Home > Trip Reports > October 21, 2012, Muir

October 21, 2012, Muir

10/21/12
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
8702
21
Posted by FreeBird on 10/21/12 1:52pm
Skiing was even better today :D
Still some ice around...
Cold and windy up at Muir ::)
Just enough visibility to make the skiing good!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.545535512130392.142858.100000218445455&type=1&l=113613e9ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnum8e5WJOc&feature=colike
Can't tell from the pictures exactly who is who, but I was the young guy in the bright blue jacket and Waybacks, if we met. Good times up there!


Did you ski car to car, our did you have to boot anywhere?

We all skinned form the car.
Jameson and Jeff skied to the car.
Holly and I took our skis off for a short carry at pebble creek.
Many rocks were skied ::)

Sweet, so in 2 weeks when I go back it should be totally doable from c2c!

What i wanted to hear :)

Awesome report; just the news I was hoping for, for the end of this week.  Will try for Friday.

Weather was WAY better than might have guessed from the forecast.

I left PL about 12:30 and you could see the snowfield, all in sun. During the hike things started to sock in from the west side, til it reached all too typical 150' or so visibility. Stopped ~4:15 at top Moon Rocks because snow was getting wind-crusty (according to others that condition didn't persist had I gone higher oh well.)

As I huddled in a convenient windscoop / moat out of the chill the fog lifted, just like lifting a curtain, and you could suddenly see the whole snowfield! Soon thereafter the mountain came out too, in sun. Hustled into downhill mode and started down in case that window sealed up again, but I needn't have hurried, turned out the weather just got better and better. Cool orange hues on clouds in the sunset at the parking lot. Whole mountain in view with nice white frosting. Life's good.


Forgot the camera of course ... duh.

I have the most beat up rock skis imaginable but took skis off 3 or 4 times from Pebble Creek down and gave up entirely once reaching Moraine trail turn on Deadhorse. Risk vs reward didn't seem in balance there for my version of the equation. Skinning from the car was easy nuff but threading those same needles on the downhill (and with some trampling and meltout inbetween) not so much.

it was nice riding fresh snow. rocktober though! 

Peter and I skied down from Muir at about 3:00 and picked up Mark who was still making his way up the snowfield. We should have waited another hour or so for the clouds to lift and the visibility to improve. The late afternoon light was spectacular!
The snow was...fresh.

author=saxybrian link=topic=25841.msg109246#msg109246 date=1350910716]
Did you ski car to car, our did you have to boot anywhere?


There are only two sentences in the Park website section on skiing & snowboarding and this is the first:  "To avoid damaging exposed vegetation, a minimum of 5 feet of snow is strongly advised for skiing and snowboarding."  I guess we're supposed to posthole or snowshoe until then, since apparently those activites do not damage vegetation.

I think “strongly advise” is bureaucratese for ‘we reserve the right to ban this or at least hassle you’:
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=10692.0

author=vogtski link=topic=25841.msg109278#msg109278 date=1350944571]
There are only two sentences in the Park website section on skiing & snowboarding and this is the first:  "To avoid damaging exposed vegetation, a minimum of 5 feet of snow is strongly advised for skiing and snowboarding."  I guess we're supposed to posthole or snowshoe until then, since apparently those activites do not damage vegetation.

I think “strongly advise” is bureaucratese for ‘we reserve the right to ban this or at least hassle you’:
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=10692.0


This is true, unless you're skiing on the rock-lined summer trail (which most people were). I was glad to see everyone being respectful and hardly any tracks went off trail.

I'm sure most of us will try to be "respectful" in the coming weeks, but there will come a point (hopefully!) when long sections of the rock-lined trails will no longer be visible, even though the snowpack is less than five-feet deep.  I was just trying to alert folks that this has been a sore-point in the past. 

Note that our passion is so remote and foreign to park 'management' that it only merits a brief, absurd statement on their website.  No wonder timely and reliable winter opening is such a low priority (and getting lower every year).  Note also that only skiers and boarders are mentioned as possible sources of resource damage.  I think the' five-foot rule' is probably a poorly thought out extension of the policy about operating machinery to build the tubing runs.  As a policy, it seems so vague and simplistic as to be useless.  Five feet at the weather stake might be two feet at Pan.  Just like the requirement to buy a climbing permit for "any travel on glaciers", it seems written by someone who mostly views the mountain through windows or windshields.

