TR Replies

December 29-30 Kendall Adventure Zone hero pow

Based on Facebook posts I've been seeing, it appears that Peter Avolio, Dave Jordan and Trevor Kostanich skied Mt Si today from the top of the Haystack. I'm gonna guess this doesn't get done very often. ;)

12/31/15 9:16am

cumulus

sounds like a great day! definitely post some pics.

12/31/15 8:51am

Lowell_Skoog

If you want to get in touch with Mark Dale, author of the Brush and Bushwack Rating System, I can put you in touch.

Mark's treatise is part of the Sub-Alpinism page on my website. It was one of the first things I posted on alpenglow.org back in 1999.

I also highly recommend "Travels in the Enigma Range," by the late Kathy Phibbs:

http://alpenglow.org/themes/subalpine/enigma-range.html

12/31/15 7:24am

kciari

Dec 30, Chair Peak circumnav

Thanks! The Brush and Bushwhack Rating System is always a great read. I'm pushing for it's inclusion in Freedom 9.

Ha! I don't know how I have never seen this before! And I do work for The Mountaineers - perhaps i can put in a good word with the Freedom 9 Committee...

12/31/15 4:55am

GregLange

Thanks for the beta, Pete. Am considering this route as an alternate to another tour this coming Sunday. Nice to know about what's up out there! Your sweat equity deserves many beers from the rest of us...

12/31/15 4:24am

Matt Kurjanowicz

Dec 27-29, Hollyburn and Cypress, BC

author=savegondor link=topic=35228.msg144501#msg144501 date=1451407387">
seems like there were some glades off the hiking trail?

Maybe? Like up high when the ridge starts getting narrow? I could see that. Snow looks like it's holding up well ...

author=kciari link=topic=35228.msg144543#msg144543 date=1451492352">
Great first report! Thanks for the beta, and I appreciate the Bus...

12/31/15 4:20am

Zap

Your videos are GREAT.

The Hollyburn reminds me of tree skiing on the backside of Stevens Pass. Nice tight lines.

The Cypress backcountry line was beautiful. Thanks for showing us what is near TOWN. ;)

12/31/15 3:01am

Griff

Very cool! My son and I have been thinking about those for years. Definitely only under certain conditions. We had named the lines:

1. The Big Crack (Main Chute)
2. Line viewers right that is thin - Daddy's Crack
3. The Cleft - the 2nd line skied in the TR

LOL. Thanks for the great reports.

12/30/15 11:50pm

Haugs

December 24, Simcoe Mountains, Satus Pass area

Great trip report! I definitely followed most of your skin track up from Lanham Lake yesterday...thanks for putting in the work! There were several "challenging" sections. I think a track that's 100-200 yards north of yours will have a little easier time. Awesome skiing down the bowl and back down to the lake!

12/30/15 3:42pm

rootsman

It's always nice to see a report from one of the less-visited, dare I say, "exotic" areas. Thanks for posting.

12/30/15 2:02pm

kciari

Great TR and awesome photos as always. I tried this a few years ago when it was -3 and we turned around due to cold. After seeing all the work you put in, I feel like we made a solid call.

12/30/15 1:51pm

kciari

author=Matt Kurjanowicz link=topic=35228.msg144457#msg144457 date=1451331942]

9.6 miles, 14 hours, 3244ft ascent, BW2 - 3, 20 turns.

This is my first TR here, after lurking for too long. So, hey!

Great first report! Thanks for the beta, and I appreciate the Bushwack rating :)

12/30/15 12:29pm

kciari

Dec 26, 28, 29, 2015, and Jan 1, 2016, ONP Hurricane

Impressive day and amusing trip report. The opening made me laugh ouder than was a appropriate to do so at work. Thanks!

12/30/15 12:26pm

telemack

Hurricane Hill looks very filled in! Congratulations

12/30/15 9:52am

tabski

Dec 26, 28, 29, 2015, and Jan 1, 2016, ONP Hurricane

AWESOME

12/30/15 9:43am

kamtron

Dec 28 Xtal Area Mystery Crust Oh No!!!

Snoqualmie is holding up pretty good. Only a little sun crust in spots, no mystery crust today.

