September 21, 2010, Heliotrope Ridge
9/21/10
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
2473
2
Went up to Heliotrope for my first time skiing in September. Spencerhutch and I found a few inches of fresh snow up high (starting just below the end of the glacier). We skied a couple of laps on the slopes slightly climbers right of the climbers trail. Going down this with skis on your back was the danger zone of the whole trip. We saw small crevasses, which were not an issue where we skied. Definitely an issue if your heading up towards Colfax and Baker, Roman wall etc though.
We took a look at slopes down into the grouse creek drainage but didn't head down that way since neither of us have gone up or down that route. However, I think it has the best skiing in that zone since it looked like it had more ski-able vertical feet and steeper fall line.
We took a look at slopes down into the grouse creek drainage but didn't head down that way since neither of us have gone up or down that route. However, I think it has the best skiing in that zone since it looked like it had more ski-able vertical feet and steeper fall line.
So thats what it looks like... We were there on Sunday, the rain held off, mostly, until the walk out, then it POURED.
We were held up by some helpful tourists right before the climbers trail splits off. They blocked the trail and tried to talk my partner into turning around, saying there was a river crossing 10 TIMES BIGGER than the one we had just crossed.
Since we were not going that way, Andy blew them off, saying we were not going that way. I just smiled and grunted Hi. Later, on the walk out, we talked to a very helpful and cute ranger who said they had pulled her aside and said we were in danger. She had noticed our ski gear on the way up and assumed we knew what we were doing, but hiked up in the rain anyway to make sure we were ok. It started pouring after that, I bet that crossing before the trail ends at the foot of the glacier was super scary then.
It is good to hear that the precip is turning back to the preferred form, though!
We were held up by some helpful tourists right before the climbers trail splits off. They blocked the trail and tried to talk my partner into turning around, saying there was a river crossing 10 TIMES BIGGER than the one we had just crossed.
Since we were not going that way, Andy blew them off, saying we were not going that way. I just smiled and grunted Hi. Later, on the walk out, we talked to a very helpful and cute ranger who said they had pulled her aside and said we were in danger. She had noticed our ski gear on the way up and assumed we knew what we were doing, but hiked up in the rain anyway to make sure we were ok. It started pouring after that, I bet that crossing before the trail ends at the foot of the glacier was super scary then.
It is good to hear that the precip is turning back to the preferred form, though!
I spoke to a climber that was descending when we were heading up, he talked about a lot of water Monday night.
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