TR Replies
Thanks, Ron. Nice photos. Unfortunately, whenever I look I hear the scritching sound of metal edges skidding on steep crust. It's kind've disconcerting.
Thanks, folks. Good to know I've got "the weightiest of the bunch" and the one with the take-no-prisoners helmet on my side. Conditions will surely have shifted in one direction or the other by this weekend, and with a little luck this will discourage the toters of shotguns.
Ajt, I don't have much of a setup specific to those skis. My lightest (and only) boots are T-2's, so I wore them with thermoflexes, but I'm sure I'd be just as happy with Excursions...
Ajt, I don't have much of a setup specific to those skis. My lightest (and only) boots are T-2's, so I wore them with thermoflexes, but I'm sure I'd be just as happy with Excursions...
Well, I'm glad to hear it was just as bad north as it was south. I went up the Suntop Lookout road off Hwy 410 the bright sunny Sunday morning before on waxless Karhu Pinnacle touring skis. All ice, with dog and ski tracks too skinny for mine to follow, topped with generous helpings of aspen and fir needles. The road is so shaded it never melted out except at a couple of switchbacks. I didn't even leave any tracks most of the way up and down. Met 2 snowshoers and a family with...
cool trip report. 8) just wondering what your setup is with the outtabounds, i.e. boots/bindings? no-wax shaped skis seem like a good option for touring with turns.
ajt
ajt
It was obvious that I was already overdue to turn around, but of course, I kept going. This is the way of it, in skiing as in holiday feasts. Excess is all.
"Anything worth doing is worth over doing" ;D
Thanks for the smiles.
A good read, Mark.
Good info, too. Glad you got your new waxless rigs aired out.
Good info, too. Glad you got your new waxless rigs aired out.
I'm not sure how long it will be before the power and sewer is restored - I've been out of the loop. You can bet Booth Creek wants it fixed ASAP so don't count on Alp being this season's touring mecca.
I was referring to the trail out of lot 4 that heads to Source Lake. Any variation up Snakedance or Lower I could put you on a control route. A general rule of thumb is to expect control work for 6" or more at the lodge - but this can vary...
I was referring to the trail out of lot 4 that heads to Source Lake. Any variation up Snakedance or Lower I could put you on a control route. A general rule of thumb is to expect control work for 6" or more at the lodge - but this can vary...
Hey there A-Trol!
I do remember you, you had just skinned up unto the ridge when I went over to Edelweiss. Maybe I'll see you there sometime. Me with the Blue Helmut...
Good info. Yes, indeed, I will definitely climb under the lifts in the future - on Thanksgiving I figured no one would be on the mtn and I could see the control work had been done the day before. That, and I wanted to inspect the line in case I wanted to descend via International - I'm still...
I do remember you, you had just skinned up unto the ridge when I went over to Edelweiss. Maybe I'll see you there sometime. Me with the Blue Helmut...
Good info. Yes, indeed, I will definitely climb under the lifts in the future - on Thanksgiving I figured no one would be on the mtn and I could see the control work had been done the day before. That, and I wanted to inspect the line in case I wanted to descend via International - I'm still...
Right on Mattaeus! Nice TR and cool photo. I'm glad that there were good conditions. In retrospect, I bet you're glad that I cancelled on Friday, it probably would have been miserable.
Hey MW88888. I think I saw you at Alp at the top of Ch 2 Thursday AM. I skinned up on my splitter ascending Ch 1 and then the ridge and was just getting to the top as you were talking with a patroler at the lift shack. I went inside to connect my board and i think you were gone by the time I came out.
I did a run down the ridge and the fan and then climbed back up and rode down International, Adrenalin and lower I making it home in time for turkey. It really was good.
I'm a Patrole...
I did a run down the ridge and the fan and then climbed back up and rode down International, Adrenalin and lower I making it home in time for turkey. It really was good.
