TR Replies
author=Lot 2 link=topic=34458.msg142162#msg142162 date=1439505782]
What would you figure off the face of the second pic - 350 vert of snow? 3 laps and it just might count........
That would be a long hike for a short run with serious rock exposure at the bottom.
author=PhilH link=topic=34458.msg142167#msg142167 date=1439579175]
Boot skiing is great fun until the somersaulting / cartwheeling...
Boot skiing is great fun until the somersaulting / cartwheeling starts ;D
Welcome back to TAY, Charles!
Great trip report and photos.
I did a trip report years ago skiing on the Whites Sands Park with my hiking boots. ;)
I did a trip report years ago skiing on the Whites Sands Park with my hiking boots. ;)
What would you figure off the face of the second pic - 350 vert of snow? 3 laps and it just might count.........
That looks much better than what I encountered Sunday on the Muir side. It was so bad it was embarrassing to be carrying skis! There was a portion from about 8500-7500' that was merely "bad". Above 9000' it was rough enough to wear a mouth guard.
I was hesitant to go over to the Paradise by myself. How did you get back down to the base, far skiers left?
I was hesitant to go over to the Paradise by myself. How did you get back down to the base, far skiers left?
Nice, Greg. We skied Iceland in April - I'd love to go back. Troll Peninsula is good all over. We stayed in and skied around Siglufjordur, which was beautiful and offered more terrain than we could take advantage of given the weather. We had less luck in the Western Fjords, again because of weather, but I'd like to take another run at it.
author=telemack link=topic=34455.msg142149#msg142149 date=1439355040]
Did you ascend the Paradise Glacier?
We hiked up the Muir side. We wanted to ski further down the Paradise, but couldn't easily tell if it went through all the way anymore.
Did you ascend the Paradise Glacier?
Yeah! :).
Susan and I just got back yesterday from Iceland (without skis) and wanted to point out to TAY that there's lots of hike-to snow, far more than "usual". Outside of Hrafntinnusker, at Fimmvörðuháls, and anywhere that's high and glaciated (we lucked into a wonderful weather day on Hvannadalshnjúkur), there's skiable, mostly low-angle, snow. In Ólafsfjörður, near Dalvik, and throughout the northern fjords, there's steeper skiable snow. We nev...
Susan and I just got back yesterday from Iceland (without skis) and wanted to point out to TAY that there's lots of hike-to snow, far more than "usual". Outside of Hrafntinnusker, at Fimmvörðuháls, and anywhere that's high and glaciated (we lucked into a wonderful weather day on Hvannadalshnjúkur), there's skiable, mostly low-angle, snow. In Ólafsfjörður, near Dalvik, and throughout the northern fjords, there's steeper skiable snow. We nev...
author=silaswild link=topic=34447.msg142106#msg142106 date=1438663285]215 Greg?
I waited until Saturday and found some semi-smooth patches just above and just below the Nisqually Chutes for about 900 total vertical.
Thanks for the excellent TR. Glad to see there is still good skiing somewhere in the PNW.
author=r1de link=topic=34446.msg142124#msg142124 date=1438922966]
That would definitely be worth a click. Please share! :D
Sorry, I spent a fair amount of time searching online, but came up empty. Decades ago, one could just pop into the park library and spend a rainy day perusing the fascinating historic photo albums, but I suspect that's no longer the case:
"The Mount Rainier archives consist of offici...
author=vogtski link=topic=34446.msg142098#msg142098 date=1438628507]
I couldn't find anything online, but the park photo archives have great shots of spike-shod mule trains carrying firewood up to this lookout, including one of a mule in a crevasse!
That would definitely be worth a click. Please share! :D
What a great report! I couldn't tell from your FB pics that you had the skis with, but stoked now to learn that you did.
Here's a couple pics of you and crevasse situation Aug 31 '13:
Here's a couple pics of you and crevasse situation Aug 31 '13:
author=silaswild link=topic=34447.msg142106#msg142106 date=1438663285]
The stash is no longer worth skiing this summer for us.
Wait. Now this doesn't mean your streak is over right?
Thanks for the report(s) Amar. The skiing looks great. The crevasse zigzag looks a bit spooky.
author=telemack link=topic=34445.msg142094#msg142094 date=1438622070]
Did you wait 'til the end of the month to combine July and August turns?
I skied earlier in July in the Enchantments, but I did time this so I could wake up on August 1st at the snow.
author=telemack link=topic=34445.msg142094#msg142094 date=1438622070]
I hope your "quest for light" is an adaptation to the...
August 2, 2015, Update:
I may write a more complete trip report later this week with more photos, but here's a quick update in case anyone still wants to ski a long run in great conditions this summer!
August 2: Skiing smooth corn on the Squak Glacier!
Well, this turned into more than just a quick update as I was writing it and going throu...
I may write a more complete trip report later this week with more photos, but here's a quick update in case anyone still wants to ski a long run in great conditions this summer!
