[TR] Mt. Bailey- SE Ridge/S Bowl 4/8/2004

[gapertimmy]

Climb: Mt. Bailey-SE Ridge/S Bowl

 

Date of Climb: 4/8/2004

 

Trip Report:

After 1 too many days in a row of working, there was a bunch of pent up ski need flowing through my viens... regardless of the number of lift served runs I may have had, my body needed some slog, followed by corn. The plan was simple, pack in as much tourin, skiin, and drinkin as possible in 2 days time.... location: Southern OR Chosscades, sickmofopadnah: Fejas. game on.

 

Like many nights before a trip, sleep didn't come well wednesday night. While lying in bed thinking of corn, and beer, and plab, I decided that I ought to cruise down early the next day and check out Mt. Bailey. I had heard many good things about the hill from Snow Cat skiers, so I had to chikity check it.

 

A quick 1:45 drive South of Bend, and I was at Diamond Lake

Thielsen in the Fog Thursday Morning

 

Regardless of guidbook aid, I wandered around the lake looking for the best access point. I finally figured out that 3 Lake Snowpark was the spot, and I was off skinning by 9am, it was already warm. The summer trailhead is about 2 miles from the snowpark... I made the mistake of skinning along a makred nordic trail to the Bailey TH proper, this added in some unecessary glides onto the approach, but still fun.

 

The SE ridge trail countours gently up the left skyline in the picture below... the snowpark is just about at the far left end of the pic

 

With the iPodmini rawkin, and not a soul around for miles, NO sled's buzzing around, I was one happy camper. The higher I skinned up the ridge, the better the views got, and the number of sick lookin lines inside the avalanche bowl started to appear

looking into the avy bowl from the ridge, summit is towards the middle

 

A light breeze on my face, sunshine on my shoulders, and corn under foot, I was stoked. The level of stoke was reaching near record highs as I ripped the skins, took one last glimpse at the next days adventure, and started to RIP IT UP LOL down the SE ridge and South bowl

Thielsen from Bailey Summit Ridge

 

It was really tough to restrain myself from dropping into the bowl, but the descent down the ridge and southern bowls did not dissapoint. Goods, gooooooods, all over the place. Before I knew it I was back in the flats, in sloppppy snow. A bit of battle skiin through the trees, and some more miles along, I got back to the TH. Total distance, around 13 miles, 3k+ elevation: long slog, good turns, great views, good times

= stoked

 

Drove over to the freaky ass Diamond Lake lodge, ate greasy food, and then fejas rolled in... to be continued, in the next TR

 

Gear Notes:

GPS with good waypoints would make this tour a bit more quick in early season like this

 

Approach Notes:

3' of snow at snowpark still

Edited April 11, 2004 by timmy