12/30/15 9:41am

jwplotz

Thanks Mike. I'm just secretly trying to keep pace with your prolific and creative outings.

12/30/15 8:33am

mikerolfs

December 24, Simcoe Mountains, Satus Pass area

John I've missed your reports. Welcome back to skiing. Keep it up, I love reading your adventures.

12/30/15 8:29am

pabloson

Just to the right of the tree in the foreground of picture #1, you can see the (now overgrown) old ski hill. It is still skiable, but won't be for long as the trees are taking over. Yes, this is a good year. It is very brushy so it needs a significant base.

12/30/15 3:39am

aaron_wright

author=radka link=topic=35229.msg144482#msg144482 date=1451349903]
Savegondor - we went up the Henry Creek side in April 2014 with Kenji et al. and it was ok, but there was a lot more snow then. All the little trees and almost all of the slide alder was covered at that time. BUT - an avalanche came down and across our skin track while we were higher up. A little scary:

12/30/15 2:58am

savegondor

seems like there were some glades off the hiking trail?

12/30/15 12:32am

radka

December 25, 2015, Mt. Hood Elk Meadows ish

author=savegondor link=topic=35229.msg144495#msg144495 date=1451402571]
sure would be fun to do some "thinning".

Hey, I already did my part for thinning ;D

Maybe they will bloom before spring?

They are from the Henry Creek drainage, of course, so now we can...

12/30/15 12:19am

Patarero

Nice. Always think about skiing that burn, but newton is that much closer.

12/30/15 12:11am

savegondor

that IS scary. and is exactly the exposure I was talking about.

author=radka link=topic=35229.msg144482#msg144482 date=1451349903]
Savegondor - we went up the Henry Creek side in April 2014 with Kenji et al. and it was ok, but there was a lot more snow then. All the little trees and almost all of the slide alder was covered at that time. BUT - an avalanche came down and across our skin track while we were higher up. A little scary:

12/29/15 3:30pm

savegondor

Dec 28 Xtal Area Mystery Crust Oh No!!!

sure would be fun to do some "thinning".

12/29/15 1:54pm

filbo

At WP at 7000 Ft it was a bit settling POW about 6" on an even more settling base of another 6" and then consolidated snow all the way down deep. All aspects of the compass were skied with no consequences and it will just get better with the new cold temps. Midweek is pretty quiet, soloing til anyone shows up.

12/29/15 1:30pm

peteyboy

Dec 28 Xtal Area Mystery Crust Oh No!!!

In the Baker BC today it was a rind - more than a skin but not breakable crust - like on fancy round cheese. But instead of breaking through it you sort of splooged through it to light fluff beneath it; as the day went on, the upper snow got warmer and what was under got more supportive. Weird. We blamed it on the fog.

12/29/15 12:23pm

jtack

Secret Stash

That looks fantastic! Thanks!

12/29/15 10:33am

jtack

December 24, Simcoe Mountains, Satus Pass area

Nice going, one of my back pocket plans is to ski as many of the old Washington ski areas as possible, and I know there was one around there, looks like it would be a good winter to get that one!

12/29/15 4:38am

pabloson

Adams butts

Hey, way to go! My stomping grounds for fishing in the summer :)

12/29/15 3:35am

radka

Savegondor - we went up the Henry Creek side in April 2014 with Kenji et al. and it was ok, but there was a lot more snow then. All the little trees and almost all of the slide alder was covered at that time. BUT - an avalanche came down and across our skin track while we were higher up. A little scary:

Right now, Henry Creek is a mess and I would say going up tha...

12/29/15 12:43am

cchapin

December 27, 2015, Snoqualmie Mountain

author=savegondor link=topic=35229.msg144474#msg144474 date=1451346444">
So you skied up Lehman lake side and down Henry? I'm confused. or did you go up from Lehman to the ridge and then up? if so I found going strait up near Henry creek an easier up. If you can avoid the alder lower down the upper sections have ways that don't involve tight trees. But you'd know that if you skied down Henry side.

route:

12/29/15 12:40am

kamtron

Skied the Slot today. We did notice the upper Phantom had some new wind slab. Hand pits on this SW aspect showed moderate planar releases about ~4" down. New snow in the couloir and apron was not very wind affected, although there is a dense layer below (old wind slab) from last week that is pretty well bonded. 3 friends ahead of us had put in the skintrack and skied the route before us. Watch out for these slab layers even though they seem difficult to propagate. Also, there are some nasty...

