Home > Trip Reports > January 30, 2016, Stevens Pass Environs

January 30, 2016, Stevens Pass Environs

1/30/16
WA Stevens Pass
4218
11
Posted by John Morrow on 1/30/16 11:45am
At about 4000 feet there was 8 to 10 inches of storm snow on a compressable rain crust with abundant wet grains below the crust.  By 6000 feet the depth was closer to 15".  Storm snow density was generally right side up.  Above 5000 feet the top six inches was light and uncohesive enough to cause some rapid but maneageable sluffing.  The sluffs did not entrain down to the crust but ran on the interface within the  storm snow.  That storm snow interface gave us  Q2 shears at CTM 14 to 17 taps in several compression tests of non-windaffected east facing slope.  No results on the rain crust.  Strong force of a shovel shear finally got the storm snow to slide on the rain crust.  The east slope skied excellent but was short.  Wind transport partially scoured two different NW facing slopes we skied, occasionally to where we'd carve into the crust.
Oh yeah, not much snow in the trees.
Overall, a very good and safe day of skiing.

So this is what it has come to in the BC Ski community:
Upon incidentally meeting some acquaintances where we parked.  The pleasantries, "How's so and so, how's work, yada yada...."
"So where you headed today?", one of us asks.
"Up"
"Up??"
"Yeah...up.  And you guys?"
"Eh, somewhere further back in"
"Umm, followed by undeciferable grunting sounds."
"Well then, have fun going Up.!?!"

What the hell, come on...we're in the same parking area....!!!!
Yes, I, too, am guilty as charged.  I know.  No offense taken or intended.  Simpy stated for informational purposes!
Great beta on the condition. I agree that the hoarding mentality has gotten dramatically more noticeable recently. Note the paucity of reports on this board- it's really ridiculous in the PNW where the bounty of terrain is so abundant.

John,

I'm still surprised we haven't had that convo at a trail head somewhere... ;)..

I'm not really that guy though.  I usually ask, because I want to know for the sake of safety, ,knowing who is above or below,  recent observations, crowd dispersion, or even combining groups. Met some good people, and partners like this. Lots of good info has flowed both ways. I can understand people wanting to hold their secrets, doesn't bother me, but doesn't mean I have to conform.

I don't share much online anymore, because I don't have a lot to add. I would be more inclined if it was just conditions reports.. But people want pictures and story's. ;).. Besides, the BC is getting to crowded!

Fwiw,, I was at Stevens pass the last three days... Friday, I was at a very crowded Heather ridge... One skier had the whole north side to himself, two from the patrol cabin where lapping moonlight, and my dog and I had everything west of skyline gap to ourselves....three laps of diving board allowed me to keep tabs on nthe up traffic if there where more then that, they where ninjas.erracticly windy, cold snow, face shots..

Saturday, Rowen stewart and I rode bald otter and flying squirrel(nason ridge). Blower up top, sun made stuff kind of heavy down low. Super fun pillow poppin day. Kololo hit almost everything we did, except for one giant triple stepdown. She's so rad.got over crowded there though..Chris and radka where just behind us on the up track, sorry to miss them!(they can attest I'm not beta shy at the trail head though). (Thats 4 people on a 2 mile ridgeline)

Today I went to lil plug drain plug(sparkplug). Fast approach(1 hour) to the base. Lower valley has not yet become planular, but avi debris was close to reaching the creek.kept skin track very low, for the safety of unknowingly snowshoe followers... Beat the cliffs and skinned the whole way! Climbers left is money... Decent was... Well is it really snow boarding if you are just jumping from mushroom top to mushroom to mushroom top for 1,500'?? Still got a little heavy below 4,000'..  0 other skiers, nor findable traces from the last week +..

So technically, I seen one other skier, the guy from Friday morning.  He passed me at T-Mobile tower #1... Not a soul since then.. Soooo crowded!

P.s half the state is in Japan, Colorado, and BC though. Thanks for leaving so that the pows would return!. Enjoy the solitude while it lasts,cthey'll be back soon.













ha! funny Scott, nice reply.

as for
author=myikat link=topic=35611.msg145761#msg145761 date=1454287705]
I agree that the hoarding mentality has gotten dramatically more noticeable recently. Note the paucity of reports on this board- it's really ridiculous in the PNW where the bounty of terrain is so abundant.

where's all your TRs Myikat? The leap to judge it as "hoarding mentality" seems bizarre.


