Home > Trip Reports > November 8, Stevens Pass slackcountry

November 8, Stevens Pass slackcountry

11/15/09
WA Stevens Pass
7842
16
Posted by savegondor on 11/8/09 5:27am
20-40 inches of new: game on!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da7VKv4JPGM

Great use of the tripod, really improves watchability, rather than the bumpy earthquake like shudder of other home videos.

author=brownc9 link=topic=14381.msg60204#msg60204 date=1257725854]
Great use of the tripod, really improves watchability, rather than the bumpy earthquake like shudder of other home videos.


wish i had one...i just propped my cam on my backpack and shovel. 

Great video. Not a bad first day to the season we got in a couple of runs on the Chief too and it was a stoker!

It feels like, once you gain skinning ability, any other sort of uphill travel (bootpacking on a nearly flat run) seems silly, and foolish. The snow brought out every technique today.

Your teen displays an admirable and Zen-like patience. Backcountry skiing may not be far off.

very nice video!  based on our experience at Stevens today, the teen was actually probably trying to ski, and the skier was fast-motioned in the editing.

We parked to go over to Skyline side, but Fred forgot his probe and I forgot my shovel, after some months of needing neither, and we couldn't agree on who would get poked but not dug up and who would be waiting for discovery by shovel, so went to the non-running lift area where there were more eyes out and plenty of shovels in the hands of kids building kickers.  DEEP! But from Hogsback where there were no tracks and not so steep it was as much work going down as it was going up. At Big Chief there was enough slope to make it go down through really cut up heavy snow. Fun, thigh burning. 2' min unconsolidated, high moisture content. Bottomless drifts in places. Plenty of vegetation and rocks in other places.

author=Don_B link=topic=14381.msg60221#msg60221 date=1257742571]
DEEP! But from Hogsback where there were no tracks and not so steep it was as much work going down as it was going up. At Big Chief there was enough slope to make it go down through really cut up heavy snow. Fun, thigh burning. 2' min unconsolidated, high moisture content. Bottomless drifts in places. Plenty of vegetation and rocks in other places.


Yeah...and this is why I stuck close to teenage snowboard bootpacked slopes... they were apparently at it yesterday and had packed that slope nicely before 10 inches of light and dry hit last night.  hence my fluffy turns.  i tried some virgin steep got one turn in and ground to a waist deep mushy halt.  it's the cardinal lesson during the first few snowfalls: ski slopes with consolidation.  the rest just ain't worth it.  i worked one year at schweitzer when our first 10 feet occurred in one week around thanksgiving.  opened with a 90inch base and outside the groomed no-one could get going...even snowboarders failed to strait line the 40 degree double blacks. 

lesson with cascade snow...either you stay on top or you don't go. 

We found some good stuff on the backside of Cowboy, see TR here.

It was fun up there Sunday. I might head back on Weds. Any word on their opening? Or the beginning of the grooming?

Jameson got some great pics of our crew up there enjoying the powder: Full TR and pictures here.

author=JimD link=topic=14381.msg60230#msg60230 date=1257778446">
We found some good stuff on the backside of Cowboy, see TR here.


oh yes you did!!! that makes me a huge idiot.  nice shots!!!

I was also a part of the "crowd" up with JimD's group, celebrating Lapaz25's 100th month. "Epic" may be a bit strong of a term, but it sure didn't feel like November, except for a few small scrapes to the bases...

Woo Hoo indeed!  I couldn't have asked for a better day to celebrate my 100th month of skiing!  It's been a long journey- 4 knee surgeries, 3 new jobs, double pneumonia, moved, got married, had a baby, and lost my father all in the 8+ years.  I was so grateful to spend the day with my husband and some of my best ski buds by my side as we floated through thigh to waist deep pow on the backside of Cowboy-not too shabby!  I certainly enjoyed meeting some fellow TAYers out there, as well as a few other "locals" who enjoy the pow.

There's nothing like knowing that no matter what is going on in life, there's always at least one day a month to look forward to getting out in the mtns.  Not a bad way to stay sane!

author=lapaz25 link=topic=14381.msg60302#msg60302 date=1257881669]
Woo Hoo indeed!  I couldn't have asked for a better day to celebrate my 100th month of skiing!  It's been a long journey- 4 knee surgeries, 3 new jobs, double pneumonia, moved, got married, had a baby, and lost my father all in the 8+ years.  I was so grateful to spend the day with my husband and some of my best ski buds by my side as we floated through thigh to waist deep pow on the backside of Cowboy-not too shabby!  I certainly enjoyed meeting some fellow TAYers out there, as well as a few other "locals" who enjoy the pow.

There's nothing like knowing that no matter what is going on in life, there's always at least one day a month to look forward to getting out in the mtns.  Not a bad way to stay sane!


congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations, Lapaz! That is very inspiring. I have a feeling It wont be long before your daughter will be out there shredding it up! It was great to ski with you guys, especially grateful for the skin track back out!

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2009-11-08 13:27:32