January 1, 2004, Snoqualmie Mt (6,278')
1/1/04
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2239
0
Andrei's New Year's Powder Tour 2004
Day 20
New Years Day 2004
Snoqualmie Mountain (6,278'), the Waterfall Direct Variation
3,100 vertical skied
New Years Day powder on Snoqualmie Mountain
Andrei arrived from Colorado New Years Eve along with a cold Canadian air mass that was oozing its way in from the east, replacing the typically warm moist air from the Pacific that usually blankets the West Cascades. At the same time, massive storms were pounding regions to the south, leaving Seattle under the cold northern down flow after each passing disturbance. And as with everything in the NW, the pattern was to repeat itself for days on end until the jet stream eventually changed position. The resultant weather pattern brewing for Andrei's 5 day trip to Washington was idyllic, a half a foot of cold, dry powder every day (seriously) on top of a 100 inch base and moderate avy danger. We spent each morning driving from the house in snow and kept it in 4 wheel drive right back again.
On arrival, Andrei met Emerald (who is the cutest kid on the planet), visited the new crib, and with Alyson spent the day relaxing. And of course, we planned our itinerary. With the freezing level right down to the Ocean, and consistent fresh snow forecast close to home, both of us agreed there was no need to travel further than Snoqualmie Pass for turns. The trip was shaping up to be a winner, now we just had to figure out where to go. And as usual, I had a short list of goodies for my visiting CO MCSA member, as any good host should.
We decided to go big right out of the gate - the Slot Couloir on Snoqualmie Mountain. I had never skied it, but had been watching the avy danger and heard other's tales of the route going, even this "early" in the season. Ron and I had done some fine recon work to understand the logistics of the descent over the past couple weeks, now I had a partner who could make it come together (unfortunately Ron had family business in GA). We were giddy with excitement and possibilities.
We woke on New Years Day (at 5 am - no mindless partying for us, we had work to do!) to 6" or so of cold powder up on the Pass. I could tell when Andrei saw the 8 foot high snow banks on the drive down the Alpental road that he was excited. After all, his experience this season (to date) of 25" at Loveland Pass was murder for a BC skier trying to make a living.
We began the climb in the lower parking lot of Alpental and found up-tracks heading for left of the Waterfall. Good. Our ascent choice was going to be the Phantom Slide and our first obstacle was figuring out a way around the Waterfall. We talked of skiing the glades left of the Waterfall but as we got close, we could see ski tracks gracefully descending the steep angled faces, terrain it seemed well within reason. I hadn't thought of the Waterfall Direct Variation for the day's itinerary until I then stood underneath it. I could see the skier from the day before was very cautious and controlled. This luckily offered me a great look at the snow at each section and after we climbed up past the steepest sections (climbing Class 3 chutes over cliff bands in difficult snow) confirmed that the route was a possibility. Hmm, ok.
We plodding on, finding a very decent up-track and worked slowly the middle section of the Phantom. About half way up we were passed by a skier making great time for the top, we moved aside and he blazed past, destination unknown.
Nearing the top of the slide path, following our new trailblazer, we saw that he had turned north and headed toward the West Ridge Notch. We maintained our course instead and cut new switchbacks up the summit face. In the deep wallow of breaking trail in the new powder high on the mountain, a problem emerged. The glue on Andrei's almost-new skins was deplorably bad and wouldn't stick to his skis. Snow was building up between and was necessitating stopping, scraping, and reapplying skin to skis every couple of hundred yards. Our progress up mountain ground to a halt. As I neared the start to the couloir and quickly froze waiting for Andrei to catch up, I knew our planned descent of the Slot Couloir was dashed. We couldn't risk going over the other side if skin travel was going to be an issue on the return to Alpental Valley. Andrei and I decided a change of plans was needed. We opted just to tic the summit of Snoqualmie and for thrills and chills a Waterfall Direct was in order. The Slot Couloir could wait until Andrei's skins were fixed or replaced.
After a short stay on top, we descended for Day 1 of four continual days of continental cold, knee-deep powder. After a couple open snowfields, we found that chest shots would prove de rigor for Andrei's trip. After a thousand vertical or so of fluff we met once again with the lone skier, this time on his way down the Phantom. After chatting him up we discovered he was the rep for the very brand of skins Andrei was having such a hard time with. The irony! He even agreed the skins were crap and that he had to re-glue every season. Boy, makes me want to run right out and get some. We played tag down the wide open slide path in knee deep fluff enjoying the turns until we neared the bottom where the horizon dropped away. The mood quickly changed from joyously decadent to deadly serious.
