Home > Trip Reports > July 12, 2013, Another Russel and Flett report

July 12, 2013, Another Russel and Flett report

7/12/13
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Posted by Jake the Brit on 7/13/13 6:41am
I went up the Ptarmigan ridge climbers path (right of Ob Rock (thanks Lisa)) & carried until 8500', which was beautiful, quick, wet, cliffy, dramatic, discontinuous & educational. There is plenty of angle for shits & giggles.
The Russel headwall was icy, vomit-like, scary, textured & I bailed. On the way down I met some great guys who talked me into waiting for the snow to soften. So we boiled coffee, tea, chai: traded conjecture and as it began to snow & sun at the same time we dropped down on smooooth corn, skiiers right of Ob Rock with stage entrances by the cloud, the marine layer, the sunshine. Pretty much continuous til about 6000', and nearly skiiable out to the trail with a bit of effrot.
I did look out for Charlie H's mum,. but she wasn't anywhere to be seen!
MOre pics: http://jakeevans.smugmug.com/Washington/Russel-Flett-MRNP/30522341_75VPBQ
Great meeting you during my last -- and possibly best -- season's tour!

Your second photo (here on TAY) is a shot of our group's star skier, David.

Thanks much for the Starbucks Via and the awesome photos posted on your site -- very nice!

Great report!  A group of 4 of us skied/splitboarded it the day after.  I'll piggyback my photos on your report rather than start a new one...

Weather was perfect.  Mowich Lake had a surprisingly small number of people, and only a few people on the approach/deproach trail.  Continuous snow from Spray Park to the top of the Russell, but you have to find your way through a few small mazes to stay on it.

Snow was pretty good low to middle.  The high point on the Russell we felt was getting to be not worth the effort, so we backtracked part way up and went to the climbers right knoll.

Glacier worms in the mid afternoon.

Four years ago, when I began backcountry skiing, I scrambled Observation Rock which is, when the snow's gone, a non-technical 'walk up'.

Since that time, more than once, I've read this excerpt from Burgdorfer's book to motivate me to return to the area and go higher:
The most delightful aspect of this tour is that the top 3,000 feet of the downhill run is plainly visible from Seattle, so that the memory of this tour is refreshed whenever Mount Rainier is not obscured by clouds.

During today's bike ride on the Sammamish River trail, I can attest to the truthfulness of Burgdorfer's claim.  8)

Nice. Photos jake!

Hope you used my slippers for the approach.

author=alecapone link=topic=28984.msg121987#msg121987 date=1373851489]
Nice. Photos jake!

Hope you used my slippers for the approach.


Maximum steeze on the slippers - they're so Scottish I accidentally ate them.

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july-12-2013-another-russel-and-flett-report
Jake the Brit
2013-07-13 13:41:34