Feb 13, 2011, Red Mt -Salmon la Sac
2/13/11
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3677
4
Red Mt
Salmon la Sac
Feb 13, 2011
Four days in the mountains in a row. Getting back Saturday a message of an idea... A TR on NWHikers.net last week mentioned they wish they had skis. So, lack of motivation due to a truly not so sweet weather report we decided to head east in the morning. When the weather is crap¦ head east. Well, stars were out in the early morning so I drove with a smile thinking sunshine and was not disappointed. Looking like a short trip so a leisure start.
And day five¦
Two snowshoers (GeoTom, PiB and four legged Jasper) and three skiers (Dicey and Niko -oh and me of course). Parked on the road at FS rd 46. A 1.6 mile skin up the freshly snow covered, once groomed (before the sleds got to it) road behind a stream of snow sleds. An 1/8 mile before the Red Mt trail we angled up into the woods and followed the ridge north of the stream to a road at c3900'. A mixup here and once the snowshoers shoed they went for a trek north on the road while the skiers went up the ridge into little tight tree hell. Just a little bit of coverage lower, getting better higher, but not great for skinning. A few wise (?) words and we were on another much small road at c4550. Again straight up and in 100' the trees opened to a beautiful fluffy basin calling for us to ski it.
Road walk
Heading up
Jasper not paying attention
Out of the tight trees and on the move again
The trees open up
Upper basin below the north peak
Snow check at 5000' had 11" on an ice layer, 1 1/2" another ice layer and another inch a third layer over pencil firm snow. We kept to the treed ridge to the north summit, then traversed to the south summit (10' higher 5890').
Heading to the south peak
Ridge from north to south peak (taken from south peak 5990)
Dicey on the south peak taking in the views
The shallower aspects were good, but the steeper (45 degrees plus) could be triggered with effort. So picked our terrain carefully.
Niko summit shot
Dicey lets them rip!
And Niko too:
Some nice turns on the shallower pitches with some sunbaked starting at 4900'.
How can you not smile with snow and those turns ?
Back in the trees the snow was light and fluffy again. Due to the joys of the trip between the two roads we opted to trek the road out with hoping to assure the snowshoers also got out. Two open creeks, one skier swimming. Okay, just standing there wondering if the water would hurt the skis (lol). Nice light snow interrupted by snowsled tracks, then tracks of a skate skier and soon our buddies snowshoe tracks.
Once on the main road (FS46) it was a mellow glide with a third to half mile easy up to pole or skate. Couldn't have it too lazy.
Wish we'd started an our earlier. We'd have been ahead of the snow sleds, had sun on the summit (missed by a half hour) and had time for another lap or two.
Route:
Stats:
3.9m, 3701ascent, 4h50min to summit (includes an hour waiting for the group and figuring out how to split (and get back together)
Total, 11.2m, 3850ascent, 6.5hours elapsed.
Salmon la Sac
Feb 13, 2011
Four days in the mountains in a row. Getting back Saturday a message of an idea... A TR on NWHikers.net last week mentioned they wish they had skis. So, lack of motivation due to a truly not so sweet weather report we decided to head east in the morning. When the weather is crap¦ head east. Well, stars were out in the early morning so I drove with a smile thinking sunshine and was not disappointed. Looking like a short trip so a leisure start.
And day five¦
Two snowshoers (GeoTom, PiB and four legged Jasper) and three skiers (Dicey and Niko -oh and me of course). Parked on the road at FS rd 46. A 1.6 mile skin up the freshly snow covered, once groomed (before the sleds got to it) road behind a stream of snow sleds. An 1/8 mile before the Red Mt trail we angled up into the woods and followed the ridge north of the stream to a road at c3900'. A mixup here and once the snowshoers shoed they went for a trek north on the road while the skiers went up the ridge into little tight tree hell. Just a little bit of coverage lower, getting better higher, but not great for skinning. A few wise (?) words and we were on another much small road at c4550. Again straight up and in 100' the trees opened to a beautiful fluffy basin calling for us to ski it.
