Lassen Peak N.E. face...July 14..
7/15/11
US elsewhere
3395
8
Let's try again..
Last Thursday I ascended Lassen's N.E. face to the summit and had a wonderful ski down from there. Sort of a steepish ski but would not say extreme (but I might if conditions were not excellent and there was ice..).
The weather on ski day was most excellent--sort of wondered on Wed as that day there was a lot of wind and intermittent cloud obscuring the summit. Didn't see a soul on the mountain which seemed sort of surprising consider how classic the descent is and easy approach (from Devastated Area..)
Should be good for a couple of weeks though the Park Service told me that it was a good idea I got it when I did as they were closing the mountain to skiing starting July 18!!! (Why? They said that is what upper levels had decided...)
Mosquitos were not a huge problem..
Glad to have made the journey to this alpine gem--hope to get down there next year.
Last Thursday I ascended Lassen's N.E. face to the summit and had a wonderful ski down from there. Sort of a steepish ski but would not say extreme (but I might if conditions were not excellent and there was ice..).
The weather on ski day was most excellent--sort of wondered on Wed as that day there was a lot of wind and intermittent cloud obscuring the summit. Didn't see a soul on the mountain which seemed sort of surprising consider how classic the descent is and easy approach (from Devastated Area..)
Should be good for a couple of weeks though the Park Service told me that it was a good idea I got it when I did as they were closing the mountain to skiing starting July 18!!! (Why? They said that is what upper levels had decided...)
Mosquitos were not a huge problem..
Glad to have made the journey to this alpine gem--hope to get down there next year.
Now this is strange..I goofed up trying to get the report sent the first time.
\
Second try I know I fired it off correctly and what do I get? The same thing as the first.
Anyway, Lassen Peak was a most excellent ski from the summit down the N.E. side to the Devastated parking area..
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Second try I know I fired it off correctly and what do I get? The same thing as the first.
Anyway, Lassen Peak was a most excellent ski from the summit down the N.E. side to the Devastated parking area..
author=rlsg link=topic=21494.msg92078#msg92078 date=1311023331]
...
Should be good for a couple of weeks though the Park Service told me that it was a good idea I got it when I did as they were closing the mountain to skiing starting July 18!!! (Why? They said that is what upper levels had decided...)
...
really would like to hear an explanation for that. at least, tell me it's not a funding issue..
Glad it was a good ski ~ it's a great place
It's part of their trail maintenance plan, I think. ???
Thanks for the report. Glad to hear that Lassen still has worthwhile skiing so late in the year. Lassen Peak has been a personal favorite of mine since my first ski descent of the NE Face in 1999.
The entire summit area of Lassen Peak is now closed to all entry (including skiing) as part of a major reconstruction of the Lassen Peak Trail. The project started in 2010 and will continue into 2014, so each summer the peak will be closed to all entry except the first 1.3 miles of trail. Winter travel remains unrestricted while deep snow covers the peak. The 2011 closure was actually supposed to begin much earlier this year (1-2 months ago), but the park delayed it due to the exceptionally deep snowpack. The snowdepth at the 8250 ft Lake Helen telemetry site is still 120" as of July 18 (still the deepest snowpack of any measurement site in North America), but upper portions of the trail are almost entirely snow-free now since it is located on a sunny south-facing ridge.
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/parkmgmt/reach-the-peak-project.htm
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/parkmgmt/current-lassen-peak-trail-status.htm
The closure area was much smaller last year, covering only the south side of the peak:
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/parkmgmt/off-trail-travel-restrictions-for-lassen-peak.htm
I can only speculate that they enlarged the closure area for 2011 due to problems with people entering the smaller closure area from other directions during 2010.
Although planning for the trail project began earlier, the death of a 9-year-old boy on the Lassen Peak Trail in July 2009 due to the collapse of an old rock retaining wall certainly increased the urgency of the project and spurred rapid approval. Numerous articles in the Redding Record Searchlight cover the entire incident and its aftermath:
http://www.redding.com/search/?q=botell&t=news&f=stories&s=stories_ellington
The entire summit area of Lassen Peak is now closed to all entry (including skiing) as part of a major reconstruction of the Lassen Peak Trail. The project started in 2010 and will continue into 2014, so each summer the peak will be closed to all entry except the first 1.3 miles of trail. Winter travel remains unrestricted while deep snow covers the peak. The 2011 closure was actually supposed to begin much earlier this year (1-2 months ago), but the park delayed it due to the exceptionally deep snowpack. The snowdepth at the 8250 ft Lake Helen telemetry site is still 120" as of July 18 (still the deepest snowpack of any measurement site in North America), but upper portions of the trail are almost entirely snow-free now since it is located on a sunny south-facing ridge.
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/parkmgmt/reach-the-peak-project.htm
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/parkmgmt/current-lassen-peak-trail-status.htm
The closure area was much smaller last year, covering only the south side of the peak:
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/parkmgmt/off-trail-travel-restrictions-for-lassen-peak.htm
I can only speculate that they enlarged the closure area for 2011 due to problems with people entering the smaller closure area from other directions during 2010.
Although planning for the trail project began earlier, the death of a 9-year-old boy on the Lassen Peak Trail in July 2009 due to the collapse of an old rock retaining wall certainly increased the urgency of the project and spurred rapid approval. Numerous articles in the Redding Record Searchlight cover the entire incident and its aftermath:
http://www.redding.com/search/?q=botell&t=news&f=stories&s=stories_ellington
Thanks Amar for the scoop on the closure for the next few (most likely..) summer seasons..
I will just have to let it go for awhile...nice that I got it ..so awesome!!!
BTW, your site has been so much "the ticket" for getting my ski trip ducks lined up..Thanks!!
I will just have to let it go for awhile...nice that I got it ..so awesome!!!
BTW, your site has been so much "the ticket" for getting my ski trip ducks lined up..Thanks!!
That's a bummer to hear - the NE line has nothing to do with the trail; though I can imagine that they've got erosion concerns about folks coming up the N/E ridges?
Regarding erosion concerns over on the N.E. side: I rarely saw a foot print on my hike in and out through the forest. You pretty much had to go on your gut/instinct--which is pretty easy terrain to do so on. All in all, quite pristine.
Just reread your post Charlie, I do see what you mean..oops.
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