|
|
|
|
|
|
Turns All Year Trip Reports
(1) Viewing these pages constitutes your acceptance of the Terms of Use.
(2) Disclaimer: the accuracy of information here is unknown, use at your own risk.
(3) Trip Report monthly boards: only actual trip report starts a new thread.
(4) Keep it civil and constructive - that is the norm here. |
|
|
|
|
Author
|
Topic: November 26, 2005, Silver Saddle (Read 1423 times)
|
Lowell_Skoog
Member
Offline
Posts: 1628
WWW
|
My friends Mark and Bryan and I met at the Renton park & ride this morning and headed for Crystal Mountain. We were tempted by Paradise, but decided not to risk a long wait at the Longmire gate. NWAC telemetry reported 4" of new snow at Crystal this morning. We hoped it would be enough to cover the crust.
We skinned up to Silver Basin, where we passed three other skiers who climbed only to timberline then headed out. No one else was in the basin during our first two runs from Silver Saddle. Around noon a couple other skiers arrived to share the slopes with us.
We found 8-12" of new snow, enough to cushion the base, but not enough to give us a lot of avalanche worries. Around 1 p.m. a couple of ski patrollers passed on their control route to Threeway Peak. They got a couple of slides to run in the steeper gully north of us (called "Boxcar" I think). Slope angle was the key to avalanche potential today.
After blasting the gully next to Threeway Peak (with little results) they skied down and radioed in their report. Around 2 p.m. the south backcountry was opened and the lift skiing hordes began to appear. They generally skied north of us, down the bony chutes on the southeast flank of Silver King.
The picture of Mark above makes it look a bit deeper than it was, but we all enjoyed a fine day. Days like this really make me glad that the Silver King chairlift was not approved by the Forest Service. I felt like everybody got something out of the day, both the lift skiers and us pine cone eaters.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: 11/27/05, 11:00 AM by Lowell_Skoog »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
chrism
Member
Offline
Posts: 110
|
Hi Lowell, Mark, and Bryan. Liz and I were the couple who joined you guys in the basin yesterday. Nice to have met you all, and shared some turns.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Lowell_Skoog
Member
Offline
Posts: 1628
WWW
|
Thanks for the note, Chris. Nice to meet you two as well.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
Joedabaker
Member
Offline
Posts: 1778
|
When we saw what ended up being your skin track going to the basin, we made a decision- use their track or make our own? We figured to let you have your peace. We skinned away and we were on top of a peak just North of Threeway and saw your gang making tracks. Good Job! One of our group members snapped some great shots of pristine powder on the King as you were making your 2nd accent.
Before all this I went into the patrol shack and inquired if they were planning on bombing South and they said, "Not today!"
So much for trusting the patrols communication.
As dusk was approaching, you were the only people we saw all day in the backcountry until we returned climbing to Threeway's exit chute I saw and heard a friend yell my name across the Crystal Lakes Valley.
We were surprised to make fresh turns as we made our escape.
Good Report Lowell-
Joe
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
If it's called common sense, why isn't it more common?
|
|
|
|
Thank you to our sponsors!
|
Contact turns-all-year.com
Turns All Year Trip Reports ©2001-2010 Turns All Year LLC. All Rights Reserved
The opinions expressed in posts are those of the poster and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of Trip Reports administrators or Turns All Year LLC
|
Turns All Year Trip Reports | Powered by SMF 1.0.6.
© 2001-2005, Lewis Media. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
