|
|
|
|
|
|
Turns All Year Trip Reports
(1) Viewing these pages constitutes your acceptance of the Terms of Use.
(2) Disclaimer: the accuracy of information here is unknown, use at your own risk.
(3) Trip Report monthly boards: only actual trip report starts a new thread.
(4) Keep it civil and constructive - that is the norm here. |
|
|
|
|
Author
|
Topic: March 11, 2004, Mt Rainier, Van Trump Glaciers (Read 5214 times)
|
Amar Andalkar
Member
Offline
Posts: 898
WWW
|
With a forecast for clear weather and 8000-10000 ft freezing levels, it was again time to search for some good south-facing winter corn. David Coleman and I skinned up from the Christine Falls TH, with 2-3 ft of snow at the TH and continuous snow on the trail except for a couple of 10-foot sections. Within minutes we reached the washed out bridge above Christine Falls and so we headed up along the W side of the creek to Rampart Ridge and then into Van Trump Park. We cautiously traversed a steep SE slope at 5600 ft (lots of recent avy debris, including a major slide from earlier this week) into the Van Trump Creek valley and then out the right side near 6200 ft to rejoin the standard Van Trump Glaciers route. The snow below tree line (5400 ft) was unconsolidated mush, but above tree line there was a firm supportive crust topped by thin layer of softening corn. Nice! We skinned up to 8500 ft, the snow became slightly less consolidated higher up (i.e. closer to recent freezing levels). We skied down around 3 pm, above timberline the descent was quite fine, a patchwork of firnspiegel and soft corn, slightly sticky but nothing to complain about. Perfect for big GS turns. Below 6500 ft, we set off lots of roller balls on the steep SW slopes, but snow stability was generally good with no wet sluffs or slabs. Back down in the forest, conditions were challenging and turning was very difficult, but we figured out the trick of making very lengthy downhill traverses connected by turns only at the ends, and so we had fun anyway. Skied back out to the front bumper of the car before 5 pm, finishing off a fine 5000 vft day.
Amar Andalkar
www.skimountaineer.com
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
alpentalcorey
Member
Offline
Posts: 343
|
Nice report! How about a photo?
I know you've got one.... 
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Skinut
5Member
Offline
Posts: 26
|
We saw you starting up the trail as we were driving by to ski to Cowlitz Rocks. You are animals! 
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Amar Andalkar
Member
Offline
Posts: 898
WWW
|
Sorry Corey, no photos exist . . . I realized near Puyallup that I had forgotten my digicam at home, way too late to turn around and get it. First time that's happened, a real bummer, especially because the last time I skied in that area was in early 1997, also without a camera. So I may have to head up to Van Trump again this spring, just to get some good shots.
Skinut, how were snow conditions near Cowlitz Rocks?
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: 03/13/04, 05:39 AM by andalkar »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Walt
1Member
Offline
Posts: 3
|
Anyone suggest or have beta on doing this tour from the Nisqually Bridge? I'm planning on making the trip from PDX soon.
tia 
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you to our sponsors!
|
Contact turns-all-year.com
Turns All Year Trip Reports ©2001-2010 Turns All Year LLC. All Rights Reserved
The opinions expressed in posts are those of the poster and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of Trip Reports administrators or Turns All Year LLC
|
Turns All Year Trip Reports | Powered by SMF 1.0.6.
© 2001-2005, Lewis Media. All Rights Reserved.
|
Page created in 0.455 seconds with 21 queries.
|
