TR Replies
I love skiing the Cutthroat area and those sweeping views. Thanks for the mid-winter report and photos. Looks fantastic!
Wow, looks fantastic. And happy birthday!
Very Nice Sky! I'll show this to Cyril next week:-)
That Gunn Ranch tour is a brilliant idea. During Methow Valley xc trips, I often look up at those valley slopes and think what fine runs they'd offer. Usually there isn't enough snow, but when there is, well, your tr confirms my thoughts.
thanks - bummer about the heater being gone.
Hi Pete, no, there is no longer any kerosene heater, just the wood stove. There was a Coleman 2-burner stove for cooking that we wished we'd known about.
nice write-up! I assume there's still a kerosene heater in the hut that you can use if ya haul in fuel for it?
Thanks Billyd! And thanks for telling folks about the Methow Headwaters project.
It was a spectacular trip. We were granted near-perfect weather and snow conditions. Nice boot-top powder and stability, although there were just enough wind slabs lurking at ridgetops to keep of from green light conditions.
Our company was great. I learned from Gregg_C the golden rule of hut trips: strive for 1:1 gender ratio. That is the key to fun times, rather than a bunch of bros sitting around staring at maps and grunting about how rad to get tomorrow. The only bummer was that...
Our company was great. I learned from Gregg_C the golden rule of hut trips: strive for 1:1 gender ratio. That is the key to fun times, rather than a bunch of bros sitting around staring at maps and grunting about how rad to get tomorrow. The only bummer was that...
Heartstrings is a line with a very unlikely entrance through big cliffs.
It offers spectacular position as you ski through these cliffs. Snow was pretty good in the top bit, but the run overall is lower, and we finished off the trip skiing through some solid crust. It was just the thing to finish off the trip!
We met Meira in Whistler that afternoon, where she'd opted for a spa day at the Scandinave. Probably a good choice!
It offers spectacular position as you ski through these cliffs. Snow was pretty good in the top bit, but the run overall is lower, and we finished off the trip skiing through some solid crust. It was just the thing to finish off the trip!
We met Meira in Whistler that afternoon, where she'd opted for a spa day at the Scandinave. Probably a good choice!
The Hut Spine Wall, 20 minutes from your front door
We spent 1 night in Mount Currie at a decent motel, and gorged on good food in Pemberton. But it wasn't enough, we wanted more pow.
The objective for Saturday was suggested by some locals as a "straightforward half-day classic": Heartstrings
He was a sandbagger, but the views of the Joffre group and across the road to our Marriott haunts were killer
We spent 1 night in Mount Currie at a decent motel, and gorged on good food in Pemberton. But it wasn't enough, we wanted more pow.
The objective for Saturday was suggested by some locals as a "straightforward half-day classic": Heartstrings
He was a sandbagger, but the views of the Joffre group and across the road to our Marriott haunts were killer
To get to Cayoosh creek we dropped a nice tube, one away from "Rock and Roll". This SE aspect still had really good snow after lots of sunshine, but it got crusty towards the bottom.
We skied from the summit onto the N glacier of Cayoosh. Swivel Rocker (center of Cayoosh photo) would've been dope, but we botched the entrance and settled for the glacier. It was super-deep and super-good. We had a track to guide us from a solo Austrian dude who we'd watch ski it 2 da...
We skied from the summit onto the N glacier of Cayoosh. Swivel Rocker (center of Cayoosh photo) would've been dope, but we botched the entrance and settled for the glacier. It was super-deep and super-good. We had a track to guide us from a solo Austrian dude who we'd watch ski it 2 da...
Skiing into our one near-whiteout returning to the hut day 3
For our last full day we chose to ski Cayoosh, one valley over.
We toured up the whiteout run from the day before, where we'd put in the skintrack already, and topped out on Exidor bowl. (Mt. Marriott in distance)
For our last full day we chose to ski Cayoosh, one valley over.
We toured up the whiteout run from the day before, where we'd put in the skintrack already, and topped out on Exidor bowl. (Mt. Marriott in distance)
Lots of good moderate terrain around the hut, but opportunities to get rad abound.
Those pillows are quite large and guarded by a very corniced ridge.
Snowboarders know how to get rad
Those pillows are quite large and guarded by a very corniced ridge.
Snowboarders know how to get rad
Stoked on powder in 7 Mile basin, one of many laps on this SE aspect. Lots of sledders seem to use this valley, and they were respectful of us
Hut living
Our party of 9 leaving the hut together
Hut living
Our party of 9 leaving the hut together
That sounds like the remains of the slide that happened Saturday morning that resulted in a full burial and 2 partial burials. NWAC put a grainy picture up on instagram, I have one taken during a break in the weather that I put up on IG too. There are 3 separate crown lines that were visible at the same time, the biggest looked to be in the 3-5' range.
rslg, yes wrong place, right time. I'm not happy about that, and frankly embarrassed to be exposed, but wanted to let others know, as my friends and others that scoot through there, may also be vulnerable to anything left hanging, especially with the evidence buried, and the weather that day, and incoming.
