Home > Trip Reports > September 13, 2011, Ptarmigan Ridge summer's tail

September 13, 2011, Ptarmigan Ridge summer's tail

9/13/11
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
3670
4
Posted by wolfs on 9/14/11 4:19pm
Second September trip, probably a first for me. Wanted to see firsthand what all that snow on Ptarmigan Ridge would ski like. It was a day where it was still sunny and warm but also a day where could perceive clues that summer is entering its tail end now, or at least that crazy warm version of summer we had lately is. Some autumn leaves on bushes and trees, shorter amount of light to work with, and that crispness in air once the sun goes down.

So, objectively, gotta say that the snow on Ptarmigan Ridge wasn't as good as recent Rainier destinations. Snow that sits on glaciers at Rainier has grained up and softened better. At Ptarmigan the cups were bigger and spikier, and  it was hard compact late summer snow, not very ready to soften even late on a pretty warm day. Ski crampons were mandatory if you expected to make any climbing or traversing headway on skins. But enough with the bitching. There was a TON of snow, and if you had the time, and the tolerance for some slightly out of control rides, the entire Wells Creek Basin under Coleman could be a vast playground with nearly 2K of continuous snow.

I didn't quite make it that far, preferring to do shorter laps on slopes that the late afternoon sun was hitting, in the vicinity of the Mazama cairn. Following your own tracks and paying attention to sun angle and snow density cut down on the chatter some.



Cups runneth over, the slope I attempted to self-groom

Managed to dump my camera out of bag and had accidentally mashed it into my own skin track without noticing it over the clanking of ski crampons, but fortunately camera stayed put til I found it again and still worked fine.

Nothing near Blueberry had seemed worth skiing for the way back, nor did any of the snow on south side Table. And already had to hump up the Goose trail and wasn't looking forward to hike down it. So on the way back decided to make a loop of it via Chain Lakes trail. Got some nice sunset / atmospheric photos and had a normally crowded trail to myself.





Although it's prettier than around Table, is considerably longer, moreso than I realized. Even at what I thought was a good pace took over 2 hrs to get back that way, counting from the Ptarmigan/Chain jct. Near the bottom of Herman/Bagley decided to chance strapping on skis for a sidewise run down debris under Table and lingering snow near Bagley Lakes, in the process entering the gloom of thick marine fog that had made it upvalley. Literally 50' viz in that soup, and getting dark too, was glad to finally find tourist trail and make it to car in the last five minutes of light. 50' viz while driving out the first few miles of road til White Salmon.

Anyone tried that new "Chair Nine" place in Glacier? Is the food/atmosphere any good?
good trip!


i will vouch for chair 9. good vibes, live bands, and damn fine pizza! (check out the game room up top)

"...entering the gloom of thick marine fog that had made it upvalley. Literally 50' viz in that soup, and getting dark too, was glad to finally find tourist trail and make it to car in the last five minutes of light. 50' viz while driving out the first few miles of road til White Salmon."

Sounds like the afternoon several years ago that I first met you - you were exiting the fog and mist with skis on your back, in the dusk, at Artist Point.  Scary drive down the mountain that evening, too.

I spend a lot of time in the Table mountain area.  I absolutely hate the south side of table mountain.  That traverse ALWAYS sucks.  I would much rather sweat it out climbing back over table.

I'm hoping to roll Sept & Oct ski outing into an overnight trip up to Coleman Pinnacle.

author=Lynden Don link=topic=21775.msg93341#msg93341 date=1316714654]
I would much rather sweat it out climbing back over table.

I had thought about going up and over Table both for way in and way out. Certainly the top of Table would have been mostly snow and might've been fast and scenic travel. However, there is a steep snowfield sitting on the Artist>>Table trail, right at the point before gaining the steps of trail that take you through final cliff. Didn't want to mess w that without boot crampons and ice ax. And, for the way back, I wasn't sure I knew the topography well enough to avoid cliffs or exposed traversing to link snow and stay safe. By which I mean, this little trick:

Also, there isn't much remaining snow on the WSW side, meaning anywhere near the rough trail that drops and joins Chain Lakes about 1/3 mile below jct, so a traverse of Table wouldn't have been rewarded with any turns for the outbound direction.

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september-13-2011-ptarmigan-ridge-summer-s-tail
wolfs
2011-09-14 23:19:42