June 26 North Sister
6/15/09
OR elsewhere
2790
3
Jon was kind enough to drop me off near Santium Pass on his way back to Seattle where I stayed the night at the Detroit lake campground waiting for Ari (TGR) and Buell (splitboard.com) to meet up with me later in the day. After both of them arrived we decided to tackle the North Sister in 3 sisters wilderness. We drove to the pole creek trailhead and camped for the night preparing for an early morning start to avoid potential rock fall. We woke up around 4:00 and were bushwhacking through the forest by 4:30 heading in a straight path to the North Sister.
After around two hours of bushwhacking we found ourselves on the lower slopes of the Villard headwall with the early morning colouir right in front of us. We decided that we would climb up the NE ridge and assess conditions along the way with hopes of hitting up the colouir. We cramponed up the steep firm slopes until reaching the exposed snowless ridge were we took our crampons off for the exposed 4th class rotten rock making sure that every hand hold was solid. After some more scrambling across the North face we found ourselves 100 feet below the true summit with a ramp extending into the colouir.
Arriving to the base of the Villard Headwall
Gaining the ridge with the northern Oregon Volcanos in the distance
After some up climbing we were able to find a flat spot to strap our boards on. To reach the colouir we had to traverse a 50 degree exposed slope for 40 feet to a ridge that separated the Villard face. The chute itself was steep and committing with no room for mistakes as a runnel ran down the gut 2000 vertical feet with 6 foot walls and cliff bands along the way. The snow had softened up quite a bit making it quite edgeable the whole way down.
After riding down to the end of the continuous snow we bushwhacked 3 miles back to the Pole Creek trailhead where we packed up our gear and got back on the road.
Same TR with more pics
After around two hours of bushwhacking we found ourselves on the lower slopes of the Villard headwall with the early morning colouir right in front of us. We decided that we would climb up the NE ridge and assess conditions along the way with hopes of hitting up the colouir. We cramponed up the steep firm slopes until reaching the exposed snowless ridge were we took our crampons off for the exposed 4th class rotten rock making sure that every hand hold was solid. After some more scrambling across the North face we found ourselves 100 feet below the true summit with a ramp extending into the colouir.
Arriving to the base of the Villard Headwall
Gaining the ridge with the northern Oregon Volcanos in the distance
After some up climbing we were able to find a flat spot to strap our boards on. To reach the colouir we had to traverse a 50 degree exposed slope for 40 feet to a ridge that separated the Villard face. The chute itself was steep and committing with no room for mistakes as a runnel ran down the gut 2000 vertical feet with 6 foot walls and cliff bands along the way. The snow had softened up quite a bit making it quite edgeable the whole way down.
After riding down to the end of the continuous snow we bushwhacked 3 miles back to the Pole Creek trailhead where we packed up our gear and got back on the road.
Same TR with more pics
Awesome road trip, this line on N Sister looks like a great one. Thanks for the TGR report on the Squak too, good route info. Seems like on all the volcanoes I ski you're always there a day or two ahead of me.
Cool volcanoes raid! Your N. Sister raid brought back memories of my two tele descents of the Early Morning C. years ago.-- a great route even with that huge/deep slide trench (would not ever want to fall into that thing-- that is for sure!!!!).
That rib separating the Villard from the Early M. C. is a cool ski too; obviously much earlier in the season. The Vallard (skier's left of the rib) is a really cool ski too, with a spicey creep/glide/"schrund" about a quarter of the way down. All that lousy rock over head is a pretty good reminder to not linger in any place too long on any of those slopes though. What a setting! Nice job and photos...Thanks!!!!!!!!
That rib separating the Villard from the Early M. C. is a cool ski too; obviously much earlier in the season. The Vallard (skier's left of the rib) is a really cool ski too, with a spicey creep/glide/"schrund" about a quarter of the way down. All that lousy rock over head is a pretty good reminder to not linger in any place too long on any of those slopes though. What a setting! Nice job and photos...Thanks!!!!!!!!
- Mr Miller, I am also a Miller and my brother/fam. are from Portland.
That's an excellent rpt., I 'll have to read again about the 'crux'. The shot of the Jack's and Jefferson, and the chute looking down is a great angle. I hope you see this reply - once again, great rpt., Rob (Reno, NV)
That's an excellent rpt., I 'll have to read again about the 'crux'. The shot of the Jack's and Jefferson, and the chute looking down is a great angle. I hope you see this reply - once again, great rpt., Rob (Reno, NV)
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