mhux Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Anyone have recent beta on how conditions in the Enchantments are? Looks like weather is stabilizing (for now!), hoping to get something done in the area..thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannible Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Did some skiing up near there the other day. The snow pack is more or less normal for this time of year, which is odd because at Stevens Pass it is much more than normal. From a distance it seemed like the ice routes are not in, though the popular couliors do not need ice to be climbed. Floatation is required, and there were predictable wet slides on sunny slopes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montypiton Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 skied up Stuart Lake trail to Argonaut last week, & found some of the most challenging snow conditions I've dealt with in 50 years of skiing. breakable suncrust to about 4500', then windslab of varying firmness and depth higher up. our ski-track set up hard enough, and the crust was ugly enough, that I took off skis and walked the section from the Colchuck trail intersection down to the bridge on the trip out. there was no track up the Colchuck trail as of April 6. If I were going into the Enchantments very soon, I'd elect snowshoes over skis. climbing? I'd expect to wallow above about 5000'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlympicMtnBoy Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I was up with Monty and I agree, conditions were kind of crappy for either skiing or climbing. Didn't see much ice anywhere and stuff was either crusty or wallowy. Hopefully it'll set up better but it's not there yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Not the dreaded "isothermal" (mushout)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montypiton Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 not quite isothermal yet, but certainly trending that direction... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevino Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 What were the exact dates you guys were up there? Â Before/during this last warm cycle? Wondering if the warm days over the weekend helped consolidate things a big as it starts to cool back down today/tonight... Â thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 is the road still gated? how much of it is melted out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle_Flick Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Kurt, the road is still gated and will likely remain gated for several more weeks. Last Sat. there were only patches of bare road within the 1st mile, otherwise it was all snow covered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 and conditions pretty much suck from the sound of it. maybe I should look elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle_Flick Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 The snow is great! You should join us Sat. for a ski/easy climb above 8-mile Lake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 i'd love to, but I've gotta work. let me know what you find up there, good skiing or otherwise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdietsch Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Curious as to any new updates on the snow pack. Â I realize it is still late April and a spring "dump" could come at anytime .. however I'm wondering what the snow pack looks like @ Colchuck and Asgard compared to an "average" year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottk Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Coverage was great and snow was nice proto-corn on both Asgard and Colchuck glacier last weekend. The ski down from Colchuck lake was a bitch due to low coverage, but probably normal for this time of year. Road should be open soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhux Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Sorry to breathe life into this old thread but can anyone tell me what conditions are like now/will be this weekend? NOAA says chance of rain, I was planning backbone ridge but don't want to drive 6 hours to get rained out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine et Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I was up at Colchuck at the col and Aasguard pass over this past weekend (June 9-10). There was evidence of some recent wet slide activity on Colchuck, but felt pretty solid going up that in the morning - don't think anything moved on it all day. Went up Aasguard in the afternoon and it was getting sloppy by 2-3, but still skiied well and especially if you follow the decently well placed bootpath, travel was easy. Â I'm headed back there this weekend and have been watching weather...NOAA has been going back and forth between partly sunny and 20% chance rain. To me that means GREEN LIGHT.... although our rock climbing is more of an after thought to our thru hike, so rain isn't such a game changer... Â Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine et Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Anyone head in via Snowlakes side recently? I've never gone this early - any issue getting over that spilldam?? After having been up Colchuck we're just going to approach via Snowlakes to be lazy, and hoping to leave ice axe and crampons at the car... anyone been up snowlakes and up to prussik recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cam yarder Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 was up there 2 weeks ago. no need for crampons or axes and no issue getting over the dam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdietsch Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 other that the crew that hit the South Route on Colchuck this weekend, any updates from the Snow Lake or Colchuck Lake/Aasgard Pass approaches? Â thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisedByPikas Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 (edited) As of yesterday you can find plenty of snow free campsites at Colchuck lake. Aasguard pass looked to be 75% snow covered with most of the exposed rocks near the bottom and on the rising traverse over to Aasgard pass. Edited June 18, 2012 by RaisedByPikas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaskadskyjKozak Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 other that the crew that hit the South Route on Colchuck this weekend, any updates from the Snow Lake or Colchuck Lake/Aasgard Pass approaches? thanks  Continuous snow from Colchuck Lake to Colchuck col. The trail around the lake has lingering snow, and a good deal of the trail portion (climber's left) of Aasgard is under snow. From the summit of Colchuck Peak, the Upper Enchantments look to be 90+% under snow.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajpederson Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Â Aasgard and Colchuck Glacier on Saturday. The snow was pretty wet and soft in spots, don't think it froze Friday night. We got turned around by a big bergschrund at the base of the North East Buttress Couloir route on Colchuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaskadskyjKozak Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Picture taken at about 2pm on Sunday - what a difference a day makes in weather, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhrmabum Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Jeez, I was there on Sun. as well. Spectacular. My first time there, but not my last. I had intended to climb it, but. . partied a little late the night before, so slept in a bit late, etc. Ended up being satisfied with hanging out at the lake, eating and lounging with two french beauties. . . Heavenly indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaskadskyjKozak Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Jeez, I was there on Sun. as well. Spectacular. My first time there, but not my last. I had intended to climb it, but. . partied a little late the night before, so slept in a bit late, etc. Ended up being satisfied with hanging out at the lake, eating and lounging with two french beauties. . . Heavenly indeed. Â Hmmm, I think we may have run into you three on the way out. Unless there were more than 2 cute ladies with foreign accents lounging at the lake (why do I climb and not backpack???) Â Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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