September 27, Heliotrope Ridge
9/15/09
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
27908
2
AJDingo and I took a trip up to Heliotrope Ridge sunday morning with blue skies and nothing but september turns on the brain.
We hit the trail at 10AM and we booked up to the hogs back at a quick pace. We went up to the glaciers edge to admire the glacier ice and take some pictures. I'd say it took us about 2.5 hours to get to the skier terrain and boot up. I wish I had some crampons with me because it was a bit slick in some places but it wasn't too bad going up, we just too our time. We climbed to 7200 for some pictures and then clicked in and did what comes natural to us and skied down. We had to cross one snow bridge on the way down but it was 6 feet wide so it was not too scary.
we ended up skiing a little over 1000ft and locked in our september turns and AJDingo got his first TAY! Go Dingo!!!! I will be there next month for my first one!
It took us an hour and a half to get to the car making it 5.5 hours round trip. We had our celebratory beers at the car and we called it a day, and what a day it was! We passed an un-named TAYer on our way down around 4PM which seemed a lil' too late for that and he was packing light. I hope he made it out fine.
The snow is coming and it's only going to get better!
We hit the trail at 10AM and we booked up to the hogs back at a quick pace. We went up to the glaciers edge to admire the glacier ice and take some pictures. I'd say it took us about 2.5 hours to get to the skier terrain and boot up. I wish I had some crampons with me because it was a bit slick in some places but it wasn't too bad going up, we just too our time. We climbed to 7200 for some pictures and then clicked in and did what comes natural to us and skied down. We had to cross one snow bridge on the way down but it was 6 feet wide so it was not too scary.
we ended up skiing a little over 1000ft and locked in our september turns and AJDingo got his first TAY! Go Dingo!!!! I will be there next month for my first one!
It took us an hour and a half to get to the car making it 5.5 hours round trip. We had our celebratory beers at the car and we called it a day, and what a day it was! We passed an un-named TAYer on our way down around 4PM which seemed a lil' too late for that and he was packing light. I hope he made it out fine.
The snow is coming and it's only going to get better!
Wow, it must have been a perfect day to get up there. I like your picture number 2, a classic view of the way to the little pinnacle. The right edge is really cracked up this year, isn't it?
Instead of the snow bridge near the top, on Friday I elected to dodge skier's right into the bowl and then back up on to the ridge, that worked well, but the snow bridge looked fine as well.
Instead of the snow bridge near the top, on Friday I elected to dodge skier's right into the bowl and then back up on to the ridge, that worked well, but the snow bridge looked fine as well.
I was the unnamed TAYer getting the late start -- beautiful day. I managed to crampon up to the little pinnacle before 5 and get back to the car before dark. Some photos here. http://rossmac.smugmug.com/Skiing/2009-09-27-Heliotrope/9781528_bSNfH#663340707_QXG69
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