I'm a Patrole...
testing webshots.com, two photos at
http://community.webshots.com/album/102877402oPSVIl
http://community.webshots.com/album/102877402oPSVIl
Great report Matthaeus - one TR and you are already writing like a veteran! It was very interesting to hear and read reports from various locations and aspects, with lots of variability due to the previous rain below ~6500' and then sun warming (or lack thereof). We got a lot of good photos, some of which I will post on TAY homepage next Monday (12/8). In the meantime, a view of the object of our desires as we start up for a second run:
My friend dropped a ski twice on pan point. It was a bad day for dropping skis. Once it just slid down into a shallow basin. The second time it disappeared over the "edge" of pan point (somewhere between pebble creek and pan face), off toward the Nisqually. I thought it was a goner. Somehow it got hung up on a tree just before going off the cliff.
Lower down, a snowboarder lost her grip on her board somewhere between glacier vista and alta vista. &n...
Lower down, a snowboarder lost her grip on her board somewhere between glacier vista and alta vista. &n...
Four of us followed your snowshoe friends till about 1000yrds north of creek crossing just before the ice caves . Crust was getting thinner dropping from 6" to 1/2". Underlying snow at that point was still unconsolidated. We just didn't think it was goiing to be any better so We turned around and skied back on the "Unbreakable noisy crust"
Matthaeus makes Arnold Schwarzenneger look like a weakling! When we decided to switch from boots to skins, my Tourlite binding heels seemed to be stuck in downhill only mode, he quickly twisted one with his "little finger", but the other failed to budge. So I tried to boot on up the hill but found some crust too thin for my burly belly, and began sinking knee deep and more.
I headed down, hoping to find a stiffer slope for my next venture up, but Matthaeus was able to loosen t...
I headed down, hoping to find a stiffer slope for my next venture up, but Matthaeus was able to loosen t...
Man.... maybe it sounds silly, but I am kind of saddened by the bridge going down. I have so many positive memories of walking across that thing, so full of excitement and anticipation in the morning, tired but so happy in the afternoon.
But most of all, how will this affect the opeining date for Alpental? I love skinning the area before it opens, I always have, but I also have a season pass and I'm ready to use it. I haven't ridden any lifts yet which is odd, I us...
But most of all, how will this affect the opeining date for Alpental? I love skinning the area before it opens, I always have, but I also have a season pass and I'm ready to use it. I haven't ridden any lifts yet which is odd, I us...
second hand info, a friend of mine snowshoed out to Cowlitz Rocks on Sunday, didn't bring his boards cause he figured everything would be breakable crust, but he said that the upper paradise glacier looked to be evenly covered in good packed powder, no crust at the elevation of Cowltiz rocks, and little deformation from wind on the glacier. Could've been a good destination to ski this weekend. I tried to find something decent around Herman Saddle on saturday...breakable crust and zero visi...
Just an illusion I guess - it was all new snow, although there were a few ice patches next to the rock fields.
I was hoping that there would be a report from the Muir. We stayed down in Edith Cr area to harvest November corn (TR on its way), but topped out near Golden Gates for our last run and got a look at the Muir around Anvil Rock. It looked like there was a lot of old dirty snow showing between the bands of new snow - it that what it was actually like or was that just an illusion? The whole area above 7K looked pretty wind-blasted.
Yup ron j and just in time. I heard they opened southback yesterday and short northback as well. My 2 ski buds went for sure. I can only imagine the crowds reactions when they reached silver king and saw all our tracks since no new storms hit. It happens every year. As for northback I saw people walking from the traditional lower E lot exit on thanksgiving. Hope they had their rock boards. Everytime I have hittin it with this amount of snow my board always comes out smelling like pine and...
Neat bridge photo. I hope you don't mind but I've posted your photo on TelemarkTips w/ credits to you and a link back to this thread.
Jeff
Jeff
nice report, snoslut.
So I'm thinking you were in Silver Basin and the "summit" was Silver King??
