Home > Trip Reports > November 17, 2002, Mazama back bowl, MRNP

November 17, 2002, Mazama back bowl, MRNP

11/17/02
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
4052
6
Posted by Robie on 11/17/02 5:56am
Gate opened as promised at 9am with road mostly clear.
Ho hum, another tour into Back bowl. Ron and Jeanette got some really good turns in. Hey ! 3 ft of snow back there gave us some choices. Like most early season snow a little heavy and crusty but with the right flotation and pizazz it is doable. Early on flat lighting but midday We got some sun breaks that helped to define the slope. Ski out and down Mazama was mostly survival. Base skiing at its best and worse. Dorothea and I are saving ourselves for premium conditions.
The turns in the bowl were great, the trip out was humbling.  It was survival skiing at it's best with the temps warming just enough to create the ominous "Cascade Cement" effect.  We all laughed and said, is this the same group that skied the SW Chutes at Mt. Adams this past year  ;D

Don't let Robie kid you...
He got plenty of turns in.

We all did.  We averaged two to three feet of coverage.  Could have been better but we were happy to get it.  I didn't hit even 1 rock! (although there were plenty of big ones showing).
More pics can be viewed here:
http://groups.msn.com/WildHeartsSkiing/paradisenov172003.msnw

Heard you ran into my stepdaughter Kirstin (tall 30-yr old blonde) and her husband up there Sunday--she said she saw someone who looked like my brother Darrell ...

That musta been the couple on the catamounts getting a late start up Mazama Ridge?

Right--Regine's old catamounts on Kirstin (they were too long for Regine) and mine on Pete (I replaced them with Karhu Pavos). abc

Nice job on the photos Ron.

Reply to this TR

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november-17-2002-mazama-back-bowl-mrnp
Robie
2002-11-17 13:56:18