TR Replies
Looks like and awesome trip. How broken up was the Clark Glacier?
author=Norseman link=topic=36538.msg148832#msg148832 date=1463470022]
That looks like 37 kick turns to my failing eyes. Nice work, Rando Commando :)
I was up for an early AM run on Sunday. Bummer I didn't run into you. All I did was up and down Spire Gully from the hairpin.
Inspiring. Thanks for the great photos!
Looks like a corny paradise. Mmm.
Awesome vid! I love that place. Thanks for sharing...
-Merk
-Merk
author=Aaron_Riggs link=topic=36526.msg148802#msg148802 date=1463419776]That's a great way to put it!
Your Aurora Borealis photos are peaceful and exhilarating, same as I think of skiing.
Glad our tracks were still of use to you. Nice job on the traverse!
Your Aurora Borealis photos are peaceful and exhilarating, same as I think of skiing. We saw your tracks on Friday and used what was left of your skin track. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you all! Happy to spread the joy of this unique experience.
author=Griff link=topic=36526.msg148797#msg148797 date=1463411523]Sure, go ahead! What's the page?
BTW - I like to feature your wonderful photography on what I call "The Monday Shot", on the Freeride team's FB page.
great trip and beautiful photos!
Yup, saw you guys in the parking lot at 4am... And then we saw you drop off the summit as we were walking across the plateau. Nice work!
WOW. Your photos are always good, but man those northern light shots are AMAZING. thank you for sharing!!!!
BTW - I like to feature your wonderful photography on what I call "The Monday Shot", on the Freeride team's FB page.
BTW - I like to feature your wonderful photography on what I call "The Monday Shot", on the Freeride team's FB page.
Nice vid and edit brother. Good song too. Thanks!!!!
BTW - I know Mike (and Jenn). Small world.
BTW - I know Mike (and Jenn). Small world.
Very nice trip and report. A week at Glacier Peak with all its amenities would not disappoint.
Thanks, kamtron!
The headwall definitely went a week ago. I think one could also get to Cockscomb Ridge, with some added creativity and complexity, by end-running to climber's left and traversing back, but unfortunately I didn't have a chance to explore and confirm that option.
The headwall definitely went a week ago. I think one could also get to Cockscomb Ridge, with some added creativity and complexity, by end-running to climber's left and traversing back, but unfortunately I didn't have a chance to explore and confirm that option.
Ok-I've answered my own question with your nwhikers photos. Looks like it's good to go!
Chris, Radka, and Amar,
Great trip and excellent photos as always!
I'm a little confused---was there a solid bridge/end run on the climber's left side of the bergschrund?
Thanks,
Kam
Great trip and excellent photos as always!
I'm a little confused---was there a solid bridge/end run on the climber's left side of the bergschrund?
Thanks,
Kam
Thanks for the additional pic and pointing out the saddle.
I was one of the day trippers who passed you by early on Thursday morning. We had a blast, but I certainly envy your leisurely trip! That place was a total corn farm, I'm glad you got to ski so many fun lines out there!
author=H2oskier link=topic=36515.msg148774#msg148774 date=1463350595]
How far down from the summit would you recommend traversing to access the north facing run to Copper Lake?
I've never skied toward Copper Lake, but I'm sure you would need to cross the 5560ft+ saddle NE of the summit of Vesper. That's 600 vertical feet below the summit. Getting there from the summit wouldn't be a traverse as much as it would...
Those west face runs look great and accessing them seems pretty straight forward. How far down from the summit would you recommend traversing to access the north facing run to Copper Lake? On a side note, my wife and I skied Vesper 14 days ago (Apr. 30 TR) and it is hard to believe from your picture that all of the snow has melted off that side hill at Headlee Pass? There was at least 3 feet of snow there two weeks ago. I know it has been warm, but it is still surprising...
The snow in your second photo looks terrific.
Looking at the map, I'd guess that your run from Disappointment Peak to 4700ft in Baekos Creek must rank right up there with the best corn snow lines in the Cascades. The way it curves westward as you descend is perfect for giving you good corn all the way down. Good eye!
Looking at the map, I'd guess that your run from Disappointment Peak to 4700ft in Baekos Creek must rank right up there with the best corn snow lines in the Cascades. The way it curves westward as you descend is perfect for giving you good corn all the way down. Good eye!
Hooray for a mini expedition! That sounds like a great trip, and the powder turns off the top, an absolute pleasure to even know someone was able to have that luck! Thanks so much for sharing the fun.
So rad! I must have stared across at GP 4 or 5 times this week wishing I was up there, I'm glad to know someone was making the most of it. Thanks for posting the conditions update.
not another cascadian video!
(though someone does fall in a creek in this one)
https://vimeo.com/166671179
(though someone does fall in a creek in this one)
https://vimeo.com/166671179
nice! looks like a great time. i myself am a proponent of the slow and steady... but recent experience has convinced me that despite aggressive rationing, it's hard to carry enough whiskey to last past six days.
I say, the job done right! Hoping to spend some "days" myself sometime soon.
NEW LINK HOPE IT WORKS
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90415057@N06/albums/72157665946797724
https://www.flickr.com/photos/90415057@N06/albums/72157665946797724
Washout can be driven around easily, and now the blocking log higher uphill is gone. Thanks Brian.
Fun times! DaveB and I had a delightful sunset lap. Nice to see the tribe coming together out there.
Nice to know about those chutes just east of Point 7955. I never considered those.
It seems that you cannot judge the terrain in this area very well from the USGS topo maps. You need to look at photos.
I think I'd want a good pair of crampons to climb or descend the Point 7955 gullies on foot--better than the short fingered Drumpf crampons I had on my trip.
It seems that you cannot judge the terrain in this area very well from the USGS topo maps. You need to look at photos.
I think I'd want a good pair of crampons to climb or descend the Point 7955 gullies on foot--better than the short fingered Drumpf crampons I had on my trip.
The Stevens canyon road is now open to the drainage below unicorn peak, and snow coverage is great from the road. We ended up doing a short tour up to the saddle of Castle Peak on Thursday. It was neat to finally ski in the Tatoosh, and a nice combination with the trek up to Muir yesterday.
Did you guys follow zigzag canyon all the way down to 6000 ft? I usually allow myself only 3-4 turns in each branch of the canyon in order to be able to traverse out to the timberline lifts, but it always looks sooo tempting to keep on skiing down!
Conditions were more like mid/late June than mid-May. Some bark skinning between top of clearcuts and N basin. Sticky below 4800, pretty fun above. My Honda Fit got up the road OK -- but watch out there is a wheel killer washout/pothole on steroids a little past the bridge over Mill creek where the powerline service road branches off to the left from RD 9070
That was a fast road melt! With the upcoming cooling maybe it will linger a bit more - thanks for update.
The north side of the ridge east of 7955 showing the three obvious (to me) snowy routes off the ridge on the north side. I believe the route described in Lowell's TR is the large snow basin on lookers left of the photo, I descended the chute in the middle, and the chute to lookers right might be a nice option.
Here is a photo of Silver on 5/12 from the summit of Granite Mountain. I don't see Silas anywhere but maybe your eyes are better than mine. Looks good to go.
:). Thanks for the TR!
Mega-url photos not yet visible.
Mega-url photos not yet visible.
More pics https://goo.gl/photos/dtGW5AqsUp3yivMTA
[not quite sure how to fully hotlink Google Photos...]
[not quite sure how to fully hotlink Google Photos...]
author=tabski link=topic=36494.msg148674#msg148674 date=1463085222]
Top 200' of east-facing snowfields (above ~10,500') are shin- to knee-high penitentes.
yikes. that looks like tough skiing