Home > Trip Reports > August 28, 2012, Palmer After Hours

August 28, 2012, Palmer After Hours

8/28/12
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Posted by Hawthorne on 8/29/12 6:41am
Quick evening climb after summer public operations had shut down for the day.  Clouds rolling across the Palmer Snowfield as I left the lot at about 5:30pm.  Had intended to go for Illumination Saddle and the ZigZag, but ran out of time and visibility.   

Leathers up the climbing trail to top of Magic Mile / bottom of Palmer lifts.  Switched to skins for the snowfield.  Into strong wind and cloud bases after the first couple Palmer lift towers, and the visibility went to about 20 meters, or roughly the distance between rope line poles.  Interesting playing tag with the one grooming machine that was out.  He'd come rumbling out of the mist every so often.  I climbed the rope line where there was no conflict.

Switched over in the shelter of Palmer top shack as light started to fail me, and skied the snowfield skier's left, trying to stay on the edge of the freshly laid down groom, and on the opposite side of the rope line from the groomer.  Out of bases still just above top Mile.  Snow was sluff on a firm base down the snowfield and into Mile Canyon.  Snow finally went to soft corn at the base of the canyon, which runs out past the upper equipment park, short of the lodge.

Put my gear away in gathering dark.  Wet outer layer for the first time this season.  Not quite a winter day, but definitely not a shorts trip.   

Upper snowfield ought to last into fall. 

TAY Month 46. 

Cheers.



Love the last pic

Love the first pic too  :)   Way to persevere. How many months?

author=-Josh- link=topic=25573.msg108054#msg108054 date=1346289915]
Love the last pic


Yep. Awesome.

What do you suppose the conditions/run length would be over on zig zag now..would it go down below Mississippi Head?

Skied it on Monday, doesn't go below Mississippi Head, stops a few hundred feet above.  Little Zigzag is washed out, Zigzag is ok, Palmer after all that was sweet!  Probably about 1700 on the Zigzag right now....

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august-28-2012-palmer-after-hours
Hawthorne
2012-08-29 13:41:30