TR Replies
Hey Jerry it was more of a torture for my partner. Was it worth it...always. The bugs, well after a drink from me they were probably asking themselves the next morning what in the hell is in that stuff. That's some potent @#$^ . BTW Nice pics, especially of the talking goat and the goatie. From your pics it look liked alot of snow had melted in a days worth of time. Slush cup is just around the corner.
Yessiree , another fun trip. by the way that's my goat.
Lost a OR crampon bag up there if anybody goes back. Just a couple days left than the run will segment.
Probaly the pool for the "slush cup" is filling right now.
Robie
Lost a OR crampon bag up there if anybody goes back. Just a couple days left than the run will segment.
Probaly the pool for the "slush cup" is filling right now.
Robie
yeah, but it looks like you had 8) type weather on your decent of Sherman Peak a couple of weeks ago, so it must like you some of the time.
Wait a minute, I'm not to blame for that. I haven't skied the Emmons since July 1999, so it must be somebody else that said it was great last year. You gotta know how to pick the weather too, I'm a big fan of stable high pressure systems with 14000 ft freezing levels. Anyway, I certainly wouldn't encourage anyone to follow our footsteps onto the Emmons this year (at least not for skiing), the route is rapidly deteriorating in the hot weather and crevasses a...
Ha. I remember reading a report of you skiing it in near perfect conditions a week or so before I went on that trip, so maybe the key is to not follow in Amar's footsteps. ;)
Wait a minute, I'm not to blame for that. I haven't skied the Emmons since July 1999, so it must be somebody else that said it was great last year. You gotta know how to pick the weather too, I'm a big fan of stable high pressure systems with 14000 ft freezing levels. Any...
I did this last year and it was the worst descent I've ever done. The sastrugi was 1 to 2+ feet deep, the wind was blowing me off my feet and throwing rocks in my face, so I crawled to the summit. I was happy to summit and even managed to enjoy the challenge of the descent in a whiteout. Ha. I remember reading a report of you skiing it in near perfect conditions a week or so before I went on that trip, so maybe the key is to not follow in Amar's footsteps. ;)
Congrats - now you can stop whining about having not skied it in 5 years ;). Good thing you had a safe trip...doesn't sound like all did on the Inter this past weekend based on the crevasse rescue that occurred there (see cascadeclimbers for details). Sounds like there wasn't even a noticeable sag - yikes!
Amar: Congrats on a full summit descent! I'm not clear as to how often this occurs, but I don't hear of many per year. And, to be able to do it in late July is quite a feat, especially finding the conditions you did.
I love your adventure journal. I'll keep riding vicariously, as long as you'll allow. Some day, though...
GregLange
I love your adventure journal. I'll keep riding vicariously, as long as you'll allow. Some day, though...
GregLange
Mr Slut, based on your TRs your moniker seems very appropriate. :)
Mark: Most of credit goes to the Thunder Glacier, it's one cool looking chunk of ice!
Nice photos, Greg. The silhouettetted photographer in front of the Thunder Glacier is particularly striking.
Bugs >:( I hate them insect bites, I'll take road rash anytime of a serious amount of insect bites. Other than the bugs, sounds like a fun day.
Don't forget the bug repellent!!!!!!! :D
Don't forget the bug repellent!!!!!!! :D
It didn't look to badly suncupped. With the warm temps I imagine the snow is going to be soft especially by mid morning. Just be weary of weak snow bridges (more safe on skis, I think) and the top 500 vertical feet from the summit is blue ice in many spots.
How was the skiing on the upper mountain? Some friends are trying to talk me into skiing the Emmons this weekend, but I'm skeptical about snow conditions.
I skied the White Salmon / Avalanche Gl the weekend before last with Jack McDonald from Vancouver BC. Yes, we had to downclimb the steeper upper section due to lack of snow coverage and rotten snow (large suncups mixed with dirt). It appeared that if we had stayed higher, rather than dropping to the notch by the Pinnacle, we might have been able to ski (or side slip) down where there was more continous snow, but I'd guess that may have changed by now. After downclimbing about 100ft, we were a...
Well done!
