Home > Trip Reports > 1/20/06 Stevens Pass, Skyline Ridge

1/20/06 Stevens Pass, Skyline Ridge

1/20/06
WA Stevens Pass
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Posted by Randonnee on 1/20/06 3:51am
Tasty face shots. Deep. Lots of snow.

Hoping for a break in the storm this afternoon and hoping for a broken trail, I got both and did four laps in three hours on Skyline above Stevens Pass this afternoon.

The conditions are more typical Stevens Pass pow. There is some thicker stuff under there in places. Not a lot of surface wind effects, I had a nice run down the normally wind packed side. I saw some telemarkers on 80 mm skis who gave up and left, and a couple of other telemarkers on midfats and a snowboarder augering in, while I did see another boarder and telemarker doing nice turns. I found that velocity and floating to the top on my FR 10s gave that dancing through the fluff sensation.

Unfortunately it is my weekend to work. You all have fun.
I was up there today as well. We passed the antenna tower and went out the ridge a ways. I triggered a anvalanche coming off the ridge (30 ft wide, 6 to 12 inch crown) but was able to ski right through it. We were kind of expecting the instability due to the wind loading but kind of got comitted on the line. Watch the steep pitches off the top, but everthing after that seemed fine. We packed out the pacific crest trail back to the lot.

Snoslut and I were up there too - hopefully the "boarder and telemarker doing nice turns". We got up to the pass early and were planning on heading up Nason Creek to the Crest, but the lower lot wasn't yet plowed (14-16 inches new). Headed down to the parking for Arrowhead - plowed but we couldn't see breaking trail all the way up there with just the two of us. Smith Brook parking wasn't plowed, so we headed back to the pass. The trailbreaking was very tedious. Very sensitive surface slabs right above the parking lot (shooting cracks), but otherwise pretty cohesionless up to the upper shack (5000?). Too much snow for the less steep parts, but we had fun on the open area and down through the trees to the PCT. The snow got moister and heavier in the afternoon.

Hmmmm...deep pow, fluffy in the morning and creamy in the afternoon.  Hmmmm.  Yeah trail breaking was tough and I now feel like a one legged man in an arse kicking contest but nothing a guinny and hot shower couldn't cure.  The Lewis n Clark forest exploration thru some killer terrain in the trees sure made the day Charles.  Them open slopes sure were bottomless as leaned back looking at the sky.  Don't shake hands with tree branches unless you like looking like a yeti. ;D

Yea, you guys were lookin' good!

I thought I recognized Charles from his clothing. Sorry that  I did not catch up with you. Apparently I was going up as you took your last run down.

Thanks for the trail. Last time I was there I broke trail up and then the many skiers caught up before I got to the top.

Don't shake hands with tree branches unless you like looking like a yeti. ;D

Nice Eric! Glad you had fun out there!


I believe I was the snowboarder augering in - my wife was on telemark skis. The snow was quite deep and lots of fun, as long as you kept your tip up and leaned back - like floating on a cloud.

Charles and Snoslut - thanks again for breaking trail and for sharing your knowledge. My wife and I are relatively new to the backcountry - we started last year after taking one of Gary Brill's classes. This site has been incredibly helpful and just a wealth of information - thanks Charles and all the contributors.

One of the big bonuses I have found in the backcountry is the willingness of others to pass on their knowledge - it gives one a great sense of community.

-TQ

I thought I recognized Charles from his clothing

Yes, snoslut informed me that my clothing was "old-style" - but at least I got rid of the duct taped ski pants a while ago!

Sorry we did not see you, Randonee or altasnob, but it was good talking with you and your wife, tomq. I wish we had known that someone was going to break trail back up the PCT from the east runs - we would have gladly followed. I guess the early bird does not always get the worm, at least on new snow days.

Nothing wrong with a little of that old school style.  You definately got skillz to carve that bottomless on those pizza cutters. ;D  Hey I got duck tape holding part of my splitboard together.  Nice to meet you tomq and company.  Sounds like everyone got there's in bottomless conditions.

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1-20-06-stevens-pass-skyline-ridge
Randonnee
2006-01-20 11:51:51