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Topic: February 20-21, 2004, Bumping Lake/ Deep Creek (Read 1823 times)
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David_Lowry
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Posts: 110
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This tour was an attempt at Blankenship Meadows and Tumac Mtn. It fits into the classification of "guidebook tour with not only glib but outright false approach directions". It's one of the afterthought tours mentioned in the back of the Kirkendall-Spring book of the appropriate region.
We (me and four dogs) hit the TH at Bumping Lake Dam at noon. Snow was three inches of very soft on top of a solid base. I had intended to make it to either the end of the road or all the way up to the Tumac Plateau- Blankenship Meadow. However, the snow was soft and sticky and there was no 'biler trail broken in what looked like the whole season??? With only a four dog team, and breaking trail the whole way, we only made half the anticipated distance. It was extremely difficult travel, the hardest I've ever done.
The dogs were hitched to the toboggan sled packed with
overnight gear. I rode that for the first two miles.
After the dogs calmed down, I slapped on the skinny skis and
skied behind the sled- I felt like Nansen. This worked much better than riding the sled. Still, hills were very difficult for us all pushing/pulling. We eventually made it to the Mt. Aix TH and made camp there. I fed the dogs, fed myself, and conked out at 7:30 pm. The coyotes set up camp right behind us and serenaded us all night long. Wow were they spooky! I even got some sleep this time, as I put a bark collar on my loudmouth- geez those things work well. I brought my other loudmouth into the tipi with me.
Woke up at 4:30 am, broke camp and headed out, thinking we'd
have a fast solid crust to fly out on. No such luck, the snow was
like sandpaper and we barely moved- even going downhill. Well,
thats what its about sometimes, but I was dehydrated from sleeping out and I hadn't bothered to hydrate before we left. Plus, the clam chowder from last night and the headlamp were making me queasy. It seemed like I had to stop once every mile on the way out. I'm glad the snowhook held. The last three miles were pretty good. We were going at a crawl and I was starting to feel better- having munched enough snow by then to feel better. Stupid of me, I know better. I should have melted snow before we left, for all of us. I was just about to pull over and break out the stove when I realized we were almost out.
Once at the truck, I fed and watered the dogs and myself. I was
feeling back to my normal self so we ran the snogo tracks over
on the lakeshore, for about 7 miles. Then we headed home.
Sled only on this day, as it would have been suicidal to ski with four dogs in those deathtrap crust conditions.
Weather couldn't have been better. Low of 24F that night, no wind. Great camping. Somewhere around twenty miles overall. About half what I had hoped to accomplish. I was buzzed by a fighter jet that was just above the treetops- Yikes. Didn't faze the dogs at all.
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MW88888888
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Posts: 419
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Hey wow - I was doing my training run up Hyak on friday when a jet fighter flew over the ridge, proceeded BELOW ME up Gold Creek in a haze of his own jet exhaust and pulled up in a dramatic fashion at the face of Chikamin, shadow on the face of the mountain and all. For a moment I thought I was going to see this guy buy it. What a sight.
Guess we know how the fly boys get their kicks!
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David_Lowry
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Posts: 110
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Yeah, I was buzzed on Friday, a little after noon. Wonder if it was the same pilot? McChord AFB? Those are impressive maneuvers, eh?
Preceeding that, the snowplow operator came by. I chatted with him awhile, then the local uniformed USFS dude pulled up and I chatted with him awhile.
I was starting to feel like it was "get buzzed by government dudes" day.
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Paul Belitz
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Posts: 409
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Hey wow - I was doing my training run up Hyak on friday when a jet fighter flew over the ridge, proceeded BELOW ME up Gold Creek in a haze of his own jet exhaust and pulled up in a dramatic fashion at the face of Chikamin, shadow on the face of the mountain and all. For a moment I thought I was going to see this guy buy it. What a sight.
Guess we know how the fly boys get their kicks!
Maybe he was looking for a new personal discovery zone!
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« Last Edit: 02/24/04, 11:49 AM by pbelitz »
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philfort
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Posts: 605
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I've always wondered about the ski potential around Bumping Lake (never been there). What's the terrain around Mt Aix like? Is it a long way from the valley bottom to skiable/open terrain? Did you take any pictures?
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David_Lowry
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Posts: 110
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There are chutes galore for those inclined/ capable- easily accessible. Aix and the ridge shoot up directly from the valley floor so there is potential even right there from the TH- very steep stuff. I think I may have one revealing shot but let me finish the roll and if its decent, that will fill the one photo quota for this thread.
Its a neat area that gets tons of snow. I sure could have used "'bilers for Nader" along to break trail for us.
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David_Lowry
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Posts: 110
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Phil, here's a shot of Aix, or at least that part of Nelson Ridge that leads to Aix:
Just looking at Green Trails, there are a few chutes that reach clear to the valley floor, and that was also my impression although I did not scout it out as well as should be done.
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philfort
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Posts: 605
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Thanks... looks promising for some fun skiing...
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