I hate how we get pointed out for this, when every trip in the summer, and I mean every trip there were parents, kids and hikers stomping off trail with nothing said. I saw 2 dogs around pan point, and young teens climbing rock to avoid a50ft turn. Damage will happen if humans are involved, but I can say this fie certain. Every climber or skier I saw going to Muir was on the trail and obeying.

Awsome day! Thanks Bird, for the motivation!  The edit turned out sweet!

Those are some great shots Freight, especially the first one!

Best video of the year so far Carl! Way to get us all pumped for what lies ahead. Hopefully I'll be up there Friday with some buddies....maybe see some of you up there!

Thanks all for the pics and video... I was just another guy in a blue jacket.!

Nice video!  I was in a trio crossing paths with you guys... was a good ride.  Pebble Creek earned it's keep from me...  Here's my visual contribution and interior view of coombacks.

author=tortiseshell link=topic=25841.msg109333#msg109333 date=1351040992]Here's my visual contribution and interior view of coombacks.


Those poor edges need some love!

author=vogtski link=topic=25841.msg109285#msg109285 date=1350950938]
I'm sure most of us will try to be "respectful" in the coming weeks, but there will come a point (hopefully!) when long sections of the rock-lined trails will no longer be visible, even though the snowpack is less than five-feet deep.  I was just trying to alert folks that this has been a sore-point in the past. 

Note that our passion is so remote and foreign to park 'management' that it only merits a brief, absurd statement on their website.  No wonder timely and reliable winter opening is such a low priority (and getting lower every year).  Note also that only skiers and boarders are mentioned as possible sources of resource damage.  I think the' five-foot rule' is probably a poorly thought out extension of the policy about operating machinery to build the tubing runs.  As a policy, it seems so vague and simplistic as to be useless.  Five feet at the weather stake might be two feet at Pan.  Just like the requirement to buy a climbing permit for "any travel on glaciers", it seems written by someone who mostly views the mountain through windows or windshields.


Vogtski: I'm not sure what your experiences in the past have been, especially regarding "sore points." My feeling on the NPS view regarding skiing and snowboarding, or tele-snowblading or whatever anyone does, is that the more vague it is, the better. Having worked for the NPS, it is always preferable for something to be formatted as "strongly advised." This leaves a little wiggle room for all parties involved. Most of the time it's the attitude of the individual that determines the corrective action that is appropriate. If you've been around the Paradise area in the summer, you know that one can be chastised for much more than skiing in less than 5' of snow. I think the current management for skiing on Mt. Rainier is quite permissive. There is no actual restriction in place, and as long as everyone plays nice it's likely to remain so.

As far as climbing permits required for being on glaciers; no one is going to hassle you for being on the Inter, or the Fryingpan, etc... unless you give them a reason to. The issue is that there are many, large, dangerous glaciers on Mt. Rainier which people that don't have the appropriate skills and equipment can access quite easily. Helicopter rescues are expensive, and it's only fair that those who necessitate them help to recover the cost.

author=hefeweizen link=topic=25841.msg109379#msg109379 date=1351127572]
... the more vague it is, the better... I think the current management for skiing on Mt. Rainier is quite permissive. There is no actual restriction in place, and as long as everyone plays nice it's likely to remain so.

If there's no regulatory restriction on skiing relative to snow depth in the Superintendent's Compendium, then why is that "strong suggestion" the only thing mentioned under Skiing & Snowboarding on the Park website, implying that these are the most resource damaging activities in winter?  Vague may work for you and be convenient for the Park Service, but for me, not so much, especially when the resource damage caused by the NPS itself over the years at Paradise vastly exceeds all other sources combined.

There is an actual restriction on skiing at Paradise.  Despite their budget quadrupling and number of permanent employees doubling since the 70's, the number of closed days each winter has also doubled and on average it takes twice as long to open on any given day as it did then.

author=freeskier link=topic=25841.msg109326#msg109326 date=1351029687]
Best video of the year so far Carl! Way to get us all pumped for what lies ahead. Hopefully I'll be up there Friday with some buddies....maybe see some of you up there!


Yes! Very entertaining.

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october-21-2012-muir
FreeBird
2012-10-21 20:52:20