bdog

So even though it is May there are still reports coming in. A lot of the western US, including Colorado in particular, have had very poor refreezing and lack a good melt-freeze base layer. This is also true in the Northwest where the weather is clearing in another day or two. If people venture onto steep slopes in these areas we will see more incident reports. The spring seems unusual many places, as was the winter. Jim The above was posted by Jim Frankenfield, Director of CSAC (Cyberspace Avalanche Center www.csac.org) on 5/22/05. The conditions in the Northwest this past weekend were pretty clear to those who understand snow. It is also true that unless one was there it is not possible to really know why this group made the decision to descend the Thayer. Still, it was poor judgement regardless.

fifteen year old wax?!!!?? Dude, you need to ski more! It should be fine really. Hydrocarbon wax dosn't loose much over the years.

Cold wax is harder, so it is better to error on the side of colder wax. you can always apply a softer (warmer) wax on top of harder, but it does not work well to go harder on top of a layer of softer. For all practical purposes in recreational skiing it hardly matters. If you are off by 10 or even 20 degrees the difference in glide is measured in 10ths of a second. Wax on and point 'em down.

Cold or rub on wax is faster in that it takes less time to apply. Definately better than no wax at all. Hot wax is best because it allows the wax to be absorbed into the pores of the base material. It will last longer and glide faster. A broad spectrum temperature or universal wax is most suitable for recreational resort skiing and BC applications.

It is still there. Now run by Oz. Diamond Lake Resort still holds the permit. Here is the NEW website: http://www.catskimtbailey.com/

Not ALL base's are sintered. Many are extruded. Both are polyethelene. All start the process as extruded. Extruded base material is less expensive, softer , less durable has a lower molecular density (weight) and absorbs less wax. Sintered base material has a higher molelecular density (UHMW - ultra high molecular weight). It is more durable, absorbs wax better, is faster and more expensive. As posted above, AT, Tele, Nordic and Alpine skis all have polyethelene bases. All require glide wax. Wax often. When using skins, don't scrape as much as you would for a lift served pair of skis. As mentioned previously, the wax helps keep the skin adhesive from coating the ski base.

It is and will be a total joey fest! Like second week of Christmas vacation, but a much odder crowd. These are people who ski one day a year ...THIS ONE!!! Best to stay far away.

So, how is the skiing up there right now? Say what you will about bachy, at least we have been slidin' eh?

Free ski day is usually a joey fest supremo. Still, if you do come over stop in the shop and say howdy. Stick around for the evening and we can get brews, i am sure timmy and duck the rope would be in on that.

I'll be eatin' corn in July!

Bachy big? Perhaps not. In a normal year the glades and trees are superb. this year, well lets see... we still be skiing while most of the other PNW areas have thrown in the towl.

NOAA REPORTS DECEMBER WARMER THAN AVERAGE, GLOBAL TEMPERATURE WARMER THAN AVERAGE. The national average temperature for December 2004 was above normal for the contiguous United States, according to scientists at NOAA Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. While much of the western half of the nation was warmer than average, a brief period of very cold temperatures and heavy snowfall occurred in the Midwest and parts of the South, where temperatures averaged near the long-term mean (1895-2003).

hey Bro' your only as old as you feel. LTD (livin' the dream) is as real as it gets at Bachy. we here are keepin' it real 24/7

The warm winter and unprecidented low snow pack in the Pacific Northwest is a result of the current El Nino. El Nino IS a warming of Pacific Ocean currents and may be natural. Ocean current temperatures are not isolated events. Human caused environmental actions such as logging of temperate and tropical rain forest ecosystems has a very real impact. Particulates found in glacial ice have a very real effect on increased temperatures of glacial ice which contributes to glacial shrinking. That too has a very real effect on climatic warming. Current weather in the Pacific Northwest is not an isolated event.

It is THE SAME El Ninio effect that has caused the considerable snow in the Sierra. The Sierra's are higher elevation and as the warm moist air from the South Pacific uplift they cool and precip forms as snow. It is all related. Yep, human created particulate and pollution have nothing to do with any global weather events.

I hate when people say things like this. A warm winter (or week) in the cascades is NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO REAL EVIDENCE OF GLOBAL WARMING. The data that suggest global warming are long-term, and indirect, measures of climate. Just poke your head a little further in the sand (or maybe some other dark place). There is NO evidence of global warming aside from increased global temps. The current El Nino is a result of warming temps in the Pacific (like other El Nino events). Yep, just another isolated unrelated insignificant weather event.

This weather does indeed suck. It should be sent directly to the Oval office, so that the moron boy king can see that, YES, global warming is real!

There is entirely to much litigation in the United States. The prevaling thought being that people must be protected from themselves. In many instances this is no doubt true. We have all seen people do stupid and dangerous acts, BC and otherwise. Still, there needs to be an assumption of risk and an acceptance of accountability for ones actions. other parts of the world you are on your own. Rescure is neither imminent nor expected. It is costly if it happens at all. As for the risk to SAR members. I have been involved in SAR for many years, active and otherwise. Again the risk is assumed and understood. It goes with the territory. If people did not place themselves in situations of risk BC, then there really would be no need for SAR groups at all.

Damn Tim, Youz all foun' 'da GOODS! Fine nice vid too. Still had that poo eatin' grin today didn ca? Bastaad!

Nice TR Tim. Was out on the South about a week and a half ago. Chased home by thunder storms. No pics, ughhh.

Su wheat!!! Looks like a ragin good time.

Sweet pics! Sounds like a fine tour.

As of today, Sunday 5/9 Devil's lake is still closed. ODOT is plowing from the South end of cascade lakes hwy, noth and east. They expect the hwy to be open by Memorial day weekend, as always. Very little parking access is plowed. Usually Devils lake, Green lakes TH etc are not available for parking.

Yeah baby! A most excellent idea. I have a large stash of beer to bring. Spread the word.

Climb: Tumolo Mountain-SW to East Bowl Date of Climb: 4/29/2004 Trip Report: Tumolo. Nice roadside attraction just North and slightly East of Mt. Bachelor. Trail head at Dutchman Flats snowpark less than a mile from Mt. Bachelor West Village parking. A spring afternoon and Timmy and I meet after work at Mt. B then coverge on an empty Dutchman's snowpark. 1430, Skins on, packs on and off through the pine litter, Alder and cinder dust. Tim sets a reasonable pace through the forest. Snow soon gets cleaner and we break out of the trees to the upper meadows and then on to the summit. Timmy on the summit Excellent views all around. Broken Top and Sisters wilderness always a treat. Skins off, packs back on and we slip to the North side of the summit, push into the bowl, Timmy first and make arcs down the East Bowl. Not quite supreme corn, but good enough. Just a slight ice forming on the late afternoon snow. our tracks in East Bowl Skining back out of the bowl there was a distinct feel of the snowpack, an almost audible whoomph as it would settle. We hoofed it out of the bowl, traversed below the summit and accessed the glades above the South face trees. Fine corn and sweet turns. Back into the trees and Timmy leads effortlessly, soft turns through lengthening shadows and soon enough we arrive back at Dutchmans snowpark. Short enough for a late afternoon spring tour, Tumolo can't be beat. Gear Notes: Fritchi freerides, Rossi T4's and XXX's. Ascension skins. Approach Notes: No approach, skining just out of the parking lot. Snow pack will soon force boot packing a ways.