Triple Couloirs this weekend...

[daylward]

I'm thinking of doing Triple Couloirs this weekend (Sunday). I'm worried about avalanche conditions. It's supposed to snow over there a lot tonight, but only sprinkles tomorrow and Saturday. Saturday is supposed to be windy. No word yet on the windyness of Sunday. Should be cold enough.

My expectation is that it will be thin, lots of spindrift, hopefully nothing substantial built up on the face to release and pummel us. There may be wind slab on the descent.

I've never been up in that area in anywhere near wintertime. The earliest I've been through there is May, doing an Enchantments traverse. If anyone here has, I'd really like to hear your opinion of especially the avalanche dangers. I am confident in my ability to survive most of the dangers up there, except for rockfall and avalanche...

 

[Alex]

I have been into the lake and route in Nov, March and April of various years.

I believe the route itself will be in climbable shape. However, I believe avalanche danger will be significant, based on the years snowpack history and the current conditions.

The route itself is a loaded gun. There is no escape or shelter from slides once you get on the route; I believe the approach slope above the lake will be a good indication of what conditions are like in the first couloir. Dig a pit here, "try before you buy". It is steep enough to give you some indication near the mouth of Hidden. I would be extremely wary if you *didnt* see real fresh slide debris at the base of Hidden Couloir.

If you decide to go for Hidden, conditions will change as you enter couloir 2/NF and couloir 3; these are higher up, "drain" less face-area, but might have completely different snow conditions.

Alex

 

[mikeadam]

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[This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).]

[dbb]

We made it back ok! We arrived at the lake late sunday morning around 5 pm. We had left the cars early sunday morning and were now on the N side of the lake. The avalanche danger was really narly in the hidden couloir so Dan and I each decided to solo new rock routes on the N face. He went "leftwards" while I went "rightwards". After 36 hours of continious free soloing up the N face, we both met up on the summit for tea. It was then decided that we should go to Alpental and speak of the infamous mikeadamson guy from cascadeclimbers with random ice climbers in the parking lot.(no joke! you're famous now!)

.... ok, I wish.

We gave up hope for the climb after the severe storms of friday with all its snow and wind packing. Ended up doing a nice ski tour up to the trailhead followed by some crawling through the snow to reach some ice at Alpental.

Also, as people have said, there is zero ice in the icicle creek canyon.

Dave

[mikeadam]

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[This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).]

[Andy_Bourne]

Actually, there is "SOME" ice in Icicle Creek. I saw a couple guys toproping a pillar off the road. But HWY 2 actually has enough stuff to possibly constitute a weekend. I think we counted 3 or 4 climbable looking pillars/gullies as we were driving to Banks Lake, including Drury which definately appeared in. We stopped and did the approach to Hubba Hubba, only to find what dbb said, zero ice.

Banks lake, though 5 hours from Bellingham, had plenty of ice. Enough stuff is climbable there to pay a visit for sure. Go while it is still cold and eat a burger at Wally's.

[mikeadam]

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[This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).]

[erik]

mike,

avy conditions are about as tame as they can be with snow. i have been out and have found b/c traveling is easy. the weather outlook appears to be spectacular. though onsite assesment is the only way you can be sure. though if it is as nice as it is right now, then just the approach will be wonderful. though i imagine that the route should be awsome as well. one can only dream. be safe

jah

erik

 

[Colin]

Just thought I might mention that while the weather is predicted to be spectacular, the freezing level is predicted to be about 7000 ft. on Sunday. It'll probably help that Triple Couloirs is pretty north facing, but there might be alot of stuff melting and falling.

[Alex]

You cannot ask for a better forcast or better mountain conditions than what you will have on Saturday. There. I said it. If you don't do it this weekend, you arent going to do it this year....

(sits back and watches the cars queue up...)

[none_dup1]

I will think of all you rats climbing on Saturday while I watch my four-year old in ski lessons at Ski Acres. But I don't mind. Really I don't. No, not at all.

Aarrgghh.

John Sharp

[mikeadam]

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[This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).]