February 25, 2005, Mt. Thielsen, OR
2/25/05
OR elsewhere
3147
6
Hope I spelled that name right....
Since I'm down in Oregon over spring break, visiting my parents, first I got sick. But it was raining all week anyway, so no matter. Friday was supposed to be better, so my dad and I rolled the dice and drove south to Diamond Lake. Five inches of snow at the trailhead let us skin from the car, but I was concerned about my new Atomics, and figured I'd have to walk through the woods on the way down.
The weather was first sunny, but as we reached the ridge a whiteout started moving in, and we were solidly socked in when we stopped for lunch on the pumice slopes. After eating lunch, the sun came out, the clouds moved back, so we continued, and managed to skin to the saddle below the summit spire.
While skinning up, we uncovered many rocks, making me sure that the wonderful foot of powder would result in many coreshots to my previously unskied R:EXs. When I dropped in, though, I found that there was nothing to worry about. We kept speeds low to avoid the rocks that should have been there, but we never hit anything! After 1500 feet of wonderful powder, we traversed back over to our skin track, and skied down through the woods. Surprisingly, the trail was all dirt, so the little bit of snow was sufficient to ski back to the car without hurting the skis.
I do my best GregL impersonation below the summit rime ice.
Click here for more pictures.
Since I'm down in Oregon over spring break, visiting my parents, first I got sick. But it was raining all week anyway, so no matter. Friday was supposed to be better, so my dad and I rolled the dice and drove south to Diamond Lake. Five inches of snow at the trailhead let us skin from the car, but I was concerned about my new Atomics, and figured I'd have to walk through the woods on the way down.
The weather was first sunny, but as we reached the ridge a whiteout started moving in, and we were solidly socked in when we stopped for lunch on the pumice slopes. After eating lunch, the sun came out, the clouds moved back, so we continued, and managed to skin to the saddle below the summit spire.
While skinning up, we uncovered many rocks, making me sure that the wonderful foot of powder would result in many coreshots to my previously unskied R:EXs. When I dropped in, though, I found that there was nothing to worry about. We kept speeds low to avoid the rocks that should have been there, but we never hit anything! After 1500 feet of wonderful powder, we traversed back over to our skin track, and skied down through the woods. Surprisingly, the trail was all dirt, so the little bit of snow was sufficient to ski back to the car without hurting the skis.
I do my best GregL impersonation below the summit rime ice.
Click here for more pictures.
I'm impressed. Having grown up in Roseburg, I know Mt Thielsen area pretty well. I get down there a couple times a year - usually around thanksgiving - for some early season skiing. I've never skied that high up on the Mt though. Pretty cool.
I do my best GregL impersonation below the summit rime ice.
You've got my stamp of approval, Paul. How did the R:EX's work?
In such great snow, it's hard to tell what sensations can be attributed to the skis, but they struck me as shorter and fatter than my Miras (what a surprise!). The shorter length and slightly turned up and rounded tail makes them come around extremely fast. Intial observations lead me to believe that I like their flex more than the Miras. I suspect that the 184 will be a killer all around backcountry setup for me, though for inbound and/or fast cruising the 191 would be more appropriate.
After doing my past two trips on Dynafits, I have to add that I really appreciated the pure functionality of Fritschis.
After doing my past two trips on Dynafits, I have to add that I really appreciated the pure functionality of Fritschis.
Very nice! I like some of the photos on your site, especially the ones that show what we weren't able to see all wkend! :-)
Was everything pretty stable?
Was everything pretty stable?
I'm pretty cautious about wide open steep slopes these days, so I dug a few pits. Where a base existed the 2 feet of new snow had bonded well, there was no slab, and I couldn't get a shear. On the pumice slopes there was 1/2 to 2 feet of fresh snow over rock. No slab layers had formed, and the bed surface is rough, so I don't think there was any noteworthy danger.
If the wind pounded those slopes it could get sketchy in a hurry.
If the wind pounded those slopes it could get sketchy in a hurry.
Nicely done! I love that area. I'm assuming this jib was done on the south side?
I did not realise that one could get so close to the summit.
I did not realise that one could get so close to the summit.
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