July 4 and July 9 Sunrise Skiing.
7/15/11
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
1605
0
Synopsis:
Spent the 4th and 9th of July showing a couple of sunrise newbies around. Truth be told both tours were new for me. Although I knew the area well enough to know where I was heading. The 4th was the typical borroughs tour and the 9th was a much better up and down through the three N/NE facing bowls coming off of Fremont Peak.
Fremont Tour:
Our route roughly went from the parking lot to frozen lake and up to the top of Fremont peak to scout the NE and NW bowls. Then we traversed quickly to the NW bowls highpoint and did a quick lap partway down Fremont's NW bowl. From the NW bowl's highpoint we scrambled down the south face to the trail and walked to the lookout for lunch and snow melting. We then skied down the north facing bowl next to the lookout and booted back up so we could drop down Fremont's NW bowl. At this point we found a nice chute to ski down that turned into some nice hot doggin. I think the heat was affecting us a little bit by now, nevertheless we traversed to the south side of that bowl and booted back up to Fremont peak. I ended up skiing down the NE bowl and taking the "back route" to the lodge vs my friends heading back via frozen lake/maintenance road. I did end up taking about 10 minutes longer than them.
Essentially we booked it out to the Fremont look out via frozen lake/ look out trail with a slight detour then skied each major bowl on our return to the vehicles. This is definitely my favorite tour in the area so far.
Snow conditions are as follows. Shallow slopes too bumpy for people who can't ski steeper slopes to have fun. Steeper slopes basically have speedbumps. Just a little to bumpy to make big wide super fast turns. Still really fun.
Cheers!
Photos:
Spent the 4th and 9th of July showing a couple of sunrise newbies around. Truth be told both tours were new for me. Although I knew the area well enough to know where I was heading. The 4th was the typical borroughs tour and the 9th was a much better up and down through the three N/NE facing bowls coming off of Fremont Peak.
Fremont Tour:
Our route roughly went from the parking lot to frozen lake and up to the top of Fremont peak to scout the NE and NW bowls. Then we traversed quickly to the NW bowls highpoint and did a quick lap partway down Fremont's NW bowl. From the NW bowl's highpoint we scrambled down the south face to the trail and walked to the lookout for lunch and snow melting. We then skied down the north facing bowl next to the lookout and booted back up so we could drop down Fremont's NW bowl. At this point we found a nice chute to ski down that turned into some nice hot doggin. I think the heat was affecting us a little bit by now, nevertheless we traversed to the south side of that bowl and booted back up to Fremont peak. I ended up skiing down the NE bowl and taking the "back route" to the lodge vs my friends heading back via frozen lake/maintenance road. I did end up taking about 10 minutes longer than them.
Essentially we booked it out to the Fremont look out via frozen lake/ look out trail with a slight detour then skied each major bowl on our return to the vehicles. This is definitely my favorite tour in the area so far.
Snow conditions are as follows. Shallow slopes too bumpy for people who can't ski steeper slopes to have fun. Steeper slopes basically have speedbumps. Just a little to bumpy to make big wide super fast turns. Still really fun.
Cheers!
Photos:
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