So I'm thinking you were in Silver Basin and the "summit" was Silver King??
we headed up Pan Pt Sat in dense fog, 1/2 way up 2 of the 4 of us thought it was too dangerous to continue; on the way down we got passed by a half-dozen or more going up; we skied mush to the parking lot; I kept wondering what it was like up on Muir and if the fog cleared to come down.
Sunday, I XC to Reflection Lake with my 9-month pregnant (due in 1 week) stepdaughter; frozen rock hard bullet proof crust; saw the fracture lines all below Voss Peak.
Sunday, I XC to Reflection Lake with my 9-month pregnant (due in 1 week) stepdaughter; frozen rock hard bullet proof crust; saw the fracture lines all below Voss Peak.
Nothing complicated, Ron. Eric Feigl tells me it was named that by Dave Knutson because of its proximity to Norse (Norsk) Peak.
Eric and Dave were skiing partners of Joe Firey. They were making first ski ascents in the Cascades and Coast Range decades ago.
Eric and Dave were skiing partners of Joe Firey. They were making first ski ascents in the Cascades and Coast Range decades ago.
Good info, Brent.
So is that the name for the east ridge containing Norse Pk, East Pk, and Hauser... Lutefisk Ridge?
You old pros have all kinds of cool goodies for us...
So what's the story behind that name?
So is that the name for the east ridge containing Norse Pk, East Pk, and Hauser... Lutefisk Ridge?
You old pros have all kinds of cool goodies for us...
So what's the story behind that name?
Hola from Puerto Vallarta! Great photos!!! Sure is nice to see all that snow at Paradise. Looking forward to being back in town and skiing soon. It's way to hot for snow here ;D
Happy Thanksgiving to all. 8)
Happy Thanksgiving to all. 8)
Yeah, that's the one.
Lemme see if I can stick it in the tr above...
WooHoo... Got it :D
Lemme see if I can stick it in the tr above...
WooHoo... Got it :D
I like to thank the poachers for packing down SE side of King. Every year somebody does and its alot of work. By the way, for the people who were back there, has an exist trail been cut yet? I mean the quarter mile or so of flats that go over 2 large ponds (not henskin lake). Must have been alot of work for the lone boarder unless its a split board. Well I'll be back there is sometime this weekend to check it out and brush up on snow analysis techniques.
I meant Silver Basin (Crystal is the next Basin to the south I believe). Wow, so it was torn up by some motivated folks. Interesting. Thanks for the update above - that's the info I was looking for.
After a few runs last Saturday the 21st I decided my legs were to tired to ski in the area. Therefore, using common sense I decided to skin from chair 4 to some of the rolling knolls near 3 way (FFF) for some easy powder turns. In the Silver Basin I saw saw a group of at least 10 gun-ho skiers and one boarder. They had music and a party atmosphere! They put an awesome safe skin track up the North facing Silver Basin bowl. They skied the whole South basin, other than the far SE side of the basin...
Thanks for the update. I spoke to a couple of guys from the Patrol who expressed the same conditions in A Basin - releases going to ground. North and South backcountry have not opened yet this season. High Campbell Basin sure was nice on Monday. Did you ski Damn Fine Forest or Lizard Back Ridge ?
Zap
Zap
No tracks through the bowl that we could see, I did not see any signs of control, but visability was not good enough to see the whole bowl. I don't think southback has opened at all, but if it has opened before it was not opened yesterday.
Great info, thanks. Did you notice anyone traversing into Crystal Basin from the ski area (any tracks in the bowl). I wonder if they have done any avy work back there yet? Do you know if the south back has even "opened" to lift skiers yet?
Juan & nickd...thanks for the additional update and (nickd) for the word of caution. I'm new to the board here but was pleasently supprised to have you respond. Good to know both of you are experienced and are watching out for your back side. Nothing takes the place of on-the-hill observations but to get a feel for what's happening before hand is great.
