TR Replies
Amar - Your lack of confidence and endless pessimism are almost funny. Could you give Sky just a few more strokes?? Nobody is carrying me in or out on any given trip, any time.
Sky: Now you know how Amar really feels about you. 8)
Sky: Now you know how Amar really feels about you. 8)
I think Sky is and will always be the king of torture points. This trip would have been like an easy stroll in the park for him. Maybe if he'd come along he could have just carried us on his Herculean shoulders through all the tough parts. ;D
His plan for tomorrow (today) gives me much to debate the 'torture aspect' of Sky's gluttonous appetite. "Let's meet at 7pm," pretty much puts this one day painfest in perspective.
Congratulations to everyone for pulling this off, and without significant mishap! And thanks for all of the skier/boarder perspectives, photos, and the movie. So, Lowell, will this become an annual tradition? If so, with the success of this one you should probably plan for more racers next year.
Wingnut, thanks for the report, nice work doing the whole circuit in a day.
I'm glad you didn't let the worries about low snow coverage this year (link to earlier thread) discourage you from doing the trip. The scenery is so spectacular that it's always worthwhile.
I'm glad you didn't let the worries about low snow coverage this year (link to earlier thread) discourage you from doing the trip. The scenery is so spectacular that it's always worthwhile.
And way to pull way ahead on the torture points. You'll be hard to catch now ;)
I think Sky is and will always be the king of torture points. This trip would have been like an easy stroll in the park for him. Maybe if he'd come along he could have just carried us on his Herculean shoulders through all the tough parts. ;D
Thanks for the report, Amar - looks like now is the time to go.
...
Thanks to all who attended, for another fun and successful Trip. This was the best group of people we've had in the entire 8 years we've been doing the trip. Everyone was fun, cooperative, congenial, and self sufficient -- not much more to ask for, from an organizer's point of view. It is because of great folks like all of you, that organizing this trip is so much fun.
Should be a lot of links to a lot more fun pics (thanks, Daniel and Mark, for yours) and a viddy...
Should be a lot of links to a lot more fun pics (thanks, Daniel and Mark, for yours) and a viddy...
Thanks for the report, Amar - looks like now is the time to go.
Great report, Amar,
And way to pull way ahead on the torture points. You'll be hard to catch now ;)
And way to pull way ahead on the torture points. You'll be hard to catch now ;)
Zap, I don't know if you've skied it, but Basin Mtn., with it's nice looking couloir from Bishop, is a good ski. It's just up past the Buttermilk Boulders, accessable with a truck, to the snowline. The col at the top of the couloir offers great views and great ideas! Other good skis at the end of the same road are the Wa-hoo Gullies. Enjoy. Oh, a friend just called me from the "tub" and said they skied Mt. Tom yesterday for a 7000' ski !!! I'm jealous.
This brings back good memories. Thanks Amar! Another good run is to go in Conrad Meadows and out McCall Basin.
Nice trip, guys.
Amar, that's a sweet shot of Dave, looking up to Old Snowy.
Dave, rip it up! I dig the R:EX tips. ;D
Amar, that's a sweet shot of Dave, looking up to Old Snowy.
Dave, rip it up! I dig the R:EX tips. ;D
Matt, Sounds like you had a good trip. If you do the traverse again, I would suggest you spend a couple of days in the Sphinx Glacier area plus a day around Black Tusk Meadows and ski the lines on Black Tusk. It's a great addition to the traverse.
Zap
Zap
Mark and Daniel: beautiful photos! i especially liked the images of the morning clouds. thanks for sharing. i can't wait to see photos from the others...
Here's a quick rundown of the Illumination Rock tour.
Tuesday morning was clear and beautiful; Mt. Hood looked tempting, but Daniel & I initially decided to descend with the rest of the crew until Mark Harfenist mentioned that he was considering a tour up to Illumination Rock. We reconsidered and rigged to go.
We ascended in a long, traverse across the crusty surface of the Palmer glacier. The snow stubbornly stayed hard as we climbed. A small plastic ob...
Tuesday morning was clear and beautiful; Mt. Hood looked tempting, but Daniel & I initially decided to descend with the rest of the crew until Mark Harfenist mentioned that he was considering a tour up to Illumination Rock. We reconsidered and rigged to go.
We ascended in a long, traverse across the crusty surface of the Palmer glacier. The snow stubbornly stayed hard as we climbed. A small plastic ob...
What a great trip! I have some pictures posted here:
Sunday & Monday:
http://homepage.mac.com/mark.tomko/PhotoAlbum35.html
Tuesday:
http://homepage.mac.com/mark.tomko/PhotoAlbum36.html
Sorry if I haven't identified you all correctly. Send corrections and I'll update them.
Thanks everyone!!!