"Yeah...up.  And you guys?"

Sounds legit to me. In fact it almost sounds like a conversation I had this morning...
conditions weren't quite as forecast... we had a general direction but quickly got to a point where there was a lot of fog... we started going right... but then reconsidered and went left (left a funny skin track!) Going with the flow of conditions... going up. It's a positive thing.


Hi Scott, I am glad you stopped by.  I was thinking of you and Surprise and wondered if the deeper low elev snowpack has had any bearing on parking down there or is it still available typically?  Would love to get back to the 'Plugs.

Sure, "up's' perfectly legit I guess, Stefan.  It's just that the whole exchange really cracked me up.  Everyone who ends up parked there has to know where "up" is!  If not, come back the next day and follow the skin track, eh?  Or why wait that long, buckle the boots slowly and follow 30 minutes behind.  We, incidentally did just that last weekend, unintentionally.  Turns out we had the same unspoken destination in mind.  We just arrived 15 minutes later to the TH as the other party was starting out.  The next day we broke trail to the first destination on our agenda and two parties followed our skin track.

I agree that there seems to be a paucity of reports anymore.  Maybe the luster of forums is wearing off.  We're probably better off for it in the end.

Thanks,
John

Hi Scott.
I was the Friday fellow following you and poochie up Skyline and our brief meet at the cell tower. I was hoping you would follow me to the northwest runs but breaking a new solo skin track can be character building. Quite stormy but lots of nice fresh in trees that day. Yeah, somewhat surprised others did not show up.

that does sound weak.  but maybe he didn't know where he was going?

"So where you headed today?", one of us asks.
"Up"

Ha ha!  That is a great conversation.  So, if you happened to meet them at the top, and asked them what line they were going to ski, we can assume their answer would be, "down."

This conversation reminds me of the interactions that seem to be a common part of the popular outdoor crags like Vantage.  Inevitably I'll be approached and asked, "So, what climb you thinking of doing?"  Uh, the one my rope is under right now.

My guess based on the conversation.

Both groups met at the Nordic center. Group  up skied north facing trees on Jim hill ridge. Group further back went back to noodle trees at the lake, and then climbed north facing slopes ..

Nice to meet you Nick! I considered going down that way, but I thought I was going to be one and done. Your idea worked though. Slowed down and let it snow a little. :) .

John,
Yes, parking is almost always available just across the tracks. I think I heard BNSF has an access agreement or something?
Trail is in about as good/fast shape as it gets..I think for someone like you, the approach/ deproach would be trivial.


author=alecapone link=topic=35611.msg145782#msg145782 date=1454305664]
John,
Yes, parking is almost always available just across the tracks. I think I heard BNSF has an access agreement or something?
Trail is in about as good/fast shape as it gets..I think for someone like you, the approach/ deproach would be trivial.




Thanks...and bulls eye on the location beta. We bypassed noodle since below 5000 feet there was too little snow under the canopy.  Henceforth, I afffectionately refer to G of G as Up!  Oh, two others did the original Burgdorpher route that day and never spoke a word in the lot.  We all just stared each other down.  And we were parked right next to each other.  As myikat has mentioned, mum is truly becoming the word on the low hanging fruit.  But I wasn't exactly emulating Silas' ambassador role at the TH either, admittedly.

author=juan link=topic=35611.msg145778#msg145778 date=1454304094]
that does sound weak.  but maybe he didn't know where he was going?


Hi juan, if you mean my original post in this thread.....she knew exactly where she was going!  So does alecapone, apparently.  Part of why the whole thing is funny to me.  And why a derogatory response flew out of my mouth so fast "Have fun up!"   

Hello to NickD!  We used to cross paths when my boots were still leather, I do believe!  Good to know you'e out skinning up something of late.  Probably still getting two runs in to my every one at 2x the speed, too.

Around Mission we don't have the crowds, more like AleCapone's experience here, but we do get snowmobiles.

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january-30-2016-stevens-pass-environs
John Morrow
2016-01-30 19:45:08