Home > Trip Reports > August 2, 2013, Coleman Pinnacle

August 2, 2013, Coleman Pinnacle

8/2/13
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
4224
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Posted by telemack on 8/2/13 11:49am
Rainy night, socked-in day. 
I started the TR while waiting for the ferry (1st post for August 2013!  8) ), and can give more detail now.   
Since I was attending a workshop in Marysville I decided to implement the "You're going anyway---take your skis" philosophy.  Vis. was too poor to see into Bagley Lakes, and  I headed out to Ptarmigan.  I found a reasonably long strip of snow less than half a mile after
descending into Wells Creek from the saddle past the Chain Lakes trail, but it was mid-sized suncups that weren't softened much by the showers overnight.  I left shoes and skins where the snow crossed the trail, booted up, skied past, and booted back.  One 520' run and I threw in the towel.  It was some of the worst skiing I've ever had but only about 1-3/4 miles to get at it. 
It was surprising how hard the suncups were, but I predict the returning sun will make things manageable.  There was less snow and bigger cups in this area below Coleman Pinnacle during August than the last 2 Septembers; not a good sign for the rest of the "scratchy season".  If you want a quick hit you could still get runs of a few hundred feet above Bagley Lakes.  The chute from Artist Point is still continuous but only for days more. 

Don--I'm trying to get my muse back:

I went for a walk with my skis,
To get August turns if you please.
The snow below Coleman
Made me feel like an ol' man
But I wrote this for you, Rusty Knees!
How were the mosquitoes? ;D

How is the snow holding up?  I was up there two weeks ago and things were still skiing pretty well where the suncups weren't too deep.

author=telemack link=topic=29042.msg122239#msg122239 date=1375498148]
Rainy night, socked-in day.

author=lolob link=topic=29042.msg122241#msg122241 date=1375507883]
How is the snow holding up? 



Ditto to that question!

author=rlsg link=topic=29042.msg122240#msg122240 date=1375502467]
How were the mosquitoes? ;D

It was definitely Man over Mosquito---I showed 'em my repellent bottle and they hightailed it before I had to deploy. 
I ran into a German guy from Atlanta checking out our Alps, and he said he saw a mosquito on the snow for the first time in his life.  That's one more than I saw.

That's one too many for me.

Maybe I should move to the Alps....

Telemack: Ran into the same German gent on Sunday out by Coleman. Very interesting fellow. Had gone up Sahale on Saturday...

author=GregLange link=topic=29042.msg122270#msg122270 date=1375737056]
Telemack: Ran into the same German gent on Sunday out by Coleman. Very interesting fellow. Had gone up Sahale on Saturday...

Jah, same herr.  He said he did the North Face of the Matterhorn back some years, and we talked about the Dolomites.  He was planning on Coleman again Saturday, then up Sahale and out in time to catch an evening flight at SeaTac Sunday night.  I suggested he reverse his itinerary  :D

The angle of his skis and reputation
made Johnson loom big gliding out of the mist
Peering hard, straining to penetrate dripping fog
A distant hill granite, schist, iron coming to life,
moving forward and down too fast,

Paradigms trying to shift, changing focus
Then the shadow shifts and turns with a twist
A flash of color, a jutting rust beard
right knee slashes aggressive snow splashes
The alchemist turns misery to joy in August




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telemack
2013-08-02 18:49:08