philfort

It keeps getting better and better... tried some pics, but I always miss the big ones. I think I'll have a few in a minute or two...

There's been a huge thundercloud over the Cascades for the past half hour or so, with lightning bolts flashing through it every few seconds... nice view from downtown.

A split was the best purchase I made in the past year Boarding in untracked pow I use a Voile 173 and I think its great, but I've never owned another snowboard, so I'm not too picky about performance - since I don't know what good performance is. But I like the simplicity of the design - it seems reliable. And with the mtn plate bindings and light boots, it doesn't weigh much more than my tele setup. Also, the Voile is the cheapest, and they come with skins.

... and back when the glaciers were thicker and the upper section was smooth snow instead of rocks

...if the weather's looking good, I could probably be convinced to take a week day off to go check it out.

Hmm, that face looks like a fun ski. The 'shrund looks easy to get around, just the rocks on top that look sketchball! Is it easy to pop back over the col between the N & S sisters?

Road is gated just past MP21 - only adds a mile and a half to the approach, and the washouts are trivial to cross.

We were wondering whose car that was parked between the Eldo lot and the gate (at what seemed to be the Torment Basin approach)...

Probably several more weeks I would think... the direct approach up to Cascade Pass is melting out quickly though. I give it another week and a half before the trail is the better option.

Climb: Magic Mtn-Magic Mtn couloir Date of Climb: 6/4/2004 Trip Report: On Friday Matt Peters and I skied the couloir that drops NE from the Magic Mtn ridgeline into Pelton Basin. This is the curvy one one easily seen from Sahale or Buckner. It turned out to be a really sweet run, highly recommended! The snow conditions were a little on the soft side - about a foot of wet snow from the previous weekend. No large objects coming down though, unlike when I attempted it with Bill F 3 weeks ago. We climbed up the couloir, reaching the top around 9am. Awesome views of Formidable and Spider from the top! It looks like it would be accessible from the KoolAid lake side too. We didn't waste much time since things were warming up. The descent went smoothly, and we continued down the Yawning Glacier snout into Pelton Basin, for a run of about 2800ft. Full TR here: http://www.mtnphil.com/Magic/Magic.html Photo of the route from late June of last year: Matt skiing down: Gear Notes: skis, helmet, axe, crampons (didn't need them). Approach Notes: Road closed at MP21. Route still ok straight up to the pass, with a few bare sections.

Hmm, anyone interested in a steep run in the North Cascades tomorrow? My potential partners either aren't getting back to me or are off to other adventures. Planning to bivy at the trailhead tonight for an alpine start, since it's supposed to be kind of warm tomorrow. Email me if so...

Here's one you can use, taken in Boston Basin... Don't think I have a bigger one... Maybe you can explain what exactly these clouds are doing? They were kind of forming a tunnel...

I don't see those snow totals anywhere on that site... last update was a week ago? Am I blind?

I dunno if I'd go there strictly for the photography. It's got nice views, but you're kind of on the side of the mountain. I don't think you can see a whole lot above you , but the views of Willis Wall and the other wall are good. If you stay there long enough you'll probably get an avalanche on film: Getting there is somewhere in between straightforward and extreme technical climbing. The Carbon glacier can be pretty tricky to navigate, especially by summer, and there could be a short bit of low 4th class or low 5th class getting on to the base of the ridge. Then its sustained 40+ degree snow or ice (or scree?) getting up to Thumb Rock, with pretty significant rockfall danger.

I need to move it down a bit so more of the Carbon is visible. Next clear spell I'll work on getting that Thumb Rock Shag-Cam working too

thx.... If I go I hope I don't falafel Tomyhoi

What's the approach to this thing like? Pretty much as described in Beckey: drive to end of Tahini road, cross creek on log, go up? Is the road driveable to the boundary?

Corteo.

nice!

I've been meaning to remove the straps on my skis due to the whole avalanche issue, but haven't gotten around to it. If I had, my ski would have taken a 2000ft ride last wknd... thank god for safety straps.

Classic!

Eric Hoffman & co were there on Saturday - they could probably tell you conditions: http://www.ericsbasecamp.net/trips/SilverStar/SilverStar.htm We were hitchiking on the highway and they picked us up. thanks!

Last weekend it was easily walkable w/o flotation (hardpacked snow) to the where the trail starts heading uphill to Colchuck Lake. We put skins on there, so I dunno how bad it would be after - probably kind of bad. The lake would have definitely been crappy w/o flotation.

I thought we would be safe bivying next to the car at the snowline on Mountaineer Creek road last wknd... I slept in the middle of the road, far from the grass, but we found one in the car later, crawling up the wire for CD-adapter for the tape player. Must have hitched a ride on my sleeping bag or something, then hung out in the car for the day while we were out. eewwww!

Hmm... I'd have to disagree with your correction. We went in there in April a few years back. From my TR: "Swamp Creek really really sucks. We encountered some of the densest forest I've seen in these parts, considering there was supposed to be snow on the ground covering the brush. I can't imagine anyone going in here in summer." It took us 6 hours to get to Snowy Lakes from the highway (with winter overnight gear), and it sounds like we took a similar route. We followed the south side of the creek until the valley got less gorgey, then we were able to ski on the creekbed to make things quicker. From there on it was easy travel, but man those first few miles were bad. I think it would have been easier to climb over Mt Hardy. We came out the north side of the creek, and I think it was a little better. In any case, it was good compared to a typical west-side valley, but definitely the worst bushwhacking I've done in the washington pass area.