October 23, 2010, Pebble Creek and random Muirk
10/23/10
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
3021
4
Weather wasn't great, but wasn't too biting cold. Snowed from about 6.5K on up. Wind had battered it so the falling snow was a little graupely, especially higher up. Inch or so snow over the trails and rocks starting Pan Point level, below that muddy from melting. Saw maybe 8 or 9 other skiers out and about, tho I was probably the last one up there.
Visibility good below 7K at start, but dropping ceiling. Might have been better had I got there earlier. Stilll some lingering nice fall color in Edith basin.
Despite the dicey viz, pretty good snow. On the lower Pebble Ck patches there was about one or two inches filling in low spots, but still a lot of high spots of the brownish ice poking thru in wavy ridges. Higher up, the skiers left held a 20 to 100 foot corridor where snow had deposited quite a bit deeper. In a few spots drifts of new snow to a foot. The snow was a tad sticky, but that was actually helpful as far as providing cover over the ice. Should be getting a GOOD plastering now, eh?
I probably barely made it to true Muir snowfield, and then wind increase/stinging ice crystals made it seem like a good idea to call it. On the way down went far skiers left and ended up on a snowfield series near McClure that I didn't even know was there; these didn't turn out to connect well with the lower Pebble. In fact it was so steep and cliffy below this snowfinger that for a while I thought I had somehow got onto slopes above Nisqually despite it not making sense based on going so far left, but eventually I recognized features on the Sugarloaf/McClure ridge that I had seen last trip, and bashed my way back to Pebble just as it crossed the trail.
Schlumped into parking lot just as it REALLY picked up the precip rate, and enjoyed beverages and snacks as cold rain pelted the windshield. Hopefully my next Paradise trip will be from the bumper.
Visibility good below 7K at start, but dropping ceiling. Might have been better had I got there earlier. Stilll some lingering nice fall color in Edith basin.
Despite the dicey viz, pretty good snow. On the lower Pebble Ck patches there was about one or two inches filling in low spots, but still a lot of high spots of the brownish ice poking thru in wavy ridges. Higher up, the skiers left held a 20 to 100 foot corridor where snow had deposited quite a bit deeper. In a few spots drifts of new snow to a foot. The snow was a tad sticky, but that was actually helpful as far as providing cover over the ice. Should be getting a GOOD plastering now, eh?
I probably barely made it to true Muir snowfield, and then wind increase/stinging ice crystals made it seem like a good idea to call it. On the way down went far skiers left and ended up on a snowfield series near McClure that I didn't even know was there; these didn't turn out to connect well with the lower Pebble. In fact it was so steep and cliffy below this snowfinger that for a while I thought I had somehow got onto slopes above Nisqually despite it not making sense based on going so far left, but eventually I recognized features on the Sugarloaf/McClure ridge that I had seen last trip, and bashed my way back to Pebble just as it crossed the trail.
Schlumped into parking lot just as it REALLY picked up the precip rate, and enjoyed beverages and snacks as cold rain pelted the windshield. Hopefully my next Paradise trip will be from the bumper.
Nice TR. The new snow is here! Next weekend up there looks like it will be great.
It looks like wednesday will be good.
Hopefully someone posts so us weekenders know how this storm pans out up there.
Hopefully someone posts so us weekenders know how this storm pans out up there.
On our climb up the snowfield a giant lenticular cap showed itself a few times. Didn't look like a very good time.
In the late morning/ early afternoon we made two laps from about 8500 and 8000. It was a bit difficult to tell how much snow was falling and what was being transported by the wind. A thick windloaded slab of new snow was beginning to form on the west edges of the ridges and made for some great October powder. Several hundred feet of 8+ inch snow held steadily below the rib. Curious to see how much snow actually gets laid down over the next two days, and what the initial stability will look like. The snow didn't do very well bonding to the highly sun crusted snow/ice, but the grain size was really small so it might sinter up quick.
Proceeded to sniff out the good snow to the East on the way down and left tracks to lead Wolfs down the wrong gully. Don't regret it too much given the alternative of running the frozen sun cups. By that time it was firmly socked in so we switched into compass mode and headed out.
In the late morning/ early afternoon we made two laps from about 8500 and 8000. It was a bit difficult to tell how much snow was falling and what was being transported by the wind. A thick windloaded slab of new snow was beginning to form on the west edges of the ridges and made for some great October powder. Several hundred feet of 8+ inch snow held steadily below the rib. Curious to see how much snow actually gets laid down over the next two days, and what the initial stability will look like. The snow didn't do very well bonding to the highly sun crusted snow/ice, but the grain size was really small so it might sinter up quick.
Proceeded to sniff out the good snow to the East on the way down and left tracks to lead Wolfs down the wrong gully. Don't regret it too much given the alternative of running the frozen sun cups. By that time it was firmly socked in so we switched into compass mode and headed out.
Thanks for the investigative photos and input there, E_N.
Reply to this TR
Please login first: