Enigma Couloir

[CascadeClimber]

I'm confused now...

This is a picture of what I'm pretty sure is "Enigma Gully", based on Phil's verification.

But here is a picture of what Kam Leang calls "Slot Couloir":

Though they are similar, I'm pretty sure they are not the same couloir. This is partly from the pics and partly from a conversation I had with Kam about how they accessed the couloir: Via the east side of Snoqualmie, without going to the summit.

Can anyone clear this up?

[erik]

never said i was great or will i ever i was just letting you know whom i was talking about, like i said i am unaware of any 'in' crowd. but maybe you know?????

maybe you guys should start it up. i can see it now..........

*reality check* blach!!!!nasty i need to drink some bleech, those thoughts are impure........

[willstrickland]

This thread reminds me of something my mom used to tell me all the time: "Boy, you'd argue with a signboard with no letters"

[Cpt.Caveman]

You guys all suck! Bringing this one back to the top!

[AlpineK]

Martins book wasn't out when Greg wrote the article. That is true, but someone could have stopped by Martin's store or got ahold of Lowell Scoog... Or even walked over to Alpental and ask a ski patroler.

So yeah its just a ski run it's not a big issue.

But I think the right to name a route is. You gotta earn the right by being first or after a bunch of reasearch finding out that none of the original ascenders/descenders bothered to.

Like any game there are rules. I've seen people get into fights over what one person thought was cheating in pool..

Anyhow after reading what Phil and Greg had to say I may write Couloir with a correction, but I don't think I'll have anything nasty to say.

The Slot couloir is a great ski. I recomend it, and it's nice to see it getting some national recognition (hopefully there won't be lines of people waiting to ski it).

[philfort]

quote:

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Originally posted by CascadeClimber:

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Right hand sun patch is the access gully, as you said.Next one is what I assume AlpineK skied the first time.Enigma comes next, completely hidden, except you can see where it emerges.The next one with some rocks in it is Crooked couloir.

The photo in Volken's book (taken from a plane) makes it all clear.

[Marcus_Engley]

Looks the same to me, but the second picture is taken from higher up in the couloir. If you look at the boulders off right of the couloir's exit, you can pick out the same big boulder's, from roughly the same angle, in both pics...

[philfort]

Loren, in the second picture, the guy is skiing the upper section of the couloir, the part you had to downclimb 'cause it was late in the season. Same couloir.

The "crooked couloir", isn't really very couloir-like. It starts all bowl-like up top, then funnels through a slot lower down, emerging just a short distance (couple hundred feet) northeast of enigma gully.

Actually, crooked couloir would be a good name for enigma gully/slot couloir.

There's another slot couloir to the west of enigma gully. Where you go to approach NY gully I think (not sure)? It sounds like AlpineK skied that one the first time they tried to find enigma gully (see Alpine Lake's TR's).

[jon]

I'm just read this whole thing and I'm still not sure what the hell people are argueing about. Who wrote the Couloir article? Anyways I've wanted to ski that ever since Phil sent me that picture.

Rumor has it that Phil and Greg sit-started the descent which makes it like two grades harder dude, so if they don't have the first descent than they have the first crazy sick sit start descent. Say that three times really fast beyotch!

[bobinc]

I was with John Sharp's group that day and can say that, whatever it's called, it's a great line and Phil and Greg acquitted themselves well on the descent (from what I could see of it).

I sense your frustration, Phil. You were just out to ski and now have been sideswiped by a bunch of extraneous protocol.

[CascadeClimber]

Kam's descent was exactly a week after mine. I don't remember the weather, but there must have been a lot of snow to allow them to ski from the top.

Here is another picture stolen from Kam.

The right-hand sunspot shows the exit notch from the basin. The other one shows what I thought was Enigma, and the line I think Kam and Co. skied is mostly hidden and ends in the stunted trees to the left.

Bob and Jon are right, though, this is all much ado about nothing. It is a fun line to ski with reasonable access. Go do it.

[ 01-28-2002: Message edited by: CascadeClimber ]

[dbb]

Let me tell you, the "ski crowd" at Alpental calling it "slot" better watch out if the true first ascender finds them! Mr. Hard core who made the first ascent did it in the summer, solo, fist jamming ice/rock in the moat, while out on a "stroll" . (Check out AAJ ~1980, worth the read)

<lame pontification >He called it the NW face. What gives with all this "slot" stuff? Wouldn't it be more useful to call it what it is in Beckey? </lame pontification >

[erik]

quote:

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Originally posted by dbb:

Let me tell

you

, the "ski crowd" at Alpental calling it "slot" better watch out if the true first ascender finds them!

Mr. Hard core who made the first ascent did it in the summer, solo, fist jamming ice/rock in the moat, while out on a "stroll" . (Check out AAJ ~1980, worth the read)

<lame pontification

>He called it the NW face. What gives with all this "slot" stuff? Wouldn't it be more useful to call it what it is in Beckey? </lame pontification

>

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i was referring to the ski patrol and my friends who are on it. so i think your sarcasm is lost.

[gregm]

quote:

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Originally posted by erik:

i was referring to the ski patrol and my friends who are on it. so i think your sarcasm is lost.

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whoa! erik has friends who are SKI PATROL?! hello, brush with greatness, i'm in awe!

[Jens]

Yes, Phil you are exactly right about the order.

This picture is misleading in the angle that it is showing.

Loren and I skiied the Enigma gully which is mostly obscured from view and just to the right of the crooked gully.