I'm a 20 year + BC skier but up in them-thar-hills the hazard is nothing to take lightly - what a week of snow fall we've had...
I'm a 20 year + BC skier but up in them-thar-hills the hazard is nothing to take lightly - what a week of snow fall we've had...
We just missed you (by an hour ;D we slept in), then headed back to Mazama to do 9-11 and the sister slope to west (the steep South-facing slopes above the back bowl of Mazama); the day before (in 11-18 degrees F weather) we did 6 runs down the west-facing slope of Mazama + 1 down the back bowl. On Thursday, I skied alone and broke trail in 21 inches of new snow from the parking lot to the top of Mazama, skied down once and back to the car, took 3 1/2 hours and the parking lot was em...
Don, I was also out with there among several groups. Would add some rocks at that appr 5900' roll off of the basin to look for. Yes, fairly brushy below the usual creek crossing. The dumps this week may cure that. VERY IMPORTANT: We checked with patrol and they had seen several slides to the ground faceted layer. They felt it is still very dangerous especially on the usual north and east aspects. Talked to two groups doing Union Creek that day and they saw nothing slide. So I guess some things t...
Don, if you were to point 'em straight down to the parking lot you would hit alot of shrubs. however, we skied selctively all the way to the car with no problem. had to stick to the skin track in a couple spots is all..
juan...thanks for the update. That's one of my favorite places to BC near Crystal. Was wondering how the tour was up thru the tree's from the bottom. A bit thin in pack I assume.
Did you hit any rocks coming off the upper ridge?
To a deep winter...
Did you hit any rocks coming off the upper ridge?
To a deep winter...
forgot to say that total depths were around 4'
I made it to the top lift station via Internationale, and upper Internationale had the goods! Followed a couple up a decent skin track, so didn't have to break trail (woo! the short pieces I did break were WORK). Worth a long lap on the best 600ft near top for sure. I was worried that the talus would be poking thru here but for most part the slope was 1-2 feet of primo powder. Downhill edge was tending to collapse a lot, so it was hard to maintain good form. Things got less primo about a third o...
Skinned up at Snoqualmie airport (i.e. Summit West) a few times. Quite a few folks on skins or fishscale/metal edges were checking out the snow. The upper part had excellent 12-18 inches of powder, which got heavier and scantier towards the bottom.
I was up near the Tooth today, trying to climb something. Took my skis for kicks. The trail to Snow Lake isn't really skiable, too many creeks and bare spots. I got some really nice turns in on the approach gully to Great Scott Bowl. Hit a rock. >:(
Wow, G_J, nice photo and nice looking snow!
Went back today and cleaned up where I left off. This time with my short board. I had a little time so I began hiking up above the Express lift, but found the snow too deep without my snow shoes. And breaking trail would have been hell alone. I'm with Ross, the better skiing was in the middle so I yo-yod that section twice today.
I skipped out on my last class of the day to go do some hiking at Alpental. I started hiking at around noon. Thanks to MW8888888 for the steps, I can't imagine being the first one. Unfortunately enough, I brought my older rock board. I have way outgrown it (Its a 155 and I am 6'5"). Had to straightline everything leaning WAY back just to stay afloat. I guess thats the price for 2 feet of dry powder.
I skinned the Silver Fir chair at Ski Acres this morning. I got some decient turns during a couple of laps on the upper part of the "Outback" run. Too much brush and little creeks on the lower section -- but no rock damage to my skis.
Updated to include photo
Updated to include photo
Alpental was sweet yesterday. Left the upper parking lot and made three laps on lower nash. Trail breaking was a pain but yo-yo-ing made for fast skiining after the track was in. Stability was good, nothing moving on the skin or on the ski. Lots of little sluffs coming off of the cliffs above but nothing major. Some small point release of the newer snow came down and covered parts of the skin track but again just small amounts, here and there. Over all stabili...