Home > Trip Reports > September 28. 2008, Flett Fall Figl Foolishness

September 28. 2008, Flett Fall Figl Foolishness

9/15/08
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Posted by wolfs on 9/29/08 1:46pm
Flett Fall Figl Foolishness - 4F. Some of you older gents, or those of you with history in the family, know another meaning for that 4F ...

It certainly would have qualified as a data point for Unfit for Service by Established Mental Standards to have hauled full ski gear to the Flett with no particular promise of finding any fresh snow there. So instead I broke out my secret weapon - a pair of Kneissl Bigfoot figls I had on loan from my brother. Shorter and lighter than the full rig and could spare the boot weight too.

Started from a Fairly Full parking lot, went over the Knapsack route. Knapsack was aglow with Festively Fading Fall Foliage. Saw some distant goats under Fay. It was pretty warm all day. Just to get some peak bagging in and keeping with the 4F theme, scrambled Fay Peak, named for Fay Fuller, First Female to climb Rainier.


Faraway Flett

However this detour (plus my general laggardliness) took more time than I thought and I arrived at Flett quite late.  There was less new snow stuck on here than I had hoped, there were little scraggly stripes but much of the glacier was ice. As I ascended saw a larger group coming down from Obs rock. Firn on top had seemingly softened enough to get an edge in.

Now, those Figls. I haven't tried them out that much. The last time it was in nice spring snow. This time, even tho this was in fact Firn, and these were nominally Firngliders, riding these things on the firny ice was quite a sketchy affair. Definitely still a blue-run skier with that rig. Several times I Fell Forcefully, getting quite cheese-grated by the hard pebble-embedded ice and popping out of the cheesy crampon style bindings. I abandoned plans to climb over to the usual run past Cateye Lake and just decided to run the same run again, because I wasn't sure I could handle even those moderate slopes with the Figls.

The group coming down from Obs rock might have seen me and I am sure they were awed by my mad figling skilz .... not.

The best slope turned out to be a snowfield patch just above the rockwall camp. A very gentle hill but by far the nicest softening of any snowfield I had been on.



By the time I had my Fill of Figling it was almost Five, and I had just a couple of hours to get all the way from the Flett to the trailhead while still daylight. Still incredibly, pleasantly warm. Beautiful evening light and every bit worth the hike with or without Flett Figl Foolishness thrown in. Particularly vibrant light at end of day, glow on the new snow visible over the shoulder from the shores of the Lake.









wolfs: I enjoyed reading your report.  Your photos are nice, too.  Beautiful flowers.  Thanks for sharing, especially the bit about Fay.

I concur.
Nice report, Wolfs.

Nice report Wolfs.  We might have seen you on the way down (possibly above Spray Falls?)...we got our turns in on Saturday and headed down on Sunday.  We weren't carrying our ski gear though, just had my crazy colored old skool poles from Goodwill ($2.00) and our hefty packs.  Glad you had a great trip and good pictures!  Fay Fuller later became a guide on Rainier as well, just another tid bit (The Challenge Of Rainier).

Flipping Fabulous Fotos and Figl Fable, wolFs!  Very fun report.  Thanks.

author=Stugie link=topic=10953.msg44871#msg44871 date=1222799293]
Nice report Wolfs.  We might have seen you on the way down (possibly above Spray Falls?)...we got our turns in on Saturday and headed down on Sunday.  We weren't carrying our ski gear though, just had my crazy colored old skool poles from Goodwill ($2.00) and our hefty packs.  Glad you had a great trip and good pictures!  Fay Fuller later became a guide on Rainier as well, just another tid bit (The Challenge Of Rainier).


Thanks for the report and filling in the Fay Peak details.  We were hiking there on Sunday and suffered only momentary pangs of regret at not having hauled the skis along.

Stugie--we ran into your Ski Sherpa on the way out.  She was still smiling, but it looked a bit thin.  So you had the poles, she had the skis, who had the boots?  :)

Hehehe...yeah, I carried the boots as well as the sickness and a flat tire when I got back to my car.  Just curious, did anyone run into a rather rude ranger, scrawny build, thin face, mid 30's to 40's maybe?

Figls on the Flett in the Fall?   Fuggedaboutit!   ;)  ;)  ;)

Great report!

author=Stugie link=topic=10953.msg44897#msg44897 date=1222839343]
rather rude ranger


You are supposed to be using F's!

Fine report my friend.

author=Stugie link=topic=10953.msg44897#msg44897 date=1222839343]
... anyone run into a rather rude ranger, scrawny build, thin face, mid 30's to 40's maybe?

I did not encounter your Fairly Fresh Federal Forester.

That's fabulous that you found frisky frolicking fauna on Fay, but where are the fine fotos (euro spelling)?

A friendly thank you for feeding fresh info about the fairly fresh federal forester.  Fairly fresh federal foresters find me flabberghasted for four letter fiendish frases ;)

Sorry about forgetting the "f" rule.


            Thanks for the beautiful report. I have a sentimental part of me that can relate a bit more than'regular' skiers. I had a pr. of Atomic shorties, about 8" longer than boots. I used those for 2 seasons, and then I got some Salomon blades!  I've used those for the past 8 seasons. They're even good for ski areas if it hasn't snowed for awhile - groomers of course. Anyway I love my 'Blades' as they are excellent for summer snow. My reports are based 'way down south' on Lassen. The top section is 40 degrees and the blades are perfect. I've got a spot near Yosemite - Saddlebag where the chute has a bit of 45 degrees. I'd love to ski some 50 on those but that puts you in another playing field.            Thanks, Rob Miller

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2008-09-29 20:46:10