Sunday & Monday:
http://homepage.mac.com/mark.tomko/PhotoAlbum35.html
Tuesday:
http://homepage.mac.com/mark.tomko/PhotoAlbum36.html
Sorry if I haven't identified you all correctly. Send corrections and I'll update them.
Thanks everyone!!!
As you could tell by that photo, the Blazer is not really blocking the road. But it does appear to have been buried much deeper than depicted on Amar's picture, though it was in the process of melting out. Someone had busted out the back window but many items in the truck were untouched (copy of freedom of the hills, other books on climbing and backpacking, etc.). I doubt that a climber or skier played a part in breaking into the Blazer. As we know, there are others up there who prefer to enjoy...
It's always hard to be back at work on Wednesday after this trip. It was no surprise that the trip was a blast yet again with friends new and old, some climbing and skiing, and good food too. Thanks to Ron and Jeanette for organizing the trip.
The mountain was quite a sight in the early morning. I was in the second cat load to the top of the Palmer and looking up at the string of skiers headed toward Crater Rock was pretty impressive. It's so much fun to be out climbing with so many frien...
The mountain was quite a sight in the early morning. I was in the second cat load to the top of the Palmer and looking up at the string of skiers headed toward Crater Rock was pretty impressive. It's so much fun to be out climbing with so many frien...
Nicely done, Lowell.
Maximum participation with the minimum of risk to all.
Very smooth.
And it should make for some nice insights for the book.
My order's still in. ;)
Maximum participation with the minimum of risk to all.
Very smooth.
And it should make for some nice insights for the book.
My order's still in. ;)
With Ron and I organizing this trip for the past 8 years, it just keeps getting better all the time. This year was no exception, we had an awesome group! It was another great Mt. Hood Silcox adventure. ;D
As Robie stated, some of us went down on Saturday to ski, some came early Sunday to ski before meeting at the Rams Head for briefing, and snowcat ride up to the Silcox Hut. After dinner on Sunday, the Hut exploded into a real hubbub of activity as 18 of the...
As Robie stated, some of us went down on Saturday to ski, some came early Sunday to ski before meeting at the Rams Head for briefing, and snowcat ride up to the Silcox Hut. After dinner on Sunday, the Hut exploded into a real hubbub of activity as 18 of the...
Lowell,
If something like this just somehow happens again, and if there is a geriatric division, I'd give it a try. :) Provided that is if I think I could get up there with my old Rossi SM's and orange Lange boots. :) Now that would be fun!
Larry
If something like this just somehow happens again, and if there is a geriatric division, I'd give it a try. :) Provided that is if I think I could get up there with my old Rossi SM's and orange Lange boots. :) Now that would be fun!
Larry
Also of note, the Mt Washington Inferno has been resurrected in recent years as well, although it's now a pentathlon whereas the original was just a crazy DH (I'm not sure, but they may have used mass starts as well at some point). Anyone who has ever skied Tuckerman has heard the story of Toni Matt's Headwall schuss.
Absolutely. The Inferno in Tuckerman Ravine is an American classic. Toni Matt's 1939 schuss of the headwall (made by accident wh...
Feel free to extract such a quote from any of the following ;)
I wrote up a "brief" account of my experience on Sunday:
The casual friendly atmosphere up at Camp Muir makes for a pretty relaxed lead up to the race, but as Lowell announces "15 seconds!", and begins the countdown from 10, adrenaline surges into my body.
The race starts, I see most of the skiers head off pretty quickly, and am occasionally dismayed to see them as smaller and smaller do...
I wrote up a "brief" account of my experience on Sunday:
The casual friendly atmosphere up at Camp Muir makes for a pretty relaxed lead up to the race, but as Lowell announces "15 seconds!", and begins the countdown from 10, adrenaline surges into my body.
The race starts, I see most of the skiers head off pretty quickly, and am occasionally dismayed to see them as smaller and smaller do...
Rod, I have not been at the areas you mentioned. I would suggest you start your tours at high trailheads. The south aspects are consolidated and the north aspects seem to be unconsolidated. There is another system arriving Wednesday evening. Could be a powder day at Mammoth. :)
Listen to Howard S. weather forecast from Mammoth on 106.5 FM at 7:50 am.He covers the Mammoth areaplus the Owens Valley.
Zap
Listen to Howard S. weather forecast from Mammoth on 106.5 FM at 7:50 am.He covers the Mammoth areaplus the Owens Valley.
Zap
Thanks for the article Jerm.
I found this quote somewhat entertaining, ""This here was probably the most gnarly Chinese Downhill run in the world...."
Of course this run was only 1.5km in New Zealand ;D and it
I found this quote somewhat entertaining, ""This here was probably the most gnarly Chinese Downhill run in the world...."
