White Salmon
Just a quick post in gratitude for the existence of TAY (not the Fake-book version!)
Not too much schwacking to get to valley bottom, we were able to do it without taking the skis off. Ski quality getting down left something to be desired and was treacherous in the early morning. Easy travel up the valley and onto the glacier. The wind was howling when we got to the lunch knob below the glacier toe, we dug in and took a break and decided that going up high was not going to be worth it. Took a run from around 5600' on the far skier's left of the glacier valley and, to our surprise, the snow was high quality!
There was another party of two heading right up the far climber's left of the glacier who seemed not to mind the conditions, and the wind was dying down. So we headed back up and waited for the other party to ski before following a bootpack they'd set up the steeper far climber's left side. Besides the waiting, this proved to be a highly efficient way to the saddle. It also avoided the crevassed side of the glacier, where we could sense the presence of some hidden monsters. We rode beautiful chalky wind-affected but not slabby snow down, retracing our uptrack to the rider's left side of the valley for more great powder turns all the way to valley bottom. Travel back to the schwacky climb was nice and smooth gliding since the avy paths have not yet run big this season.
A wonderful day in the mountains.
valley bottom
riding chalky
That looks great up high.
...and who says you can't have bushes on your ski-slope. Demand shrubs in your line!
Even down low it was quite good sparkly fast pow!
Will demand more shrubs, Jake. Have to get lower than the parking lot at Baker I guess. I will also demand more tea.
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