JoshK Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 Yesterday I went up to the buck creek trailhead on the end of the chiwawa river road. The road is currently gated 6 miles from the end but is completely passable by car until the end. I took a mountain bike for those 6 miles...a shout out to the forest service..I really needed that extra 12 miles of bike riding yesterday. Anyway, down I rode with skis and shit on my back. My goal was to go up buck creek, hit fortress and chiwawa and red and go out through chiwawa basin. After 7 or 8 miles of going up through the buck creek drainage (almost all of it on bare trail) I turned around. At 4600 the snow pack was pretty much all gone. From that point forward it would have been that awful trail-snow-trail-snow crap until quite a ways higher up. I was in this area around July 4th a few years back and I swear the snow pack wasn't all that much worse then. After bailing I decided I'll just go back in a month or month and a half and do that loop on foot instead. It sucks...that ski tour should still be really good at this time of year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savaiusini Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 suck ass! it sure sounds like areas east of the crest got the shaft this winter. I too have been in that area much later in the season and found decent snopack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klenke Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 Josh is softcore. A hardcore climber would have schlepped his skis over the whole traverse anyway...despite not being able to use them. Yep, time to put the skis away. Come on. You can do it. Just open the closet and throw them in. June's almost here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 ya wtf skiing is for the winter and spring. time for rock and alpine ice! change with the seasons, don't stay stuck in the past but embrace the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 umm Dru it still is spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skykilo Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 What? June is the best month to ski, you hoser! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 Well it usually is - but this year it's looking thin in some of my favorite areas. It could mean more time on the rock this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashw_justin Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 skykilo has a point I mean the snow level is what, 7000 feet right now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 umm Dru it still is spring. by some definitions of spring, it is still spring and will be right up until june 21. however, midsummer eve is less than one month away, the implication of this datum is that this is early summer. arguably, one could say it is sprummer right now. what it isn't is ski season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_harpell Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 what it isn't is ski season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted May 25, 2004 Author Share Posted May 25, 2004 (edited) Sky, I would normally agree, but man, it's slim pickings for this time of year. I was shocked to see how much had melted in the past few weeks. There is still plenty to get tho, just requires a little more effort. Who knows, maybe I'll head back in as soon as the road opens all the way (they said they were hoping for this weekend) and give it a shot again. Since I want to do it on foot anyway, it's neat to compare it snow vs. not. What is the definition of true joy? Having your ski tails hit the back tire of your bike! Edited May 25, 2004 by JoshK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted May 25, 2004 Author Share Posted May 25, 2004 umm Dru it still is spring. by some definitions of spring, it is still spring and will be right up until june 21. however, midsummer eve is less than one month away, the implication of this datum is that this is early summer. arguably, one could say it is sprummer right now. what it isn't is ski season. I did the ptarmigan traverse, baker N ridge and glacier peak frostbite ridge all in june last year and all were awesome skis with minimum foot travel once you hit the start of snowline. I realize some folks don't like to ski at this time but for those of us that do, this year is much worse than normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 I'd say this is the BEST time of year for the kinds of trips you just listed there, Josh. The higher peaks in the Cascades are much more difficult to access during the Winter, the avalanche danger is much greater, the days are shorter, and the snow is a lot less consistent. Add to that an appreciation of the fact that you can sit around at lunch time or at the campsite without freezing to death, and you've got the makings of a real skier! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 maybe the freshiezone can be renamed the slushiezone or the cornzone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted May 25, 2004 Author Share Posted May 25, 2004 corn is great. second to powder for fun factor (IMHO) and much less likely to slide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted May 25, 2004 Share Posted May 25, 2004 have fun in august then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted May 25, 2004 Author Share Posted May 25, 2004 LOL...no thanks. I like to drag the skis along but I have no love for skiing on firn or other such completely dirty nastinest. They do work good for jumping crevasses tho. In fact, it's a mounties approved method! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 Your shitty attitude is gonna bite you in the ass Dru. Due to the hot weather/lack of precip the forests in Washington (and BC I'm sure) are as dry as they normally are in mid July. We better not hear any bitching from you when the province shuts down off road travel this summer. It'll probably happen earlier and for longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 well if this is more like a normal July why not get out and enjoy some July like activities such as ROCK CLIMBING instead of pretending it is a normal may and trying to ski, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 I hung up my skis 3 weeks ago dipshit. I feel empathy for folks like JoshK who aren't ready to. Global warming sucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracked Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 I hung up my skis 3 weeks ago I thought you were 'core! My God, man, it's not even June! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gapertimmy Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 2 words: Three Sisters timmy just rode 5000' of corn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beck Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 great snow by coleman pinnacle this weekend....but the snow is going quick this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted May 26, 2004 Author Share Posted May 26, 2004 Your shitty attitude is gonna bite you in the ass Dru. Due to the hot weather/lack of precip the forests in Washington (and BC I'm sure) are as dry as they normally are in mid July. We better not hear any bitching from you when the province shuts down off road travel this summer. It'll probably happen earlier and for longer. Seriously man. Dru, if some of us still want to ski or whatever, just drop it. I'm sorry we aren't all on your set climbing season schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted May 26, 2004 Author Share Posted May 26, 2004 2 words: Three Sisters timmy just rode 5000' of corn Way to get it man I guess I'll be making the move to volcanoes soon...hehe...despite my bitching there is still good stuff to be had, it just requires a little more trail travel than normal. What is really shocking is the places the snow has melted off on higher faces, etc. You can still string together a line for the most part, but the peaks definitely have a very melted out look to them. My other perspective is this...for lots of folks this is the best "slogging season"...most glacier climbs are done in may, june, july when the approaches are snow free but the glaciers aren't too broken. I can still enjoy a good slog...they are scenic and have good opps. for photos. Plus I can go with friends who aren't as technical. If I have the ability to carry the extra weight of skis with me, why not take them and enjoy the ride down rather than complain about postholing down in mid day slush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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