Of course this run was only 1.5km in New Zealand ;D and it
was made by a snowboarder ;)
Come on Phil, give us another endearing quote :D
Back East the Geschmozzel was known by the less-PC name "Chinese Downhill", a term coined, I believe, in the late 70's classic Hot Dog the Movie.
http://classic.mountainzone.com/ski/99/ripcurl/downhill.html
Nice to see the tradition kept alive, here and elsewhere. Brings me back to grade school ski clubs nights at mighty Mount Southington.
Also of note, the Mt Washington Inferno has been resurrected in recent years as well, although it's now a penta...
Got up there a little after 1 myself (the guy heading up in your pic... second from left). The start really was a site to behold, not to mention all the figure 11's put down by the racers.
I tried piecing together some of the video clips from the finish area. After shrinking the file size to make it more manageable for us poor dial-up users, the movie image is kinda small, but the audio gives those who weren't there a taste of what it was like from the participant's own mouth.
Great video! Definitely a keeper. Call it "Ten Dirty Dollars." Boy does that bring back some grins. Thanks for posting it small enoug...
See...sometimes sleeping in pays off. Yep,yep,yep. ;D Cause Edith Creek looked mighty nice from our perspective.
a fantastic day overall. i enjoyed seeing/meeting everyone at Camp Muir. Adam (i think it was you), thanks for offering the bailing wire to save me the trouble of walking, instead of skiing, down! though this contraption functioned, i'm more partial to the real deal. ;D
i found the race a thrill. i remember most the first 30-seconds of the excitement and release of energy...
i found the race a thrill. i remember most the first 30-seconds of the excitement and release of energy...
Hi Allyson, Shasta indeed has a healthy amount of snow. The latest updates from Shasta Avalanche Center and Amar's Snowfall and Snowdepth page show snowdepth around 115% of normal.
I don't know what conditions were above Helen Lake on Saturday. If I had to guess, I would suspect it was pretty variable and for a good amount of the afternoon there was poor visibility. Shasta sho...
I don't know what conditions were above Helen Lake on Saturday. If I had to guess, I would suspect it was pretty variable and for a good amount of the afternoon there was poor visibility. Shasta sho...
jeff--thanks for the good info on shasta. despite the suboptimal conditions you spoke of, it still looks like there was quite a bit of snow up there from your pics! i am heading down there the end of this month, hopefully to find some good corn, and good weather... 8) any idea how the conditions were above helen lake?
I not sure where you were looking, but I found the snow perfectly skiable on Sat and corning up nicely on Sun around Chinook Pass.
I must be getting snow blind and becoming light weight in my old age. You know what they say-One man's Slurpee was another man's powder.
That is a great peak-that you have the picture of. My recomendation to those that venture out to that peak is to travel on the north side of the ridge line out. If you...
Lttle Tahoma in the afternoon clouds. We skied near the left edge in the photo (forgot to include it ;D)
I especially enjoyed Jason's prose. Well put!
It was very, very hard to think about hiking all the way up to Muir and then not make any turns on the way down. Some of us wondered if we should call it "turn-all-year" instead of turns...
But luckily there were enough guys up there and we all started talking a little bit of smack; I soon lost the desire to turn. I for one had my old Demetre ski sweater, circa 1986, but alas I don't think anyone was intimidated.
Once t...
It was very, very hard to think about hiking all the way up to Muir and then not make any turns on the way down. Some of us wondered if we should call it "turn-all-year" instead of turns...
But luckily there were enough guys up there and we all started talking a little bit of smack; I soon lost the desire to turn. I for one had my old Demetre ski sweater, circa 1986, but alas I don't think anyone was intimidated.
Once t...
Dang, I got pulled out of lurk-dom in order to be able to post to this thread. For an internet discussion group inspired event, this one must take the cake. Lots of great enthusiastic folks showed up.
I tried piecing together some of the video clips from the finish area. After shrinking the file size to make it more manageable for us poor dial-up users, the movie image is kinda small, but the audio gives those who weren't there a taste of what it was like from the participant's own mou...
I tried piecing together some of the video clips from the finish area. After shrinking the file size to make it more manageable for us poor dial-up users, the movie image is kinda small, but the audio gives those who weren't there a taste of what it was like from the participant's own mou...
Congratulations, you men of men.
I'm sorry I couldn't make it up there to add a woman to the race. Kam shared the details and made me rightly jealous of the blue bird, the snow, and the grand hurrah.
Lowell, hats off to your organization and well written tale. I hope there will be more opportunities for history revisited.
Jason, great poetic TR.
Jessica
"she'spiste she didn't make the Geschmozzel"
I'm sorry I couldn't make it up there to add a woman to the race. Kam shared the details and made me rightly jealous of the blue bird, the snow, and the grand hurrah.
