TR Replies
I'd have to agree with andyski. The fox we saw was quite amber and red colored, and skinnier.
Andyski-I think that may have been me you asked, though my memory was so affected by the great skiing I really don't remember :) I was wearing a gray jacket, black pants, and a red bball cap.
Glad to hear your ski was just as great. I was a little bummed I neglected to bring a warmer bottom layer to make it to Camp Muir. Shame on me...I know much better than that.
Andyski-I think that may have been me you asked, though my memory was so affected by the great skiing I really don't remember :) I was wearing a gray jacket, black pants, and a red bball cap.
Glad to hear your ski was just as great. I was a little bummed I neglected to bring a warmer bottom layer to make it to Camp Muir. Shame on me...I know much better than that.
Yes, nice report Joe! I was busy with other pursuits or I would have been there. Hope to ski with you again soon.....Jerry
Cool. That's the couloir we skied earlier this season, the one you have of Wilman's spire. Boy, it has sure melted out...
Saturday's fox was more a traditional rust color, and was delighting tourists in the Paradise lot at about 9:30a.
I was able to skin to the Muir hut without any carries, but just barely. Lapaz25 described the snow conditions well (Was it you I asked about the snow at about 8k? I was wearing a green jacket). Very fun, easy, smooth winter-like turns right from the hut. When I returned to Pebble Creek, I actually considered going back up, but it was a little too late.
Sounds like Pete_Alderso...
I was able to skin to the Muir hut without any carries, but just barely. Lapaz25 described the snow conditions well (Was it you I asked about the snow at about 8k? I was wearing a green jacket). Very fun, easy, smooth winter-like turns right from the hut. When I returned to Pebble Creek, I actually considered going back up, but it was a little too late.
Sounds like Pete_Alderso...
ema: athe snow is a bit thin around the hut and pretty heavy til you get pretty high up. there isn't a ton of good touring terrain right now. vantage looks pretty melted out. matier NW face might be good.
Joedabaker: i didn't notice any wind ridges. the hike in was about 5 km from road to couloir.
Joedabaker: i didn't notice any wind ridges. the hike in was about 5 km from road to couloir.
Randocross? Cyclonee? Cyclomark? ;D
"cyclonee" is very creative. but for me, i like "telecross". now since we're designing a new sport, how about establishing some rules: (1) bike can only have one gear -- cause that's all you need ;), (2) skis must have reverse sidecut, AND (3)
I think that's a tame fox planted by the Park Service for the amusement of the tourists . . . it hung around the Glacier Travel/Crevasse Rescue class for quite a while the weekend before . . .
Chris are you still feeling a bonus from time spent at high altitude?
I felt suprisingly slow on Saturday; guess that acclimatization from spending 2 weeks at 10,000+ feet in Peru has worn-off quickly.
Mental note: bring approach shoes next time as "hiking" up the steep, slippery trail above the Monte Cristo townsite is tiring in ski boots.
The dramatic relief of Wilmans peaks was definitely an unexpected highlight; I...
how about a pair of these? ;)
http://gusa.site.yahoo.net/garmont-telemark-kids.html
http://gusa.site.yahoo.net/garmont-telemark-kids.html
Week after week Kam's TR garnishes the most replies - must be the excellent photos. Great pics again this week.
Nice pictures, Chris. Wilman's Peaks sure are cool, looks like the Dolomites or something. Good thing Kam's a "sponsored athlete" the way he travels over those rock fields!
Nice trip - Chris are you still feeling a bonus from time spent at high altitude?
Glacier Basin was one of the first places that I had been growing up around here that got me hooked on the mountains!
Glacier Basin was one of the first places that I had been growing up around here that got me hooked on the mountains!
The debate over which method to the madness (ski or snowboard) to use and why is always interesting. I often tour with boarders. Sometimes I have to wait a few for them to finish ascent, but when we head down it's a blast for all. Did the split boarder in the photos have sun glasses? Unless he applied sun screen to his eye balls, he might have burned.
