AlpineK

Didn't see the North face last Tuesday (5/10), but we saw a major avalanche remove snow from a large chunk of the east face.

Umm, not the first.

Rock climbing in Mazama should be good during the weekend too.

Ski In June 4-5 2011 Link to the Events Forum Post [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/S98fTkUaxvI/AAAAAAAAAWg/kaJx9SyWOPs/28-Back-to-Frisco.gif[/img]

Ski In in June! Yep, I know it's kind of late but there will be snow. Dave Parker and I have been talking about Ski In for the last month speculating on when HWY-20 would open. I spend a couple minutes a day looking at the latest WSDOT photos of the plowing operation. The highway crew is getting close, but there is a lot of snow! Right now WSDOT predicts 6-week till opening and we are at week 4. The highway will probably be open by Memorial Day, but Dave is the man when it comes to camping at the cabin in Mazama and has obligations. A week's delay shouldn't hurt. It also provides a safety cushion for unexpected problems. [img:center]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2290/5710838226_faed1fe572.jpg[/img] The WSDOT caption mentions 75' of snow in this photo Last year we had a great Ski In with some cool touring Ski In 2010 One sad note, Monika Johnson was with us at Ski In last year, but she passed away earlier this year. We should all raise a glass in her memory around the campfire. [img:center]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/S98fTCAd2fI/AAAAAAAAAWc/v0llwo5wQQE/s576/25-Monika.gif[/img] The snow pack is fantastic this year. I'm sure we can come up with some great tours and all have a good times! [img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_rxgbPHdbZ9I/S98drScbbDI/AAAAAAAAAV4/yQwyaqHf5M0/12-Willow-Creek-Skiing-2.gif[/img] Willow Creek 2010 The delay in highway opening has given me some time to restore some old ski gear. I'm close to finished work on the old Saint Elias Sled. It hasn't seen use in almost 50 years. We can haul this to a peak top and play rock paper scissors to see who goes for a ride

On a six day traverse we left the beat-up looking mobile at the Elfin Lakes TH. The place has a reputation for break ins. We did hide beer away from the vehicle, everything else went into the second vehicle, doors were left unlocked, and the owner wrote a note saying, "Nothing of Value in the Vehicle." The vehicle we did leave stuff in was parked where we knew there was a chance of a security guard or cop driving by. In the end no damage or theft for either vehicle and we found all the stashed beer

I started to read this thread with four new pages. After 1.5 pages I decided the rest was a bunch of bullshit spray wankering. Osama is Dead(Period)

In the first link two people try to go mano-a-mano with a rolling sled

Sledheading is an interesting hobby/sport Sledding Greenland Style Thinking you can stop a 500 pound rolling object on a steep slope sure adds an element of excitement. View from above [video:youtube]

Here's a video alternative to the lack of photos [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8A2unABbtA&feature=share

