Jan 31, 2016, Mt Hood, White River bluebird pow
1/31/16
OR Mt Hood
2543
3
White River certainly delivered yesterday for our Sunday-funday tour on Mt Hood. Despite the weekend resort crowds, we were one of only 3 touring parties. The snow was deep, light and stable with sunshine and calm skies all morning. On certain lee convexities there was a ~3" wind slab that could break, but no propagation was seen. Stomping (hard) on the lip of lee-slopes produced zero results. We lapped the center moraine until a modest breeze rolled in and blew us down to Hood River for beers and burgers.
We exited out the East side of the river to avoid having to dodge the estimated 9 million sledders. Someone apparently tried this ahead of us, got rivered-out, and just decided to cross White River back to the gravel pit. They definitely got wet. We stayed course on the East side, and stayed dry with only a modest stream jump. It's been a few years since we had enough snow to even make this exit viable, and another big storm or two should take care of the remaining water features.
We exited out the East side of the river to avoid having to dodge the estimated 9 million sledders. Someone apparently tried this ahead of us, got rivered-out, and just decided to cross White River back to the gravel pit. They definitely got wet. We stayed course on the East side, and stayed dry with only a modest stream jump. It's been a few years since we had enough snow to even make this exit viable, and another big storm or two should take care of the remaining water features.
Me about to take the leap during our exit. As predicted, my boot sunk in an extra foot as I planted for takeoff which sent me thudding against the snow and rocks of the opposite bank. I stayed dry, but a standing leap would have been much wiser.
I was in one of the other groups that skied White River yesterday. I assume you were in the group of two snowboarders?
I'm asking this out of curiosity. Why were you only going a short distance down then traversing across the slope? At one point one person in the group made a few turns then cut across the slope directly below me. I don't think I saw either snowboarder make a complete fall line descent.
And please don't take this as an attack. I'm truly curious because that slope has such a great fall line.
And I agree, the snow was great.
I'm asking this out of curiosity. Why were you only going a short distance down then traversing across the slope? At one point one person in the group made a few turns then cut across the slope directly below me. I don't think I saw either snowboarder make a complete fall line descent.
And please don't take this as an attack. I'm truly curious because that slope has such a great fall line.
And I agree, the snow was great.
I remember looking up at you ;D We traversed out of our first lap to avoid the gully and make haste getting back up. I was expecting to have to hustle to stay ahead of everyone on such a beautiful Sunday, but by the second lap it was obvious there was no one else there and so we continued to bottom each time. Not every run works out perfectly... here's a better one from the same day https://youtu.be/xsLkpRV6H8I Approve?
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