TR Replies
Think I ran into your party on my way up to longs last night. For anyone who's interested here's a shot of Stuart with Ulrichs (condition) clearly visible. This was taken last night (5/21) around 8pm. Surely more melting is taking place by the second... PM me if you want a hi res version.
Hey Pete! I was the guy who was milking you for beta in the parking lot as you guys were gearing up to head home yesterday. We camped at Longs pass last night and skied the Cascadian today. We headed off the false summit around 11 am and it was nice and soft from top to bottom where many shenanigans were had getting back to
Ingalls creek. Even snow bridges we has used (not to cross the main creek, just the side ones) in the morning had already melted out or collapsed. It&...
Ingalls creek. Even snow bridges we has used (not to cross the main creek, just the side ones) in the morning had already melted out or collapsed. It&...
Dan and Mike, thanks so much for indulging me, even with less than ideal conditions, and Mikes broken ski it was a grand trip! Given some of the route finding, it was great to have the two of you to share the load.
author=Pete A link=topic=38514.msg155900#msg155900 date=1495468310]
how narrow was it exiting the dogleg above the waterfall? - given the view from Longs Pass i would've have expected it to go. nicely done :)
Pete, the exit out of the dogleg was about 25' wide or so, with the runnel splitting the middle.
inspiring mission fellas! best of luck for a pleasant finish.
also, cool photo Charlie--interesting optical illusion re: Formidable's proximity to Cache Col; if only they were that close...
also, cool photo Charlie--interesting optical illusion re: Formidable's proximity to Cache Col; if only they were that close...
Wow, this is the first that I've heard of Forest and Trevor's current mission. Incredible. Nice job helping out with the resupply Lowell, and thanks for sharing here. I know those two will be needing all the food and calories they can get their hands on!
I hope they continue to have a safe and fun adventure! I can't wait to hear wait to hear more news and details about their trip in the coming weeks.
I hope they continue to have a safe and fun adventure! I can't wait to hear wait to hear more news and details about their trip in the coming weeks.
We were pretty sure that these were their faint down-tracks coming through Cache Col. It's not clear how the skiers negotiated the cornice.
Very best wishes for a safe and successful journey. Looking forward to the tale.
Very best wishes for a safe and successful journey. Looking forward to the tale.
how narrow was it exiting the dogleg above the waterfall? - given the view from Longs Pass i would've have expected it to go. nicely done :)
Everyone needs to know this was seriously a special tour in a place few visit. I will definitely be going back. Jamie's brilliance in finding adventure strikes again!
wasn't us...we were just a party of two. i think there were five parties of skiers on the route yesterday - one earlybird group that was on the way down around 10am, then two other groups near us on the same schedule, then another group of three about an hour behind the rest of us.
I think our party saw you? Were you the group of three hanging out on the upper boulder field around noon?
Major thanks for the head up...that image is SO tempting. One of these days I'm going to do it, with a buddy or two. Maybe even a belay in case things slip.
;D ;D ;D
Congrats! Hood was my first ski/mountaineering volcano summit as well. Really enjoy that one. Congrats!
Congrats! Hood was my first ski/mountaineering volcano summit as well. Really enjoy that one. Congrats!
Cool, I would love to hear more about your august trip, especially the route you took and the difference in conditions on the steeper ribs toward the back of the cirque. I think Frank is on to something with planning it out as more of an ascent decent oriented tour than following the trail. Other than going back for Appleton I will likely need to let the memory consolidate along with the snowpack into just the best parts before I convince myself to go back there... the place does work on ones mi...
Thanks for the TR. I'm jealous---that's one of my favorite places in the whole world. I've only skied it once, in August 2013 I think, when we had even longer-lasting snow than we'll probably have this year.
Here is pic from our trip several days before Telemack's trip. A few days before the weekend, there was that first big warm up where the snow levels were above 10,000 feet. On Sunday, we climbed in socked in fog and only got sun and views at the summit. The snow level was way down and there was about a 1/2 inch of new snow. The turns were dust on a very hard crust, since we didn't wait around for the sun. We wanted to ski back down the front to the skiers right from the summit, but...
author=KickSteps link=topic=38467.msg155819#msg155819 date=1494889440]
Any chance you looked at the NE Chute, down from the summit of Ellinor?
