March 13, 2015, Rock Mountain, Unlucky Friday?
3/13/15
3502
5
March 13, 2015. I had planned to ski Rock Mountain on Saturday but the liquid forecast for the weekend dampened the spirits so I drafted Matt Dahlgreen to join me for the fair weather forecasted on Friday the Thirteenth. Despite what filmmakers could cook-up about ski touring on such an ominous day, we made it back without getting diced-up by psychoskiers assaulting us with big blades.
Of course, not all was perfect.... we did need to carry skis to the 5,000-foot level. Once we started skiing, however, the spring skiing conditions were good. We found particularly nice conditions (consolidated base coated with corn snow) on the big avalanche slopes of the west face. That prompted us to take a lap down toward Snowy Creek. These turns were great but eventually the snow started to mush out. Remembering which Friday this was, we opted not to awaken evil lying dormant in the snowpack. We climbed back up and skied out via the normal south-side route.
I've skied Rock Mountain several times in late-May and other times in mid-December when there was more snow than what we found this year in mid-March. Maybe that was the inauspicious result of this unlucky day.
here's an article about the tour posted on the WenatcheeOutdoors.org website
Of course, not all was perfect.... we did need to carry skis to the 5,000-foot level. Once we started skiing, however, the spring skiing conditions were good. We found particularly nice conditions (consolidated base coated with corn snow) on the big avalanche slopes of the west face. That prompted us to take a lap down toward Snowy Creek. These turns were great but eventually the snow started to mush out. Remembering which Friday this was, we opted not to awaken evil lying dormant in the snowpack. We climbed back up and skied out via the normal south-side route.
I've skied Rock Mountain several times in late-May and other times in mid-December when there was more snow than what we found this year in mid-March. Maybe that was the inauspicious result of this unlucky day.
here's an article about the tour posted on the WenatcheeOutdoors.org website
Very nice...thanks for the tr!
Good beta ... Well done!
We were on Mastiff at the same time! We had a good time there too, though you did get more skiing. Unluckily, Radka had to "skin" all the way down :'(
Enjoyed your pics of Mastiff, Kenji. Did you get any sense of whether you could have ascended Mastiff via the SE ridge this year? There's a pinch spot along the ridge at 6,100 feet that is usually too corniced to be a sensible ski route, but maybe this year it's different??
Thanks to your trip guide, we didn't even consider the SE ridge. There was a gully looked like a possible way up to the ridge and it didn't have a cornice. I'm not sure if that's what you are referring to...looked sporty anyway.
Reply to this TR
Please login first: