TR Replies
The duct tape worked for awhile. I started to have some problems with my skins on the tour out as well - the clips don't fit very will with the tips of my pocket rockets. Thanks again for your help with the duct tape - your dog was great! So it sounds like the slope we were on was Tye Peak - thanks Juan.
We actually hit skinnable snow at ca. 4800ft. The trip was great fun up in an alpine environment, even if the snow up high was horrifying. The snow in the trees along the ridge was fluffy and nice, so we got some good turns in. The skating on Rock Lake was fun too.
The wind slabs did form quick, but the layers that worry me are all the stuff above the rain/rime crust (Thanksgiving) and a (sun?) crust underneath the (inch) of snow that fell last wk. At 5kft on N aspects facing Rainier in the Tatoosh, I found a very weak layer on Sat one inch down. - Had a great circumnavigation of Pinnacle, Castle, and a ski up Hall Foss. In Pinnacle trail (barely enough snow to skin up on) and out the drainage on the NE? side of Castle. Not a...
sounds like you were skiing off Tye peak? guess i should have headed out there, sounds like a good day. thanks for the beta.
Hey Rob-
Thanks again for the highway heading to the top of the peak; it made the trip up a snap for Sonya and I. What a great couple of runs!
Did the duct-taped skins make it through the rest of the day?
Thanks again for the highway heading to the top of the peak; it made the trip up a snap for Sonya and I. What a great couple of runs!
Did the duct-taped skins make it through the rest of the day?
Well the good news is its better than last weekend, but the bad news is we still need some more. Conditions off the cat-track are lossely consolidated powder over a punchy crust. On steeper terrain, the new snow is sloughing off atoop the ground cover. I went up to the top of skyline ridge above moonlight bowl, and the descent back to the trail was fairly treacherous. We need some consolidation of the existing pack and some new. Hopefully both these things will happ...
What did you call this place sometime ago Mark? "The place eveyone goes". Well since you were there I guess so. Yes Silas, many of the usual suspects (Brent H's favorite catchall) were present. Saw lots of steep tracks off Table. Surprising that nothing slid as we found very weak layer under the Fri nite/Sat wet dump. Lots of folks actually read weather reports. Our group of four was also there on Saturday and stayed in Mteer lodge that night. Only seven total in the lodge with s...
We spent the day focusing on breaking our rule of "never leave perfectly skiable snow in search of better snow".
We did a pretty good job of it, too 8)
We did a pretty good job of it, too 8)
Thanks Gaper J ,consider it done. I didn't know that it was possible to edit post post.
Wondered where you'd gone to, Silas. You missed the widely-broadcast invitation to the goods...which seemed to be located mainly in the steep glades on the back side of Herman Saddle. We skied a couple of the usual runs near the ski area, then followed the trailsetters (keeping a judicious distance, lest they take offense) through the boulders, over the saddle into the land of stable, knee-deep, dry, unconsolidated powder. Best skiiing, for what it's worth, was between 4800 and 5700 feet o...
Nice TR Robie, but you need to edit your subject!
Thanks for the report. Could you say a bit more about snowpack, the fresh snowfall, and what specific stability concerns you had?
When we dug a pit on a 35 degree slope, the icy layer was directly underneath about 6-8 inches of unconsolidated snow with 2 inches of fresh on top of that. When I side slipped the slope, I was able to get some snow to slide as well. This in itself was not the reason we turned back, it was the one person w/o a beacon...
Snoslut, Thanks for the update at Crystal. I also invested in a midweek pass. We'll have to share some lines in the backcountry.
Zap
Zap
Thanks, Tim. I'm going to head out and camp overnight in the rain, just to get psyched for the Chugach experience. Maybe see you up there.
Note that the precip guage at the telemetry site is out of order, so it'll claim precipitation whenever the temperature warms to above freezing. On the other hand, WA DOT claims wet snow. One of those days with great skiing up high, then a band of breakable crust, then deep slop down low?
