Home > Trip Reports > June 23, 2009, Van Trump Park and 'Holstein Snow'

June 23, 2009, Van Trump Park and 'Holstein Snow'

6/23/09
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2775
6
Posted by wolfs on 6/24/09 3:39am
Based on meltout prediction, figured this would be a prime time to hit Van Trump, using the Comet Falls/VTP approach. Snow on trail started as patchy around the boulder field preceding Falls Creek. Falls Creek bridge in (brand new handrail), at the time creek wasn't even running so big that couldn't have easily forded anyhow. Trail became completely snowcovered just past the steeper switchbacks that ascend lookers right Comet Falls. I'd call that just about right because that steep slope is a pain with hard snow. From where snow started, it was easy to terrain navigate up the smaller drainage, which climbs into the heart of VTP. Booted to a point where the 'unofficial trail' crosses over a little rib of scrub forest that was largely or entirely melted out, then skinned rest of way.

Good cover, and once in the park proper good surface snow conditions. The new snow line went all the way down to the start of park at 5500.

Because of the new snow, and also maybe because there has not been very much human travel up here this season, I saw a TON of animal tracks of all kinds going every which way in the Park. Fox and or coyote seemed best represented. Also saw goat and small bear tracks. Had the whole Park and snowfield to myself on this quiet weekday, excepting saw a couple of climbers camped at 9400 who would have come over from Nisqually side probably.

Ascended the usual way through two ripples in the Park, then into the barrens past several odd shaped moraines, generally staying close or on the divide between the Van Trump and Falls Creek drainages until entering the wide slope that eventually crests Cushman Crest high, and that joins up with the bottom of the Turtle near one of the lower camps for Kautz-area climbs. Decent skinning conditions; new snow usually better climbing surface but old snow was fine with deliberate edging thrown in.




Like a cow hide, had semi random bands of white and dark from how the existing wind scoops and new snow had interacted. Fun stuff! The white part clearly skied better, it was a soft clean mousse one to two inches deep, not too grabby at the higher elevations. (A note to sensitive cows that might be reading this: technically the brown was more Guernsey-like, but the white/dark alternation percent was clearly Holstein. Moo!)

Down lower followed the Falls Creek fall line, and in parts here lower the new snow was getting grabby. But I'll still take the aesthetics of skiing a smooth clean white surface over the usual surface conditions one encounters here, which are all too often rather cuppy and pumice-covered from prevailing winds cleaning the crap off moraines and Wapo Cleaver, especially come July or later.



author=wolfs link=topic=13700.msg57234#msg57234 date=1245868763]
...sensitive cows...

Hehe... I knew someone that fit that description -- back in another lifetime  ;)

Nicely crafted, informative report, Wolfs.
Great Pics, too. Thanks.

Nice report - love that side of the park.

Nice work Wolfs.  That is a great area that looks like it's still holding some decent snow.

Thanks, Wolfs.  Gotta get there soon. I've only been there hiking when its full of wildflowers and goats, and want to try it on snow. Beautiful area, but it seems like it takes good timing to make it a nice trip with skis.

just three weeks ago tele' steve & i skied all the way down to the first bridge after spending three days touring up there..
cheers

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june-23-2009-van-trump-park-and-holstein-snow
wolfs
2009-06-24 10:39:23