Nice creative tour! I like the pic of Chris postholing up with the parachute exposure behind him.
At first I thought Kam was on a unicycle and pondered that those guys really know how to raise the bar. That would have made the event a uniski.
Thanks for the report and pics on an area I really have wanted to visit, but got put on the back, backburner.
Joe
At first I thought Kam was on a unicycle and pondered that those guys really know how to raise the bar. That would have made the event a uniski.
Thanks for the report and pics on an area I really have wanted to visit, but got put on the back, backburner.
Joe
A fun trip in an amazing area! Glad to finally see (and ski) the Monte Cristo area. Seems crazy that miners scaled many of the rugged peaks/spires in this area over 100 years ago!
The lighting was generally bad for photography (no complaints though as the torrential down pours held off until the drive back home), but some additional pics are posted here:
http://www.cascadesfreak.com/gallery/montecristo5-21-2005
The lighting was generally bad for photography (no complaints though as the torrential down pours held off until the drive back home), but some additional pics are posted here:
http://www.cascadesfreak.com/gallery/montecristo5-21-2005
Sweet Line!!!
Drool just shorted my keyboard.
From your photo it looks steeper than 40 to 45 degrees. Your picture make me want to jump right in. Also from Tim's pic it appears that there are some small wind ridges in the chute-Did you experience that? How many kilometers was the hike in?
Great first post-I look forward to some more of that stuff!
Joe
Drool just shorted my keyboard.
From your photo it looks steeper than 40 to 45 degrees. Your picture make me want to jump right in. Also from Tim's pic it appears that there are some small wind ridges in the chute-Did you experience that? How many kilometers was the hike in?
Great first post-I look forward to some more of that stuff!
Joe
Three of us did Heliotrope on nw side the 21st. Went up the direct route through the woods and due to reduced snowpack did not hit continuous until 4700. Significantly worse bushwacking than normal for that first 1100. Very warm and mushy with lots of naturals lower which led to powderlike stuff at about 6000. The powder cause some sticking skins. Such a price to pay for glorious freshiez. Upper part of Heliotrope was quite windy. Two long north runs were glorious but the winds started getting g...
wow, what a timely report! i was thinking of heading to that area next weekend, never been...how does the skiing in general look like around keith's hut, is there enough coverage ?? thanks!
Nice TR Joe! I look forward to seeing some of your pics later.
The ranger station there at Verlot has a neat little museum devoted to the lore of the region.
Nice trip report.
Nice trip report.
Randocross? Cyclonee? Cyclomark? ;D
the road to Monte Cristo is smooth, and it acrosses a couple creeks, with one requiring a dismount and hike-a-bike over a log-like bridge.
ski touring + cyclocross . . . I sense the birth of a new sport . . .
Very nice!
Kam, I'm hoping you had a bottle of wine in that pack, to accompany the baguette.... ;)
Kam, I'm hoping you had a bottle of wine in that pack, to accompany the baguette.... ;)
Looking good, friends - I remain envious. Just a couple more weeks to go...
Actually I think it's 1300' from the glacier, maybe 1200' from the bottom of the actual cliffband
Scott: that is a nice photo. what a cool perspective. thanks for sharing.
So that couloir is about 1,400'? It sure looks nice, thanks for the report.
Wow, nice job Kam. Your TR motivated me to lookup that area in topo and google Monte Cristo. Neat stuff!
yup, aussie is the left hand line. I think a good name for the right hand line could be "Kiwi Couloir"
Good job, matosan! The Aussie is looker's left in Tim's picture?
The first time we only went one-third of the way up, and turned back due to avi conditions. We skied down without incident. The second time we went half-way up, but turned back again due to concern about the avi conditions. As we were descending, my friend Chris triggered a 30 cm thick slab which swept him down part of the couloir. No one was hurt, but we were convinced we had made the right call to abort.
Cool picture, Scott. I'm third from the right, the one who's shivering.
