Home > Trip Reports > August 16, 2012, Easton glacier

August 16, 2012, Easton glacier

8/16/12
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
3686
7
Posted by silaswild on 8/17/12 1:42am
Nice breeze for the railroad grade hike.  Minimal suncups but plenty of crevasses to slalom.  Great birthday celebration for Jim and Emily. Continuous snow down to 5300'.
https://vimeo.com/47765866
https://vimeo.com/47765751
Great trip; great to see the rippers in action. Here's another angle of the tricky spot.

Wow, that's quite a crevasse slalom.

Silas, I'm curious as to why you and your group are choosing to ski the Easton (twice in one week) instead of the Squak. The Squak route currently (and almost always by midsummer) has continuous snow down to a lower elevation than the Easton, and right now the crevasses are not an issue, much better and safer than the Easton based on your photos and what I could see looking down towards the Easton route. There is nothing as bad as the photo above on the Squak route right now (other than the crevasse problems common to both routes above their 9400 ft junction on the Roman Wall).

And the trail to the Squak is much nicer too, no river crossing and no horse crap everywhere (it is hiker-only), although the views from the Railroad Grade are better than anything on the Squak side.


Some video and photo's from the day...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBUKmdfESkc&feature=colike

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.514406491909961.135676.100000218445455&type=1&l=214f36b314


Bummed I couldn't go Silas, looked like a blast. I took the gf up to Muir and gave her, her first experience of life at Muir and a bit past. She made it to 10700 before she got tired and I felt it was safer to turn around then. Was cool to get her on Cathedrial gap and have her skip over a few crevasses!

I'll see you out next month for sure so I can get my 7th month in a row.

On a side note, I did meet Hannah which is cool since I've read about her and Amar's climbing/skiing for several years now and they're partially responsible for me being in position I'm in now! Thanks you guys!

author=Amar Andalkar link=topic=25533.msg107897#msg107897 date=1345356009]
Silas, I'm curious as to why you and your group are choosing to ski the Easton instead of the Squak...the views from the Railroad Grade are better than anything on the Squak side.

Looks like you answered your own question?  :)

On this day and last week, there was very little horse poop on the trail, and only at the start, stream crossing is bridged, nice flowers and breeze on the railroad grade, zero cupping on the snow, which was continuous as low as what your reported on the Squak route, plus shade and more beautiful flowers on the way back to and along the Scott Paul trail's other side. 

For me, the crevasse on the Squak is more disturbing than anything we found on the Easton, the snow below 7000' was more cupped in July there than the Easton, and our line felt more direct and interesting.  It is great that there is so much variety available in August, we are fortunate to live in the best place in the world for year round fine skiing.  TAYFAY, turns all year fun all year!

author=silaswild link=topic=25533.msg107901#msg107901 date=1345402083]
It is great that there is so much variety available in August, we are fortunate to live in the best place in the world for year round fine skiing.


Totally agree with that.

Thanks for the info, I may head up the Easton this week for variety. Looks like that finger of skiable snow down to 5300 ft at the Easton Glacier terminus might get quite discontinuous soon though, maybe it has even by now:


(Photo linked from Facebook -- nice photos, Carl)


Best birthday party ever! Thanks everyone. Great video, Carl.

Reply to this TR

10218
august-16-2012-easton-glacier
silaswild
2012-08-17 08:42:13