TR Replies
Thanks mike, it was definitely one of the larger type 2 fun experiences I have had, nothing better than a good clean sufferfest
Not sure what you’ve got going on the Heli Trip you seem to do each year…But I’d very happy to be there next year. I did a Snowcat trip a few years ago and had such a great time! Love that powder skiing!
I love hearing about the Enchantments! One of my favorite spots in the world. Never skied there though…It doesn’t really seem stacked up for pleasure. If the snow is good, the risk must be high. When the risk is lower, the skiing must be poor. So beautiful though. Great pictures!
Nice work. Isn't it awesome to have a partner for such tours. Thanks for the great report!
Elliot what an awesome trip! I don't think I have the grit anymore to do a trip like this. Nice work. Great write up too. Thanks for the trip report and keep reporting on your adventures.
Strong work! An enchantments traverse that involves largely shitty travel conditions and misadventures in the ice bulges is a right of passage around here!
Oops didn’t mean to say 2 weekend it was a 2 day trip
Jesse,
Bringing in a sled was challenging (in a fun kinda way) and tiring. Randy describes the middle section well - that is by far the crux. However, I would say it was much more difficult on the descent than the ascent. The paris expedtion sled he recommends is also solid. I am unfamiliar with the other kind.
I will say, we were there for 4 days with 6 people, and the sled was primarily used for a 2-burner stove and some beer. Even then, it was slightly unnecessary, bu...
FWIW: I have also skied into the WTH -- the middle section of the approach involved sidehilling through moderately spaced trees -- that have had tree bombed crust all three times I skied in there. That section would be challenging to navigate with a sled towed by rope on the way up.
The Paris Expedition sled is a good platform for a sled with a robust harness system to enable skiing up and down.
Another approach that people have tol...
Hey eat ski sleep guy!
I also have a trip coming up.
How was it bringing a pull sled in. I just got a cheap sled and was wondering if I should bother making poles for pulling it in or would string do just fine?
Almost went for the Zip on Sunday but eschewed it for something closer to the road. Thanks for the trip report
Hi Kevin, nice to see you posting. Alisa is having a good "pretirement" year.
Pretty impressive skinning those vertical snow cliffs with your body horizontal like that. Proof that skiers need core strength 😂
Thanks for the report, I’m envious of your sun softened turns, but not so, your four miles of flat slogging. Your camp looks perfect.
@kamtron, there was a cook stove but it was locked up in the caretakers room...we sledded in a 2-burner cause there were 6 of us and we were there for 4 days so it felt worth it to cook big group meals. There seemed to be plenty of firewood and one of the caretakers told me there was a new shipment coming in a few weeks. Although there are copious signs inside asking for wood to be used sparingly. Feel free to PM if you have other questions!
Thanks for the report, January, 42 ish years ago, three of cross country wallowed up the trail to the turn off, then wallowed our way into the basin, and spent the night. It was a darn cold night, took us most of the morning to make the summit, saw my first Ptarmigan in the upper basin. The trip out was a harrowing affair, with dozens of spectacular falls, ankle top leather boots were not the right tool for the job. Your report has motivated me to go have another look, but I think...
Rad, especially moonlight skiing. Is the hut cook stove still there? How about firewood level? I've got a trip coming up
Thanks for the report, and the great pictures. Looked like the perfect trip, I want pictures of kneed deep powder figure 8’s.
oh my that does look good! Especially the two skiing pics at the end. Holy smokes! Legit good skiing! I've been having to pretend to have fun on runs that "looked better than they were" and frequently require earplugs! Nice work!
@eckels: Plentiful coverage on snowmobile trail from sno-park. Off-trail everything is fully covered right now, but on thin side --- for example, fallen trees are an issue, snow depth isn't enough to smooth everything out.
Nice work to finally find some good smooth snow to ski. I’m still looking!
The shot of the corn in the dead forest is beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
How was snow coverage down low? Trying to get a sense if the road to eight mile trailhead and slopes around there would be well covered.
Pretty awesome when you start counting vert in millions!
I'll 2nd Pavel on this one. Nice work. I've always had it on my list but never made it up there. Nice to hear of others making it happen.
