October 22/08 Heliotrope Ridge's new snow.

Thanks for spearheading the trip, Bob.  I'll only add a few thoughts:
1.  Re: the recent "Tele **** What" thread - The Tele guys outnumbered the AT guys 4-3.  But who's counting...
2.  When we started across the slope with bullet proof ice under the new snow, and we were all falling repeatedly, I thought the trip was going to be great hiking trip, with no good skiing.  I was happily wrong.  Deliriously happily wrong.  So the old saying "You don't know if you don't go" has now changed in my mind to "you don't know if you don't ... keep going to the top and try it at least once".  We all had many laps through that huge bowl, and skiing was good all the way back down, even over the icy lower part.
3.  Great picture of the trashed out slope.  It almost looks like a spooning competition.  Even though Snowbell wasn't there.

I must agree with Rusty Knees that the the initial assesment - 3"to 6" of new snow over bullet hard ice - seemed rather dismal, but perseverance and determination proved that goods were to be had.  Great group, great skiing and great pizza (pinapple, salmon and garlic)!!!


climberdave aka dLove
:D

I wish I could have made it up there on Wednesday with you guys!! I am really looking forward to meeting some TAY people.  I agree with your assessment of the ice, and each of us in our Tuesday group each fell a couple times.  It seems like you guys had the bluebird all day yesterday, where as on Tuesday the sun left us towards the end.

Great day with all you folks. Thanks so much. Sorry I had to leave early.

The worst part of that day was that it had to end! Thoughts of it will ease me to sleep for a couple of weeks, at least!

Curious about which way you came back down the ice patch. Did you hook up with the bootprints where we were slipping?

It was a good day out.  Apparently I was having too much fun skiing to take any pictures worth sharing.

George - we took the same way down that you guys did.  I was surprised that I didn't slide out more than I did skiing the thin snow over ice.

Nice work boys!I ran into you the other day with my brother Andy!We realized we should have caried a lader to forge across the crevasse at the crux of the coleman route,it was nice having the opton of doing laps on Helitrope!
Take care!
mIKE tRASLIN

Ran into guys on the ridge,surprised to see the whole slope already schralped, we got stumped on the crevasse section on the Coleman glacier,
I also took a header on the hike out, traverse below the glacier.Great weather for October.

Welcome to the web world of getting turns on the snow all year, Andy and Mike. Don't hesitate to throw an invitation on TAY for partners when you get tired of each others company or just want to share the snow with other fanatics. As you read above, my group wouldn't have happened without this site.Good times and good friends!

author=zackalope link=topic=11088.msg45597#msg45597 date=1224800659]
It was a good day out.  Apparently I was having too much fun skiing to take any pictures worth sharing.

George - we took the same way down that you guys did.  I was surprised that I didn't slide out more than I did skiing the thin snow over ice.

No good photos! So you didn't get one of me augering in at the end of that inauspicious run. :-[ Thank you so much, Zack, for your discretion.

Nice lines, by the way, everyone, and nice pics, Bob.

author=zackalope link=topic=11088.msg45597#msg45597 date=1224800659]
It was a good day out.  Apparently I was having too much fun skiing to take any pictures worth sharing.

I will send you some pictures,Zack, but I will need your email address. You are in several of 60 odd photos that I took.

Well, here were a few that I'll put out there.  The camera was being tempermental, so most of my shots were out of focus or not properly exposed.
 
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And yes George, I do have the pictures that follow the one posted...

author=george link=topic=11088.msg45606#msg45606 date=1224820281]
No good photos! So you didn't get one of me ...

Please, Bob - send one of George or Zack to Telemark tips so we can stop looking at that lame guy with the oversized goggles.  They deserve it more than him! :D

Hi Bob

Wow, hey is it today already?  Would have replied earlier but I just woke up.  I was so baked at the end of the day.  Thanks so much for showing us around.  I counted 8 hrs and 5 minutes of climbing for 3 minutes of turns but... that was a terrific day -  I am still thinking about it.  Love the pride cap by the way.  This coming from a guy who skied in longjohns (cotton) and a trucker cap. We're a match made in heaven.
 

author=george link=topic=11088.msg45595#msg45595 date=1224799134]
Great day with all you folks. Thanks so much. Sorry I had to leave early.

The worst part of that day was that it had to end! Thoughts of it will ease me to sleep for a couple of weeks, at least!

Curious about which way you came back down the ice patch. Did you hook up with the bootprints where we were slipping?

Hey buddy thanks for sharing your apple.  I  realize now that the reason you didn't want it back was because I ate everything but the core.

Nice October turns!

I'm thinking about heading up there on Sunday.  I am pretty confident about my winter backcountry skills and routefinding skills, but don't have much glacier experience.  I'm also not familiar with Baker much past the rope at the ski area.  Can anyone offer some beta on the route up Heliotrope, ie is it glaciated, crevasses, crampons and rope req/ recommeded?

Happy turns, and thanks!

This is not at the ski area.

author=ubcfreeride link=topic=11088.msg45623#msg45623 date=1224883187]
I'm thinking about heading up there on Sunday.  I am pretty confident about my winter backcountry skills and routefinding skills, but don't have much glacier experience.  I'm also not familiar with Baker much past the rope at the ski area.  Can anyone offer some beta on the route up Heliotrope, ie is it glaciated, crevasses, crampons and rope req/ recommeded?

No glacier experience required, as long as you stay off the glacier.  As long as the weather is good, there are generally a lot of people there, so it could be safe for a solo trip.  On the other hand, since there are people there every weekend, it makes sense to use Partners Wanted and find someone who's been there before.

It's easy to find.  Head east on Mt Baker Highway.  About 1/2 mile past the Ranger Station near Glacier, turn right onto Glacier Creek Road.  It's not well marked, but there aren't many roads to confuse it with.  Follow it for several miles -- it will turn into a one-lane dirt road.  Eventually there will be an unpaved parking lot on the left, along with an outhouse.  Park there -- USDA Forest Service parking permit required, available at the aforementioned Ranger Station.

Follow the well-marked trail for about three miles until it splits.  To the left is "Glacier Overlook," to the right is "Climber's Route."  Go right.  Once you break out of the trees, you'll climb alone a spline to the ridge proper.  Eventually you hit a large flattish-area with many campsites.  To climber's left is a heavily crevassed glacier that you don't want to be on.  Directly up is the climber's route to the peak.  To your right will be the ridge itself.  As a general rule, the better snow is on the west (climber's right) end of the ridge, but depending on conditions it may be better to just go straight up.  The middle of the ridge tends to develop crevasses in late summer -- I doubt these are filled in yet, so I'd just stay to the east or west of them.

Early summer I use skins, but I haven't bothered to take skins up there the last few times I've gone.  It's a pretty easy bootpack, especially if you stick to the east end.  If there's good powder, skins may help, especially if you head to the west end.  Crampons and ropes can stay home unless it's real icy.

As brownc9 mentioned, its on the other side of the mountain from Baker Ski Area.  The best skiing near the ski area right now would be off Ptarmigan Ridge.

author=ubcfreeride link=topic=11088.msg45623#msg45623 date=1224883187]
Nice October turns!

I'm thinking about heading up there on Sunday.  I am pretty confident about my winter backcountry skills and routefinding skills, but don't have much glacier experience.  I'm also not familiar with Baker much past the rope at the ski area.  Can anyone offer some beta on the route up Heliotrope, ie is it glaciated, crevasses, crampons and rope req/ recommeded?

Happy turns, and thanks!

Here is a map that you can zoom in on. The marker points out the bowl that we played.http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=48.783,-121.8748&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1 Click on the "terrain" setting in the top right corner.

