June 15and16, 2015, Adams (SW Chutes and South Climb)
6/15/15
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2229
1
Very similar tours on both Monday & Tuesday.
(Sorry for the delay in posting the beta!)
Pictures & various details in the captions starting here:
https://www.facebook.com/NERandoRaceSeries/photos/a.920164678024780.1073741842.137097509664838/920164874691427/?type=3&theater
But in brief:
- Starting skinning at the Crescent [not-really-a] Glacier, which will of course be skinnable for, well, for the entire summer I suppose?
- Summit crater has excellent snow cover, and skiing conditions aren't *too* bad (for the summit).
- SW Chutes ranged from very good to perfect. (And oddly enough, about halfway down, when the snow usually gets worse, instead it ... better?)
- The very very low-angle runout where you pass by that kind of amphitheater down low is barely continuous. I suspect that the hike down the use trail to the RMT is very long, but I don't know for sure since we skinned back up instead to Lunch Counter. (That ascent/return route is still in excellent condition.)
- I also skied the South Climb both days from about 1k' vert below Piker's. Conditions up high ranged from fair to poor. Down lower on the Lunch Counter flats the conditions ranged from poor to whatever is even worse than that.
- Crescent Glacier was kind of fun in a goofy way.
- Both days I was able to ski to within only ~1.1k vert of the Cold Springs trailhead. However, I suspect now that it's more like ~1.6k vert.
(Sorry for the delay in posting the beta!)
Pictures & various details in the captions starting here:
https://www.facebook.com/NERandoRaceSeries/photos/a.920164678024780.1073741842.137097509664838/920164874691427/?type=3&theater
But in brief:
- Starting skinning at the Crescent [not-really-a] Glacier, which will of course be skinnable for, well, for the entire summer I suppose?
- Summit crater has excellent snow cover, and skiing conditions aren't *too* bad (for the summit).
- SW Chutes ranged from very good to perfect. (And oddly enough, about halfway down, when the snow usually gets worse, instead it ... better?)
- The very very low-angle runout where you pass by that kind of amphitheater down low is barely continuous. I suspect that the hike down the use trail to the RMT is very long, but I don't know for sure since we skinned back up instead to Lunch Counter. (That ascent/return route is still in excellent condition.)
- I also skied the South Climb both days from about 1k' vert below Piker's. Conditions up high ranged from fair to poor. Down lower on the Lunch Counter flats the conditions ranged from poor to whatever is even worse than that.
- Crescent Glacier was kind of fun in a goofy way.
- Both days I was able to ski to within only ~1.1k vert of the Cold Springs trailhead. However, I suspect now that it's more like ~1.6k vert.
Was up there yesterday... 6/21, and while I was already in full bonk, even those with all the capacities agreed the summit crater skied like an inclined potholed sidewalk. There weren't a few ice cookies, it was all ice cookie.
Chutes were firm up high but good down below (friend went down them). I skiied the south side which was also firm up high (winds kept it hard) but softened about 1/3 way down Piker's. Then it was suncup game of finding the path where some other sucker had already taken the top of a few...
Chutes were firm up high but good down below (friend went down them). I skiied the south side which was also firm up high (winds kept it hard) but softened about 1/3 way down Piker's. Then it was suncup game of finding the path where some other sucker had already taken the top of a few...
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