gapertimmy

you guys are going to have a great time Jeffy, post some pics when you get back. wirlwind- 1)indeed there was a slide in the area last sunday. I have since been traveling in the area and can say that the freeze thaw cycle this week has substantially firmed up the 8" of snow we recieved over a week ago. Travel/conditions should be fairly solid. I'd still reccomend not being high up on any volcano very late on a hot day. 2)there is all levels of skiing to be had in the area, if anything you can come out and hang out and climb brokentop or south sister.

dude, se ridge is so a day trip. j/k that is one of my fav ski's in the sisters, they should have a good time. But SW ridge of brokentop is what i'm talkin bout... and laps on the west side of brokentop, at sunset, oh my.

http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/WhereToGetOn there is another grassroots seattle area free wifi thang that has been going on for a few years now.

those are pretty sweet but not as sweet as this

regardless i'm still sending + vibes there way, hope they have a speedy recovery and can get back in the mountains soon.

wirlwind, i have ski's you can borrow if you get down here... but you'll need some boots.

booty

do a search on both peaks, I posted some trip reports a while ago with pics of standard routes with similar snow conditions on them. the only issue with mcloughlin early season is getting lost in the thick woods to and from the ridgeline. have fun, and post some picts if you can.... I would love to see what the NE face of mcloughlin looks like right now.

i completely agree that it is easy to armchair avy accidents, but lets face it, the best tactic for avvy avoidance is exactly that, avoid slide prone terrain when the conditions are ripe for a slide. last weeks snow and the subsequent warming temps on saturday screamed high risk. regardless of ones experience, or backcountry pursuit, please be safe and watch the weather, and do your best to not get yourself into sketchy terrain during sketchy conditions.

Perhaps you could share what routes you are considering on the peaks and we could give you some info. The standard route on McLoughlin for example is a simple slog up a ridge, most of which is in and out of trees.... a very safe route and note likely to avy. I would say you would travel more avalanche areas on Thielsen, but i think this week's warm weather should have things fairly consolidated by this weekend.

bizump for some stoke: TR from today: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB7&Number=460888 And some CORN PRON!!! lots of snow on the west face still south sister providing copious ammounts of corn right now HOLLAAAAAAAAAAA

Climb: South Sister-Blown Away Ridge Date of Climb: 5/23/2005 Trip Report: The weather is finally becoming corn friendly in Central Oregon, so it was high time to hop on the bro's and get some from the sisters. With super secret insider beta from special agent jlag, a corn warning had been issued for east facing aspects up in them thar hills.... even after a late start, this home boy was stoked to finally be out gettin himself some corn. The target for the day: Blown Away Ridge on South Sister. Blown Away Ridge??? wtf? Well, I suppose you could call it a SE ridge, but that is so lame, and the first time I was on the ridge, high winds were actually picking up pieces of light pumice and chucking them at me..... thus Blown Away Ridge. Per Skyclimbs' tr, there was about a 1/2 mile of boot packing up the Fall Creek, Green Lakes trail (bleh) until skinable goods were found. Fortunately, the mosquitos were still slumbering, and the shade of the tree's made for a delightful skin. looking so damn good, this weekend, SW face of btop will go off Blown Away ridge is accessed via the valley between the Newberry and Miller Lava Flows. The route offers a great alternative to the normal Devils Lake->Super Flat south side slog. It is also much more scenic: The ridge held snow all the way to the Lewis Glacier moraine which made for quick travel. Because of a late start, the 9k and change at the moraine would be my high point for the day (and the corn was uber ripe and i really wanted to ski). South Sister from blown away ridge There was a very thin rain crust on top of the snow which was easily broken through and offered the fanazmo sizzling bacon noise as wet sluff skimmed down the surface. The turns were superb, and the surroundings were amazing. The best turns of the day were had on Yin/Yang slope (aptly named by cletus) which is east facing 7800'ish. The 900'+ of turns down the slope beckoned for a second lap. eight equals d A good time was had by all, well by me, cuz I was the only gaper out there today. My friends, the spring ski in will be goin off this weekend, get down here and get it!!! Approach Notes: 1/2 mile of walking on trail, first bridge over fall creek to green lakes clear... lakes are still fully snowed in.

it was a group of mazama's, and apparently the slide was naturally triggered.

*bumP* lets get roll call going folks. so far i've gotten word that the following folks will be in the area for some spring ski in love: gapertimmy gaperbecky ducktherope jlag *maybe* camillo + gang i'll be posting a tr with some stokalicous picts from today that might make some peeps want to come down and check it out. the corn is dammmmmmn fine, best its been all spring.

i skeet on you from great heights bish.

had a message on my cell phone about this, and then found this on koin tv's website: ------ Sunday, May 22, 2005 Oregon Army National Guard to assist injured hikers in Central Oregon Press Release from: Oregon National Guard At the request of Oregon Emergency Management and Deschutes County Officials, one of two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the Oregon Army Aviation Support Facility, Oregon National Guard in Salem, Ore. will depart at approximately 3:30 p.m. enroute to the North Sister to assist in the rescue of two hikers who are reported to have critical injuries. A second Blackhawk helicopter is preparing to respond to this situation and will depart from Salem within the hour. Piloting the first aircraft are Lt. Col. Dan Hokanson, Co-pilot Chief Warrant Officer Rob Brattain, both of Keizer, Ore. The crewschief and flight medic on this flight are Sgt. Pat Casha and Sgt. Erikson of Salem. ------ i heard it was a group on the thayer glacier. hope everyone is okay.

a stranger?