August 2: Skiing smooth corn on the Squak Glacier!
Well, this turned into more than just a quick update as I was writing it and going throu...
Yes!
Pretty straightforward and obvious to switchback to Muir? Were some Paradise Glacier turns worth the trouble?
Maybe we should pick a Sept. date soon.
Pretty straightforward and obvious to switchback to Muir? Were some Paradise Glacier turns worth the trouble?
Maybe we should pick a Sept. date soon.
Thanks for the report! I've always preferred mellow Anvil over madhouse Muir.
Anvil Rock was the site of a fire lookout from 1916-42:
http://www.willhiteweb.com/washington/fire_lookouts/anvil_rock_lookout/mount_rainier_245.htm
I couldn't f...
author=Rusty Knees link=topic=34446.msg142096#msg142096 date=1438626162]
...Anybody know the story of the rock and mortar wall and concrete pad up there?
Anvil Rock was the site of a fire lookout from 1916-42:
http://www.willhiteweb.com/washington/fire_lookouts/anvil_rock_lookout/mount_rainier_245.htm
I couldn't f...
author=john green link=topic=34437.msg142086#msg142086 date=1438372090]Timberline just announced that they're closing to the public after this Sunday (Aug 2). There may in fact be additional ski camps going on the snowfield past that date.
I called just now out of curiosity: nope, no more race camps either, so no more Palmer lift operations for anyone ... and more importantly no more grooming either.
Thanks for the TR, Mike. Did you wait 'til the end of the month to combine July and August turns? That's what Rusty Knees and Co. did at Paradise/Muir this weekend.
I hope your "quest for light" is an adaptation to the hot climate and long walks, not a permanent shift away from freeheeelin'. :)
I hope your "quest for light" is an adaptation to the hot climate and long walks, not a permanent shift away from freeheeelin'. :)
author=telemack link=topic=34367.msg141866#msg141866 date=1434818738]
YES :(
Fix your heal, fix the problem! ::)
Absolutely scary how little snow is on Hood for this time of year. The era of Peter Ward is coming sooner than we think. Whoa.
Thanks for the TR and also for leaving your "exposure" to our imagination :)
This weekend is the last for Timberline lifts. I hope there will be something left for pilgrims from WA.
This weekend is the last for Timberline lifts. I hope there will be something left for pilgrims from WA.
There's always the Southern hemisphere
Timberline just announced that they're closing to the public after this Sunday (Aug 2). There may in fact be additional ski camps going on the snowfield past that date.
Looking at the webcam, it looks like red route has been used to farm snow and has become a narrow and well-worn cat track, while green route really does look disconnected now.
In a different thread pics were posted of Aug 28, 2005, which looked oppressively bleak. But on that year Timberline...
Looking at the webcam, it looks like red route has been used to farm snow and has become a narrow and well-worn cat track, while green route really does look disconnected now.
In a different thread pics were posted of Aug 28, 2005, which looked oppressively bleak. But on that year Timberline...
I did a bunch of trips with Bob to places like Ptarmigan Ridge, Sholes Glacier, and Heliotrope. Always fun, always lots of conversation and great days out.
Hard to believe it's been 5 years.
Hard to believe it's been 5 years.
Ya man, Telemon. Skied with him once on the Ptarmigan ridge area.Stoked on his passion for skiing. Good to see you guys get out there and make some turns in his honour. From Chilliwack?
The green route actually was solidly connected the entire way.
(Even though in the picture it does indeed look briefly discontinuous.)
I took the red route though because it connected with the groomer ~100' vertical higher up.
(I suppose for variety's sake I should have tried it both ways, but the red route was continuously improved by following my prior tracks.)
(Even though in the picture it does indeed look briefly discontinuous.)
I took the red route though because it connected with the groomer ~100' vertical higher up.
(I suppose for variety's sake I should have tried it both ways, but the red route was continuously improved by following my prior tracks.)
That's one heck of a Beta! Thanks!
And why didn't you just ski green route all the way down? The short hop?
And why didn't you just ski green route all the way down? The short hop?
^ Hmm, interesting.
So for the sake of narrowing the discussion (sorry for the thread drift Amar!), let's say the *only* concern is a roped partner falling into a crevasse on the ascent.
In favor of the more-skilled partner in the lead:
1. Potentially can set a better route avoiding a weak snow bridge.
2. Potentially better able to arrest a fall of the following partner. (Whereas if the leader falls into a crevasse, with the cantilever effec...
So for the sake of narrowing the discussion (sorry for the thread drift Amar!), let's say the *only* concern is a roped partner falling into a crevasse on the ascent.
In favor of the more-skilled partner in the lead:
1. Potentially can set a better route avoiding a weak snow bridge.
2. Potentially better able to arrest a fall of the following partner. (Whereas if the leader falls into a crevasse, with the cantilever effec...
author=Jonathan_S. link=topic=34438.msg142062#msg142062 date=1437942593]
"Jill took the lead, since I had by far the most crevasse rescue experience, it was best that I trail in case of a punch-through or snow bridge collapse."
