Loudog64 Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 I am thinking of doing the N. face of Chair peak this weekend. Can anyone tell me the snow conditions for the approch? Also....I don't have skis....how hard is it to snowshoe to the base? It looks like (thanks to Parker's photos) the route is in, but any more specific/current route beta would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for any respose. -Lou. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 consider the new 20" of snow..... snowshoes are doable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleblebleb Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 What Erik said. Plus, whatever info you get today may be crap tomorrow. Last Saturday the Alpental area was all crust, ice and styrofoam and awesome for climbing, with minimal or non-existent avy hazard. Then last Sunday it went to 10" of fresh fluffness, was awesome to ski, but I think the backcountry access from the ski area was closed due to the chance of the new snow sliding on top of the crust etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minx Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 what fleblebleb said Keep your eye on the weather reports. We snow showed the approach Weds and Thurs of last week no prob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 I'm not sure how much snow they got up there, 20 inches sounds like alot...but maybe. If the weather stays fairly dry and temps remain consistant, the snowpack should settle by the weekend. Snow Shoes would work fine, but be prepared for Avy danger. The slopes on the approch and descent are prime slide territory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minx Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 20'' might be a bit of a stretch but I know first hand there were at least 15'' down just a little lower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleblebleb Posted January 15, 2003 Share Posted January 15, 2003 The precip started Saturday night and the measurement reports for the Snoqualmie ski area were that 10" had come down by Sunday afternoon. I was there and had guessed it was 12-15". I could easily believe there were more than 20" by Monday night. Whatever, doesn't really matter. There is fresh snow, it is consolidating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 http://www.seawfo.noaa.gov/products/SABSEA They are calling avy danger low to moderate for thursday, should decrease through the weekend. Still, don't underestimate the snowpack, be prepared and make good decisions. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsydian Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 Will keep an eye on the conditions, on Sunday, several of us are snowshoeing past Snow Lake and attempt a scramble of Roosevelt, will likely see the Chair Peak Climbers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
To_The_Top Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 will likely see the Chair Peak Climbers There will be many....especially on saturday........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 I went to within 50 yards of the base of the N Face yesterday. 1/15/03 The lower sled trail is still OK for sneakers. Snow shoes from the bench up and there is more than 20" of snow at the last bit getting over the ridge and on the slopes getting to the face propper. (no major avalanche debris yet either) Last week the bit of side hill to the route was good hard snow. We were 3 hours in postholing a new trail last week. 4 hours yesterday on snow shoes.....and no sign of last week's cow path. Some fair size cornices across the way on the north slopes and the wind was howling. The up side is there was also a fair bit more ice than last week on the first pitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 Toast and I are going up to do the N. Face on Friday early. Would anyone like to join us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klenke Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 Can't join you but would be strongly interested to read what you discovered for your N. Face climb. Give us a short TR (particularly as they pertain to conditions) when you return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Posted January 16, 2003 Share Posted January 16, 2003 (edited) This from 1/8/03 This from yesterday, 1/15/03 about 100 or 150 feet from the other photo's position..... This one just after cresting the ridge. The ridge was wind blown here and still knee deep. It will get better everyday as long as we don't get any more snow. Edited January 16, 2003 by Dane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jja Posted January 17, 2003 Share Posted January 17, 2003 Who needs a webcam when we've got Dane !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 was up there today...the trail (the alpental backcountry return ski track) is as packed as packed can be. it makes for a very fast skin in, or can easily be walked in just boots. Off the packed stuff, it was a pretty lousy breakable crust. It wasn't too fun for the little bit we had our skis off, but it's still walkable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Toast and I went up to climb the North Face today. You still are better off with snowshoes, although some people came in in boots, but left. We arrived at the base of the NE Buttress at about 10 am and could see some track (presumably Dane's) heading over to the North Face. We followed them, but were surprised at how badly we were postholing. They disappeared before getting below the route and we assumed whoever it was had turned around. The ice looked really thin and it was very warm out. Small avalanches were coming off the mountain and there was water running under the ice in many place. We decided not to attempt the climb . After getting a look at the NE Buttress, we decided to give it a shot, but found the ice to be very thin with lots of unconsolidated snow covering what ice there was. The rock is very difficult to protect and the pro was manky and worthless. I got maybe two dubious stubbie placements. Finally after the third pitch and 200 ft short of the summit, we decided to retreat as it was now 4 pm. There happened to be an ice bulge that was the first good ice we encountered, so we put a couple of Abalakovs in it, equalized them and rapped off. This was Toast's very first ice climb under very challenging conditions and he did very well. I was impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainierwon Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 See ya all up there today , I,m packing and should roll out in two hours . Looks perfect , wish freezing level was a little lower . -J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Perfect it ain't! Too warm. Go do a rock climb instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toast Posted January 18, 2003 Share Posted January 18, 2003 Yeah, there was a definite inversion layer going on. In the mid-20's at 6 AM at the parking lot and probably in the upper 40's on the NE Buttress in the afternoon. Not bitching, it was absolutely gorgeous out with great views, but I felt more secure dry tooling on rock facets. Pickets were worthless and prob will be until the snow consolidates a bit more and temps drop. In the meantime, rock pro is your friend. One other thing, dig a pit and verify your avvy assessment. I did a quick shear test on our exit. The column sheared with modest load (read: bright yellow light while the avvy report indicated low.) Don't take things for granted. Next time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleblebleb Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 Blagh yech yugh. Mashed potatos and slurpee anyone? TimL and I tried Chair NE Butt today but backed off at the step about 3/4 up. There was no ice to swing at or put screws in anywhere on the entire climb. An Abalakov in what we have up there now, when pigs fly. But at the rate the step was melting out today it doesn't surprise me that it was good to rap from last Friday. Snow pro in the crap is a joke, not very funny though. There is a big boot track up the entire middle snow slope, not what I was hoping to be climbing really. The couloir at the bottom was a lot of fun though, up to the lowest trees. If you want to go for it you probably can, the step we retreated from could have been climbed either by going straight up over the bulge (super carefully - don't blame me if it all falls off with you on it) and it could also be bypassed on the left on a steep ramp of snow and verglas (same warning). No pro within 30-40 feet of either though, unless you try digging for it and get lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 "Mashed potatoes and slurpee", I couldn't have said it better. Did you guys see the two purple slings and one blue sling we rapped off of in an ice bulge, or had it melted out already after two days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 (edited) You mean this thing below??- It wasnt like that when we did it either. Pretty spicy when it aint too.... Good choice. Rob ended up leading left of it about 10 feet heel hooking frozen moss or shrubberry or whatever it was Edited January 20, 2003 by Cpt.Caveman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimL Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 "Did you guys see the two purple slings and one blue sling we rapped off of in an ice bulge, or had it melted out already after two days?" Your slings were gone. I was looking for them but didn't see anything. During the afternoon most of ice on the climb was running with water or falling off. The initial gully had just a little ice left because it was in the shade. The snow on the climb had a surface crust with around 12 inches of mashed potatoes then another hard crust. "The couloir at the bottom was a lot of fun though, up to the lowest trees." This part of the climb was by far the best climbing on the route that we experienced up to our high point. Several thought provoking moves on ice and rock. I've climbed a lot of rock and a couple seasons of pure ice but I got to say after yesterday I have to do more mixed stuff like what was on the lower gully. Very exciting! Can't wait to go back to this climb in better conditions. For what we climbed, it was very good. Even though we didn't make the top it was very fun and a learning experience. Thanks Fleblebleb for a fun day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimL Posted January 20, 2003 Share Posted January 20, 2003 Yeah that thing, although there was nothing you could consider placing a screw in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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