June 26, 2010, Mt Ruth
6/26/10
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
1602
0
Not the greatest snow, but not the worst either. Surface was white and fairly smooth, but it was just too damn hot, and result was a larger depth of softness than preferable. Heat made for slow pace too.
On my usual favorite lap-run into the center bowl that leads towards the dogleg, ski cut set off a trio of slow wet slides that were probably visible from Sunrise. This from about 4" or so if this top layer being very fluid and running even on lesser slopes. If only I could have found a slope with two drainages and a ridge so that I could have made a "W" ... Anyways that level of action discouraged me from trying the dogleg, which has a long traverse in with exposure, so I skinned up the scour and went back down the ridgeward way. Snow tended to be better on rises than in depressions. Speed helped to break suction, leading to more of a big sweeping GS tactic further down.
Maybe half a dozen tracks seen on inter, 3 or 4 down the corridor. (Didn't see any long sluffs come of those tracks, maybe slight different conditions there?) VERY busy with climbers, assuredly maxed Shurman and adjacent zones (even the GB camps were full).
The GB trail keeps getting better each time I come here. Trail work happening on the new bypass (tho I think the trail crew was one reason parkinglot overflowing). Spring route (the one that crosses Inter Fork low) wanded off. Was only really practical to skin from spring/summer split spot and even that was a bit of a pain til the basin opened up. Real good cover in the basin itself. Nasty cups in basin bottom but on Ruth route at least these ended not far up hill.
On my usual favorite lap-run into the center bowl that leads towards the dogleg, ski cut set off a trio of slow wet slides that were probably visible from Sunrise. This from about 4" or so if this top layer being very fluid and running even on lesser slopes. If only I could have found a slope with two drainages and a ridge so that I could have made a "W" ... Anyways that level of action discouraged me from trying the dogleg, which has a long traverse in with exposure, so I skinned up the scour and went back down the ridgeward way. Snow tended to be better on rises than in depressions. Speed helped to break suction, leading to more of a big sweeping GS tactic further down.
Maybe half a dozen tracks seen on inter, 3 or 4 down the corridor. (Didn't see any long sluffs come of those tracks, maybe slight different conditions there?) VERY busy with climbers, assuredly maxed Shurman and adjacent zones (even the GB camps were full).
The GB trail keeps getting better each time I come here. Trail work happening on the new bypass (tho I think the trail crew was one reason parkinglot overflowing). Spring route (the one that crosses Inter Fork low) wanded off. Was only really practical to skin from spring/summer split spot and even that was a bit of a pain til the basin opened up. Real good cover in the basin itself. Nasty cups in basin bottom but on Ruth route at least these ended not far up hill.
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