Trip: Snoqualmie Pass - Chair and Roosevelt North Slopes Date: 5/1/2011 Trip Report: Skiing a loop that includes north facing descents on Chair Peak and Mount Roosevelt has been on my tick list for a while. Jeff H and I completed the route to celebrate May Day. A friend reported thick heavy snow at the pass. That didn't sound fun, but we hoped a couple days of freeze thaw would make travel easier. The forecast for May 1 called for warm afternoon temperatures. With the recent snow we figured starting early in the morning was best if you wanted to avoid point release avalanches. We didn't get a crack of dawn start, but we figured leaving the trailhead at 7 AM would be sufficient for our plans. The approach to the base of the NE Ridge of Chair Peak was soon behind us. Jeff at the top of our Chair run. Mt Snoqualmie is in the background. We practiced our figure 8 form up high. The snow on the slopes down to Snow lake was variable. In good sections you could turn and stay on top of a surface ice layer. Most of the time each turn involved dealing with the consequences of breaking through then trying to execute another turn. At Snow Lake we climbed south facing slopes on Roosevelt. The temperatures were warming the snow, and we started seeing point release avalanches. Fortunately everything we saw was moving slow enough to make avoiding the concrete like snow simple. Jeff negotiating a steep section of the slopes on Roosevelt. The col between the summits of Roosevelt provides excellent views both south and north. View to the southeast View to the northwest The chute on the northern side of Roosevelt provided the best skiing of the day. Snow on the slopes up high felt like it still remembered winter. As we descended the snow returned to a spring form. We did ski it late enough in the day for the warming effects to soften the icy layer we were breaking through on the north side of Chair. Eventually we reached the point where the climb back to Snow Lake started. The climb out was fairly straightforward. It didn't take long to pop over a ridge and get views of Chair Peak and Snow Lake again. Chair Peak from the ridge east of Mt. Roosevelt. We saw a large warm snow slide covering some of our tracks on the north side of Chair. As we skied to Snow Lake point release slides would follow us. Travel wasn't a problem as long as the second skier payed attention to what the first skier set off. A view back at the south side of Roosevelt revealed a number of slides covering our ascent tracks. From there we skied across the lake and made it to the up tracks leading to the Snow Lake divide just as a large snowshoe group was starting to ruin the ski uptrack. I pointed out another snow shoe track they could follow and commented on the poor etiquette they were practicing. I'm sure this had little effect on the group, but you never know The rest of the ski to Alpental was soon behind us. Lots of folks were celebrating the last day of ski area operation in the upper parking lot. I suppose that signals the first day of Spring skiing for backcountry folks. In any case it was a nice warm day with fun ski terrain. Approach Notes: Starting and finishing early seems to be the best plan until more snow consolidates occurs

Kids always know where the best parties are going on

Yep, that's an interesting line to ski.

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On my Denali trip I was on skis and my two partners were on slow shoes. I snowplowed down motorcycle hill so we could stay roped up and I didn't drag them down the hill There are good slopes for skiing right above the 14grand camp on the West Buttress route.

I really really need a new pack

It was sad to hear the news. I got a message regarding David right before I left on a trip.

The snowpack is fine for travel right now, but it is on the way out. With a week of warm weather you'll be hiking for a bit.

