Dec 31, 2015, Twin Lakes Couloir bail
12/31/15
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
2738
2
jakedouglas and I cruised out from Hyak with the goal of schralping the striking couloir above the Twin Lakes. Making short work of the road section and smugly (prematurely) congratulating ourselves on our speed, we hit an old skin track wrapping around the lake and assumed it found a way across the open creek to the base of the couloir, where we planned to start booting. Alas, it ended up (by myriad steep kick turns around pillows and steep trees) on the ridge a quarter mile from the chute's entrance, where its authors had taken their descent. We hit the ridge and skinned over to it, enduring Himalayan winds and about the coldest temperatures I can physically remember in the Cascades.
Though the couloir was untracked and evoked in us an irrational and all-encompassing lust, it was clearly heavily wind loaded for the first hundred or so feet, with no corners to hide in, even from a small slide. Deciding it was not our day to get rad, we ended up skiing back down through the old-growth. The top 8 or so inches of snow were heavily faceted but resting on solid stuff beneath, and generally a pleasure to throw around. North of the lake, we hopped icy rocks across the stream bed, and cruised the road out the way we came.
Stay safe out there.
Though the couloir was untracked and evoked in us an irrational and all-encompassing lust, it was clearly heavily wind loaded for the first hundred or so feet, with no corners to hide in, even from a small slide. Deciding it was not our day to get rad, we ended up skiing back down through the old-growth. The top 8 or so inches of snow were heavily faceted but resting on solid stuff beneath, and generally a pleasure to throw around. North of the lake, we hopped icy rocks across the stream bed, and cruised the road out the way we came.
Stay safe out there.
Pretty interesting! I came up later in the day from the East ridge and, after breaking trail for a few hours, came upon four or five other tracks right as we got to the couloir lip. Looked like at least four folks had dropped, so my partner and I became numbers five and six. We were worried about wind loading, too, but the prior group had slabbed off pretty much all there was to slab by the time we got there. Not sure how dicey it was for them, though. I would be curious to find out.
I guess you cruised our old track.. sorry it was so steep, but we were on a quick mission. yeah that thing got super loaded and that's why we avoided it.. sounds like you had a similar experience. The trees back to cold creek are very worthy though!
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