2 other shots (Same photo, photoshop'd)
http://questalb.com/gallery/images/panoramapoint051505/695L.jpg
http://questalb.com/gallery/images/panoramapoint051505/695s.jpg
Cool picture, Scott. I'm third from the right, the one who's shivering.
Yep.
That was us. Thanks for the overview shot, Scott.
Where was it taken from? Looks like maybe somewhere over by the entrance to the main Nisqually chute. Nice shot.
It was taken from below Pebble Creek as we were heading up to Muir but turned around at 7K or so by freezing rain and soaked clothing.
Not a bad first post. What do you have for a follow-up?! ;D
Nice Line!! I've been looking at it for years, but have never pulled the trigger.
Out of curiousity, what considerations were involved in aborting the other two attempts?
Nice Line!! I've been looking at it for years, but have never pulled the trigger.
Out of curiousity, what considerations were involved in aborting the other two attempts?
your just making us all jealous, nice work. and thanks for sharing the adventures with us. can't wait to ski with you kids again.
Yep.
That was us. Thanks for the overview shot, Scott.
Where was it taken from? Looks like maybe somewhere over by the entrance to the main Nisqually chute. Nice shot.
That was us. Thanks for the overview shot, Scott.
Where was it taken from? Looks like maybe somewhere over by the entrance to the main Nisqually chute. Nice shot.
Was this your group on Sunday?
Zap and Jill, you guys are looking good! ;D Evidently your "senoir" ski bumming has been good to both of you. :D
no kidding!! the forecast between wed and thurs were completely opposite.
anyway, according to the climbing report the road is currently open to Cold Springs!!
anyway, according to the climbing report the road is currently open to Cold Springs!!
"If something goes wrong and you don't make it back out can I have your Beemer"?
I actually found Josh's comment highly motivating! My wife had been kind enough to loan me the car for the weekend, so I would simply think of the trouble I'd be in if it wasn't returned on time and suddenly I'd get this huge adrenaline rush good for several prussic cycles up the rope... ;)
Ron - that's a good line.
I heard another good line when snoslut was being lowered to the center of the earth, Tom yelled down to him that his rope team members were having some rope issues.
I heard another good line when snoslut was being lowered to the center of the earth, Tom yelled down to him that his rope team members were having some rope issues.
While we're on the subject of it being a bit scary going down into the crevasse, I have a "class improvement suggestion", Darryl and Ed please take note...
Just about the time that the "victim" is being lowered over the edge, it might be better if the safety belayer did NOT ask of the "victim": "If something goes wrong and you don't make it back out can I have your Beemer"?
Josh asked that of Marco as he was about to be lowered o...
Just about the time that the "victim" is being lowered over the edge, it might be better if the safety belayer did NOT ask of the "victim": "If something goes wrong and you don't make it back out can I have your Beemer"?
Josh asked that of Marco as he was about to be lowered o...
Thanks for the report Chris. I was wondering how thecocerage was looking up there.
cass, way to get back in the groove after having been gone for a while. glad you're back in the states! ;D
Correct.
There were a couple of reasons we wanted to climb it first:
1) the traverse had me spooked. This crux was dangerous with "catastrophic consequences" should something go wrong and I wanted a safe vantage point up close in which to look at it. only option was climbing from below
2) new snow made us know sloughing would occur. question was: when and how bad? sloughing is no big deal usually, but reference 1), please.
3) it was raining...
There were a couple of reasons we wanted to climb it first:
1) the traverse had me spooked. This crux was dangerous with "catastrophic consequences" should something go wrong and I wanted a safe vantage point up close in which to look at it. only option was climbing from below
2) new snow made us know sloughing would occur. question was: when and how bad? sloughing is no big deal usually, but reference 1), please.
3) it was raining...
Did you pretty much climb what you boarded? For what it's worth, I went up Ruth last time by pretty much going the normal Inter G route til just before Camp Curtis and then traversed slightly left onto the ridge. It's really casual that way. But then of course you miss out on slope assessment.