Trip: Lake Chelan - Holden - Fernow Glacier and Dumbell S Side Date: 4/22/2011 Trip Report: Skiing near Holden Village has been on my mind for a few years. The subject generated enthusiasm with a couple friends too, so we made plans. There are a lot of great ski lines near Holden. We decided to ski slopes near Mount Fernow. Christian contacted Holden Village and arranged for a shuttle bus, a nights lodging, and a boat ride up Lake Chelan. Christian, Jeff, and I met the boat on Friday the 23rd. Most of the folks on the boat were going to the village for a long weekend. There's all kinds of great day skiing right out of Holden Village, but we decided to leave the village and ski up to a high camp. We wanted to ski for three days and camp out. After that we would be really psyched for good food, and a cabin. On the way up we crossed a bridge to the south side of Railroad Creek then headed up to Big Creek. When we came out we crossed Railroad Creek on a logs up high then followed the Holden Lake trail back to camp. Jeff and Christian under Copper Peak Skiing up Big Creek Drainage We picked a camp spot so we could ski Fernow Glacier one day then the South Side of Dumbell Mountain the next. We got in late the first night. Our gear had a long nigh to ice up. the main subject of conversation the next morning was either lets move to warm up or when will the sun hit us. We found some newer snow on top of a spring layer on the way up Fernow. View from Big Creek Jeff skinning up Christian and Jeff skinning with Dumbell Mountain behind The route heads up an obvious line to a high bowl on Fernow. There is a small glacier up high on the mountain, but it is not visible till you get close. The slope angle steepens the higher you get. Eventually we traded skis for crampons on the ascent. We were headed to the ridge crest, but things got a bit dicey and we decided the last 40 feet were not mandatory parts of the ski line. Fun times switching back from crampons to skis After the first turn we found some great snow with a consistency like day old freshiez. The top of the glacier is somewhere over 50 degrees but gradually backs off. Fun Stuff Our high point is on the top left hand side (climbers) of the snowfield-glacier From there we found killer turns to the valley Views from Dumbell slopes The ski line is on the left hand side of the photo. Seven Fingered Jack is on the right hand side Close up view Lover down we skied skiers right to avoid avalanche debris. Christian skiing Looking back up We got back to camp with time to dry out. The weather forecast called for shifting conditions, so we weren't sure how much skiing we would get on the 24th. As it turned out skies were still blue with only some wisps of an incoming storm. We headed up towards Dumbell Mountain. There's nice ice climbing in the upper valley. Just ignore those cornices above. Here's a photo of the route from Fernow. We skied on the left hand side slopes. The slopes in the center of the photo look great, but cliffs at the base make ascent and descent tricky We were headed to an obvious col between summits. Things looked good in the upper basin. As we climbed the final slopes to the col weather really did move in. At about 200 feet vertical below the col we called it and started skiing down. Clouds were moving in and visibility was on the way out. View of Fernow Looking back up From there we headed back to camp and loaded up for our ski out. We missed out on the killer high slopes, but skiing trees with an overnight pack provides its own excitement. Crossing Railroad Creek Fortunately the trail is close to the creek once you cross it, so the final distance to Holden went smoothly. Here's a map I marked up with our approximate ski route We made it back to Holden about thirty minutes before dinner, so we didn't feel too bad about missing out on some skiing. The facility at Holden is nice and everybody was happy to see us. We played pool in the morning. Next time I go there I have to used the bowling lanes! After spending the morning at Holden we hopped on the bus and headed down to Lake Chelan The boat ride provides good views of Lucerne, and surrounding mountains. Views of clouds up high confirmed we'd hit a good patch of weather this time. In terms of timing things worked great. Rain really started coming down when we started driving. We're no A Team, but I do like the line, "I love it when a plan comes together." Gear Notes: A boat up Lake Chelan is nice. Approach Notes: Talk to the folks at Holden Village prior to heading there. The road from Lucerne to Holden is 11 miles. They have a nice spot to spend the night before and or after the trip. Crossing Railroad creek on logs can be tricky depending on snowpack.

That's a killer ski line! I've looked at it for years and thought about it but lacked the guts to do it. Way to go

I've been skiing with a pair of TLT5 boots this winter. The pair of boots is two pounds lighter than my old Garmont boots. The sole of the boot has a rocker form which helps when walking. The new system they came up with makes climbing better. You unlock the upper buckle and remove the boot tongue when climbing. This gives your ankle a flexibility like a pair of hightop hiking boots (lots of movement). When you ski you stick the tongues back in the boots and lock down. At that point the boots are now stiff ski boots. One problem I have had is narrow boot width. I ended up taking them to a boot fitter to resolve this problem. Apparently everybody in Europe has narrow feet. One other issue I have noticed is there isn't quite enough padding on the ankle of the boot liner. I've noticed a couple rips in liner fabric. I did buy the low end model due to cost. Perhaps the carbon fiber model doesn't have that problem.

Muir hut? It isn't listed as a TR, but it has some important elements of a climbing trip where multiple groups with different interests interact. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/863730/1

The BC Government needs a full time maintenance staff for the highway to Squamish. [video:youtube] It could have been part of the Olympics

There are 127 pages in the Garbage Can Forum

Yep, the military is going to go on training exercises no matter what, and training costs money. In this case it's rescuing a couple climbers. The military gets to train and practice while performing a community service. If you start charging for climber rescue then it's only fair to charge boaters and hikers for rescue. Taken to extreme you'll have to pay when the fire department rescues you from a burning building. If billcoe's plan goes into action the only legal emergency locater beacons will send out your credit card number when you activate them.