I enjoy reading about trip reports from other states. :)
I enjoy reading about trip reports from other states. :)
Lower Ingraham to the Ingrahm flats. Followed by crossing the Cowlitz to Muir. Finally, just the standard way down from Muir, staying to the far right, away from the boot path.
Kam, when are you publishing the Turns All Year illustrated calendar? You've got some very memorable shots there.
Glacier snob. That's alright, I'm a powder snob.
It was a short 6 mile hike from the parking lot up 4,300ft. Apparently there is ice under it that remains all year long. I've definitely skied on a lot less. My august skiing experience looked a lot more like some of Kam's pics.
It was a short 6 mile hike from the parking lot up 4,300ft. Apparently there is ice under it that remains all year long. I've definitely skied on a lot less. My august skiing experience looked a lot more like some of Kam's pics.
Nice work, you were flying! What was your ski route home?
did someone say patch?
my friends (Skip and Chris) and i live for patches, see. oh, here's another, and another....wait, one more,
my friends (Skip and Chris) and i live for patches, see. oh, here's another, and another....wait, one more,
That sure was a nice run underneath the waterfall uh. I regret not bringing a camera. That ribbon of snow to get to it was exciting as well. Nice pics Jerry and Ron. Those steep sections above Golden Gate were a treat on the way down.
But there's risks to climbing with old people; before long many of us had forgotten why we were there, where we were going, and when we had agreed to turn around.
Party like a "Rock Star!!!" 8) 8)
20 years ago it was a whole lot easier ;)
Jeffey - Thanks for reminding me... I guess I need to give that camera another whack; I noticed the last couple of pics on adams were dated that same date. Maybe I bumped it on the hike out. Must be the default date of the operating system, eh?
Mark - A nomination like that from anyone else I'd take with a grain of salt. But from the TR Master? I'm smitten and blushing at the same time. My life is now complete. It can't get any better than this.
Yeah, Robie, skiing that water...
Mark - A nomination like that from anyone else I'd take with a grain of salt. But from the TR Master? I'm smitten and blushing at the same time. My life is now complete. It can't get any better than this.
Yeah, Robie, skiing that water...
Nice snow patch.
We have a special place in our hearts, here in the PNW for patches like that, especially if they endure for weeks or even months and they are close to the car.
How long did you have to carry to get to it?
We have a special place in our hearts, here in the PNW for patches like that, especially if they endure for weeks or even months and they are close to the car.
How long did you have to carry to get to it?
That's ok I'll send em the pictures and tell em it was 5000' .Them kentucky relatives will figure I'm lying for half of it so I'm still ahead 500' or so
Ended up Mt biking with Gary VOgt till dark.
Nice sky in the pics. That, the waterfall,and good friends with beer made my day.
Ended up Mt biking with Gary VOgt till dark.
Nice sky in the pics. That, the waterfall,and good friends with beer made my day.
Now that's a trip report! I particularly like the reference to hopelessly crushed dreams. I nominate this one for the Turns All Year Hall of Fame.
Sounds like fun Ron, especially the carb-replenishing beverages at the end. Though why do all the photos say 6.6.1999 on them? ;-)
Better safe than sorry. I made to around 12,000 feet took around 1 hour 5 minutes from Muir. I decided to go back down, I didn't want to be in a rush from the summit due to limited day light. Next time!!
Thanks Mark, thats all i was curious about. I was refering to the word 'firn' as anual pack but i guess it isnt firn quite yet.
way to get after it i'm jealous.
way to get after it i'm jealous.
Vince and I descended from the crater, ca. 9550 ft, down the Squak on Saturday: I assume that was you on your way up. I was on Rando and Vince was on Tele.
What a fabulous day. . .amazing. We skinned the whole way up and crossed the big crevasse at 8500+ by a rapidly deteriorating snow bridge and timely rope belay. That probably won't be skiable in a week or less, unless you jump. Above and below the snow was great fun, and down at the bottom steep sec...
What a fabulous day. . .amazing. We skinned the whole way up and crossed the big crevasse at 8500+ by a rapidly deteriorating snow bridge and timely rope belay. That probably won't be skiable in a week or less, unless you jump. Above and below the snow was great fun, and down at the bottom steep sec...