Enjoy,
Mark
Note that the precip guage at the telemetry site is out of order, so it'll claim precipitation whenever the temperature warms to above freezing. On the other hand, WA DOT claims wet snow. One of those days with great skiing up high, then a band of breakable crust, then deep slop down low?
Enjoy,
Mark
was it windy up there today?
There were occasional gusts, but that Mt. Baker filler paste wasn't moving much. Keep in mind, we left early to save some leg for tomorrow, so there could have been wind in the afternoon and evening that I do not know about. It is even possible that it might have rained a bit after I left. The telemetry site shows a bit of moisture between 3 and 5 pm with no increase in snow depth. It was raini...
I anticipate tomorrow to be one of those rare Baker "Chugash" days where nothing is too steep to be skied safely.
Hee hee. Guess I made the right decision by staying home to try to get things accomplished today. Hey Tim, was it windy up there today?
Thanks,
Mark
We skied one run in area Friday, and found the conditions best described as hideous -- what few lines were skiable were soon scraped to the underlying crust by beginning boarders. So we spent the afternoon in the BB Chutes. We found a surprisingly good bond between the latest snowl ayers (Monday) and the rain crust. We could get nothing to move up to 40 degrees, and just minor sluff above that.
Today was different. We spent several runs in area testing different equipment setup. It was...
Today was different. We spent several runs in area testing different equipment setup. It was...
Thanks for the report. Could you say a bit more about snowpack, the fresh snowfall, and what specific stability concerns you had?
You'll note that this sub-forum is for backcountry trip reports, and that there is a separate page on which to report ski area conditions.
Thanks,
Mark
You'll note that this sub-forum is for backcountry trip reports, and that there is a separate page on which to report ski area conditions.
Thanks,
Mark
;D ha, ha, me too....
The path you wanted to follow was just to the left, off to the road to nowhere, just after it starts, across from where you entered it. It's part of a trail that used to be used for Mt. biking when the bike center was open at Central.
The path you wanted to follow was just to the left, off to the road to nowhere, just after it starts, across from where you entered it. It's part of a trail that used to be used for Mt. biking when the bike center was open at Central.
ahh yes, that logging road to nowhere near Ollallie Meadows -- that sucker's fooled me twice in two years (so shame on me).
Very nice report, Greg.
Great Info and great shot of the chutes.
Great Info and great shot of the chutes.
Phew - thanks for not picking the face plant/foul language picture :)
Yeah, Kevin, Very nice camera work. And thanks for the stats.
It has occured to me that no one had taken advantage of our one photo quota for this thread;
who better to appear than Amy - Master TR Writer:
photo: Warren Miller (aka Jerry White)
It has occured to me that no one had taken advantage of our one photo quota for this thread;
who better to appear than Amy - Master TR Writer:
photo: Warren Miller (aka Jerry White)
Hi Greg, sounds like you had an enjoyable ride down "The Chutes." Hopefully this weekends snowfall will increase our roaming range.
Hi Zap, that was us parked next to your van in the burgundy Subaru -
gregL
gregL
For those who are interested, we did 2221 vert ft of ascent, 2254 vert descent, according to my Suunto S6. And we were out for 5:17.
Or should I say, we all did at least the above...everyone else climbed a bit higher for their 3rd and/or 4th runs.
Kevin
Or should I say, we all did at least the above...everyone else climbed a bit higher for their 3rd and/or 4th runs.
Kevin
Here's a link to my pics from this adventure. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
http://community.webshots.com/album/225875766UWolRV?905
Kevin
http://community.webshots.com/album/225875766UWolRV?905
Kevin
Hmm a hot sake tour might be nice. i could bring my stove. Hey while you mentioned helmet ,early skiing on shallow cover a helmet is good item. Funny late summer skiing i usually wear one.
:)
Look who's talkin'...
Markharf, the master of the great read;
the master or the prolific TR.
I have serious doubts you'd shy from anyone in a battle with words. I think you are simply a courteous chap that gives deference and respect to senility and old age.
Whatever the reason, I thank you.
;)
Look who's talkin'...
Markharf, the master of the great read;
the master or the prolific TR.
I have serious doubts you'd shy from anyone in a battle with words. I think you are simply a courteous chap that gives deference and respect to senility and old age.
Whatever the reason, I thank you.
;)
such an instance sometimes justifies the breach of our society's narrow and fragile boundaries of censorship in favor of the maintenance of some semblance of positive self image on the part of the disgraced subject...
No way I'm arguing with this guy. He's way too loquacious...errr...erudite...naw, uhhh....GLIB!, yeah, that's it: way too glib.
Mark, you're just WAY too smart for your own britches.
And besides, you know how frustrating it is to be head-down/slippery side-up in Utah pow so cold you can't even gasp a breath of clear air.
As you are surely aware, such an instance sometimes justifies the breach of our society's narrow and fragile boundaries of censorship in favor of the maintenance of some semblance of positive self image on the part of the disgraced subject.
As I'm also sure you would agree, it was the onl...
And besides, you know how frustrating it is to be head-down/slippery side-up in Utah pow so cold you can't even gasp a breath of clear air.
As you are surely aware, such an instance sometimes justifies the breach of our society's narrow and fragile boundaries of censorship in favor of the maintenance of some semblance of positive self image on the part of the disgraced subject.
As I'm also sure you would agree, it was the onl...
I'm glad you got some use out of what was left of our Saturday skin track once the postholers got through it. We ended up booting from the top of that to the summit of the ridge and finding a nice chute with a narrow exit to the skier's right of Rock Garden. Lots of dust on crust up high. Here's to more!
Fun video, Jerry. From the sound of it, it's time you investigated pay-per-view.
Whose very unsteady hand is responsible for that footage of you skiing? Not, I trust, the same person recommending that face-planters resort to foul language...? Or is that part of your marketing strategy?
enjoy,
Mark
Whose very unsteady hand is responsible for that footage of you skiing? Not, I trust, the same person recommending that face-planters resort to foul language...? Or is that part of your marketing strategy?
enjoy,
Mark
A totally awesome day of skiing! I can't think of a better introduction to skiing with Ron J's TAY crew.
It was great meeting and skiing with all of you. Great video Jerry...I've only watched it 3 times so far, but will undoubtedly watch a bunch more.
I will post some pics after I get through reviewing the 120 or so that I took...
Kevin
;D
It was great meeting and skiing with all of you. Great video Jerry...I've only watched it 3 times so far, but will undoubtedly watch a bunch more.
I will post some pics after I get through reviewing the 120 or so that I took...
Kevin
;D
Hey Snow Troll - whatever dude; there was only an army heading up to Muir, and the branch off to the top of the Nisqually Chute wasn't that far. Glad you feel like you're a man and in shape ;)
We pretty well did the same lap that Mark did, but a day later.
Thanks for the footage. Take up the telemark turn and that same snow is suddenly knee-to-thigh deep (and all the slopes 5 degrees steeper).
Jeff ,
That was my buddy also named Jeff with the home made heel lifters and super loops. I was the other skier.
Robie
Well then it was very nice meeting you and your friend Jeff. I was wearing the blue helmet, dynafits, miras, and was with the group of three. What was it you and Jeff told us initially? Did you say the heel lifters were incase anyone offered you sake? I'll be sure to bring some along next time. ;)
Well 2 weeks in a row I got to ski the Nisqually Chute under blue skies with fresh snow... All those that followed are welcome for the trail breaking that I (we) did....it was worth if for first tracks again :)
Sorry to gloat...still smiling as I look at my pictures....
Sorry to gloat...still smiling as I look at my pictures....
Awesome video - im watching it for the third time from my little cave of an office here at work ;D
The video really provides a great documentation of the day. Great job and great skiing.
The video really provides a great documentation of the day. Great job and great skiing.
great video Jerry! looked like great snow out there.
Awesome video. Thanks Jerry for catching such a great time on film. Hopefully this will get me though the next 4 days.
Jeff ,
That was my buddy also named Jeff with the home made heel lifters and super loops. I was the other skier.
Robie
That was my buddy also named Jeff with the home made heel lifters and super loops. I was the other skier.
Robie