Home > Trip Reports > December 17, 2010, Mt.Snoqualmie

December 17, 2010, Mt.Snoqualmie

12/17/10
WA Snoqualmie Pass
5587
14
Posted by silaswild on 12/17/10 5:12am
Thanks to the musical mariner our group of three made good time up to the slot entrance, quickly followed by seven others. I decided it was "no place for old men" today and took an avalanche professional back down the front side with me where we enjoyed shaded tree skiing in 16" of settled powder.  There were blue skies and off and on wind gusts which might make the skiing less pleasant tomorrow (or not.)

http://www.vimeo.com/17945631
Nice Silas...  hoping to break in the "new knee" next week.  With any luck we can get out sometime in January.
Hi Silas!  We must have just missed you this morning.

Great skiing on recycled pow below ridgeline on Mont Snoqualmie, overlooking the mighty Valle du Alpental.  Now, if those pesky cliff bands would hurry up and fill in, it would make the lower skin much less taxing!

Let's hear it for bluebird + powder.

Hm, we were out this morning too and decided to stay away from that particular slope and it's shady forest due to an abundance of "hummocks", "mounds", and various other "ground" features coming to the surface.  At least this was what was found last Friday while skiing the Slot followed by a descent back down the Phantom from the Slot entrance (we booted all the way back up the Slot cause it had slid near-to-ground, thus making booting easy and safe, and the bowl up to the notch exit seemed ripe for a slide).  I have a pretty large tolerance for bony skiing, but the Phantom wasn't that enjoyable....anyway, are you telling me it's filled in nicely since the rain and approx 2' of snow?  If so, great - your TR sounds like it's nice.  BTW, the Slot skied pretty nasty after it slid last Friday.  Also, I think we just missed the Slot naturally ripping by a few hours because it had snowed lightly all night and the debris did not have any fresh snow on it.  Scary to think of that thing going with someone in it.  Those who were in it today care to share how it skied?
author=ajjenkin link=topic=18479.msg78292#msg78292 date=1292622018]
 Those who were in it today care to share how it skied?


we skied the slot yesterday and it was phenomenal.  it was ski cut thoroughly by the pair ahead of us which was nice for us.  only minor and manageable soft slab at the entrance where it rolls over, as expected, with a rough shear.  the run down the slot apron was in the top five all-time for me and the phantom skied great all the way to the waterfall for the first time in my experience. there is about 24" of new snow well-bonded to the Pineapple layer--smoke on top and increasing density with depth. though we saw no evidence of instability we sort of bypassed the upper part of the exit gully by booting up a steeper but scoured slope rather than head right up the gut to the ridge.  the skiing is great out there right now.
five more sets of tracks in the slot this afternoon.... still plenty of soft stuff in there, though getting a wee bit tracked out in the couloir proper.

watch out for occasional hard avy debris hiding under the powder on the lower slot fan...

Smooth apron had some lurking granite.
author=Pete A link=topic=18479.msg78300#msg78300 date=1292632219]
five more sets of tracks in the slot this afternoon.... still plenty of soft stuff in there, though getting a wee bit tracked out in the couloir proper.

watch out for occasional hard avy debris hiding under the powder on the lower slot fan...


Make that 8 more sets this afternoon. I agree, the couloir proper is a bit tracked out now but still a blast. The highlight was skiing hard skier's left on the apron below it in perfect fast powder. Skied out far skier's right of the Phantom, which was a bit of a pain down low due to mediocre cover, but the snow was great.
Who wants to hold a mogul contest in the slot this weekend? I will build some booters half-way down so we can through some daffies and twister spreads.
author=altasnob link=topic=18479.msg78318#msg78318 date=1292650794]
Who wants to hold a mogul contest in the slot this weekend? I will build some booters half-way down so we can through some daffies and twister spreads.


My thoughts exactly
The skiing was fine, but a dozen people crowded into the little trees at the top was a little cramped!
author=gregL link=topic=18479.msg78326#msg78326 date=1292690188]
a dozen people crowded into the little trees at the top was a little cramped!

It was a little cramped at the entrance (I think that’s me getting jabbed with the G3!). But I’m happy to report that, in spite of the crowds, there was a good vibe & no etiquette violations.  8) Just three or four spots on the way up where people peed next to the track and since I was responsible for one or two of those myself I don’t really consider it an etiquette violation.  ;)
More good news: 2nd Ascent was awesome and fixed my dynafit toe piece in about 30 minutes the next day. They didn’t have the part but called around for me, I picked it up at proski ($15), 2nd Ascent put it on and bam- I’m back in business! Nice job guys, thanks!
author=altasnob link=topic=18479.msg78318#msg78318 date=1292650794]
Who wants to hold a mogul contest in the slot this weekend? I will build some booters half-way down so we can through some daffies and twister spreads.
author=Scotsman link=topic=18479.msg78694#msg78694 date=1293048089]



I used to love moguls.  Let's do it.  Can some one remind me exactly where the entrance is?  Right of the tippy top? 

For you mogul naysayers... i think we all know of a few other classic lines that might even be more hard-core than the slot and nearly as iconic.  But the slot, the slot is no 'stash' and it would only be a testament to Pac-NW ski culture to have moguls there. 

FYI to TAY: every spring and summer you can have your very own back country produced, no lift served moguls on beartooth pass in Montana.  nothing quite like epic slush moguls on a 45-50 degree slope!

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december-17-2010-mt-snoqualmie
silaswild
2010-12-17 13:12:12
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