I was thinking the weather patterns of spring and early summer had more to do with the SW chute snow quality
Could it be a combination of both above average skier volume and weather patterns? It seems like upper elevations got a good amount of snow in late May thru early/mid June, then it warmed up rapidly not fully consolidating and everyone started hitting the bc. There was probably a higher concentration of skiers then since the weather for a...
Talking to Tom about Olympus got me psyched to try it, perhaps next year. And skiing with Tom and his lightweight gear (and sb on his a couple of weeks earlier) got me to return to my lightweight boots and realize that I had been taking my plastic boots for trips where they were overkill. It is really nice to be able to comfortably hike several miles of trail in ski boots, and not have all of that weight in the pack. Olympus sounds like one of those trips perfectly suited for such lightweight ge...
And of course I hope to remember bug spray. Is that why it's called spray park? ???
My friend who posts on TTips as Walter Sobhcak thought it was called Spray park because climbers go there to spray. ;)
And of course I hope to remember bug spray. Is that why it's called spray park? ???
Good one! That's interesting that you found lots of bugs, because when I was there last Wed-Thurs, I was surprised at how few there were in Spray Park compared to "normal".
There is a path over Knapsack Pass which is scenic, probably a little shorter, but probably just as much vertical (ups and downs either way). After the road has opened I usually t...
I'm not sure what you mean by "firn," which by my definition is snow which has survived one summer into the next season. All I saw up there was snow remaining from the winter just past, therefore not yet transformed into firn.
I didn't probe the snow anywhere, but the fact that hardly any crevasses are open, with only minimal dips in the glacier indicating gently sagging snowbridges, suggests that this year's snow still has some depth (and structural integrity) to it. On...
I didn't probe the snow anywhere, but the fact that hardly any crevasses are open, with only minimal dips in the glacier indicating gently sagging snowbridges, suggests that this year's snow still has some depth (and structural integrity) to it. On...
Nice report. I was climbing that day, through the dog route (ugh; had a friend with zero glacier experience, no Mazama). There was indeed a fair number of people skiing there, though some of them also descended the south route.
drC
drC
The snow surface was quite rough and heavily suncupped/cratered all the way from the top, the heavy traffic of June and early July has bombed out the surface on this route worse than I've ever seen before. I didn't think it was possible for a big mountain ski route to get so tracked out in summer conditions, but the SW Chutes have almost certainly seen more skiers this year than in any previous year and they appear to be suffering the ill effects....
Dreads... mabey- mabey not.
Any estimates on the amount of firn that is still left mid way up the Boulder- Park region?
Any estimates on the amount of firn that is still left mid way up the Boulder- Park region?
uh, no...
?
You wouldn't be referring to He of the blessed semi-dreadlock?
?
You wouldn't be referring to He of the blessed semi-dreadlock?
Just watch out for the granola guerilla...
You mean Granola Gorilla, right?
8)
Just watch out for the granola guerilla...
"Not tragic to die doing what you love. You want the ultimate thrill, you gotta be willing to pay the ultimate price..." 8)
Eh, Johnny?
Eh, Johnny?
I was just joking... it would be wrong to turn that trail into anything like the highways up to the CD or the Easton.
I think you misunderstood my point, which is to improve such trails for summer skiers (not necessarily for climbers or hikers).
I've long thought that the reason that some trails were left in an unmaintained condition (and thus allowed to deteriorate) by the USFS or NPS was simply a lack of funding or resources, not any de...
NO. We need to eradicate the trail. Then nobody will go there and we'll be able to ski fresh snow forever!!
You think that thing needs maintainance, Justin, do it with 188cm skis rather than your silly 166 board. ;D
In all seriousness, that trail should stay above the bogs, it would reduce the impact by a large amount. In general, though, I like that trail as is.
You think that thing needs maintainance, Justin, do it with 188cm skis rather than your silly 166 board. ;D
In all seriousness, that trail should stay above the bogs, it would reduce the impact by a large amount. In general, though, I like that trail as is.
----Maintaining a trail in general is a necessary evil. Not only do overgrown trails impede a hikers progress but they support alterior routes resulting in greater impacts to the environment. This can be a large problem in areas prone to erosion already, such as the side hilling opportunities above the meadow en route to the Boulder Glacier. Anyone who shows the initiative for basic trail maintanence should be applauded, just wait till the snow pack is at its thinest.