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Turns All Year Trip Reports
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Topic: Feb.15, 2009, Jim Hill Mountain (Read 1827 times)
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Telemon
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Posts: 563
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Kevin the Animal, Telemack, Nick B.C. and myself were part of a Peninsula Wilderness Club gathering at the Mountaineers' cabin beside the Stevens Pass ski hill last weekend. I had never ventured out of the resort in the dozen years that I have skied there, so I was eager to join the outing that Rusty Knees had put into motion.Only Mosetick accompanied him from Seattle, but a party of 6 TAYers is a good number to have. We parked at Berne (elevation approximately 2,700'),then walked and skied a ways along the highway before climbing up near Henry Creek through glades and tight forest stands. Eventually we broke out into a large clearing that unfortunately still had exposed alder, mading travel somewhat difficult. After working our way through a section of large conifers, we found ourselves in another open area with deeper snow but poorer stability. So around 5,000' we wisely decided to end our climb and get our turns. Photo 1 shows Rusty Knees, the Animal and Telemack in this section.
Even though the powder was thickest above, I had better results turning in the stuff above the alder thickets. The other two pictures were taken in this area. We followed some old tracks out towards the Henry Creek drainage system and avoided having to skin again. Travel though the forest on the thinnest layer of snow possible wasn't particularly fun. We eventually picked up the forestry road and made it back to the cars by 4:30.Even though it seemed to have snowed all day, there wasn't much of a noticeable accumulation on our seven hour old tracks. I am sure that other members of the party will step in and fill in the gaps of this report.
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« Last Edit: 02/16/09, 07:49 PM by Telemon »
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Git down, Brothers and Sisters of the Church of the Telemark..What do you mean it is a turn not a religion?
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Rusty Knees
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Posts: 702
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It was a fun trip! Nice to reconnect with Telemon and BCSkier, and great to meet Mack and Kevin for the first time. I agree with Telemon's assessment - the snow up higher was better, except for the buried refrigerators, microwaves and other miscellaneous appliances left over from the last big avalanche cycle. Telemack and I made about a 300 foot lap, while Kevin, Bob and Chris went on to check out the slope higher up. We found some nice turns in the small trees, near the lower end of the classic Jim Hill bowl.
We all reconnected and decided to head down together. Everybody had fun getting down through the trees, west of the waterfalls, but the more "cut loose" skiing was in the alder slide path down to Henry Creek. We all had a few real face shots, and a bunch of face plant shots, and a few alder face shots. Telemon nailed it when he said he "used the alders as pylons" to set up his turns.
Maybe Chris (Mosetick - our lone AT rep) or Kevin (Animal, and he is!) will chip in with a description of the stability tests they did up higher. We had between 6" and a foot of new powder on top of the old crust and debris. Everybody felt some settling underfoot, and Mack set off one small sluff on a steep drop in to a gulley. The old crust didn't bother anybody except on the way out through the trees.
Does that pack make my butt look big? Great touring with everybody - and let's go back when there's more snow, better visibility and lower danger.
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« Last Edit: 02/16/09, 09:21 PM by Rusty Knees »
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The best part of summer skiing is napping on a warm rock.
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alecapone
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I was going to try to head up to JH on the same day, but changed my plans. Drove by yesterday with the same intentions. Observed crap vis from the tow away zone, and decided to go somewhere else again.
Looks like you guys had a pretty decent day.
Also, did I ride past you on the cattrack near the Mtr's lodge? Was coming down from grace lakes and passed a couple guys pulling a polk up. Looked like you in a blur. You couldn't miss my pants.
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scott
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Telemon
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Also, did I ride past you on the cattrack near the Mtr's lodge? Was coming down from grace lakes and passed a couple guys pulling a polk up. Looked like you in a blur. You couldn't miss my pants.
We arrived at the cabin around noon last Thursday, so it wasn't us that you saw on the cat track.We got in two decent 30K vert. days using the lifts before our Jim Hill trip.
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Git down, Brothers and Sisters of the Church of the Telemark..What do you mean it is a turn not a religion?
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mosetick
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Posts: 139
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It was great to meet Telemon, BCSkier, and Animal for the first time! A pleasure to ski with Rusty Knees and Telemack again as well!! I felt like a minority for the first time being the only AT guy on the trip. Luckily for me everyone seemed ok with me being the only AT dyna-fiddle guy!! Animal performed some stability tests as I watched. There was a very clearly defined thick, weak layer of hoarfrost about 1 1/2 to 2ft down or so, if my memory is correct. As Animal cut a slope out I came in from above on skis. It gave way with minimal pressure from me as I only had to give it a light tap of pressure from the knees before it gave way. Had the terrain we were in been a lot steeper, or if there was significantly more snow accumulation on top of the weak layer, I would have been more nervous. Animal, however felt differently and I respect his feelings as he and everyone else on the trip have more experience than me in the back country. Also, I should mention that there was a significant amount of cracks and whumfing occurring as we traveled higher in elevation.
This was the first time I have skied with a dog and it was a great experience for me. I have heard stories about dogs getting in the way, unneeded risks, etc, etc, but for me it was a lot of fun. Obviously, I think it had a lot to do with the ability and demeanor of the dog.
Also, I feel obliged to mention that Rusty Knees' pack looked larger in person than in the photos!! It hurts me just looking at it! I heard he even had a bivy and sleeping bag in there!
Here is the link to my photos from the trip:
http://www.the808.net/gallery/Jim-Hill-Mtn-2-15-2009
Or watch a slideshow:
http://www.the808.net/gallery/slideshow.php?set_albumName=Jim-Hill-Mtn-2-15-2009
All six of us, out of focus and off center. Taken with my camera set on top of my ski pole using the 20 second timer!! Oh Yeah!
Another shot with me behind the camera, what a bunch of goofs!!!
Rusty Knees, ready for action!!
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« Last Edit: 03/01/09, 12:36 PM by mosetick »
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Teleskichica
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Posts: 346
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Does that pack make my butt look big? Great touring with everybody - and let's go back when there's more snow, better visibility and lower danger.
Good Lord, Don  --have you weighed in on the safety/survival gear thread yet? 
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Livin' high on the cold smoke!
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telemack
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Posts: 1321
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Don's pack had lots of foam and fluff in it; maybe that's what it takes to make the butt look small?
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There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval.
George Santayana
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Animal
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Posts: 54
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It was an awesome trip! my firsy with a large group of TAY'ers!
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Free the heel free the mind free the soul!
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