The "Seattle Skintrack" on Table Mountain

Was thinking of heading up to Baker for some skimo training, anyone know of any good, steep, direct routes up table mtn?

Was thinking of heading up to Baker for some skimo training, anyone know of any good, steep, direct routes up table mtn?

Not sure if you're serious...
What distance do you want and what's your objective?
If you want to go from the Heather Meadows parking lot to Artist point I'd recommend the standard route that follows the north boundary of the ski area, your first 10 minutes might be on a groomer, watch out for downhill traffic. The climb up to the Austin/Blueberry boundary gate from Terminal Lake is decently steep. From there follow the obvious ridge top towards Table. Martha's Ladder is just a couple of minutes out of the ski area and is another steep pitch, if it's already been mauled by snowshoers then go left at the bottom of Martha's ladder in the same direction as the road but cut the switchback short. This should get you close enough to the AP parking lot to figure out the rest depending on where you want to go.

If you want to ski into the bowl towards Bagley Lake (probably terrible skiing, frozen corn with a light dusting on top of it this weekend) then take the 5 minutes to skin from the lake up towards the interpretive center (Granny's house) to Terminal Lake and back up the ridge instead of direct up the north side of Table.

If you just want to pound steep, frozen laps PM me and I'll give you a couple other ideas.

I'm fairly certain that was a joke.

I assumed so but thought I'd be helpful since I'm not really sure how much those skin suit cut off oxygen to the brain.

Can't hurt to repeat the standard route up again just for anyone who might have missed it previously.

Was thinking of heading up to Baker for some skimo training, anyone know of any good, steep, direct routes up table mtn?

Nah, go up the White Salmon...

... no endurance involved on Table.

This might as well be Table Mountain.  The terrain looks more or less the same, just bigger.

Holy F indeed.  

Still want to skin up a slope like Table?

www.henrysavalanchetalk.com/avalanche-fo...5-ste-foy-tarentaise

I propose that arguing if this slope is safe or not to skin is specious. Instead, I'll put forth to you a different reason not to set a skin track up that slope: Good Manners.

Its rude to set a skin track UP something that other people would like to ski DOWN. Unless its absolutely necessary, like when the only way to access a run is to climb it, or its in the middle of a BIG tour and you need to save every minute possible.

This is a heavily trafficked area by skiers and riders with a wide-range of avalanche and downhill experience. Skintracks should be judiciously placed to take advantage of natural terrain features that maximize safety, minimize time, and limit putting tracks onto slopes that are best enjoyed on the descent.

I think its simple. Don't be a JERK. Don't be a selfish prick just out to get yours. If you don't want to share, then go someplace where you don't have to.

I think its simple. Don't be a JERK. Don't be a selfish prick just out to get yours. If you don't want to share, then go someplace where you don't have to.

Thank you! I think you hit the nail on the head. I'll be surprised if it's easier to convince someone not to be a jerk than it is to convince them to be safer.

Please let is snow so none of the internet matters.

Thanks hop for your persistence. And Chris S for hitting the nail on the head like Jason4 said. Thanks to the other voices of reason also. It should be simple FACT that in popular areas we have a responsibility to act in a communal manner and NOT in selfish stupidity! For some folks, the more self evident the truth is, the greater their resistance becomes. Taking the safer route away from downhill traffic should be the norm no matter how much longer it is. Littering the good stuff (even in no hazard terrain) with extra up-tracks to save 5 or 10 minutes is laughably inconsiderate!

The shame campaign doesn't appear to be working. Try flapping arms harder?

I am no expert and have not skied there in a long time. Here is what I would do and it may not be right for everyone for sure.

I would go around then assess the run from above and then drop in. It is nastier when you get caught skinning up if you are in a group. It is usually but not always the convexities at the top that get you is what I have experienced. Now once the slope has been skied a ton the straight up route might be the way to go. I just do not like big steep crap above me if I can avoid it. I am scared of big freight trains coming down on me from above since I violate the ski rules by solo skiing which is also just plain dumb. This is why I should not talk about anyone's ski habits since mine are bad.

I have found going around often is just as quick as zig zagging straight up. Skinning shallower slopes is often faster. However this is a pure judgment thing for individuals and groups. If they get zapped by folks from above well then that is their fate.

Interesting thread. Hop posted a nice backountry mag article on page one. I'm thinking that opening the conversation with a loud residence-based slam and using a healthy dose of attempted public shaming does not really follow the spirit of the "get the dialog rolling" rule from that article, which went on to suggest:

“We have to own and acknowledge the consequences of our actions in the backcountry or create a social contract.” And that means starting the conversation with anybody who’s willing to participate: friends, guides and avy professionals are good people to start with…over beer, preferably.

I'd agree that I've seen several sketchy uptracks on that face of Table on considerable hazard days with a decent depth of new snow while cruising past Bagley lakes getting to or coming from points further out which aren't such a gong show as is that whole face (the final rule in that article? "Go Farther:Ask Yourself: Are there crowds over the next ridge?"). I've also seen a great many downtracks there which I would not personally have made on those days (particularly constrained chutes with convexities up top and a flattening where a big pile-up will happen quite a ways below, as well as cornice hops from the plateau of Table onto loaded, long slopes). Risk tolerance is of course relative.

Like floater, I've not been there in a long time, in part due to what a circus it had been becoming when I was last there. And I've only skied any of the blueberry chutes on well consolidated snow in springtime on a return from cruising around the backside of Table. But from my memory I'd agree that, risk aside, I'd just rather skin round than set a zillion switchbacks going right up something that steep when there is such a reasonable alternative.

I applaud Hop for having the stones to come here and say this.

Are we seriously debating whether or not it's acceptable to call people out for behaviour that is stupid, idiotic, and dangerous?

Would we even be having this discussion if it was about "people who think it's okay to drive through neighbourhoods at a high rate of speed because it was late at night and there was a low probability of an accident"?

People should call each other out more often and loudly. If you don't like being called out by people who know better, then maybe you should A) become one of the people who knows better, or work on making sure that you, and not your ego, is in charge of your life.

Cheers to Cookie Monster, again someone hits the nail on the head!

Well it seems "seattle skintracks" aren't only a problem around Mt. Baker, they are also popping up around Cooke City created by yours truly! Apparently our creation was the talk of the town for the evening!


The insta photo is a bit unfair however as you cant see that the slope has already been farmed, it was exceptionally stable around Cooke, the fall line doesn't send directly off the cliffs, and when looking up from town it is not obvious that there is a good backdoor to this line.

Weirdoes skinning back up the descent route were at it again yesterday. I'll bet the skin track gave them a close up view of the heart shaped box slide path from hours earlier.

I turned my back and skinned in the opposite direction so I didn't have to look at the nonsense. It was a great day in deep snow. Winter is back.

I turned my back and skinned in the opposite direction so I didn't have to look at the nonsense. It was a great day in deep snow. Winter is back.

Best advice in this thread so far

Weirdoes skinning back up the descent route were at it again yesterday. I'll bet the skin track gave them a close up view of the heart shaped box slide path from hours earlier.

I turned my back and skinned in the opposite direction so I didn't have to look at the nonsense. It was a great day in deep snow. Winter is back.

I was wondering if you guys noticed that crew zig-zagging up the descent route from where you were. Given how many folks were out I'm surprised they didn't get clobbered by anyone.

So this is a thing now

So this is a thing now

This sign is vigilante graffiti placed illegally on public lands.

The chain is quite indicative of a mindset intent on claiming ownership of something that is owned by the public in general.

Please remove this selfish, narrow minded eyesore from our public lands. If you want a sign, go through proper channels.

Well said, thank you.

Welcome to the forum.

Been following this thread for awhile and I totally agree with OPs opinion that skinning there is in poor style, unsafe, and plain lazy, but illegally posting that sign is crap.

Backcountry skiing is inherently dangerous, but you can't dictate how others choose to use public land, and you certainly can't chain garbage like this to public property.

We need to educate the masses that appear to lack basic mountain skills, but I don't think that is the best way to go about it. Getting yelled at by downhill skiers or a sign might not work, but sending several tons of snow crashing down on them might just do the trick. Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way.

You wouldn't catch me skinning that zone with such easy safe access around the corner, but to each his own.

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