December 29, 2014, Crystal Silver Basin
12/29/14
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
21531
3
8:00 start, checked in with Patrol and got a cheery thumbs-up with a report of good stability and a recommendation to give S aspects a go based on recent E winds (thanks, patroller Mike!)
Great skin track leading up the (recently plowed) highway, though we diverted for Box Car and I had an enjoyable time breaking a lot of trail in mega deep fluff. Temps were cool today (high teens) - not cold - but along with limited sun, were cool enough to preserve the pack.
Base area was more crowded than we expected. There is a certain "taking of the wind from one's sails" effect when the solitude of a quiet tour and hasty pit study is interrupted by the cheerios from the gong show that finally worked its way over from new chair 6, and tracked up the chute you were heading into (and also the oddly humorous sudden irrelevance of the pit study when 6 people are descending down above you). Yep, lift served season is underway!
Recommend touring out of permit area, perhaps Crystal Lakes. Plenty of great snow out there still.
Great skin track leading up the (recently plowed) highway, though we diverted for Box Car and I had an enjoyable time breaking a lot of trail in mega deep fluff. Temps were cool today (high teens) - not cold - but along with limited sun, were cool enough to preserve the pack.
Base area was more crowded than we expected. There is a certain "taking of the wind from one's sails" effect when the solitude of a quiet tour and hasty pit study is interrupted by the cheerios from the gong show that finally worked its way over from new chair 6, and tracked up the chute you were heading into (and also the oddly humorous sudden irrelevance of the pit study when 6 people are descending down above you). Yep, lift served season is underway!
Recommend touring out of permit area, perhaps Crystal Lakes. Plenty of great snow out there still.
That's hilarious!! Although I'm sure it wasn't so funny to be there. Don't they do avy control in Silver before they open the gates? What were you seeing in your pit of irrelevance before it got skied over anyway?
author=johndonee link=topic=33184.msg137901#msg137901 date=1419907521]
That's hilarious!! Although I'm sure it wasn't so funny to be there. Don't they do avy control in Silver before they open the gates? What were you seeing in your pit of irrelevance before it got skied over anyway?
Yeah, they do control when deemed necessary (and if SB is open, then they've decided that the risk is negligible). The pit study was primarily to satisfy my curiosity to see how much new (and how unconsolidated) it was, and to see for myself a nice bond on that previous 50cm rain crust. It was possible to pull the block at that interface, but it really didn't want to go, and there wasn't enough cohesion in the upper layer to matter.
author=r1de link=topic=33184.msg137907#msg137907 date=1419914491]
...a nice bond on that previous 50cm rain crust.
Glad to hear it :) I'm certainly hoping we don't get stuck with another PWL this year.
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