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Thor and more 3-25/26-2013

3/25/13
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Posted by alecapone on 3/27/13 2:00am
Wow.. What a weekend everyone had! Loving the variety, and the conditions where still rockin as of last night!  Wish I could have made a little more of it, but it was my girls birthday weekend. And what does every girl want for her birthday? To go to split fest of course! That, and to get the garden in on sunday. so, after table laps, and tater planting, come Monday I was well rested and so was Kololo. I was going to do something less dog friendly, but she gave me them sad puppy eyes. Last minute venue change, and we where off. Kololo was feeling rad in her ruff wear jacket.

Seen Rowan Stewart up in Glacier and talked a bit about the surprise area. kind of had me re-stoked to go up visit. I know there is far grander, but not within a half an hour drive from home. Got to the depot at an alpine 8 am and made my way up the creek planning on going to hit the shocker. When I got to the surplug junction, it appeared couple day old tracks where coming down from the plug, so I aborted and decided to break a new trail up to Surprise. Oddly, the tracks i kept trying to avoid throughout the day kept re finding me. I dislike folllowing others skin tracks, so I kept an open plan until i figured out where these guys where not going. Once at 'the rock' I was stoked to see that they had gone up to north cloud. decision was made(by kololo) to go up to thunder lakes.

I've seen Thor plenty while up at Thunder Lakes, but only the west and south sides. Pretty excited to take my girl up.




The route from the lake to the col between thor and ? has a +/-  of a couple hundred feet.


route dejour. Thor west ridge.



Kololo dropping the thors north shoulder.. showing o ff the snow quality.


board and paws.


The decent was a continuous three thousand feet of awesome from the summit of Thor to Trapper creek! from Trapper we climbed up to Trap lake, then to the saddle just east of  Murphy? and then stopped a little short of the highpoint. Decent from Murphy lake to the car is so much better!  chutes and pillows to second growth trees. Not much like the surprise valley and the never logged old growth.

about 15 miles and 7.5g




While on Thor, I thought the snow looked nice on ? so I went back the next day(3-26). The descents are only about 1,000'+ so I had time for two, plus the usuall 3g+ exit.



first line, after re climbing.


second line


Death wheels on the skin track. about 4' across, and a couple hundred pounds


Finall decent, north cloud.


about 15 miles and 7g

All in all, another couple awesome days in the Alpine Lakes.

Sweet trip.  Love the board and paws photos.
Also, great name for your dog.  First mention of Kololo in your post had me thinking "did he travel all the way in to Kololo Pks in winter!?"


Sweet! Looks like a couple of great days up there. That ? zone looks awesome. I'm glad that kololo got her shred on too!

Love the tracks and paws shot! Gorgeous looking area too. When i first got in to winter travel, a buddy and I snowshoed in to Glacier Lake and up to Surprise Gap. It was years ago though, and I don't know the area well. I really need to get back in there on skis! Was what you rode the east side of that ridge above Glacier Lake that has Thunder Mtn on it? I don't see Thor on the map, is it one of the points further north on the ridge, 6062, or 6356?

That pic of Thor west ridge with the skin track is most provactive...

Great ski buddy with a nice line.  :)

Nice work Scott! some amazing terrain back there. I'm healthy again and would like to get out there again soon.

thanks guys! I love riding with my dog... or most any dog. Picked her name right out of the green Fred,  Mike. Seemed less likely to get her up Luna some day.

her best 20 of the day.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.167953596694043.1073741825.100004382104078&type=1&notif_t=like

Josh,

Thor is peak 6804. pretty visable from stevens pass ski area. The ? peak I think is called Thor's hammer, is between Thor and Nimbus. We actually decended the NE side of Thor not photoed above. It sounds far, but you travel south most of the day, and decend north. only two climbs and decents right back to the car.... for a skier. lot's of option's and ways to mix up a few fun lines.

String... Glad to hear!
The line we rode earlier this year from Nimbus is in one of the above photos. Pretty much used the same up route to thunder lakes both days.

Thanks for the complement on the skin track Luke.. Here is the one going up Thor's hammer's east ridge. far less asthetic.









-"Good morning Mr Capone, what can I do for you...?'

'Well doctor, it seems I'm addicted to heinously long approaches in the Enchantments, they have even put up a sign at the Bridge Creek parking lot with my name on it."

"Well mr Capone, your condition is probably incurable, but why don't you try several days fof several thousand feel of skiing in YOUR BACKYARD"


Good to see you stomping around in your backyard again. It seems like you've got the area dialed for the top part of a SNoqualmie to Stevens clinically insane episode one of these days....(just a thought) Ha, Nice one


"Board and Paws" might be the photo of the year! Loved the write-up and the rest of the pics too. Nice job avoiding that skin track that kept trying to hunt you down....!
Thanks for posting this one.

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thor-and-more-3-25-26-2013
alecapone
2013-03-27 09:00:26