Our Crap-Skin Rep asked half jokingly if we were going over the Waterfall, and when we said yes, happily skied first, laughing incredulously that we'd take on the steep face. As he ventured out onto the face he called back "Get ready for extreme skiing!" and cautiously made his way down to the first break. He did well, and then it was our turn.
I went first and slowly traversed out onto the headwall and could tell there was about 6" of soft snow covering ice - a fall would have been disastrous. The route required a turn to the right or else cascade over the falls onto the lower section, and then a short section of boulders that led to the first safe zone.
After two more cautious turns, the exposure lessoned and I merrily hoped the terrain bumps in the two foot deep sloughs that piled up under the steeps. The safe zone was a shelf above a large cliff section which acted to break up the run into two distinct sections - the upper and the lower. The upper section was a 50 degree double fall line headwall that angled onto the safety shelf from left to right. The lower section left the safety shelf to traverse over large cliffs to a ramp which led to the ground. Of course, the ramp had a mandatory air in the middle to spice things up.
I stopped at the edge of the shelf and happily called coast clear for Andrei. Our Crap Skin Rep had enough excitement for one day and took the escape route out into the woods along the edge of the shelf. But I didn't see him go; I was too busy focused on Andrei about to descend.
Andrei made the crucial right turn and then had a little trouble on the return turn and my heart dropped. He hip checked the mountain to stop his speed and reoriented quickly and stopped to regain his footing. Oh Nelly! A couple more turns and he was beside me. "Bet that woke you up!" I said and from the dazed look in his eyes, I think it did! The next section required a traverse over cliffs and then a mandatory jump onto the finishing ramp. After having survived the headwall, the lower section seemed easy and both Andrei and I finished the Waterfall with jumps off small cliff bands into super deep powder. At the base we were all but at the end of the run and finished with untracked powder right to the parking lot.
That night, Andrei found REI was the only place open who had glue to repair his skins. But it was lucky even they were open, it was New Years Day after all. After a quick jaunt to Redmond for the repair kit, Andrei had his skins ready for action.
(continued on January 2nd, The Slot Couloir)
Day 20
New Years Day 2004
Snoqualmie Mountain (6,278'), the Waterfall Direct Variation
3,100 vertical skied
New Years Day powder on Snoqualmie Mountain
Andrei arrived from Colorado New Years Eve along with a cold Canadian air mass that was oozing its way in from the east, replacing the typically warm moist air from the Pacific that usually blankets the West Cascades. At the same time, massive storms were pounding regions to the south, leaving Seattle under the cold northern down flow after each passing disturbance. And as with everything in the NW, the pattern was to repeat itself for days on end until the jet stream eventually changed position. The resultant weather pattern brewing for Andrei's 5 day trip to Washington was idyllic, a half a foot of cold, dry powder every day (seriously) on top of a 100 inch base and moderate avy danger. We spent each morning driving from the house in snow and kept it in 4 wheel drive right back again.
On arrival, Andrei met Emerald (who is the cutest kid on the planet), visited the new crib, and with Alyson spent the day relaxing. And of course, we planned our itinerary. With the freezing level right down to the Ocean, and consistent fresh snow forecast close to home, both of us agreed there was no need to travel further than Snoqualmie Pass for turns. The trip was shaping up to be a winner, now we just had to figure out where to go. And as usual, I had a short list of goodies for my visiting CO MCSA member, as any good host should.
We decided to go big right out of the gate - the Slot Couloir on Snoqualmie Mountain. I had never skied it, but had been watching the avy danger and heard other's tales of the route going, even this "early" in the season. Ron and I had done some fine recon work to understand the logistics of the descent over the past couple weeks, now I had a partner who could make it come together (unfortunately Ron had family business in GA). We were giddy with excitement and possibilities.
We woke on New Years Day (at 5 am - no mindless partying for us, we had work to do!) to 6" or so of cold powder up on the Pass. I could tell when Andrei saw the 8 foot high snow banks on the drive down the Alpental road that he was excited. After all, his experience this season (to date) of 25" at Loveland Pass was murder for a BC skier trying to make a living.
