TR Replies
Only heard about one descent through the big gully:
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=33860.0
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=33860.0
nice! We were the first up Eldo on Sunday and it looked like no one had been to the summit in some time. Didn't have big enough balls to skin along the knife edge but I did have fun kicking steps...at least the snow was soft up high.
I'm curious if anyone is aware of any ski descents on the south face of Eldo? There was a gnarly bergshrund at the base but it looked like it *could* go if someone was ballsy enough...
I'm curious if anyone is aware of any ski descents on the south face of Eldo? There was a gnarly bergshrund at the base but it looked like it *could* go if someone was ballsy enough...
Yeah that is impressive. Not a quick place to get to for me but I would love hear or see more about that one.
Your HUGE avy photos are interesting. It has been a few years since I took a group there. Never have seen that size of avy there. Luckily. ;)
succinct yet plenty descriptive -- thanks tabski. wondering how things were shaping up, or down.
It's the year of debris for sure, widespread apparently. Settling back into planular in the lower elevations...
Like the moody photo. Thanks for the report.
Like the moody photo. Thanks for the report.
You guys nailed the weather! Beautiful pictures.
Looks like a beauty of a day. Did you guys ski back through Lone Pass?
There were a number of ants crawling on the snow at summit west too. Even in the middle of the open slope with quite a ways to the nearest opening or tree. What do they do... crawl up through the snow from their colonies down below?
They like the yummy corn as much as we do? :)
They like the yummy corn as much as we do? :)
Louis Ulrich was his name. He lived in Yakima I believe, and had quite a few first ascents in the 20's and 30's. I found a photo of him snowshoeing at White Pass in 1987.
Ed, so dissapointing to see you posting something here which is not a first descent. Old age must be kicking in :D
author=Norseman link=topic=38446.msg155699#msg155699 date=1494309866]
Ausgezeichnet
FTFY :D
And here I was thinking that year of German in college went to waste...
geradlinig? ...viel zu schnell mein Junge! Wedeln... immer fantastisch.
besonders mit blauen Turnhosen.
besonders mit blauen Turnhosen.
Thank you very much for the report!
thanks for report.
Necessary to mention that MSH permits are a sham. Private non-profits harvests $8 off the $22 permit. $5 to MSHI and $3 to their non-profit processing partner. You used to get something mailed to you for a $2 processing fee, now you just print it out yourself. With the ubiquitous of web hosting and payment processing it's hard to imagine how those costs increased while reducing postage and printing, a highly manual process.
And MSHI gets ~$60k a year...
Necessary to mention that MSH permits are a sham. Private non-profits harvests $8 off the $22 permit. $5 to MSHI and $3 to their non-profit processing partner. You used to get something mailed to you for a $2 processing fee, now you just print it out yourself. With the ubiquitous of web hosting and payment processing it's hard to imagine how those costs increased while reducing postage and printing, a highly manual process.
And MSHI gets ~$60k a year...
The gain-to-pain ratio is so much more subjective than my 50-50 ratio for hiking vs skiing.
For someone like The Rolfs who is willing to carry 4,000 vertical feet to ski a 1,000 vert, the G2P ratio is a beautiful thing -- who besides you is to say the gain wasn't worth the pain?
For someone like The Rolfs who is willing to carry 4,000 vertical feet to ski a 1,000 vert, the G2P ratio is a beautiful thing -- who besides you is to say the gain wasn't worth the pain?
author=avajane link=topic=38422.msg155663#msg155663 date=1494211209]
I used to ski the Sierras when young but never Backcountry. This epic year, I would like to get down there and do something! What do you think about something like Sugarbowl to Squaw Valley? Still snow for a while? Or Desolation Wilderness. I've hiked all that years ago in the summer. Also thinking about the Southern Sierra near Mammoth. You know any of this stuff?
Kinda swapping destinations, you were on Rainier and I was on Sloan Sunday. Are you on a corn harvest trip? I haven skied any corn yet, just late powder snow.
We drove up spur road to Beverly and stopped at bridge, about 1 mile from leaving main Teanaway road. One big snow patch and then bare to Beverly trailhead.
Nice work! How far did you have to park from continuous snow on the road?
Yeehaw! What time did you ski off the top and were you able to drive up to fairly continuous snow (or were there huge gaps of dirt)? I'm thinking of hitting it on Weds.
Louis Ulrich, some kind of bad-ass climber from the 1930s. Lowell would have the poop on him.
We skied in via the drop, and were able to ski most of the way into the valley, then had to remove our skis and descend/traverse for about 100 feet, then were able to ski the rest of the way into the valley. However, a few hundred feet into the descent we had to cross a glide crack that will not have an easy crossing for much longer. Also, be warned that there are now a wide variety of tacks into and out of the valley, and many of them follow lines that are distinctly cascadian. ...
Excellent description of not excellent conditions! Sure doesn't appeal to me.
Interesting that small changes in aspect/exposure yielded big changes in conditions. Glad you at least got some nice turns.
Please: if you approached via the drop instead of the traverse: how low could you ski into the White Salmon valley before hitting turf? I.e., how low is the workable snow line?
Thanks again for sharing the conditions. I might get a win...
Interesting that small changes in aspect/exposure yielded big changes in conditions. Glad you at least got some nice turns.