Looks like the snowpack was heating up. It sucks when the sledders track up the slopes.
"Do you have a GPS track you can share?"
NO. FFS. NO!!! Google Earth and phone GPS have made backcountry navigation easy enough. If you can't find your way in somewhere without following somebody else's GPX track, find a different sport. His description alone makes it easy enough to piece together the route if you can read a map.
Looks like you hit the snow timing perfect! That sure looks nice. Did you go up Chiwawa Creek from Trinity to access it? I’ve only looked at Red Mtn from the Phelps Creek side.
I have no clue how to rotate the pictures. So I guess you’ll just have to rotate your head. Thanks for looking.
Alissa and I skied Red Mountain up Salmon La Sac, it was our first time on it and we had a blast. It was a little crusty down low but with the warmth we were surprised how good the skiing was.
Fun vid!
Loads of good skating and classic striding up there and out the Ptarmigan when conditions are good.
Thanks for the conditions update! At least you found some sunlight and views--Your turns look pretty nice in spite of the crust. I pulled over at the bottom of that zone a couple weeks ago but pulled the plug after sampling the conditions near the road. I ended up driving a little fu...
For me, last year's theme was "better than expected". It seems this year is off to a theme of "worse than it looks".
Thanks for the report. It sure "looks" good!
Just be sure that's a glide crack and not the summit cornice preparing to send you rolling into the crater
Awesome, thanks for the report Rob! :)
At the end of the video you provided a bit of amusement for the group of backcountry skiers. 😂
Kam-
I never learned to alpine ski. Even when lift tickets were $20, I could never afford to go often enough to learn more than a weak snowplow on groomed slopes in a few days per winter. Now I can't even afford to drive from Ashford to Paradise, let alone 150 miles RT to a ski area. But I accumulated over 2000 lifetime Rainier ski days on skinnies, pins and leathers after I learned to ski from Barnett's photos. His text was not always that helpful.
Nice Will! I did the same thing when I moved to the area. We booted up the NE facing bowl on the east ridge then skied back down from there. I wish we'd made it to the top but the ridge from where we turned around appeared to be a 50:50 mix of talus and snow so concern for our skis and ACLs resulted in a turn around.
Glad you enjoyed the trip report Gary! And thank you for the info. I'll have to try your directions next time we are up there. It seems similar to the guide book and hopefully avoids steep side hilling? It is such a cool area and feels very remote compared to the popularity of Muir. We originally planned to camp up there to get higher, but glad we didnt because we would have had to wait a long time for the snow to soften!
Will: I've read and enjoyed a lot of Luc's posts. There are so many good ideas out there. A friend from Seattle has told me stories about Alaskans doing the Eklutna traverse light and fast on skate skis.
Bargainhunter: Had to look up who Steve Barnett is, wow, tele/nordic legend of the Baker zone. I'm going to need to pick up this book if only for the photos.
Glad y'all might find this useful--yes eze, there is a ton of ski terrain once you get up there!
bargainhunter: yes, axe and crampons employed--gets pretty steep up top, and there was one firm/icy/narrow section that we skied around (a little drop required) on the descent. Correct, I think the trick is to find those slopes in stable condition--it was never spooky for us. I think you know this, but to be clear for others, we did not go in via Ruth and the north side -- although a...
Sick! way to get after the corn window! I know woods has skied the south face before. Not sure if off of that particular summit.
I think Frank is right. Certainly not the perspective on Goode that I'm used to.
Nice! Alaskan wilderness travel folk often enjoy 'crust' season (with tech bindings and downhill boots even: https://thingstolucat.com/ski-touring-equipment-guide/) but I've never thought about it in WA due to our terrain... looks fun.
I think it's Buckner, Goode, and part of Logan, along the skyline. With some bits of the Eldorado Ice Cap peaks behind that.
Amazing trip! Thank you for posting this! I love looking at the Sefrit couloirs. Did you need an ice axe/crampons at anytime to gain the summit? Avy conditions looked about as stable as they can get! Did you have any reservations from an avy perspective? What time did you leave...