August 2, 2010, Heliotrope Dusk Patrol
8/2/10
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
3395
7
Evenings like this one remind me of why living in Bellingham is so awesome...
Left work downtown around 5:00 PM and come 8:15 I was standing atop Heliotrope. The views were fantastic with the sun setting and fog rising in the valleys below. While letting the sweat evaporate I decided I would drop Grouse Creek with the hopes of getting some more sustained vertical compared to retracing my ascent.
The skiing down the ridge and into the Grouse Creek drainage was surprisingly good, as the evening sun made charging the smallish suncups relatively effortless and very fun. Bush wacking through lower Grouse Creek wasn't horrible, and with the aid of a headlamp I was back at my car by 9:30.
Left work downtown around 5:00 PM and come 8:15 I was standing atop Heliotrope. The views were fantastic with the sun setting and fog rising in the valleys below. While letting the sweat evaporate I decided I would drop Grouse Creek with the hopes of getting some more sustained vertical compared to retracing my ascent.
The skiing down the ridge and into the Grouse Creek drainage was surprisingly good, as the evening sun made charging the smallish suncups relatively effortless and very fun. Bush wacking through lower Grouse Creek wasn't horrible, and with the aid of a headlamp I was back at my car by 9:30.
Nicely done!
Huzzah! Nice work Brian. Gary, Jan, Jeff and I just returned from a similar outing up Obstruction Point. Gotta love the summer turns.
Pretty awesome the three of us were up there skiing in the first week in November around 9 months ago!
Good work gettin' sum midweek OP style T.
author=chmnyboy link=topic=17263.msg72733#msg72733 date=1280901819]
Huzzah! Nice work Brian. Gary, Jan, Jeff and I just returned from a similar outing up Obstruction Point. Gotta love the summer turns.
Good work gettin' sum midweek OP style T.
Sweet!
what elevation where you able to ski to?
what elevation where you able to ski to?
Nice Brian,
That's an ambitious outing after a grueling day at work. :D
Great pictures too.
Gary
That's an ambitious outing after a grueling day at work. :D
Great pictures too.
Gary
author=alecapone link=topic=17263.msg72736#msg72736 date=1280904349]
Sweet!
what elevation where you able to ski to?
Right around 5,000'. Check out the Google maps satellite view; the snow cover shown is almost exactly how it is right now down into the Grouse drainage.
being a surfer in So-Cal for quite some time; I really liked your dusk-patrol term. I've seen the mtn riders use the term dawn-patrol, but I think it's a hands-down surfer's term - as one can paddle out, before the sun has risen to get some early light with the waves. cool report, to get some turns !
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