The one leading down to Lake Ellinor and Jefferson Creek, right? I did take a peek. The main central entry was uncorniced and doable but there were lips on the sides where steeper entries lie. There was no sign of recent slide activity, in contrast to the S side where there was...
...it looks wonderfully desserted out there! Good effort.
Thanks for the report Julia!
Fun skiing with you.
Fun skiing with you.
author=kamtron link=topic=38469.msg155765#msg155765 date=1494609772]
Only heard about one descent through the big gully:
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=33860.0
And from the same author of this TR. Nice job tabski!
Thanks for the link kamtron
Yes a lot of good information packed into a succinct report! Much appreciated.
Thanks for a nice report in from a novel, beautiful place.
That looks like a lot of fun to drop into.
Any chance you looked at the NE Chute, down from the summit of Ellinor?
Coincidentally, I just identified this exact spot on a map yesterday for future consideration for skiing or backpacking. :)
author=Wachusett link=topic=38483.msg155807#msg155807 date=1494870024]
Can't believe you didn't kill those G3 skins.
Probably left 'em behind on purpose, eh?
author=bigeo link=topic=38483.msg155803#msg155803 date=1494864240]
Can't believe you didn't kill that roach.
Figured Jeff Sessions was organizing a sting so we left it. Maybe that explains the missing snowboarder: busted before burning it all the way down.
Can't believe you didn't kill those G3 skins.
~4 inches of fresh/new Saturday afternoon up high... turns above 6,000 or so were excellent! That first bit right at the start will probably turn into a short(very short?) walk with the upcoming sun later this week... but once you get above the base the mountain is in great shape.
Can't believe you didn't kill that roach.
Thanks for the comments! We saw old tracks the entire route... were those yours?
Tyler and Dave got a look at the Swath the night before we skied out and didn't think it was in shape any more. Ty was also keen to ski down into White Pine Cirque which was still in good shape. It's an impressive basin.
Tyler and Dave got a look at the Swath the night before we skied out and didn't think it was in shape any more. Ty was also keen to ski down into White Pine Cirque which was still in good shape. It's an impressive basin.
Awesome job, great timing with the weather! I'm curious why you opted to not ski the Swauth. About a week before your trip we found great conditions. Do you think the warm up around May 4 caused some big cornices to drop? Thanks again for the TR!
Gone over to the Dark Side, eh? You'll have to surrender your handle.
Great pics, Frank - What a place. Beautiful.
It's pretty fascinating over there in the Olympics. Plenty of unknown trips tucked away around each corner. But I can see why it's not hugely attractive to most skiers. Still, Appleton should be worthy, or just more time in Seven Lakes Basin for skiing endless short runs. Or more carefully map out the full High Divide route as a series of ascents and descents, to skip some of the more challenging/hazardous traverses, probably as a 3 day trip. Or I could just stay over here and keep ski...
You're calling Mark Twain an internet addict? That's cool.
At my house sometimes Beethoven comes over to watch TV.
author=freeski link=topic=38287.msg155786#msg155786 date=1494790500]
if the moderators lock the thread it would be censorship and you fought so hard here to defend your right to say anything you want on the internet, however maybe that standard doesn't apply to others?
When you start engaging in vicious name-calling, I don't see anything humorous about that Behavior and that behavior should definitely not be part of the internet culture....
Awesome. Hope the boots worked out OK.
author=silaswild link=topic=38477.msg155778#msg155778 date=1494694390]
Walk 10 yards from the lodge, then skin.
Blech. A 3 meter carry is outside my tolerance window. Maybe I can find someone to carry my skis for me.
Well put Drew! The mts give and the mts take, but for me, at the end of the day
they have given more than they have taken.
they have given more than they have taken.
The snowpack is holding up great there! Thanks for the update on conditions and nice photos!
author=freeski link=topic=38287.msg155734#msg155734 date=1494448046]
Lowell,I think that culture was a good choice of words
Webster's definition of culture"the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations".
I would say that when threads rise to the level of conduct that is demonstrated here, Maybe it's time...
Thanks for the photos. Having gotten more into backcountry skiing the last few years I've become much more fascinated/aware of the behaviors of late season snowpacks. The river-like nature of that path calls to mind sluices I've seen on Tuckerman Ravine......but on a much more massive, destructive scale!
Here's a baby sluice on Tuckerman.
https://vimeo.com/128211098
Here's a baby sluice on Tuckerman.
https://vimeo.com/128211098