December 11_2008_Paradise
12/15/08
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
4078
7
Nice day at Paradise. Cold and windy. A great group met at the parking lot (Wayne Grevey, Keith Rollins, Nathan, Mark, Paul Marquart, Craig Phillips) and set off for Muir. Unfortunately, the snow was terrible. Boiler plate hard and nasty breakable crust. Post holing when booting. Halfway up the climb to the top of pan point the party turned around and decided to bag it.
Back to the car was pure survival mode skiing and not very pleasurable. There were some other folks we saw who went on up. Maybe they will post and let us know what we missed.
Though the skiing sucked it was fun to be in the mountains and the conversation was real swell.
Back to the car was pure survival mode skiing and not very pleasurable. There were some other folks we saw who went on up. Maybe they will post and let us know what we missed.
Though the skiing sucked it was fun to be in the mountains and the conversation was real swell.
Thanks for the report. At least it can't stay boilerplate forever! This weekend is a welcome change!
We were up there as well. The skiing and skinning was rubbish but the views were stellar. Beautiful day in the mountains as long as you didn't have to move up or down or didn't accidentally set your tupperware from lunch on the snow.
The summer route through the rocks up to Pan Point looked a little sketchy judging by some folks lack of confidence and speed though we never set foot on it once it switchbacked towards Pan Point. We already had one team member with skins a little too small who was getting some slippage so we decided to make it a beacon practice day with our token newbie. Good times were had by all.
Ran into Miles Smart and crew who were the team that carried on all the way to Muir. They reported similiar conditions all the way to the top and back so turning around was a good call.
10-14" at Muir
18" or at the flats below Pan Point
We're going to have to watch for this layer for quite some time once we've got all this new snow on top. Be careful out there and pray for snow!
The summer route through the rocks up to Pan Point looked a little sketchy judging by some folks lack of confidence and speed though we never set foot on it once it switchbacked towards Pan Point. We already had one team member with skins a little too small who was getting some slippage so we decided to make it a beacon practice day with our token newbie. Good times were had by all.
Ran into Miles Smart and crew who were the team that carried on all the way to Muir. They reported similiar conditions all the way to the top and back so turning around was a good call.
10-14" at Muir
18" or at the flats below Pan Point
We're going to have to watch for this layer for quite some time once we've got all this new snow on top. Be careful out there and pray for snow!
author=Baltoro link=topic=11459.msg47661#msg47661 date=1229104510]
We were up there as well. The skiing and skinning was rubbish but the views were stellar. Beautiful day in the mountains as long as you didn't have to move up or down or didn't accidentally set your tupperware from lunch on the snow.
The summer route through the rocks up to Pan Point looked a little sketchy judging by some folks lack of confidence and speed though we never set foot on it once it switchbacked towards Pan Point. We already had one team member with skins a little too small who was getting some slippage so we decided to make it a beacon practice day with our token newbie. Good times were had by all.
Ran into Miles Smart and crew who were the team that carried on all the way to Muir. They reported similiar conditions all the way to the top and back so turning around was a good call.
10-14" at Muir
18" or at the flats below Pan Point
We're going to have to watch for this layer for quite some time once we've got all this new snow on top. Be careful out there and pray for snow!
what? layers on muir? when that thing slides i want to be there...but i don't think it ever will being basically a green run that gets blasted with hurricane force winds every week. now pan point...that sucker makes me nervous...all that windloading and all the people that willynilly skin right up it. in my dozen or so times up it, i've yet to see a snow pit dug.
author=savegondor link=topic=11459.msg47722#msg47722 date=1229203828]
what? layers on muir? when that thing slides i want to be there...but i don't think it ever will being basically a green run that gets blasted with hurricane force winds every week. now pan point...that sucker makes me nervous...all that windloading and all the people that willynilly skin right up it. in my dozen or so times up it, i've yet to see a snow pit dug.
We've never crossed paths then... I have to admit that I feel a little stupid digging a pit when a dozen people are booting straight up the thing above me, but still...
author=Marcus link=topic=11459.msg47723#msg47723 date=1229203976]
We've never crossed paths then... I have to admit that I feel a little stupid digging a pit when a dozen people are booting straight up the thing above me, but still...
...group think is so very powerful. i don't think it should ever be underestimated... i'm only successful in doing my pit by reinforcing to myself and others in the car before i see all the loads of beautiful snow, that yes I WILL be digging a pit and investigating the snowpack. Never fails that I almost fail to do so when I see the goods right there in front of me waiting to be skied.
kudos for the discipline. just don't get hit by a release from a blissfully unaware snowshoer that's decided to climb above you. that'd be tragic.
Savegondor
Sorry I guess I got excited and posted my reply before I even wrote it. Premature posting I guess. I swear this has never happened to me before...
Anyways Savegondor, sorry for any confusion. I didn't mean to imply layers on the Muir snowfield specifically but rather that layer in general on lots of slopes, like up to Pan Point.
I'll post this here and in the random tracks avy conversation that someone started:
Things softened up just a tiny bit as we were leaving on Thursday. It doesn't look like the snow would've had a chance to soften up though due to continued cold temps and wind so most likely this current load is going to slide. Or maybe worse since this new snow has such a low water content it won't sufficiently weight the crust and the whole works will stay stable for a bit longer for more snow to accumulate on top, then once properly loaded it'll go.
Either way, we should see this crust layer on any pit that goes to within 2' of the bed surface with all this current fluff on top.
Anyways Savegondor, sorry for any confusion. I didn't mean to imply layers on the Muir snowfield specifically but rather that layer in general on lots of slopes, like up to Pan Point.
I'll post this here and in the random tracks avy conversation that someone started:
Things softened up just a tiny bit as we were leaving on Thursday. It doesn't look like the snow would've had a chance to soften up though due to continued cold temps and wind so most likely this current load is going to slide. Or maybe worse since this new snow has such a low water content it won't sufficiently weight the crust and the whole works will stay stable for a bit longer for more snow to accumulate on top, then once properly loaded it'll go.
Either way, we should see this crust layer on any pit that goes to within 2' of the bed surface with all this current fluff on top.
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