Lowell, hats off to your organization and well written tale. I hope there will be more opportunities for history revisited.
Jason, great poetic TR.
Jessica
"she'spiste she didn't make the Geschmozzel"
'Geschmozzel'
Nicely done Jason. We will now expect all future trip reports in verse.
I thought my Dad, who raced in a number of Silver Skis races in the 30's might get a kick out of this thread, and here is his reply to my note to him with the link:
"The 1934 race was really crazy, but several years later with starts 1 minute apart it was better. Also by 1936 when I raced the equipment was far better. Later Hannes Schroll, the Austrian downhiller, made a super fast run and beat the rest of us by one full minute. I don't remember whi...
it's at the end of the ridge south from Naches Pk. Just above Dewey Lake. North side holds snow quite a while. You can't see it in this photo, but the back side is good too. Usually softens early and by the time you climb back up, the north side is ready. You can boot right up to the summit along that ridge in the photo. We might go back there again this weekend.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic39833.jpg
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic39833.jpg
'Geschmozzel'
I wanted to try and explain the thrill I had racing down from Camp Muir. Here goes!
Wave to the cameraman we men of men
Promise yourself you will make it to the end
Yell to the mountain, 'Geschmozzel!'
And let the countdown begin, the rush to win
Eighteen start like in the race of '34
Where sixty pressed the metal down, all the way to the floor
No one to my side, no one out in front
Can I keep the lead? 'Yes of course!' I swore<...
I wanted to try and explain the thrill I had racing down from Camp Muir. Here goes!
Wave to the cameraman we men of men
Promise yourself you will make it to the end
Yell to the mountain, 'Geschmozzel!'
And let the countdown begin, the rush to win
Eighteen start like in the race of '34
Where sixty pressed the metal down, all the way to the floor
No one to my side, no one out in front
Can I keep the lead? 'Yes of course!' I swore<...
Newbie question - Where's peak 6567?
On Sunday we skied yo-yos on the north facing part of the bowl under Naches peak. It was a bit slow and grabby (firm mashed potatoes) but still fun.
On Sunday we skied yo-yos on the north facing part of the bowl under Naches peak. It was a bit slow and grabby (firm mashed potatoes) but still fun.
Zeno:
I like the photo too. Maybe the Geschmozzel racing event will happen again next spring, I would like to check it out.
I like the photo too. Maybe the Geschmozzel racing event will happen again next spring, I would like to check it out.
I thought my Dad, who raced in a number of Silver Skis races in the 30's might get a kick out of this thread, and here is his reply to my note to him with the link:
"The 1934 race was really crazy, but several years later with starts 1 minute apart it was better. Also by 1936 when I raced the equipment was far better. Later Hannes Schroll, the Austrian downhiller, made a super fast run and beat the rest of us by one full minute. I don't remember which year that was...
"The 1934 race was really crazy, but several years later with starts 1 minute apart it was better. Also by 1936 when I raced the equipment was far better. Later Hannes Schroll, the Austrian downhiller, made a super fast run and beat the rest of us by one full minute. I don't remember which year that was...
Hey ultragrrl you stole my sunshine! >:( ;)
Buddy and I were touring Edith Creek. Was high overcast with light misting. From time to time the sun would beam thru. Anyway if it wasn't steeper than 30 degrees it was work. Still a fun day. Kept thinking to myself where is everybody? Maybe everyones preparing for the Muir race on Sunday. One more 12 ounce curl and I'll have completed my set of 12. ;D
Buddy and I were touring Edith Creek. Was high overcast with light misting. From time to time the sun would beam thru. Anyway if it wasn't steeper than 30 degrees it was work. Still a fun day. Kept thinking to myself where is everybody? Maybe everyones preparing for the Muir race on Sunday. One more 12 ounce curl and I'll have completed my set of 12. ;D
When I checked their website Sat eve, it indicated the gate open. I think they just opened it Saturday (4/30). We saw two shoers, but no ski tracks.
Kenji, what day did they open the White River gate?
Something to dream about until conditions improve or next season arrives...
This was taken from the summit of Ruth Mountain last season.
Sorry it didn't work out for you this time. It could have just as easily been epic. But until you stick your neck out, you'll never know!
Ditto what Sky said...
This was taken from the summit of Ruth Mountain last season.
Sorry it didn't work out for you this time. It could have just as easily been epic. But until you stick your neck out, you'll never know!
Ditto what Sky said...
Your second photo has a strangely 1930's look to it, as well - maybe a PhotoShopped sepia version would be fun.
How about this.
Can you identify the participants in the group photo? I recognize many of the faces, but not all -
Okay, here's where I make a fool of myself. ;) Please correct me folks. I'd like to...