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Waiting for the snow


Joe_Poulton

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I don't know the southern approaches to the Wallowas, but the NE side in from Enterprise has some rad stuff. There are cabins near Aneroid Lake that are good for multi-day trips.

 

Here's an image from the UI Outdoor Program

[img:center]http://www.campusrec.uidaho.edu/UserFiles/Image/Outdoor/wallowas.jpg[/img]

 

Yep that area of the state has a lot of old school two lane highways, so driving times are longer.

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Mmmmmm skiing.... It won't be a bumper year, its always good.

 

Katahdin is harder to get into than getting into the Sisters (unless you are going at North in full on winter). Sugarloaf got dumped on last winter. I skied a 30+ inch storm over winter break. I was the only person on 100mm skis.

 

Have you skied Katahdin? That is a big tick on my bucket list--ski it and climb the Armadillo route....and perhaps something on Mt. Hamlin. I'm moving back to Bucksport (Orland actually) at the end of March. Hopefully the Whites will be good and stockpiled.

Yeah, I'm sure at certain mountains back east 100mm waisted skis turn heads. I can't wait for the lift line comments about why X Wing Labs.....the lift lines are inevitable. I have a fiance learning how to ski.

 

I'm kicking around the idea of doing a New England summit tour this spring. Katahdin, Washington, and Mansfield. Let me know if you've got any info or plans. Need a partner? All I know so far is what I've been able to Google.

 

Why ski East? Because it's there. Seriously though, I grew up skiing New Hampshire. I think learning on it may make you a stronger skier than Utah/Colorado type hero snow, but the terrain is incomparable with the Rockies/Cascades and I'll take freshies in Cascade cement any day over fighting New Yorkers in Vermont for an inch of fresh snow. (Sorry about the NY jab, I'm still burned by the Yankees World Series victory)

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Have you skied Katahdin? That is a big tick on my bucket list--ski it and climb the Armadillo route....and perhaps something on Mt. Hamlin.

Winter '08 I headed into Chimney Pond to do some climbing and skiing. Katahdin in the winter is a must but if you are planning on heading into the South Basin in the winter it is not worth it to go in there for less than 5 days (2 days in, days to climb/ski, one day out). The paperwork isn't the hassle, it's just that the cabin at Chimney Pond fills up fast and people will wait in line to book their time for the season. There are plenty of lean-tos in there and they never fill up - you could plan a trip very soon before if you don't mind braving the elements. And even last year, towards the end of the season, there were strings of days with 4-6 spots open in the cabin. Just recently they repealed one of their long-hated rules that said you must have a group of 4 above treeline in the winter. I haven't been climbing there in the summer but again, Chimney Pond fills up fast for the Summer but you can get space at Roaring Brook easily - just an extra 3.3mi hike to CP.

 

A bummer for skiing is that during the peak of Spring season skiing the mountain is closed - You can't go into Chimney Pond after April 1st.

 

IMO, the area that looked to have the best accessible skiing is the Great Basin. There really isn't skiing directly from the summit (Baxter peak) since the Table lands are very wind-swept.

 

If you live in the NE it is a must to go into Katahdin. Best alpine playground in the NE.

Great Basin:

P1010374.JPG

South Basin:

South_Basin21.JPG

 

I can also highly recommend the Chic Chocs in Quebec. I've only day-tripped and I haven't used their hut system, but they do have one.

 

P1010999-1.jpg

 

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I'm kicking around the idea of doing a New England summit tour this spring. Katahdin, Washington, and Mansfield. Let me know if you've got any info or plans. Need a partner? All I know so far is what I've been able to Google.

Check out the Meatheads' "Epoch". They go around and ski the highest points in MA, NY, VT, NH, and ME. Cool movie with some good history and skiing stoke.

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Pushing 2 feet around ~6000 at Shady Pass, just west of Lake Chelan and up the Entiat River valley. It looked like a bit further west would have a lot more. Roads start to become fairly deep snow around ~3500 feet. Assuming we don't get a massive Pineapple Express, winter is here.

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Apparently, El Nino doesn't kick in until January. So hopefully by then we'll at least have an awesome base to work with. Though the official word on any El Nino effect is it may happen or it may not - do the jokers that come up with this shit actually draw a paycheck?

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Ski Acres on Saturday

 

[img:center]http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l422/drochette/Fall%202009%20OEC/DSC00215.jpg[/img]

 

Apparently, El Nino doesn't kick in until January. So hopefully by then we'll at least have an awesome base to work with. Though the official word on any El Nino effect is it may happen or it may not - do the jokers that come up with this shit actually draw a paycheck?

 

Last year in December I heard the winter was going to be a neutral year. Later they decided it was a weak La Nina. I guess the answer is who knows. Hope for the best.

 

 

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