Lordhedgie covered the rest of information well. Several of our party booted to the top. You will want skins if you are planning on multiple runs in the bowl.

author=zestysticks link=topic=11088.msg45621#msg45621 date=1224875938]
Hi Bob

  Love the pride cap by the way.  This coming from a guy who skied in longjohns (cotton) and a trucker cap. We're a match made in heaven.
 

I make a habit of snubbing my nose to the fashion police. I always welcome accomplices-in-crime. :D

Did you and george have any problems at the border. I can't remember if you were present when I expressed my views on the stereotypical border guards, but what I said came true. Going down, I was grilled on whether I had meat in my sandwiches for my Mt.Baker trip :(;after answering the question of where I had been in the States, the Canadian official asked me how the snow was.  ??? ::)

Awesome dudes, thanks for the info!  I'll try and remember to charge my camera to bring back some stoke.  Cool community here, I was half expecting to get ignored or spammed for asking for beta in my first post.

author=ubcfreeride link=topic=11088.msg45634#msg45634 date=1224905239]
Awesome dudes, thanks for the info!  I'll try and remember to charge my camera to bring back some stoke.  Cool community here, I was half expecting to get ignored or spammed for asking for beta in my first post.

Nah, this is a great community.  Just post the conditions when you return to repay the favor.  And whatever you do, remember to make fun of pinheads whenever possible.

Telemon -- Last time I crossed the border (on land), I had five pairs on skis in my Prius.  When I said I was going skiing, the border guard asked me if I was planning to rent skis.  I came very close to saying, "Yes, I'm hoping to sell these and use the money to rent some skis."

author=lordhedgie link=topic=11088.msg45637#msg45637 date=1224907887]


Telemon -- Last time I crossed the border (on land), I had five pairs on skis in my Prius.  When I said I was going skiing, the border guard asked me if I was planning to rent skis.  I came very close to saying, "Yes, I'm hoping to sell these and use the money to rent some skis."

With 5 pairs of skis on your car, maybe he was wondering if you were going to rent them out and you just didn't understand his Canadian accent. ;)

author=lordhedgie link=topic=11088.msg45637#msg45637 date=1224907887]
 And whatever you do, remember to make fun of pinheads whenever possible.

Uh-oh, here we go again.  The pin heads outnumbered the flat feet 4-3, and I'm pretty sure we out climbed them, too.  Actually, I will bow humbly to Doug's skill on skis (AT).  He looked sweeet, did some pretty full circles and some backward skiing.

Wish you coulda been there, Jimmy.  You said you could see Heliotrope from your office...well, we were waving from the top of the ridge.

I have posted more photos here http://telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=49208 Enjoy.

author=Telemon link=topic=11088.msg45649#msg45649 date=1224959567]
I have posted more photos here http://telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=49208 Enjoy.

Bob,

Nice work with the TR's. My photo's suck. Even though they're in focus, they are boring. I think there's an art to the photo thing!

See ya on the mountain.

author=george link=topic=11088.msg45662#msg45662 date=1225077767]
Nice work with the TR's. My photo's suck. Even though they're in focus, they are boring. I think there's an art to the photo thing!

We should get together.  I can never keep mine in focus.

Seriously, I've never seen a good collection of ski photography tips.  Anyone interested in creating a new thread and compiling tips?  I know I've learned a lot on taking snow photos, and my old pictures look awful compared to many of my newer ones.

author=lordhedgie link=topic=11088.msg45637#msg45637 date=1224907887]
Nah, this is a great community.  Just post the conditions when you return to repay the favor.   And whatever you do, remember to make fun of pinheads whenever possible.

Telemon -- Last time I crossed the border (on land), I had five pairs on skis in my Prius.  When I said I was going skiing, the border guard asked me if I was planning to rent skis.  I came very close to saying, "Yes, I'm hoping to sell these and use the money to rent some skis."

Reminds me when we came back from Whistler with 8 downhill bikes. We were told that the border officials could inspect the truck without our help.  Not! My husband had to help them open the back and all they got was three oranges and an apple.