Home > Trip Reports > June 8, 2017, Baker Squak and Talum

June 8, 2017, Baker Squak and Talum

6/8/17
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
4616
8
Posted by tabski on 6/9/17 3:25am
Joe Kam and myself summitted Kulshan via the Squak on Wednesday. Road is snow covered about 1/2 mile back from TH. Stopped to look at the snowmobile still in the big crack at ~8,500, but otherwise skinned uninterrupted from the car to the summit.

Skied superb snow on Roman Wall, becoming somewhat sticky at crater rim level. Here we transitioned to skins again and climbed to Sherman Peak from where we made a descent of Talum Glacier. Snow was excellent at the top, and stayed good throughout, though sluffing on steep slopes became an issue lower down. Didn't note typical pinwheeling signs or point-release action digging deeper down -- the moving snow entailed the top 2-3", but was fast moving on a slightly icy interface beneath. Noted a very substantial older debris track running out the remainder of the glacier below and out of sight in the woods below, likely from the rains the first week of May. At ~7,600' we traversed back to the Squak.


That sled is gone man.

Lower on the Talum, Joe skis the runneled steeps

author=tabski link=topic=38617.msg156295#msg156295 date=1497032756]
Noted a very substantial older debris track running out the remainder of the glacier below and out of sight in the woods below, likely from the rains the first week of May.


Yep, that's exactly when it happened!
Also, of note, is that the drop from the summit of Sherman onto the Talum is nicely filled in right now. Sometimes it can be tricky (for me at least!) with that small rock band right off the top.

So what's the story with the snow machine still being there? Are people allowed to leave their trash on the mountain now? 'Cause I have an old fridge I need rid of and the dump will charge me.

You tell me!
Looks like some members of TAY know the snowboarders who piloted the snowmobile into the crevasse. Maybe they have an update?
From what it sounds like, you can dispose of smaller items without worry.

author=geosean link=topic=38617.msg156332#msg156332 date=1497281345]
So what's the story with the snow machine still being there? Are people allowed to leave their trash on the mountain now? 'Cause I have an old fridge I need rid of and the dump will charge me.


I was up there the day they rode it in. Two skiers that borrowed a snowmobile and rode into a wide open crevasse, they are planning to go extract t this weekend. Northwest Glacier Cruisers snowmobile club is already in contact with the forest service to make sure it is removed from the mountain.

And from what I hear it is a very big fine to leave a snowmobile up on the mountain

I've been texting with one of the dudes... mostly to the tune of, "Whatchagonna do aboot that snomachine still in the ice crack, eh, bud?"

He avoided some of my pointier questions about the likelihood of the fat fine, but wanted an opinion on the mechanics of the extraction. He said that the helo guys don't like the nature of the pick because the upslope side of the crevasse overhangs and obscures the load, also causing uncertain line tension.

I offered that perhaps the sledneck group could bring some sort of collapsible aluminum frame to set up at the downslope lip, with a pulley at the end of and overhanging member and a multi-z drag setup between deeply-driven anchors or sleds tied together... with the obvious challenge being how to wrastle the 500-lb machine safely over the lip once it's reached the top of the lift.

I suggested that he'll be able to scrape up the pulverized bits once the machine emerges from the toe of the glacier in about 200 years.

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june-8-2017-baker-squak-and-talum
tabski
2017-06-09 10:25:56