Scotsman, thanks very much for the link. That is a good read, much appreciated, a good reminder. George
Scotsman, thanks very much for the link. That is a good read, much appreciated, a good reminder. George
George.. please read.
https://www.wildsnow.com/10011/alpha-angle-avalanche-safety/
https://www.wildsnow.com/10011/alpha-angle-avalanche-safety/
I got stuck too but it was an easy one. There was a lady in the middle of the lot who high centred her Xi BMW sedan after leaving it overnight. Probably doesn't take much and we couldn't push it out. She told me that her tires were new but upon inspection they looked like summer performance ones so not likely to help her much. Tow truck pulled her out.
author=thunderchief link=topic=38063.msg154302#msg154302 date=1488992696]
Up with the heavily reinforced dawn patrol today(mar 8th)... lots of snow! Felt a bit heavy and sticky to me... temps seemed to have warmed a bit... but that could be because my skis are also too skinny...
I had 110mm underfoot and it was still too deep to make turns! Maybe if Hyak Face were 10 degrees steeper things would be different.
Als...
author=ajjenkin link=topic=38063.msg154298#msg154298 date=1488980665]
Dhaulagiri's are 98" under foot...not gonna do it out there right now. Go 115"+ under foot, you need to quiver up buddy!
AJ! Just as an FYI, my Dynafit skins can basically be dropped in the snow and they still stick to the ski, they are awesome! Any joy selling those Volkl new fangled technology skins?
Yeah, it was busy today and a lot heavier than yesterday. You are right about my skis, 99 is not enough in this stuff. I normally snowboard/split and just got the skis for volcano/spring skiing as a 1 ski fits all. Just trying to get my skiing up to at least mediocre standard. Clearly they don't quite fit the current snowpack but it was fun trying. Should be awesome in corn season mind you.
Good to see a few familiar faces out there today.
Good to see a few familiar faces out there today.
Up with the heavily reinforced dawn patrol today(mar 8th)... lots of snow! Felt a bit heavy and sticky to me... temps seemed to have warmed a bit... but that could be because my skis are also too skinny...
Dhaulagiri's are 98" under foot...not gonna do it out there right now. Go 115"+ under foot, you need to quiver up buddy!
Beautiful! Looks cool and dry! Thanks for sharing.
Good skiing up in the Snow Lake divide today as well. Incredibly deep, light, good-skiing snow. This week looks to be stacking up nicely
Happy birthday, and thank you for the stoke-from-afar!
Here's to many, many more.
Here's to many, many more.
Looks fantastic Sky! Happy Birthday to you too! Sounds like it was a great trip. Glad to see you are still getting after it down there.
Thanks for the report too!
Thanks for the report too!
Hi John,
Yes, we think those crowns were from Friday. We skied those slopes a year ago, but stayed away from them on Saturday.
There is already a discussion on snomos on Smithbrook on NW Hikers: http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8023501
They were the worst I have ever seen on that road. They passed us at high speed, one guy jumped a boulder with his machine right in front of us, they revved their engines near us, polluted the whole area with noise...
Yes, we think those crowns were from Friday. We skied those slopes a year ago, but stayed away from them on Saturday.
There is already a discussion on snomos on Smithbrook on NW Hikers: http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8023501
They were the worst I have ever seen on that road. They passed us at high speed, one guy jumped a boulder with his machine right in front of us, they revved their engines near us, polluted the whole area with noise...
Hello Radka,
Did you think the crowns were from Friday? When we saw them from the lake yesterday we opted not to go to either summit either. Your skin track was mostly snowed in but very helpful once we joined it at the lake. Our second run up McCausland was hard work breaking trail. I've never seen so many or such deep snowmobile moguls on the Smithbrook Road. That explains it. It really should be non-motorized only and I really am disappointed to see the increase in snomo use o...
Did you think the crowns were from Friday? When we saw them from the lake yesterday we opted not to go to either summit either. Your skin track was mostly snowed in but very helpful once we joined it at the lake. Our second run up McCausland was hard work breaking trail. I've never seen so many or such deep snowmobile moguls on the Smithbrook Road. That explains it. It really should be non-motorized only and I really am disappointed to see the increase in snomo use o...
What? Does that mean your out of play for a bit???
I skied inbounds as well. The untracked had a wildly different quality than what we found while touring a little down the highway on Tuesday. Much heavier and wetter. Big fast change...
Skied inbounds this day. Saw someone trigger larger slab inbounds on davy jones. 2ftx50ft, pretty dramatic poof of snow right in front of ch2.
Thanks all!
Kamtron, Taylor or Heartstrings was actually our back up plan. Sorry to hear it wasn't great. I'm guessing you felt the raincrust? Hope you had a great week at Wendy Thompson! Haven't been there in a couple years but I have some great memories there.
Kamtron, Taylor or Heartstrings was actually our back up plan. Sorry to hear it wasn't great. I'm guessing you felt the raincrust? Hope you had a great week at Wendy Thompson! Haven't been there in a couple years but I have some great memories there.
A "tear". We need a great story . Please enhance the powder run when someone cut you off and caused the "tear".
Awesome, discostew!
I was up there that day after a week at Wendy Thompson. We got to the lake and saw the Stonecrop and were severely tempted to change plans from Heart Strings (which ended up sucking) to that. Damn, I wish we did. Next time
I was up there that day after a week at Wendy Thompson. We got to the lake and saw the Stonecrop and were severely tempted to change plans from Heart Strings (which ended up sucking) to that. Damn, I wish we did. Next time
Elagant, love the powder, love the edit, perfect music and a fantastic line, thanks for sharing the turns!
Nice selection! Looks like you had great weather to boot. Based on the forecast, the bumps should be gone by the weekend.
Of course not, a baseball cap.........the bill is his eye protection!