Home > Trip Reports > July 18, 2015, Ptarmigan Ridge

July 18, 2015, Ptarmigan Ridge

7/18/15
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
5645
7
Posted by Nick-BC on 7/21/15 1:15pm
Some of the old TAY'ers will probably remember Telemon (aka Bob Wiebe).  A prolific poster of TR's and an all around mensch.  He died five years ago in a fall skiing Mount Hood in June.  He was a turns all year guy with, as far as we can recall, 76 months under his belt and would head out onto Ptarmigan Ridge in the summer for some turns.  So in his memory every year we load up the skis on our packs and head out in July and August for a few turns.  The neat thing now is that his son Gabe brings Timothy, Telemon's 4 year old grandson for a shorter hike.

This year with the low snowpack in the PNW we had to hike out as far as Coleman Pinnacle before we found enough snow.  Six hours of hiking for four minutes skiing, what's not to love!

As I'm crap at posting pictures here a link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uocsx9dt4zefpl6/AADrI-UBdBvF8U8dshIKRjs-a?dl=0
Nice, Nick - Way to keep us connected to the Telemon spirit.  But...not a single Hawaiian shirt?
Good on you guys.  And the snowboarder rocking the sun cups - that looked gruesome.
Thanks!
Don

Stoked to see the tradition continue :).

Telemon's knee-to-ski dialect of the tele-turn and internet friendliness were distinctive.



Git down, Brothers and Sisters of the Church of the Telemark..What do you mean it is a turn not a religion?

Thanks for posting, Nick. I had the pleasure of meeting Telemon once, quite a few years back. He was a strong advocate of both tele AND the Baker regions. Glad you posted a July trip out that way. Was wondering if anyone had actually made the gentle but long approach to the skiable "postage stamp" snow fields. I made it out there today (7/22), but found a very small patch about a mile beyond the pass dividing Chain Lakes from Ptarmigan trails. Just as you get to the first divide, where you ca look over to Sholes Glacier, turn left instead, and walk up about 120 feet of vert and about 1/4 mile from the trail. There lies a 150' x 120' patch just large enough to ski 80' vert and 10 turns. Done once, it's ludicrous. Done twice, it's Turns-All-Year! Here's to the spirit of Telemon!!! BTW: The skiing definitely did NOT look like that of the photo in Nick's report...

You're right Rusty Knees.  Normally Gabe brings the lei's.  However, Bob's grandson was decked out in a full Hawaiian shirt/short combination so I guess that kept the theme alive  :)

That turn he is rocking looks like the TAY logo.

Ya man, Telemon. Skied with him once on the Ptarmigan ridge area.Stoked on his passion for skiing. Good to see you guys get out there and make some turns in his honour. From Chilliwack?

I did a bunch of trips with Bob to places like Ptarmigan Ridge, Sholes Glacier, and Heliotrope. Always fun, always lots of conversation and great days out.

Hard to believe it's been 5 years.

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2015-07-21 20:15:28