TR Replies

I claimed my traditional position far to the rear on this trip, with others more energetic than myself far out front, heroically breaking trail up 45 degree powder slopes.  Under sb's guidance, we toured through spectacular terrain to one of the northerly bowls on Mt. Herman, then finished with a run on the north side of Table Mountain.  North aspects featured dense, very stable powder; southerly exposures got sloppy in the sun and tended to sluff on a layer within the recent (18") storm sn...

Interesting. At the ski area today, I counted six slabs on Shuksan Arm & one on top of Hemispheres. All seemed to be on lee slopes.

Thanks for the useful information. I haven't skied down to the bridge in several years, but I was hoping to do it again this spring before the snow melts down there. By the way, I think the word you're looking for is "nunatak", meaning "a hill or mountain completely surrounded by glacial ice."

In the past few year s the skiers right  of nanatucks has been better

:)

This is a response to Paul, and nothing more:

Your overnight pack is NOT an overnight pack.  

Thank you, I have nothing else to say.

Nice photo, Lowell! I backpacked around that area one time and thought it seemed like an island of North Cascades in the middle of the Alpine Lakes, as in the big terrain in your photo

Did everybody bring a personal keg or something? My overnight pack is half the size of those monsters!

I like the shot of the snow bunny...

Ya know something Mark, it's been a bit of a bewilderment to me too.  I have been watching Ron for the past umpteen years and never quite figured out where he hides all that overnight stuff.  When we get to camp his pack is like the endless cavern of cool stuff.  Just a little secret, don't ever offer to trade packs with him cause when you pick up that little snippit of a pack, you'll soon discover that looks can be deceiving.   ;D

Great job on the photo work, Jerry.
That was a bunch of photos, which is a bunch of work.

A fun and rewarding weekend. Great to watch people go through those scenarios, very insightful.  My photos are @  

We skied down the couloir, out the bottom, then glided across the flat (and up) to the 'rib' on the left edge of the glacier (in the moraine?).  

At about 6200 we cut back onto the glacier proper with some turns down off the 'rib'.  Then we cut back to the left to follow the glacer down stream and worked our way around to the left of the 'nanatuk', at least I think that's what you call the big rock at the bottom.

We then skied the steeper slope on the skiers left of the...

We debated between this and the Paradise Glacier as well.  The coverage at the bridge was pretty good.  Maybe 3 feet?  But that's just a guess I wasn't really paying much attention....

Nice imaginative tour! I bet the dogs were glad to be home on Saturday night.

Nice one, Phil. That's what I call a real ski tour - use those skis to cover some distance!

I am curious about your route from Lennox down to Money Creek via Goat Basin. I did a hike up there one fall to check out the terrain, and thought it would be a good ski with enough snow down low. From your photo "Our route down to the valley" it looks like you descended around the skier's right side of Goat Lake, and then stayed skier's right of the main drainage out of Goat Lake down to...

From Justin's report it sounds like an hour made some difference...
We left the summit around 2-ish.

Were you on skis?  I think being on a snowboard makes the snow feel more firm.  I remember looking back up the slope, I could see plenty of ski tracks but none of our board tracks.  Of course, That's why we are so good in powder  ;D

Great pics, Justin!  maybe a stupid question, but which parking lot were you guys all leaving from?  the climbers bivy or the sno park?  I'm thinking of climbing it this week.

Well our party of 10 contributed to the Sat. horde. Actually I think there were more dogs on the mountain than people. Too bad they had to walk down.

We left at 7:30 and took our time, patiently waiting for the  temp to rise or sun to warm up the snow. We skinned up about 1/3 of the way and then booted it the rest because it was too icy. Yawn! From Justin's report it sounds like an hour made some difference. (I remember seeing you with the yellow approach skis.)

We left the su...

Looks like the Dutchess led you pilgrums directly to the goods.  Way to go, Dorothea.

Great job Phil - thanks for putting all of the photos in the TR, it really brings the trip alive.

Forgot to mention this trip was led by "The Duchess"
AKA Dorothea.

Sorry Corey, no photos exist . . . I realized near Puyallup that I had forgotten my digicam at home, way too late to turn around and get it. First time that's happened, a real bummer, especially because the last time I skied in that area was in early 1997, also without a camera. So I may have to head up to Van Trump again this spring, just to get some good shots.

Skinut, how were snow conditions near Cowlitz Rocks?

We skied past there today and saw the crown. It's a little weathered, but still very evident.

Went up Granite, then skied off the north side & traversed back west to hit the pass between Granite & W. Granite. Then traversed SW around the hill to eventually hit the Ollalie Lake trail at 3K. Just a day exploring since the ski conditions sucked. Lack of sun kept most of the mountain from corning up, just frozen wind, sun crust.

Surly and stubborn is my kinda guy. no problem abotu him sending them to me.if he gives me the OK I'll just lift them from here.
Thanks

Much better said than I could have done - thanks! Also a way to have a little more fun than just sideslipping when your descent is a long traverse.

I forgot to add that this trip was the first real test of my new waxless skis (Outtabounds) in the conditions for which they are best suited - spring snow - and again I was impressed with their performance. I know that people generally characterize these skis as not being as good climbers as other current generation waxless skis, like those fr...