SmilingWhiteKnuckles Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Trip: Snoqualmie Mtn. - Slot Couloir Date: 1/31/2010 Trip Report: Skied the Slot with Mark Ryman yesterday. According to the forecast, temps were supposed to drop a bit, but I don't think they did. Sign near the pancake house said 31degrees just before 6am, but it didn't feel that cold and it certainly didn't cool off any. Haven't done that approach quite enough yet to know if there is a holy grail "best way", but it always puts the skinning skills to the test. So eventually, we made it up to the couloir entrance soaked and a bit worked. Mark's boot repair (from a shop! ahem) undid itself somewhere on the the SW flank of Snoqualmie and so it was with some trepidation that we considered the descent. Hell, for a 6 day/year skier, the Slot always brings a hearty adrenalin serge. I booted out carefully along the narrow ridgeline to look down on both sides--sealing the adrenalin deal--to take a few shots of the foursome that went ahead of us (the first of whom is pictured styling the initial drop). [img:left]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4324704696_8855dc038e_o.jpg[/img] After the four had gone, Mark said, "seems a shame to come all the way up here and not do it." And that was it. We geared up, broken boots and all. It's seen a lot of action lately for sure, but the snow was pretty good, soft and kind of chalky. A lot of spindrift from ski turns all the way down, but no hard debris. And waaaaaaay better than the snow the Phantom offered on the way down! One note is that we saw Mark Westman and Alpine Dave near the base of Snoqualmie's west ridge on the approach. And as we skinned up out of Thunder basin, we could hear them somewhere up on New York Gully in the heavy fog, the distinct rising notes of a piton ringing down to us. And we peered up at the line, an apparition of black gravity looming up, and wondered...and sent some strength and speed their way... More photos here Gear Notes: apply no-stick stuff to skins BEFORE starting out. ski crampons would've helped. Approach Notes: sweaty and challenging Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RokIzGud Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 (edited) Nice work! Did you summit? How steep did the slope get? Edited February 2, 2010 by RokIzGud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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