Climb: Bach-ey-lor-devilstrokemycone Date of Climb: 5/19/2005 Trip Report: Yesterday my eightequalsd was quite stout when i arrived at work to 6" of fresh. Unfortunately, a POWER meeting with some folks from Austria kept me tied up most of the morning (Life of a ski area geek superstar). And unfrotunately by the time I left, things had been warming up, and all dem fine freshiez had turned to slushiez. Regardless, me and my trusty friend Sierra booted up to go get us some of that fine central oregon lovin. After arriving to work, and checking the email, we set out up the pine chair line. Skinning was indeed slow and wet at first, but above 6750'ish things started to look good, daaaaaaammmmmn good. Sierra, being the powdurrr hound she is was beckoning to cruise up by northwest. A short while later we were standing on top of a tasty looking bowl, covered with freshie love, all for us. The turns were good, damn good. We dropped down devil's backbone, and had a rather enjoyable 1000'+ of tasty turns. Once things got heavy, we skinned er back up to the sickest of all slopes on bachy, DA CONE. It has become somewhat of a tradition for me to sit on the cone after a season has ended, and look down at the little ski area. I get good vibes knowing the season was a good one, and am happy and sad at the same time. Okay enough random thoughts. Sierra and I then attacked the cone with mad gaper steez. The turns were super sloppy heavy... but they were turns, and therefore we were stoked. Didn't bring the camera but here are a few shotz from the cell: closed but still servin the goods the bro'z treated me well, the innagural run on the boards sierra assed out on the office floor after the tour n turns. great freakin day. Approach Notes: There is considerable wind loaded slopes above 7k in the three sisters area. With warming temps this weekend, and 6"+ of slushy loaded snow, please be carefull when traveling in the volcanos.

I'm thinking with a good week of freeze thaw during m-f of next week, things should be getting fairly solid up in the sisters. most definately East/North East slopes are quite loaded right now from the past week of storms, and the freezing level has kept things cool above 7000'. But I think things will get toasted up and refrozen nicely, and a fantastic crop of central oregon corn will be ripe for the pikin next weekend.

did you know that Richard Simmons went to Florida State University? I don't think they have earthquakes there.

did they leave a vagrance in the vehichle too? that sucks dude, sorry

zactly, i might have a 2 car option soon. I'm guessing they've been getting some snow as well down yander.

little bit of a bump with some stoke for good snow: Today: Occasional rain in the morning...then occasional showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Snow level 6500 feet. Pass winds south to southwest 15 to 25 mph. Tonight: Showers likely. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Breezy. Snow level 6000 feet lowering to 5500 feet after midnight with 1 to 2 inches of new snow. Pass winds south to southwest 15 to 25 mph. Thursday: A chance of showers in the morning...then showers likely in the afternoon. Snow level 5000 feet. Pass winds southwest 10 to 20 mph. Thursday night: Showers likely. Snow level 4500 feet. Pass winds southwest 5 to 10 mph. Friday: Showers in the morning...then showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Snow level 4500 feet. Pass winds southwest 10 to 15 mph. Friday night: Showers likely in the evening...then a slight chance of showers after midnight. Snow level 4500 feet. Saturday: Partly sunny. Free air freezing level 11000 feet. Saturday night: Partly cloudy. Free air freezing level 15000 feet. Sunday: Partly sunny. Free air freezing level 15000 feet. Sunday night: Partly cloudy. Free air freezing level 15000 feet. Monday: Partly sunny. Free air freezing level 15000 feet. Monday night: Partly cloudy. Free air freezing level 14000 feet. Tuesday: Partly sunny. Free air freezing level 13000 feet.

Today: Occasional rain in the morning...then occasional showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Snow level 6500 feet. Pass winds south to southwest 15 to 25 mph. Tonight: Showers likely. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Breezy. Snow level 6000 feet lowering to 5500 feet after midnight with 1 to 2 inches of new snow. Pass winds south to southwest 15 to 25 mph. Thursday: A chance of showers in the morning...then showers likely in the afternoon. Snow level 5000 feet. Pass winds southwest 10 to 20 mph. Thursday night: Showers likely. Snow level 4500 feet. Pass winds southwest 5 to 10 mph. Friday: Showers in the morning...then showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Snow level 4500 feet. Pass winds southwest 10 to 15 mph. Friday night: Showers likely in the evening...then a slight chance of showers after midnight. Snow level 4500 feet. Saturday: Partly sunny. Free air freezing level 11000 feet. Saturday night: Partly cloudy. Free air freezing level 15000 feet. Sunday: Partly sunny. Free air freezing level 15000 feet. Sunday night: Partly cloudy. Free air freezing level 15000 feet. Monday: Partly sunny. Free air freezing level 15000 feet. Monday night: Partly cloudy. Free air freezing level 14000 feet. Tuesday: Partly sunny. Free air freezing level 13000 feet. yeah baby! some pow, and then some corn gonna get served up. bout it bout it.

easily 6" of fresh on the ground this am at bachelor (no lift served turns though)... a dream come true. had a hard time getting up the road this am as ODOT appears to have called it quits for the year, fkna.