12/28/15 11:46pm

Secret Stash

author=savegondor link=topic=35226.msg144472#msg144472 date=1451345560]
oh the intrigue. i think i found it on satellite imagery. funny thing about the best stashes is that they are startlingly close to common ski routes, shockingly close to freeways.... like the stash at Rainier, obvious but hidden from the masses.

Indeed Shocking!!!

12/28/15 11:23pm

Chuck C

#ObnoxiousCzechPeople

Careful there....

12/28/15 11:22pm

savegondor

So you skied up Lehman lake side and down Henry? I'm confused. or did you go up from Lehman to the ridge and then up? if so I found going strait up near Henry creek an easier up. If you can avoid the alder lower down the upper sections have ways that don't involve tight trees. But you'd know that if you skied down Henry side.

route:

Jim Hell

12/28/15 12:18pm

savegondor

awesome effort! still on my bucket list. I have approached from the Henry Creek Side and did not find it that difficult....just seemed rather exposed approaching the saddle. At lower elevations it seemed to work to stay 100 yards or more west of the creek. I made the saddle and found barely breakable crust. wasn't skiable. to breakable to stay on top, the inch crust was not breakable enough to pound through...usually just broke through half way through an attempted turn. The tree sk...

12/28/15 11:17am

savegondor

Secret Stash

oh the intrigue. i think i found it on satellite imagery. funny thing about the best stashes is that they are startlingly close to common ski routes, shockingly close to freeways.... like the stash at Rainier, obvious but hidden from the masses.

12/28/15 9:52am

flowing alpy

global warming missed Si for a few days!

12/28/15 9:49am

Matt Kurjanowicz

author=Frank Sosa link=topic=35228.msg144462#msg144462 date=1451337541]
Congrats! I figured this would be a good spot to share my similar story...

I figured we weren't the only ones eyeing Si. Is that the Black Canyon? Looks spicy. Cool!

author=jakedouglas link=topic=35228.msg144467#msg144467 date=1451341298]
Yup. Been eyeballing this every day for a while now but I wasn't...

12/28/15 8:45am

jakedouglas

author=Charlie Hagedorn link=topic=35228.msg144466#msg144466 date=1451340909]
I'm so glad you guys are skiing these things. That way none of us need to do them either! :).

Yup. Been eyeballing this every day for a while now but I wasn't looking forward to it by any means.

12/28/15 8:45am

Charlie Hagedorn

I'm so glad you guys are skiing these things. That way none of us need to do them either! :).

12/28/15 8:43am

Pete A

good idea heading back to reuse a hard-earned skin track! great write-up and pics as always

12/28/15 8:10am

Nate Frederickson

Entertaining read, thx!

12/28/15 7:58am

Frank Sosa

Hey there,

Congrats! I figured this would be a good spot to share my similar story...

On Christmas morning mt si was ripe, but couldnt find a partner so I solo skied the deep walled canyon with a 12 foot rock step 2/3 down. Side step down steep rock slab with shrubs to grab (60') to get into it, then several hundred feet of good pow turns before jump turns on 10'' covered rocks. Rock step near bottom is very obvious, it crosses the whole line from w...

12/28/15 7:49am

ron j

December 27, 2015, Snoqualmie Mountain

Awesome Pictures as usual, Radka.
Great TR.
Keep it up.

12/28/15 7:47am

Alex

author=mattgoyer link=topic=35223.msg144445#msg144445 date=1451276816]
The slot had been well skied out by the time we got up there this morning so we gave it a pass. Peeked into the Crooked but the southerly wind was likely loading it so we gave it a pass too. Skied the phantom instead; a few 5"-12" wind slab pockets released, so caution is still warranted out there. But otherwise, still lots of great skiing!

We came up...

12/28/15 7:40am

jwplotz

Thanks Ryan and Jamie!

I hate to say it but it felt really good to be out There suffering again in the snow. Felt almost nostalgic.

12/28/15 7:32am

jtack