Home > Trip Reports > Tatoosh Traverse and Foss Peak, June 30, 2009

Tatoosh Traverse and Foss Peak, June 30, 2009

6/15/09
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2549
5
Posted by Keith_Henson on 7/1/09 1:43am
Left Reflection at 9:45 heading for the saddle east of The Castle. Snow was soft despite the clear evening. Snow all the way to the saddle. Booted until I was in the basin below the saddle then switched to skins. When just below the saddle I saw 3 skiers. They were all park rangers. Very friendly. Skiing still good from the saddle and coverage all the way to the road (see picture).

From the saddle I headed down the ridge which was melted out in many spots. I finally jumped onto the north side of the ridge and traversed on my skis to below the Castle/Foss saddle. From the saddle snow on the ridge until below Foss Summit.

From the summit I looked down the ridge and it was largely melted and the snow was below loose rock. I climbed off the summit and traversed on steep hummocks on the Castle side past the rocky ridge above and regained the ridge when I met snow.

Continued descending the ridge on occasional snow until I met with a spot where the snow joined the ridge from Unicorn Basin, a very thin and step finger. After kicking a platform on the one ski length wide top of the snow finger I jumped onto the perfect corn. As I exited the finger the snow slid in snow motion, hissing the whole time, for over a minute!

Wonderful corn snow down to the Unicorn Basin. A few sun cups lower but soft snow made them very skiable. At the top of the slot leading to Snow Lake was a tree and other debris but the slot skied great.

Skis off at Snow Lake and hiked on snow until the trail was melted out, just above the lake, and switched to tennis shoes. At the road I stashed my skis and pack in the woods and was able to get a ride to my car at Reflection Lake with 2 minutes.

Great day. Pictures at my website:
Nice Keith I'm glad you got that tour in and conditions sound good.
Just wondering what the collective term is for a group of skiing Rangers, 
A "pod" of Rangers?
A " cluster" of Rangers?
A "herd" of Rangers?
A" murder" of Rangers? (  a "murder"of crows is the accepted term I believe)

Thanks for the report & nice photos, Keith.  How about "pack" or "posse", Scotty?

A Rack O' Rangers.  Looks like a great day out Keith.  Good report, I really enjoyed the pictures and commentary.

Depending on how well the rangers are armed, perhaps a "battalion" or a "regiment".

author=Scotsman link=topic=13752.msg57490#msg57490 date=1246473078]
Nice Keith I'm glad you got that tour in and conditions sound good.
Just wondering what the collective term is for a group of skiing Rangers, 
A "pod" of Rangers?
A " cluster" of Rangers?
A "herd" of Rangers?
A" murder" of Rangers? (   a "murder"of crows is the accepted term I believe)

How about a "load of Rangers:? That way they would be known as the Load Rangers ;D

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tatoosh-traverse-and-foss-peak-june-30-2009
Keith_Henson
2009-07-01 08:43:16