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sean_beanntan

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Posts posted by sean_beanntan

  1. Steve, there are even crevasses at the base of crater rock as you turn to climb devils kitchen to the hogsback, visible after July, your assumption on the weather is wrong, wind was 55+mph, vis at times down to 5ft. Heavy Rime forming. Does this give you a better picture of conditions?

  2. As a professional guide with many summits of Mt Hood and a member of the MRA for 18 years, here is what I believe happened. The slope between devils kitchen and hogsback developes a low angle break close to where the engine block is located on crater rock before steepening again. On a whiteout descent its possible to think that you have reached the top of white river when you see the second steepening so u turn right and find urself in the middle slope of crater rock instead of at the base. A look at ur altitude will tell u that u are too high. This has pulled more than a few climbers but they have either been smart enough to retrace or heard other climbers talking to their left and so again move skiers left to get back on track. So we don't get to hear from them!!!

     

    A compass would not have helped in that it would show u were on the correct heading. A altimeter would show you 200/300ft too high but that could be due to the lower barometric pressure with the new front. The best indication would be GPS, Once above Palmer, set a track up the mountain that you can follow back down. That would show the climber that they are off route. while climbing Mt Hood or any mountain, always look for geo hand rails that will help you recognize where you are. On S Hood, the Palmer lift at 8500ft, Twin Rocks at 9150ft, Upper Triangle at 9600ft, top of white river 10, 100ft. All approx

     

    Water, I appreciate you sending us your version but you may have misrepresented PMR, how PMR members feels should come from PMR not hearsay from subject, sorry. Most of us have never needed to be rescued. Its not to play it forward. I joined Mountain Rescue because I believe we should all give back to our community, either thro service or financial contributions. I have a skill set that allows me to do this thro Mountain Rescue. This is why most people join Mountain Rescue.

     

    Lastly I would ask climbers that are waiting on rescue to minimize phone usage. That phone is your connection to the outside world and may be needed by the rescue folk in the field to contact you. If that battery dies, so might you. Switch off wifi mode, tell the sheriff you will go to airplane mode and contact him at set intervals maybe every 1/2 hour or hour. In the end, you did stay calm and remained in place, both of which is not easy to do so kudos on that.

     

  3. Hmm I see discussion happening on the diff between considerable and high warning. So, I dig a pit if its high and not if its considerate? NOT!!!

    Remember that they are not talking about your particular ski slope, nor are they talking about the conditions that are present at the moment that you are skiing the slope. If NWAC says considerable, I would dig a snow pit and do my own analysis. I always check the NWAC site but you cannot use that and nothing else. Skiing the BC means checking all available info and then owning your ski decision by performing your own tests. What's has happened to personal responsibility as regards determining slope stability?

  4. My information is that it was a ski patrol trigger and that it failed on a melt freeze crust and then on a rain crust and not a facet layer.

     

    ... as per Meadows " The initial slab was one cohesive unit which failed from under a more recent melt-freeze crust probably from the middle of February. As the slab moved down through Super Bowl it scoured down revealing the MLK rain crust."

     

    Water, on your question, remember that the ground surface is around 32F, so that in the PNW, snow buried deep tends to be near that temp in winter. If there is a low temp gradient then rounding and consolidation will happen even deep down in the pack.

     

    Also remember that snow is a good insulator but ice is a good conductor of heat....just to mess with your head :)

     

     

  5. Hmm I would also be interested in how some folks view this, my take on your question.

     

    The slide was not a natural trigger so that the weak layer may have consolidated without external trigger. If the layer is failing on a large facet layer, it will take a long time to consolidate. The main process going on is changes to the thermal Gradient inside the pack. Warm overnight temps for the next week will eventually strenghten that deeper layer rather then a freeze cycle (imo)

     

    http://avalancheinfo.net/fixed/weather/glossaries/advanced/advdefs/metamorphism.html

  6. Just wanted to add that we started the California Ice day in the dark because our aim was to climb to the plateau, makes it it a long day. The book talks about a creek (which was covered by snow) and the approach gully is not easily seen from the trail. That thigh deep champagne snow covering tree downs and 2 boulder fields was a choice way to start the day. Fun climbing as always with the Man from Stanwood.

     

    here are some more photo

     

    photo-21.jpg

     

    Sceptor Rap

     

    photo-19.jpg

     

    California Ice

     

    photo-20.jpg

     

    Climbing higher

     

    photo-18.jpg

     

    Cleo's 2nd pitch

  7. Jake, in climbing Rainier fitness counts for sure. On good sunny days with a lot of luck that might be all you need, esp climbing with a nice bootpack, maybe even follow behind a guided party....though guided groups may turn back for many reasons and what do you do then?. You could follow other headlamps out in front but now you are following people who you have never even met!!!...believe me folks do this and while there is nothing wrong with doing so, but it does increase your exposure

     

    So here are a few ? you should ask answer before looking for a leader

     

    Can u navigate through a crevasse field. decide on the integrity of a snow bridge?

     

    Feel comfortable navigating through a possible whiteout thro same crevasse field.?

     

    Feel that you can arrest a climber that has fallen into a crevasse, then build a system to get him out?

     

    How would you feel about giving up so much control to someone that you hardly know, how do you know that you can trust his decision making esp in bad conditions?

     

    What is your MO in case of a accident, what are your resources, first aid etc

     

    I agree that not everyone has the money to hire a guide service but you are paying for a level of security that if the shit hits the fan is worth every penny. Its kinda like car insurance that you pay every year and never use hopefully. In hiring a guide, figure some of the cost as insurance in case all of the above situations happen. Otherwise maybe you are a dentist or chiropractor, car mechanic etc and some one out there needs their teeth or car fixed....most likely a lot of climbers ha ha

     

    There are other beautiful mountains that are not as committing such as Baker, Shuksan, Shasta, Hood. Why not try one of them first as a group, maybe show up a day early and get a guide to teach you some skills that you may not have.

     

     

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