June 4, 2005, N. Side Table Mountain Traverse
6/4/05
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
3564
5
Lara P. and I arrived at the Heather Meadows Lodge parking lot at 7:30 AM, and all of the predicted rain for the day was still to the west of us. Booted up to just below Austin Pass, and dooned touring gear. Tim Place came hoofing up just behind us, but went to other locales. As we arrived at Artist's Point, we surveyed the situation as to going out to original destination, Ptarmigan Ridge. Decided, instead, to check out the traverse below the north face of Table Mountain. The exposure gets to it just around the corner, but fortunately conditions were ripe for the traverse. Given that the snow was mush with a slidy top layer, the going was slow for the first half-hour or so. After that, though, we proceeded to skin up to the notch leading to the plateau between the 2 mesas, and reached that plateau at the same time as Lara's skins got too soggy to hold the adhesive. We even got some nice snowflakes in our faces at 5500 feet! We doffed the skins, and picked our way back down to Bagley Lakes on contiuous snow. The slidy top layer made for some oatmealy turns, but we still claimed 1500 vert. We surmise that, given the avalanche potential of this area, as well as the exposure (not death, but a bit of a slide over rocks if you don't hold the purchase), there aren't many trips in a season made like this one. Local knowledge is appreciated here.
So, June, 2005, is in the books. 47 months for Lara, and 93 for myself. Happy Tracks! :) :D ;D
So, June, 2005, is in the books. 47 months for Lara, and 93 for myself. Happy Tracks! :) :D ;D
North Side traverse? Last I saw you two, you were on the SE corner of Table (changed from SW corner). It looked like you were headed up the summer trail to the plateau above. It sounds like you dropped down, around the corner, across the nose, and took the high traverse all the way across Little Alaska to Inter Glacier!! Yeah, that is not done much!
Actually, I did this traverse once and swore to never go near it again. It is a steep, slippery way to cut across all the good lines from Little Alaska while being exposed to constant slide activity to reach a point you could have gotten to a half hour earlier by just continuing up to the top of table and skiing across the plateau.
I dropped down around the South side of Table and headed for the Coleman Pinnacle area. But I just could not get past Ptarmigan Peak!! The north side was in perfect condition, with a couple inches of fresh slush over a firm corn base. Views from there, and from Inter Glacier later, indicate much good skiing both in the Coleman Pinnacle area and off Ptarmigan Ridge on the way out. There seems to be less glide crack activity this year than last, and the coverage should be good for another couple weeks. Highly recommended. The road is not open past the Heather Meadows parking area yet, but the area should hold good corn into July.
After having my way with Ptarmigan Peak, I skinned up to Inter Glacier, skied across the lone pair of tracks I saw all day (G&L), and descended the lower hourglass on perfect corn, with hissing snow-snakes and the kind of grin that pushes your ears to the back of your head! Looking back, each turn was perfectly etched in brilliant white against the dull, grayish backdrop of the pollen-pastelled snow.
... and where was everybody??!
Actually, I did this traverse once and swore to never go near it again. It is a steep, slippery way to cut across all the good lines from Little Alaska while being exposed to constant slide activity to reach a point you could have gotten to a half hour earlier by just continuing up to the top of table and skiing across the plateau.
I dropped down around the South side of Table and headed for the Coleman Pinnacle area. But I just could not get past Ptarmigan Peak!! The north side was in perfect condition, with a couple inches of fresh slush over a firm corn base. Views from there, and from Inter Glacier later, indicate much good skiing both in the Coleman Pinnacle area and off Ptarmigan Ridge on the way out. There seems to be less glide crack activity this year than last, and the coverage should be good for another couple weeks. Highly recommended. The road is not open past the Heather Meadows parking area yet, but the area should hold good corn into July.
After having my way with Ptarmigan Peak, I skinned up to Inter Glacier, skied across the lone pair of tracks I saw all day (G&L), and descended the lower hourglass on perfect corn, with hissing snow-snakes and the kind of grin that pushes your ears to the back of your head! Looking back, each turn was perfectly etched in brilliant white against the dull, grayish backdrop of the pollen-pastelled snow.
... and where was everybody??!
North Side traverse? Last I saw you two, you were on the SW corner of Table.
If they were really on the SW corner of Table Mtn, they chose an extremely inefficient route!
each turn etched in brilliant white against the dull, grayish backdrop of the pollen-pastelled snow.
Mmmm. Great description, Tim! Turgid prose like this is what trip reports are all about, far as I'm concerned (you may have noticed my similar tendencies).
... and where was everybody??!
I worked 10 hours yesterday for scant recompense. An all-too-brief bit of Saturday social life and an hour and a half on the mountain bike had to suffice for my weekend's exercise. Another few like this one and I'll be ready to enroll for another round of grad school.
Thanks for the reports, Greg, Lara, Tim.
Mark
Markharf: Sounds like our inefficiency was exactly what you probably needed this weekend! We'll let you know of the next death slog!!!
Hi Greg,
It's true that "inefficiency" is essentially synonymous with "getting a good workout," (Why else walk uphill when you could take a ski lift? Why exercise at all when you could be lazing around watching reality TV instead?), but in this case I was trying to gently suggest that Tim probably met you at the southeast, not southwest, corner of Table Mountain. I see evidence of a recent edit on his post.
I'm always, errrr, often up for a death slog provided there's either snow or mountain biking involved. August, for example, might involve some slogging this year.
enjoy,
Mark
It's true that "inefficiency" is essentially synonymous with "getting a good workout," (Why else walk uphill when you could take a ski lift? Why exercise at all when you could be lazing around watching reality TV instead?), but in this case I was trying to gently suggest that Tim probably met you at the southeast, not southwest, corner of Table Mountain. I see evidence of a recent edit on his post.
I'm always, errrr, often up for a death slog provided there's either snow or mountain biking involved. August, for example, might involve some slogging this year.
enjoy,
Mark
Indeed, about August. We may want to call our tours that month the "Bataan Festival Of Skiing"!
Looking forward to running into you again in the near future.
Looking forward to running into you again in the near future.
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