Home > Trip Reports > March 23, 2012, - The Party's Over on Kendall Ridge

March 23, 2012, - The Party's Over on Kendall Ridge

3/23/12
WA Snoqualmie Pass
7402
14
Posted by Chainsaw_Willie on 3/23/12 5:18pm
Chris and I went for Kendall Peak today.  Our lazy asses got started too late though and by the time we got to the 5200 ft. level in the early afternoon everything S. facing was sluffing & rolling and the West facing stuff was getting cooked pretty good too.  We weren't feeling very comfortable with the way things were shaping up so skied down next to the trees under the ridgeline until we got to the bottom of the glades, then down through the trees to the Commonwealth trail.  Snow up high was variable but still soft and light in shaded areas.  Once at the bottom of the glades it was all getting heavy and sticky and the trees were bombing everything under them.  It's going to be a mess of refrozen crap up there 'til we get significant new snow or it corns up.

On the upside, I got two nice pics across the valley to Alpental and Chair Peak:

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_23%20Kendall%20Ridge%20Again/DSC_8035.jpg" />

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_23%20Kendall%20Ridge%20Again/DSC_8036.jpg" />

Wow, that second shot of Chair is really gorgeous!

Really beautiful light in those pics!

I have to throw in with everyone else, those are wonderful pictures.

Thanks for the compliments!

If you're interested, here are links to full 16mp resolution versions of those pics.  Kinda neat to blow them up to full size and look at all the little details that pop out, like the skin & ski tracks on Chair peak and the skiers at Alpental.

Alpental:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_23%20Kendall%20Ridge%20Again/DSC_8035-2.jpg

Chair Peak:
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n268/willhbaker/2012_03_23%20Kendall%20Ridge%20Again/DSC_8036-2.jpg

Indeed, great photos. Some nice up and down tracks in the Chair shot. I love days with that sort of light - sunny foreground and dark cloudy background.

Yeah, getting non-north-facing low elevation Snoqualmie area turns this time of year very much depends on timing. I've found a few shaded strips on west slopes that can be fun for up to one or two skier lines for a day or three after the sun comes out - basically threading the needle between tree-bombed forest and crusted and/or manked open snow, but these involve a lot of travel for fairly short shots of fun. And there is the "go find low, south facing, wind hammered slopes and hope for corn" theory - used to work pretty well on Kendall Stump but the most wind hammered portion seems to be growing in a bit too much to make it work out like it used to. Granite seems to attract folks who are trying this theory too.

author=Chainsaw_Willie link=topic=24255.msg102494#msg102494 date=1332618560]. . . little details that pop out, like the skin & ski tracks on Chair peak and the skiers at Alpental.


That skintrack to the Chair Peak saddle was courtesy of Crispin and Silas . . . thanks, guys, made for smooth sailing!

In the interest of accuracy:  Crispin set the track, and I packed it down a bit more, struggling to keep him in sight way ahead.   We felt a need to reuse it again today and found quite alpine breeziness in the upper bowl.

This post takes me back to Kendall powder in the sunshine back on 3/19 - http://youtu.be/wkcLRWGM7RE

I just got a new desktop background - thanks!

Sweet pics, CW. 

Thanks again for the comments on the pics.


Was anyone here responsible for the line down the knoll looker's right of Bryant Col?  That is a sweet line....

author=Chainsaw_Willie link=topic=24255.msg102600#msg102600 date=1332780145]Was anyone here responsible for the line down the knoll looker's right of Bryant Col?  That is a sweet line....


Rumor has it it was Bryce Phillips


I heard that it was Bryce Phillips too. A group was taking photos and perhaps filming on the ridge above pee pass on Thursday, and there was a rumor that they were setting up for a cool filming on Fri.

Some more info about Crispin and the skin track. We met at source lake and while he changed in to up gear, my partner and I started up an already laid track. Shortly I hear him kindly excuse himself as he passed my partner and then shortly passed me.

More impressive though was watching him break trail as fast as my partner and I were just going up. Pretty cool and easily the best skin track I have used going up.......though the enormous snow pack makes it easier that's for sure.

Agreed with all......these are AWESOME pics. Please feel free to look closely and see the first two tracks down that day from Lunch Rock. My buddy and I only had time (and energy, my 3 out of 4) for a quick tour so it was a quick lap up to ther rock and back down.

Bonus was making the first tracks down that day. Really nice pow on top. Heavier pow down the second hit. Heavy and bit crusted down the apron but still a whole lot of fun!! Great day.

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march-23-2012-the-party-s-over-on-kendall-ridge
Chainsaw_Willie
2012-03-24 00:18:59