... I can't resist joking that claiming superior rescue abilities is always a great excuse to convince your partner to take the more dangerous lead!
Always had the more-experienced climb...
Glad to hear that the PNW still has sustained good skiing vertical somewhere other than Hood & Adams -- you got in ~950' more vertical than we did the following day in the SW Chutes (though skiing the Adams summit would have come close to making up the differential, yet we suspected that the snow conditions up there would be abysmally bad).
But although I know what you mean by the following:
"Jill took the lead, since I had by far the most crevasse rescue experience...
But although I know what you mean by the following:
"Jill took the lead, since I had by far the most crevasse rescue experience...
Continued from previous post . . .
We could have easily switched back to skins at this point for the long traverse over to Grant Peak, but it was faster to just keep plodding along on foot and not take the extra time to change over, especially in the gusty wind at the top of the Wall. A fairly strong westerly breeze had been blowing in exposed areas since we got above 9000 ft, and on the summit dome it was quite strong, gusting over 30 mph.
We could have easily switched back to skins at this point for the long traverse over to Grant Peak, but it was faster to just keep plodding along on foot and not take the extra time to change over, especially in the gusty wind at the top of the Wall. A fairly strong westerly breeze had been blowing in exposed areas since we got above 9000 ft, and on the summit dome it was quite strong, gusting over 30 mph.
Annotated version should be attached now.
author=rlsg link=topic=34437.msg142054#msg142054 date=1437865561]
Thanks for the informative report..btw how is the surface above Palmer snow field--sun cups, bumpy, smooth, nice..etc.?
Mix of Fair & Good -- although by my fifth lap on Thursday afternoon, it improved to Very Good by following my same smoothed-out route over and over again.
(So bring lots of friends and follow each other's tracks!)
If I understand it, you're talking about the strip between the glacier and the hog back. You're skiing to the west (looker's left) as close as you can get to the bare strip down the middle, and in most years is narrower and zig zaggy. Do I have this right?
There's a heavily-used climbing camp to the west of that triangle--perhaps a bit lower--which is at roughly 9200 ft. Last year, the descent from this area, letting the fall line take you slightl...
There's a heavily-used climbing camp to the west of that triangle--perhaps a bit lower--which is at roughly 9200 ft. Last year, the descent from this area, letting the fall line take you slightl...
Thanks for the informative report..btw how is the surface above Palmer snow field--sun cups, bumpy, smooth, nice..etc.?
author=john green link=topic=34437.msg142052#msg142052 date=1437848639]While they were confident they could make it through this week (and they have), they warned that soon lift operations would be on a "day-by-day" basis.
Maintaining the connection from the bottom of the Upper Palmer race training lanes to the lift mid-station entails a very costly snowcat effort to scrape off large amounts of snow from the Upper Palmer and push it all...
Couldn't get your FB link to work, but thanks for the detailed trip report!
I talked to the ski desk on Monday and they seemed rather depressed about the snowpack. Apparently they had just lost 2 feet of base on Sunday.
While they were confident they could make it through this week (and they have), they warned that soon lift operations would be on a "day-by-day" basis.
1000 feet of skiing above Palmer? Where the heck are they hid...
I talked to the ski desk on Monday and they seemed rather depressed about the snowpack. Apparently they had just lost 2 feet of base on Sunday.
While they were confident they could make it through this week (and they have), they warned that soon lift operations would be on a "day-by-day" basis.
1000 feet of skiing above Palmer? Where the heck are they hid...
That turn he is rocking looks like the TAY logo.
You're right Rusty Knees. Normally Gabe brings the lei's. However, Bob's grandson was decked out in a full Hawaiian shirt/short combination so I guess that kept the theme alive :)
Thanks for posting, Nick. I had the pleasure of meeting Telemon once, quite a few years back. He was a strong advocate of both tele AND the Baker regions. Glad you posted a July trip out that way. Was wondering if anyone had actually made the gentle but long approach to the skiable "postage stamp" snow fields. I made it out there today (7/22), but found a very small patch about a mile beyond the pass dividing Chain Lakes from Ptarmigan trails. Just as you get to the first divide, where...
Stoked to see the tradition continue :).
Telemon's knee-to-ski dialect of the tele-turn and internet friendliness were distinctive.
Git down, Brothers and Sisters of the Church of the Telemark..What do you mean it is a turn not a religion?
Telemon's knee-to-ski dialect of the tele-turn and internet friendliness were distinctive.
Git down, Brothers and Sisters of the Church of the Telemark..What do you mean it is a turn not a religion?
Nice, Nick - Way to keep us connected to the Telemon spirit. But...not a single Hawaiian shirt?
Good on you guys. And the snowboarder rocking the sun cups - that looked gruesome.
Thanks!
Don
Good on you guys. And the snowboarder rocking the sun cups - that looked gruesome.
Thanks!
Don