Road walk
Heading up
Jasper not paying attention
Out of the tight trees and on the move again
The trees open up
Upper basin below the north peak
Snow check at 5000' had 11" on an ice layer, 1 1/2" another ice layer and another inch a third layer over pencil firm snow. We kept to the treed ridge to the north summit, then traversed to the south summit (10' higher 5890').
Heading to the south peak
Ridge from north to south peak (taken from south peak 5990)
Dicey on the south peak taking in the views
The shallower aspects were good, but the steeper (45 degrees plus) could be triggered with effort. So picked our terrain carefully.
Niko summit shot
Dicey lets them rip!
And Niko too:
Some nice turns on the shallower pitches with some sunbaked starting at 4900'.
How can you not smile with snow and those turns ?
Back in the trees the snow was light and fluffy again. Due to the joys of the trip between the two roads we opted to trek the road out with hoping to assure the snowshoers also got out. Two open creeks, one skier swimming. Okay, just standing there wondering if the water would hurt the skis (lol). Nice light snow interrupted by snowsled tracks, then tracks of a skate skier and soon our buddies snowshoe tracks.
Once on the main road (FS46) it was a mellow glide with a third to half mile easy up to pole or skate. Couldn't have it too lazy.
Wish we'd started an our earlier. We'd have been ahead of the snow sleds, had sun on the summit (missed by a half hour) and had time for another lap or two.
Route:
Stats:
3.9m, 3701ascent, 4h50min to summit (includes an hour waiting for the group and figuring out how to split (and get back together)
Total, 11.2m, 3850ascent, 6.5hours elapsed.
Dicey's lookin' good Franklin! It is a wonder why she isn't skiing more often. Although, am I seeing a theme here over the past few trip reports???
J
J
Nice. Lots of terrain up there. I've only been up there once, but we spent a full day with a few ascents/descents for extra verts, never crossed our own track, and never crossed your track either. That north basin that you skirted below/around on your ascent looks intriguing, at least on the map (I've not looked at it in person). If it were a bit more stable, would you have skied it?
Themes? Well, we did watch the movie "Frozen" before doing Frozen and id watch RED before doing Red... Sure there are other themes, looking for sunshine, having fun runs...
Plenty of options from Red west and east. With more coverage could get down a modified way we came up. the route SE looked nice and steep, not thrilled with the snow conditions. The bwl to teh north had me intrigued with wanting to ski it. Looked like could head NW and around over the ridge and into it. Considering the conditions I think it'd go and would mean the log road out. Our route was a group decision, more to explore up there : )
Plenty of options from Red west and east. With more coverage could get down a modified way we came up. the route SE looked nice and steep, not thrilled with the snow conditions. The bwl to teh north had me intrigued with wanting to ski it. Looked like could head NW and around over the ridge and into it. Considering the conditions I think it'd go and would mean the log road out. Our route was a group decision, more to explore up there : )
author=Jim Oker link=topic=19585.msg83395#msg83395 date=1297836228]
Nice. Lots of terrain up there. I've only been up there once, but we spent a full day with a few ascents/descents for extra verts, never crossed our own track, and never crossed your track either. That north basin that you skirted below/around on your ascent looks intriguing, at least on the map (I've not looked at it in person). If it were a bit more stable, would you have skied it?
Hi Jim,
Lots of terrain up there off all summits and multiple aspects to choose. The basin you speak of may be the best of all, shady all day, tie it in with fwb's run. It is a bit of a double fall line but very aesthetic in my opinion. Combine it with an all shady NE facing run off Pt. 5722'
Here are some approach and ski descriptions:
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=4145.0
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=12488.0
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=6803.0
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=4261.0
http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7973491&highlight=red+mt+mtn+mountain
Some other options:
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=9552.0
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=8734.0
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=5854.0
It should get more traffic as it is in a "Voluntary Non-Motorized Area". One warning: Since Sac is only 2400 feet there usually is some crud to deal with near the bottom.
John
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