Cascade Pass Conditions

[Juan]

Did anyone go up there this weekend? The rangers told me you can drive to MP 21 or so. How much snow is still hanging around on J'Berg, Cascade, etc.? Still winter or is it spring?

 

Thanks for any beta you may have.

 

John Sharp

[genepires]

there is very little snow on the road but enough coverage from the official trailhead for skiis. Getting to the pass requires some boot packing as it is steep. Big avis coming off cascade and j-berg but the way to the pass is fairly safe. Really cool looking out there right now.

The arm is in good shape too with lots of snow. Some steep snow right before the summit.

But it is melting fast. Who knows what it will look like this next weekend.

 

gene

[mughjie]

John,

 

We did Sharkfin on Saturday. There was nooooone in Boston Basin, very surprising since the weather was fine. There were few groups heading to Cascade Pass. The road is clear and dry to the usual gate at MP22 or so (2300ft). There's no real snow until about 4000ft. On the Bosin Basin trail it starts in earnest just before the first avalanche crap crossing. The snow conditions in the Basin were great, but definitely required snowshoes. The snow on the North side of Sharkfin was awful, unconsolidated, air-filled fluff over skanky ice. Let me know if you want more.

 

We did see some impressive slides off J'berg. One seemed to start high on the face just east of CJ col and span the whole face. Heard avalaches from that direction most of the day.

Edited April 25, 2005 by mughjie

[Juan]

Thanks for the beta guys. I'm thinking, based on all reports so far, that this was the first warm spring weekend when so much stuff slides. Seems to happen every year. Hopefully things will harden for this weekend.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Juan]

P.S. Julian: Good luck in AK. You guys will have fun.

 

Juan