Gaper_Jeffy

Indeed it is. Here's Thudman's skis from Saturday: Come on Ullr!

Paul, where are the bottom photos from, what elevation? I right-clicked your images to see if I could glean location from your filename but they aren't descriptive enough. BTW, how far is the skiing on Baker from Seattle?

we need more snow. can someone get Ullr on top of this?

Ah that DVD has a segment where Justin Wadsworth and Beckie Scott are spring backcountry skate skiing (with skinny racing skis) right underneath Broken Top. It's one of the better parts of the video.

Skeezix gives great advice. One thing to add: make sure to take lessons. Good technique is critical. Take a lesson your first time out then again after a few days. The "Unlimited Noridc" DVD comes with a great skating tutorial, as well as a neat video about endurance sports including some really crazy things done on skate skis: You can get it here: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000DIC7F/104-2545177-6954361?v=glance

Well said. I completely concur with this advice.

If I lived in Seattle I'd look at Baker. The only reason anyone ever skis on Hood is its promiximity to Portland.

Hi Thudman, I just sent you a PM on the "other board" (ttips).

Always good advice. To reiterate what snowboy and cj100f said, when the snowpack is shallow it's important to consider what is on the ground. Vegetation and rocks may play a significant role in anchoring the slope. A permanent snowfield on a volcano may not have any anchors and should warrant more caution.

It depends how you count the start of the season. If you consider the vernal equinox the start then I'm at 5 days.

. . . fuck . . .

You can't rock climb in rain either.

Per telemetry Mt Hood's snowpack is being "decimated" right now. At Tline since 11am Monday the temperature has averaged 38degrees and about an " of precipitation has been received. To avoid another "Gaper Jeffey jinx" I'm for the moment ignoring that the temp is forecasted to drop tomorrow, a snow advisory has been issued and it's forecasted to be sunny for the wkend.

Man, NWS is only issuing a Snow Advisory which is less significant then a Winter Storm Advisory or Winter Storm Warning. URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 445 AM PDT FRI OCT 29 2004 ORZ011-013-WAZ019-291943- CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES- SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES- 445 AM PDT FRI OCT 29 2004 ...SNOW ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED AND IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM SATURDAY TO 1 AM PDT SUNDAY FOR THE CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY...THE NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES AND THE SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES... SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE CASCADES LATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL DROP BELOW PASS LEVELS AFTER MIDNIGHT SATURDAY AND ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 4 INCHES ARE LIKELY BEFORE DAWN. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL DROP TO 3000 FEET IN THE SOUTH WASAHINGTON CASCADES SATURDAY AND 3500 FEET IN THE NORTH OREGON AND LANE COUNTY CASCADES SATURDAY. ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY BEFORE SNOW TAPERS OFF SATURDAY EVENING. TRAVELLERS IN THE CASCADES SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTRY CONDITIONS. $$ And in the discussion, "MODELS CONTINUE TO WEAKEN AND SLOW DOWN THE NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM" Jerks!

Ew, if I post another photo of Kasha will that reverse the jinx?

People go up there every weekend and have been doing so all thru fall. See TAY.

I'd prefer if the skis were even older, so they'd be skinnier revealing more of Kasha. Mmmmm....

Ullr screwing us again? After the storm on Saturday we get: "EXTENDED MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A STRONG SYSTEM AFFECTING OUR AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. THIS SYSTEM APPEARS TO HAVE A CONNECTION TO TROPICAL MOISTURE AND MODELS HAVE BEEN INDICATING IMPRESSIVE QPF AND PRECIPITABLE WATER IN EXCESS OF AN INCH. LATEST GFS HAS FREEZING LEVELS RISING DRAMATICALLY MONDAY."

Stmt updated: 615 PM PDT THU OCT 28 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS POSSIBLE CASCADES LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT... SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE CASCADES LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH BANDS OF HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS MOVING OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL FALL LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY TO 4000 FEET OVER THE SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES...AND TO 5000 FEET OVER THE NORTH AND CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL FALL FURTHER REACHING 3000 FEET SATURDAY AND 2500 FEET SATURDAY NIGHT. SIX INCHES OF NEW SNOW IS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL FOLLOW ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. SNOWFALL WILL DECREASE BY EARLY SUNDAY. ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL INCREASE THE SNOW OVER THE CASCADES AGAIN LATE SUNDAY WITH SNOW LEVELS RISING TO 4500 FEET. THERE COULD BE A FOOT OR SO OF NEW SNOW AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS OVER THE WEEKEND.

I think wdietsch linked to Shred's image wrong. The image is this And his gallery is here

Conditions are fine. Shred has some real nice photos from Tline this past weekend. Hiking at Meadows is also fine, here's a TR from Saturday. I'll prolly be somewhere there this weekend.

If the Location field wasn't enough, you can tell where everyone lives by reading their recommendations. Philfort must live in the Seattle area as everything he suggested is in WA, Iain must live in PDX as the descents he suggested are in Oregon/Southern WA, and me, I'm a California transplant as I suggested 3 descents in Cali. The only clear consensus of this thread seems to be Adams (NFNWR and/or SW Chutes).

The k2s I've been on all seem to lack the torsional rigidity of Atomics, which is a bad thing for steep or crud skiing. That said I doubt you can really go wrong with either ski. Did K2 update the Shuksan at all this year?

The TM:EXs completey rock for aggressive skiing, especially in high density snow like we get here. Get a pair, you'll not regret it. Yes they will stand up fine. Many do very technical descents on Dynafits. When you're in you-fall-you-die terrain some pull up the toe lock which significantly increases the DIN. See Lou Dawson's excellent FAQ: http://www.wildsnow.com/articles/dynafit_faq/comfort_faq.html Yes the TM:EX (aka M:EX, R:EX, 10:EX). Atomic TM:EXs + Dynafits + Garmont MegaRides would be my ideal one-quiver setup for steep, aggressive backcountry skiing in the Cascades.

Do you instantly become a maggot by skiing a pair?