We began the climb in the lower parking lot of Alpental and found up-tracks heading for left of the Waterfall. Good. Our ascent choice was going to be the Phantom Slide and our first obstacle was figuring out a way around the Waterfall. We talked of skiing the glades left of the Waterfall but as we got close, we could see ski tracks gracefully descending the steep angled faces, terrain it seemed well within reason. I hadn't thought of the Waterfall Direct Variation for the day's itinerary until I then stood underneath it. I could see the skier from the day before was very cautious and controlled. This luckily offered me a great look at the snow at each section and after we climbed up past the steepest sections (climbing Class 3 chutes over cliff bands in difficult snow) confirmed that the route was a possibility. Hmm, ok.
We plodding on, finding a very decent up-track and worked slowly the middle section of the Phantom. About half way up we were passed by a skier making great time for the top, we moved aside and he blazed past, destination unknown.
Nearing the top of the slide path, following our new trailblazer, we saw that he had turned north and headed toward the West Ridge Notch. We maintained our course instead and cut new switchbacks up the summit face. In the deep wallow of breaking trail in the new powder high on the mountain, a problem emerged. The glue on Andrei's almost-new skins was deplorably bad and wouldn't stick to his skis. Snow was building up between and was necessitating stopping, scraping, and reapplying skin to skis every couple of hundred yards. Our progress up mountain ground to a halt. As I neared the start to the couloir and quickly froze waiting for Andrei to catch up, I knew our planned descent of the Slot Couloir was dashed. We couldn't risk going over the other side if skin travel was going to be an issue on the return to Alpental Valley. Andrei and I decided a change of plans was needed. We opted just to tic the summit of Snoqualmie and for thrills and chills a Waterfall Direct was in order. The Slot Couloir could wait until Andrei's skins were fixed or replaced.
After a short stay on top, we descended for Day 1 of four continual days of continental cold, knee-deep powder. After a couple open snowfields, we found that chest shots would prove de rigor for Andrei's trip. After a thousand vertical or so of fluff we met once again with the lone skier, this time on his way down the Phantom. After chatting him up we discovered he was the rep for the very brand of skins Andrei was having such a hard time with. The irony! He even agreed the skins were crap and that he had to re-glue every season. Boy, makes me want to run right out and get some. We played tag down the wide open slide path in knee deep fluff enjoying the turns until we neared the bottom where the horizon dropped away. The mood quickly changed from joyously decadent to deadly serious.
Our Crap-Skin Rep asked half jokingly if we were going over the Waterfall, and when we said yes, happily skied first, laughing incredulously that we'd take on the steep face. As he ventured out onto the face he called back "Get ready for extreme skiing!" and cautiously made his way down to the first break. He did well, and then it was our turn.
I went first and slowly traversed out onto the headwall and could tell there was about 6" of soft snow covering ice - a fall would have been disastrous. The route required a turn to the right or else cascade over the falls onto the lower section, and then a short section of boulders that led to the first safe zone.
After two more cautious turns, the exposure lessoned and I merrily hoped the terrain bumps in the two foot deep sloughs that piled up under the steeps. The safe zone was a shelf above a large cliff section which acted to break up the run into two distinct sections - the upper and the lower. The upper section was a 50 degree double fall line headwall that angled onto the safety shelf from left to right. The lower section left the safety shelf to traverse over large cliffs to a ramp which led to the ground. Of course, the ramp had a mandatory air in the middle to spice things up.
I stopped at the edge of the shelf and happily called coast clear for Andrei. Our Crap Skin Rep had enough excitement for one day and took the escape route out into the woods along the edge of the shelf. But I didn't see him go; I was too busy focused on Andrei about to descend.
Andrei made the crucial right turn and then had a little trouble on the return turn and my heart dropped. He hip checked the mountain to stop his speed and reoriented quickly and stopped to regain his footing. Oh Nelly! A couple more turns and he was beside me. "Bet that woke you up!" I said and from the dazed look in his eyes, I think it did! The next section required a traverse over cliffs and then a mandatory jump onto the finishing ramp. After having survived the headwall, the lower section seemed easy and both Andrei and I finished the Waterfall with jumps off small cliff bands into super deep powder. At the base we were all but at the end of the run and finished with untracked powder right to the parking lot.
That night, Andrei found REI was the only place open who had glue to repair his skins. But it was lucky even they were open, it was New Years Day after all. After a quick jaunt to Redmond for the repair kit, Andrei had his skins ready for action.
(continued on January 2nd, The Slot Couloir)
Reply to this TR
Please login first: