telemark skiingbackcountry skiingPacific NorthwestWashington and Oregonweather linksThe Yuki AwardsMt. Rainier and Mt. Adams
Turns All Year
www.turns-all-year.com
  Help | Search | Login | Register
Turns All Year Trip Reports
Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
05/23/13, 08:23 AM

Support Snohomish County's
Helicopter Rescue Team
 
Trip Reports Sponsor
American Alpine Institute
American Alpine Institute
Turns All Year Trip Reports
(1) Viewing these pages constitutes your acceptance of the Terms of Use.
(2) Disclaimer: the accuracy of information here is unknown, use at your own risk.
(3) Trip Report monthly boards: only actual trip report starts a new thread.
(4) Keep it civil and constructive - that is the norm here.
 
FOAC Snow
Info Exchange


NWAC Avalanche
Forecast
+  Turns All Year Trip Reports
|-+  2004 Backcountry Trip Reports
| |-+  Sept.-Oct. 2004 Backcountry Trip Reports
| | |-+  September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
:
« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2  All | Go Down Print
Author Topic: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington  (Read 6500 times)
cascadesfreak
Member
Offline

Posts: 366


September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« on: 09/12/04, 01:12 PM »



Grin

Logged
Pete A
Member
Offline

Posts: 714


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #1 on: 09/12/04, 02:49 PM »

where is that?  I've been dying to try sand skiing. I figured that ones options were limited to the Oregon Coast dunes around Florence or the Bruneau (sp?) Dunes out in Idaho...
very cool!
« Last Edit: 09/12/04, 02:49 PM by Bud » Logged
Lowell_Skoog
Member
Offline

Posts: 1620


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #2 on: 09/12/04, 03:05 PM »

It looks like the junction of Routes 26 and 243, just southeast of the I-90 bridge near Vantage. But I don't remember if there is a sand dune there. Am I right?

Oops, maybe I just blew somebody's secret "stash".  Wink
« Last Edit: 09/12/04, 03:07 PM by Lowell_Skoog » Logged
cascadesfreak
Member
Offline

Posts: 366


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #3 on: 09/12/04, 03:23 PM »

Quote
It looks like the junction of Routes 26 and 243, just southeast of the I-90 bridge near Vantage. But I don't remember if there is a sand dune there. Am I right?

Oops, maybe I just blew somebody's secret "stash".  Wink


Wink  Yup that's the place;  Wanapum Lake (Columbia River) and Routes 26 and 243 are in the photo background beyond Skip and the sand slope.  This sand slope (~150 vert. feet) is visible from Interstate 90 when crossing the bridge at Vantage, so is hardly secret, maybe just often overlooked  Wink

« Last Edit: 09/12/04, 03:27 PM by cascadesfreak » Logged
Lowell_Skoog
Member
Offline

Posts: 1620


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #4 on: 09/12/04, 03:28 PM »

Coo! So you can combine sport climbing at Frenchmans Coulee with a little skiing in the afternoon. Who knew?
Logged
cascadesfreak
Member
Offline

Posts: 366


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #5 on: 09/12/04, 03:45 PM »

You're right again Lowell Wink After skiing we spent the rest of the day sport climbing / camping at Frenchmans Coulee, a mere ~10 minute drive away from the sand slope  Cool
Logged
kam
Member
Offline

Posts: 511


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #6 on: 09/12/04, 04:59 PM »

more photos: [photo 1][photo 2][photo 3]

i'll post the rest soon...  -kam
« Last Edit: 09/12/04, 07:34 PM by kam » Logged

What do you mean you didn't bring skis?
markharf
Member
Offline

Posts: 587


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #7 on: 09/12/04, 05:38 PM »

Sweet.  Although....it doesn't appear that any actual turns are being made.  
Logged
kam
Member
Offline

Posts: 511


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #8 on: 09/12/04, 05:53 PM »

Quote
Sweet.  Although....it doesn't appear that any actual turns are being made.  


examples: [right turn][left turn] Grin
Logged

What do you mean you didn't bring skis?
skip
Member
Offline

Posts: 222


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #9 on: 09/12/04, 06:17 PM »

Note the skin track in Kam's recent photos - it was much easier than booting up.  I was, however, using too cold a wax; it was great for the ups, but a bit sticky on the downs.  Next time I'm going with the 75-F glide wax.
Logged
JW
Member
Offline

Posts: 372


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #10 on: 09/13/04, 12:33 AM »

Nice job boys!
Logged

"You keep skiing, I'll keep filming"
ron j
TAY Moderator
Offline

Posts: 2459


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #11 on: 09/13/04, 01:16 AM »

Yes.
Very nice.
So did you skin up "skinless"?
Logged

"When I stop having fun I'm turnin' around"
“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future.” - Niels Bohr
"If a given person makes it a priority not to die in an avalanche, he or she stands a very good chance of living a long, happy life in the mountains." - Jill Fredston
Lowell_Skoog
Member
Offline

Posts: 1620


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #12 on: 09/13/04, 04:43 AM »

Quote
Note the skin track in Kam's recent photos - it was much easier than booting up.


You used Snake Skins of course, I presume.  Wink
Logged
Sam Avaiusini
Member
Offline

Posts: 236


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #13 on: 09/13/04, 05:13 AM »

In my vast sand skiing experience (one time last October Wink), we found that skins of any type were not at all necessary.  In fact, the sand alone creates a very thin film that sticks to your base on the way up and acts as the "glide" surface on the descent.  
TR from last year:  http://www.alpineslider.com/bruneau2003.htm
Logged

Sam Avaiusini
skip
Member
Offline

Posts: 222


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #14 on: 09/13/04, 05:18 AM »

Yeah - we didn't use skins.  I use the term skinning loosely here.  Now if I didn't need skins for the uphill on snow, that's something I'm interested in...
Logged
cascadesfreak
Member
Offline

Posts: 366


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #15 on: 09/13/04, 05:56 AM »

Quote


You used Snake Skins of course, I presume.  Wink



For some reason those rattlers seem to get angry when you try to latch them to your ski bases  Wink  

yeah, no climbing skins were needed...also, I found gaitors worked quite well for keeping most of the blowing sand out of my ski boots.  

Fortunately we didn't find any rattlesnakes in the sagebrush at the bottom of the run  Wink

Logged
kam
Member
Offline

Posts: 511


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #16 on: 09/13/04, 06:24 AM »

Skip ran into one in the bushes, see...
Logged

What do you mean you didn't bring skis?
philfort
Member
Offline

Posts: 603


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #17 on: 09/13/04, 07:53 AM »

hmm... one year I tried very hard to find out if there was any reasonable sand-skiing in Washington, and concluded there wasn't.... somehow I overlooked this one!  I knew there were some dunes around there, but all the pics I could find made it look flat - but that actually looks nice...
Logged
Charles
Administrator
Offline

Posts: 1087


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #18 on: 09/13/04, 08:20 AM »

Great photos! I had no idea that you could just "skin" up sand. How steeply can you ascend without slipping?
Logged
cascadesfreak
Member
Offline

Posts: 366


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #19 on: 09/13/04, 08:48 AM »

Quote
Great photos! I had no idea that you could just "skin" up sand. How steeply can you ascend without slipping?


I guess I wasn't paying real close attention to the slope or "skinning" angles...the dune slope is probably at/near its "angle of repose" (approximately 30 degrees); we were unable to ascend straight up the dune without sliding back, but lower angle (maybe 15 degrees??) "switchbacking" across the slope seemed to work quite well.  

This "sand stash" was shown to me by a Western Washington University Geology professor while on a  Geology field trip passing through Vantage many years ago  Wink  [Didn't have skis on that trip, but "barefoot skiing" down the dune seemed to work pretty good too  Grin].
« Last Edit: 09/13/04, 08:51 AM by cascadesfreak » Logged
snoslut
Member
Offline

Posts: 428


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #20 on: 09/13/04, 09:45 AM »

I wondered about those sand hills off of 26 the first time I went to Pullman in 94.  Going to and from college my friends and I would slide the hill on anything we could find and or drag up.  I can recall going down some fun chutes on my skateboard (minus the trucks/wheels).  I even dragged my surfboard up there as well as my boogieboard on a number of occasions.  There's even some cool dunes to run and jump off of.  Fun times.  From the pics it appears to have less sand than I remember.  I remember sand starting from the top.  I must be thinking of another spot or it's just a bad sand year. Grin
« Last Edit: 09/13/04, 09:56 AM by boarddude » Logged

You will know when Americas in trouble when the Mexicans stop coming...Carlos Mencia
kam
Member
Offline

Posts: 511


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #21 on: 09/13/04, 10:44 AM »

Quote
... I remember sand starting from the top.  I must be thinking of another spot or it's just a bad sand year.


no, it's a reasonable sand year. coverage appears to be a bit slim in places, but i was able to ski to the truck..., see Grin

and for those interested, here are more photos....
« Last Edit: 09/13/04, 10:52 AM by kam » Logged

What do you mean you didn't bring skis?
JibberD
Member
Offline

Posts: 532


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #22 on: 09/13/04, 12:01 PM »

That's a beautiful sight!  I drive past this area on my way to an account in world famous Royal City and have wondered if skiing the dunes were possible.

Now I know!  
Logged

-Doug O
cascadesfreak
Member
Offline

Posts: 366


Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #23 on: 09/13/04, 03:54 PM »

I have heard rumors of other sand dunes somewhere farther east near Hwy 26, but not as high as the dune slope near Vantage...maybe those rumors were referring to the small dunes out in the Potholes Reservoir vicinity; perhaps there are some other worthy "sand stashes" out in the Columbia Basin!?  Wink  
Logged
Sam Avaiusini
Member
Offline

Posts: 236


WWW
Re: September 11, 2004, Eastern Washington
« Reply #24 on: 09/14/04, 05:13 AM »

One thing is for sure...that sure beats the 10+ hour drive out to Bruneau, ID!  There's more vert. to be had in ID, but you can just do a few more laps at the Gorge to get your vertical mile. Cool
Logged

Sam Avaiusini
Pages: [1] 2  All | Go Up Print 
« previous next »
Jump to:  



Login with username, password and session length

Thank you to our sponsors!
click to visit our sponsor: Feathered Friends
Feathered Friends
click to visit our sponsor: Marmot Mountain Works
Marmot Mountain Works
click to visit our sponsor: Second Ascent
Second Ascent
click to visit our sponsor: American Alpine Institute
American Alpine Institute
click to visit our sponsor: Pro Guiding Service
Pro Guiding Service
Contact turns-all-year.com

Turns All Year Trip Reports ©2001-2010 Turns All Year LLC. All Rights Reserved

The opinions expressed in posts are those of the poster and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of Trip Reports administrators or Turns All Year LLC


Turns All Year Trip Reports | Powered by SMF 1.0.6.
© 2001-2005, Lewis Media. All Rights Reserved.
Page created in 0.624 seconds with 21 queries.

home  |  trip reports  |  weather  |  access  |  year-round skiers  |  snow images  |  about
photo copyright  |  DMCA/copyright  |  other legal  |  contact  |  t-shirts  |  donate  |  Yuki Awards