September 10, 2017, Heliotrope Ridge
9/10/17
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
1702
0
I continued my new streak to two months, and started my son's streak at one, with his first ever true backcountry skiing experience. He did an awesome job, although I'm certain he's sore for his first day of school today.
The dust was down from the rain, and the biting flies that drove me nuts last month were nowhere to be seen. The weather was awesome, and the forecast had said there may have been snow the previous day.
We could see fresh snow within a few hundred feet of the summit, but nothing on Heliotrope Ridge. The bottom third of the snowfield is heavily crevassed blue ice, all the way across the field. The little valley near the top on the west end is also pure ice, with puddles in places. The top two thirds was merely heavily suncupped.
Overall, I'd say it's done for the year. I'm glad I went, but if I still had to get September turns in, I'd just grab a postage stamp somewhere that doesn't require as much hiking.
I'm at work and too lazy to host images on my server, so I'll just like to a
The dust was down from the rain, and the biting flies that drove me nuts last month were nowhere to be seen. The weather was awesome, and the forecast had said there may have been snow the previous day.
We could see fresh snow within a few hundred feet of the summit, but nothing on Heliotrope Ridge. The bottom third of the snowfield is heavily crevassed blue ice, all the way across the field. The little valley near the top on the west end is also pure ice, with puddles in places. The top two thirds was merely heavily suncupped.
Overall, I'd say it's done for the year. I'm glad I went, but if I still had to get September turns in, I'd just grab a postage stamp somewhere that doesn't require as much hiking.
I'm at work and too lazy to host images on my server, so I'll just like to a
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