two got some exercise.
Even with your ominous start to the day, it appears that you had better weather than what we experienced on June 11. (see my TR from that date). I have played on the snowfield to the west of the summit, but I have never considered skiing all the way down to the High/Low Pass. How far from the Winchester Trail junction was your point of contact to the Low Pass trail?
Nicely done, Jeff, Andy and Ann! So Max was NOT using Dynafits on Friday? Perhaps booting up in Salomon alpine boots for extra training? I kind of assume anyone who races the Pierra Menta or the Patrouille des Glaciers is pretty much another species . . .
Nice report and pictures Jeff. That was a great day.
So that means my helmet covered maybe 8000 - 8500 vertical feet yesterday? As I was attaching my skis to my pack just below the false summit, I unclipped the strap that was holding my helmet and watched it slide maybe 2/3's of the way down the Suksdorf ridge. Max was moving quickly (as someone who does a race like Pierra Menta might) since he was able to catch us at the summit.
So that means my helmet covered maybe 8000 - 8500 vertical feet yesterday? As I was attaching my skis to my pack just below the false summit, I unclipped the strap that was holding my helmet and watched it slide maybe 2/3's of the way down the Suksdorf ridge. Max was moving quickly (as someone who does a race like Pierra Menta might) since he was able to catch us at the summit.
How does the direct glacier route look? Many crevasses? How about the NW ridge above the glacier? Would love to see any pics you have of that area from yesterday. Where did the snow coverage start? Thanks!
The route up the right side looks excellent. No open crevasses to speak of. The NW Ridge also looks good. The snow coverage started at about 6,000 ft, with snow fingers coming down little drainages. Nice firm corn snow for some excellent...
I, myself think that it isn't so much the hike in, it's the hike out that is so awful
It's that last 3/4 mile of climbing that gets you . . . "out" hikes are supposed to be downhill!
Nice photos and additional TR Greg. Ron and I have done that trip several times over the years, it's such a great area, and when the weather is good the skiing is fantastic ;D. I, myself think that it isn't so much the hike in, it's the hike out that is so awful >:(. We have even gone in there on a full moon weekend, set up camp, climbed up to the saddle between Echo and Observation and skied back to camp, had dinner, waited for the sun to set, climbed back up to...
The low snow was the most noticeable at the lowest elevations. Seems like usually the road opens in late July and at that time the snow fingers in Spray Park extend lower and more linked up than they were on Monday. Cateye seems more snowbound usually too, the previous times I have been there. Higher up, between Echo and Observation, and the Flett headwall, things seemed more average. No glide cracks on the edges of the Flett headwall, for example. This may reflect...
The NFNWR is looking very good for this time of year. In fact from the recent pictures I have seen, better than any spring over the past several years. The Adams Glacier may be a bit more broken up but otherwise other non-glaciated routes look good i.e. stormy monday, Lava HW.
How does the direct glacier route look? Many crevasses? How about the NW ridge above the glacier? Would love to see any pics you have of that area from yesterday. Where did the snow coverage start? Thanks!
I hear you, Bandit. There's a very special feeling for the world that can only be attained (at least as far as I know) by experiencing the mountains by yourself. And I guess the risks -- and the extreme consequences of failure -- are maybe something that contributes to that feeling. It certainly heightens my awareness and makes me think things through much more carefully. For me it's quite invigorating, really.
My thoughts usually drift back to Corwin, as well, when th...
My thoughts usually drift back to Corwin, as well, when th...
One of my favorite trips were a bivy on Mt St Helens , a couple of years ago. I like traveling light, using a pad, down jacket, bibs, hat and gloves, and the required poly and fleece. But with the clouds , I figured there might be some overnight precip, and didn't like the idea of waking to a wet, cold start.
I like solo trips , sometimes just to clear the mind, but then when you approach the crevassed glacier, reality sets in, and alarms start going off in your head.
The thought...
I like solo trips , sometimes just to clear the mind, but then when you approach the crevassed glacier, reality sets in, and alarms start going off in your head.
The thought...
Yeah, it's like a completely different world out there when you're solo. Sounds like you made a good call. That mountain will be there, waiting for you, next time.
There was less snow up there than on a normal Aug 1...waah
Wow - do you mean just on the lower Flett?
Knapsack looked pretty darn dry from the Spray Park side. One tiny tiny snow patch just below the col. There were fingers of snow below Cateye that we trudged up. It seemed environmentally better to maximize walking on snow and minimize touching the bare meadows on the way up as the area gets heavy use, so we hopscotched between snow fingers going up. The ski down basically terminated soon below the lake, which we kept to our left as we passed it skii...
Amar, Thanks for the excellent report and photos. The Manzanita approach has been of interest and we'll try for an early spring tour. It is amazing how much snow still remains at Lassen. Zap
Thanks for the report Robie. Glad you got some good skiing after the recent snow. Amazing what the conditions are going to be like on Shasta for the next month or two. Already thinking about another road trip.
Paul
Paul