March 11, 2011, Crystal backcountry
3/11/11
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
3449
5
Tough skinning in knee deep plus settled powder, unless you were following a powerful Austrian. Great 16-20" powder skiing on wind sheltered SW to NW slopes 6500-4500'.
http://vimeo.com/20946019
http://vimeo.com/20945998
http://vimeo.com/20946019
http://vimeo.com/20945998
Noticed at least a 4ft crown on NW exposure at aprox 38-40 degree slope, in the trees at 6000ft in the Southback from patrol blasting. Maybe 40 ft wide, big results. It was rumored that it was enough to maybe not open the South today. Thank goodness that was only chatter. Still some pockets of persistent weak layers on N-NW exposures. Uhh...I hate roulette. Lots of sun today, but really limited sun effect considering how bright it was all day. Still it left a minor crust on top of untouched powder on sun exposed slopes for tomorrow. :(
thanks for the update.
Glad you got him out in the sun one more time! Poor guy had to ski storm snow for almost the whole trip...
It looks as though a The NW facing nose of East Peak slabbed overnight.
I was on the opposing side of the valley but from where I stood it looked to be 3 feet deep and hundreds of feet wide.
The summer trail was hit pretty hard by the avi debris.
I was on the opposing side of the valley but from where I stood it looked to be 3 feet deep and hundreds of feet wide.
The summer trail was hit pretty hard by the avi debris.
Wow.
We were up there skiing the trees on the west side of the creek. Saw a large group of Mazamas on skis and four climbers on snowshoes heading for Bullion on the summer trail under east peak. Hope they all got out of there safely before it cut loose.
We were up there skiing the trees on the west side of the creek. Saw a large group of Mazamas on skis and four climbers on snowshoes heading for Bullion on the summer trail under east peak. Hope they all got out of there safely before it cut loose.
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