TR Replies

Yes, thanks for the photo links! Lots of great shots showing those of us who have never made it there (yet) what the terrain is like. The low snowpack is really striking, but it looks like the group found enough coverage to have a good time. The panoramas are great, too.

At least in my memory there was even more like 5-8" of powder on some of the slopes we farmed on the last day of the trip (when our visions of a reasonable return time to Seattle evaporated due to the thought of "hmm, when will we likely next see any snow like this??). It was a very fun trip which included some 4-500 vf slope farming on high ridges and glades as well as an awesome ski up a 9000+ ft peak with views of the Wallowa range and the ice fog that plagued the valleys while we e...

Matt,

  If you short a skiing partner for tours such as this just let me know. I'm free seven days a week 24 hours a day and ready to tour on a moments notice. I'll be doing plenty solo trips this year if the weather and snowpack cooperate.
Darin

I skied across it.  Pole probes showed a few inches of snow on top of a few inches of slush, below that I was afraid to look.  Walking across may not be recommended, but skiing was OK.

Maximum Slope angle on the Worm Flows route?
If you stay on the main climbing route that tens to be on ridgelines, then I would say about 30 degrees. There might be a few slopes near the top that are 35, but they dont last long. Hope this helps

Scott:
What would you say is the maximum slope angle you encountered on the route?

Hey markharf,
The NWAC mentioned turns-all-year in their monday detailed avalanche forcast because of your post about the remaining powder in the baker backcountry.  way to go.

Good report, Mark.
You DO seem to have a handle on the Baker goods.

You certainly do seem to get around, Zap.

Hi Greg:

Yep, that was me.  All that whining I was doing about my knee on that trip in September turned out related to a torn meniscus and related damage, which kept me out of action until recently (didn't miss much, from the sound of it).  I'm now back to a once-a-week-backcountry schedule, mostly up around this area, mostly Saturday, Sunday or Monday.  Glad to ski with any or all of you again; get in touch through Pete or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Hope you're enjoying...

How's this for a good example of inversion/easterly flow effects: the telemetry shows that yesterday Paradise had a high of 64 degrees, while the three Snoqualmie Pass stations reached 26-30 degrees with a constant east wind. From up on the Muir I could see that a lot of valleys east of the Crest were filled with fog, and that the fog was flowing westward through gaps in the Crest like White Pass.

If that was the intro to spring skiing, we're in big trouble!

Allen, thanks for the good info on Muir. I'm also planning on going up to Paradise tomorrow (1/17), don't know if I will have any partners, but I will look for you and your friend. I'm hoping to be to the gate by 9:00. I'm most interested in finding good skiing, and if that happens to be on the Muir...great. But there are a lot of other good places to go from Paradise for turns, so I don't have any fixed plans. I'll send you an email now as well.

well, as soon as I posted that last sentence, another friend called and wants to go tomorrow (friday). So I guess I'll do it again, but it better start snowing, I don't want to do this every week.

Here's a few more details ...
A few weeks ago on a Sunday when David, Sky, and I were parked for a tour on Heliotrope we drove beyond the sign marked "No Motorized Vehicles Beyond This Point" which is located about 1 mile from the TH.  We parked close to the TH and as we were leaving to tour we were "buzzed" by maybe 10 biler's.  They stopped and were hanging around with engines running when one of them came up and said he didn't mean to be a dickhead but that he...

Actually, you are absolutely correct, the groomer essentially begins as far down in elevation as he needs to.  So, if the snow becomes rather deep after milepost 2, this is where the groomer begins.  From this perspective, one could argue it's a benefit for us skiers.  Although I've known some pretty rugged 4wd vehicles coupled with chains able to get up some pretty hairy FS roads before.  The point being is the harassment that we subject ourselves to if one goes beyond the p...

I agree, the thin snowpack is the big issue this year in the Kendall area, there was only 3' of base in the big trees at the ridgetop near the second knob. However the tree growth issue isn't going to go away like a light snow year will. Fifteen years ago the first mile of the road was in open clearcut, now the trees are 25-30' tall. We snowcamped there once and had a plain view of all the ski areas, I am completely unable to recognize where we camped now.

I'm glad to see the fore...

Thanks, Don.
Nice Pics.

Tim, are you going with a guide or on your own? The former makes it easy. Just listen to your guide. If the latter, be aware of a hoar frost layer now ~2 feet down (similar to the bed surface of the recent CM fatality accident). This layer had our guides' attention. What a guide would advise: Dig pits to profile the snow, carry probes, do not use safety straps (use ski brakes instead), ski cut the top of open slopes and ski them one at a time and stop in a place of safety, keep with a partner in...

I was up at Margaret, just down the road on the 12th, and though I'm sure the trees are growing, the bigger issue is just the thin snowpack. About 30 more inches of snow (70+ showing on the telemetry or as base at the ski area) will make a HUGE difference on the clearcut slopes with all the tight little trees - they'll stop being obstacles and turn into gates. Once we get close to 100 inches most will just go away  :D

pictures at http://wcug.wwu.edu/~dan/retzlaff/muir2003a

Thanks CW, I'm always looking for new partners who want to try it out.

Here's an article on making lines:

http://server35.hypermart.net/skijor/line_article.html

They'll often drag my gear and I'll ski behind all that, tied in.  That can get pretty weird.

Regarding suitable trails, grades, I'm still coming to grips with it, even after 6 years of skiing under dog power.  I've found, basically anything in the Kirkendall-Spring series is ideal.  Skinning un...

You call that a ski tour Dave?  Baaaa!  Child's play my friend ... child's play!!!   ;)  

In all seriousness congrats on a climb successful.  I was driving by Baker on my way to Whistler on Friday as the sun was going down ... it was a memorable sunset ... the mountain loomed large ... glad to hear you were there up close and personal.  I knew you were there and had the feeling you guys were going to town.  Glad you were safe and took advantage of the we...

bill, we dug a pit at the very top and found very good bonding. the crust was quite thin, noticeable but not at all slick. same for lower elevations, noticed via pole probing, i think the cold temps kept the crust in check...

it was three sided.  it slid as a unit and was very unambiguous.  i had no second thoughts about turning around, particularly since in know that slope doesn't have much in the way of tree protection.  

ema,

how did you find the new knee deep bonding with the sun/rain crust below?

Bill G