Please: if you approached via the drop instead of the traverse: how low could you ski into the White Salmon valley before hitting turf? I.e., how low is the workable snow line?
Thanks again for sharing the conditions. I might get a win...
I was out with slien, and to elaborate on the conditions, they were poor in a wide variety of ways that were highly spatially variable. The snow in the route has not entered any kind of melt-refreze cycle except a hard punchy crust on some portions of the route that is unlike the typical sun crust on transitional snow packs. To make things more complicated there are runnel features that are probably the results of debris scouring the face over the course of the winter, which have aged into rea...
Ditto - interesting to hear about the crack too. Is this a new feature? I don't recall seeing / hearing about it previously.
How poor were the conditions? Slushy, grabby, crusty, icy, what--please elaborate for those unable to get out yesterday...and thanks for the news and report!
Yes would expect Sugarbowl to Squaw to be in. Good day trip with spring conditions, although maybe a bit long with the resort closed and no lift ride up Lincoln Mt, or do it in a few days and spend some time lapping runs off the ridges when you see something interesting. Head further south for bigger peaks and remote feel (more than a feeling?), things get more interesting from Carson Pass south.
Lots of high passes to choose from, Carson, Sonora, Tioga. Access at Tioga pass can be qu...
Lots of high passes to choose from, Carson, Sonora, Tioga. Access at Tioga pass can be qu...
author=johnspeth link=topic=38426.msg155669#msg155669 date=1494251098]
I climbed MSH on Sunday, May 7. It's been a few years since my last visit. I noticed two remarkable things: First, the FS seems to have abandoned permit enforcement. I estimate about 300 folks could have visited the top that day. Second, there were fewer skiers (and other riders) than I remember in past years. It used to be primarily hike up, ride down. Not so on May 7. I estima...
I climbed MSH on Sunday, May 7. It's been a few years since my last visit. I noticed two remarkable things: First, the FS seems to have abandoned permit enforcement. I estimate about 300 folks could have visited the top that day. Second, there were fewer skiers (and other riders) than I remember in past years. It used to be primarily hike up, ride down. Not so on May 7. I estimate about 5% of visitors rode down.
Now the juicy stuff: The corn was exceptional, top to bottom....
Now the juicy stuff: The corn was exceptional, top to bottom....
I used to ski the Sierras when young but never Backcountry. This epic year, I would like to get down there and do something! What do you think about something like Sugarbowl to Squaw Valley? Still snow for a while? Or Desolation Wilderness. I've hiked all that years ago in the summer. Also thinking about the Southern Sierra near Mammoth. You know any of this stuff?
author=natefred link=topic=38422.msg155637#msg155637 date=1494027881]
Love the Sierra posts, Kirkwood is a gem of a spot for skiing. Hope you had a nice soak too. Not sure which way you're headed but Genoa is a neat spot to stroll and grab coffee if you're heading north and aren't in a hurry to get onto 395.
We will spend sometime at Genoa next season. We have Epic Local pass for next season . Kirkwood and Heavenly plus N...
author=Charlie Hagedorn link=topic=38433.msg155647#msg155647 date=1494126697]
It looked as though Alpy didn't open the high gate today.
Consolidation of the upper snowpack is far from complete.
High gate was open but high traverse was spicy to reach. Most folks rolled by knoll one. In the trees we found the most consolidated snow.
Love the Sierra posts, Kirkwood is a gem of a spot for skiing. Hope you had a nice soak too. Not sure which way you're headed but Genoa is a neat spot to stroll and grab coffee if you're heading north and aren't in a hurry to get onto 395.
Thanks for the beta. Headed up tomorrow morning and hoping for a decent ski.
Sweet! We are heading up monday, for what looks like will be post a nice corn cycle.
What a great write up Kyle! Having skied in the Lyngen Alps now I'm totally stoked to go back there and tag Russia on too! Thanks for sharing.
author=saltydog link=topic=38363.msg155606#msg155606 date=1493870733]
why do folks hike the lower in skiboots? seems like even sneakers are better option even 30 minute walk... what gives?
Actually two walked in hiking shoes, three in ski boots. I hate carrying boots, also they sometimes make tree-yoga more difficult. Mainly we thought the path would be wetter/muddier, it turned out not the case and shoes were easier. Also the...
Thanks for reminding me! It has been many years since I have done that mountain. This big snow year should bring me back! Thanks for the report. ALL the cascades are ready for that last chance trip..........get it!
author=ADappen link=topic=38407.msg155554#msg155554 date=1493664220]
That’s a good gain-to-pain ratio.
Great thought. There must be some equation you use, similar to your ski to hike ratio, that either disqualifies a trip, or warrants the excursion. :)
Thanks for the write up. Sounds like a fun trip.
looks amazong. can i ask, why do folks hike the lower in skiboots? seems like even sneakers are better option even 30 minute walk... what gives?
The one and only. It's changed slightly over the years, but still charming.
On your visit, do stay in room 217, where King stayed when he got the idea for the book.
Max creepy. Enjoy taking a shower!
On your visit, do stay in room 217, where King stayed when he got the idea for the book.
Max creepy. Enjoy taking a shower!
That's the real Shining Hotel! I need to get down there to complete the Shining trifecta (Timberline, GNP Montana, and there). Good stoke, thanks!