Feb 25, 2006, Bullion and Cement Basin
2/25/06
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
4613
9
Today, Telemack and our two dogs, Lobo and Chugach left Crystal about 10.30 and toured up to the saddle at the top of Bullion Basin. At the top we intercepted a large group coming up from Cement basin who had laid the nice skin track we followed. Thanks. :D We de-skinned and did two 700' laps down cement basin in nice, boot-top powder which skied really well. About 2.30 we met a couple of snowboarders on split boards at the saddle, told them what we had found and wished them fun. ( Hi, Rob, the surfer if you are reading this)
The snow in Cement basin consisted of about 12"-14" of unconsolidated powder over a firm base that felt secure and did not slough. I was much more concerned about the snow on the wide open slopes we skied back down to Crystal. It consisted of 2" of hard sun slab ontop of about 12" of snow that had started to form a soft slab.
At times the 2" would shatter and break off and go sliding down. We exercised good protocol on that stretch and skied with the other person watching from a safe position.
A great day and the dogs loved it. We also saw a solo skier who was running laps in Cement Basin. He was obviously very experienced as his skiing was lovely and when he spoke to Mack he knew the area well, but I wouldn't have skied up there alone today . However, to each his own and I hope he got back OK.
The snow in Cement basin consisted of about 12"-14" of unconsolidated powder over a firm base that felt secure and did not slough. I was much more concerned about the snow on the wide open slopes we skied back down to Crystal. It consisted of 2" of hard sun slab ontop of about 12" of snow that had started to form a soft slab.
At times the 2" would shatter and break off and go sliding down. We exercised good protocol on that stretch and skied with the other person watching from a safe position.
A great day and the dogs loved it. We also saw a solo skier who was running laps in Cement Basin. He was obviously very experienced as his skiing was lovely and when he spoke to Mack he knew the area well, but I wouldn't have skied up there alone today . However, to each his own and I hope he got back OK.
Nice report, Scotty.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Scotsman & Mack,
Thanks for your insight up there. It was nice to meet you guys (& the dogs). We rode both the gullies on skiers right in two runs. It was a bit steeper the farther east we went, but we didn't experience any sluff. The snow felt firm but really nice (buttery). Since Tom spotted me through the first gully, I spotted him on the second and snapped a sequence of him entering the funnel with a nice heelside. Thanks again guys. See you next time.
Rob
Thanks for your insight up there. It was nice to meet you guys (& the dogs). We rode both the gullies on skiers right in two runs. It was a bit steeper the farther east we went, but we didn't experience any sluff. The snow felt firm but really nice (buttery). Since Tom spotted me through the first gully, I spotted him on the second and snapped a sequence of him entering the funnel with a nice heelside. Thanks again guys. See you next time.
Rob
Hello Scotsman and company,
Good to hear you had a good day. After our "big group" left Cement Basin, we toured along the east side of the ridge from East Peak in a southerly direction to Union Creek Basin. Our first run down on a southeasterly aspect had an increasingly dense sun crust as we reached valley bottom. We climbed out of Union back to the ridge and positioned ourselves above Union Creek basin on the easterly slopes, which were covered in about a foot of buttery, well-bonded, snow. The slightest change of aspect to the south showed sun affect (crust, ranging from eggshell thin to about 1 inch thick), but the wide easterly slope was well preserved and gave us hours of fun! After three runs down into Union Creek we skinned up the ridge trending west and skied the north facing bowl filled with really nice, well-bonded pow. Despite the range of conditions on westerly through southerly aspects, we managed a 7,400 vertical day, and most of it in luscious Cascade powder!
Good to hear you had a good day. After our "big group" left Cement Basin, we toured along the east side of the ridge from East Peak in a southerly direction to Union Creek Basin. Our first run down on a southeasterly aspect had an increasingly dense sun crust as we reached valley bottom. We climbed out of Union back to the ridge and positioned ourselves above Union Creek basin on the easterly slopes, which were covered in about a foot of buttery, well-bonded, snow. The slightest change of aspect to the south showed sun affect (crust, ranging from eggshell thin to about 1 inch thick), but the wide easterly slope was well preserved and gave us hours of fun! After three runs down into Union Creek we skinned up the ridge trending west and skied the north facing bowl filled with really nice, well-bonded pow. Despite the range of conditions on westerly through southerly aspects, we managed a 7,400 vertical day, and most of it in luscious Cascade powder!
Hi M,
7400 Vf is a burly day. You guys must have eaten your Wheaties 8)
Great snow up there, it was doggy heaven that day :D
7400 Vf is a burly day. You guys must have eaten your Wheaties 8)
Great snow up there, it was doggy heaven that day :D
...for breakfast: 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt from Trader Joes (120 calories), one cup Nature's Path Heritage flakes (144 calories), and 1 cup defrosted frozen fruit (168 calories) pureed with one teaspoon of cinnamon...downed with strong green tea made from loose leaves (no tea bags!) carefully selected from Uwajimaya's tea isle...it gets me through just about anything, every day of the week...:)
Good report, Scottso, you beat me to it. I'm sure we've both been bragging about our dogs for a couple of days now---and we should! ;D
There were actually 3 solo skiers we saw, in Cement and skinning up East Peak (I think that's the name for the knob NW of the Bullion/Union saddle, with the cross on the summit). Cement seemed solid, and where most of the floks went wasn't very steep, but skiing the face back into Bullion was very variable with some clear hazard spots (convexites in & below the middle rocks).
Great photos, Rob & Tom, and thanks for the social hour. Did you get a chance to try the steeper slopes R of the gully? That gully looked primo.
Can anyone tell me what are the good ways to get into Union Basin? do you circle around R/south from the top ot Cement, can you go stright to it from the head of Bullion, or is there another way?
There were actually 3 solo skiers we saw, in Cement and skinning up East Peak (I think that's the name for the knob NW of the Bullion/Union saddle, with the cross on the summit). Cement seemed solid, and where most of the floks went wasn't very steep, but skiing the face back into Bullion was very variable with some clear hazard spots (convexites in & below the middle rocks).
Great photos, Rob & Tom, and thanks for the social hour. Did you get a chance to try the steeper slopes R of the gully? That gully looked primo.
Can anyone tell me what are the good ways to get into Union Basin? do you circle around R/south from the top ot Cement, can you go stright to it from the head of Bullion, or is there another way?
M,
If that recipe gets you enough energy for 7400 vf, I'll give it a try. Thanks for sharing you special skinning breakfast secrets 8)
If that recipe gets you enough energy for 7400 vf, I'll give it a try. Thanks for sharing you special skinning breakfast secrets 8)
Hey Telemack,
Yea, the first line was in the near gully which was fun. The snow was great in there, condensed and well bonded which made it fast. We did the next gully (the larger one to the east) by hiking the ridge and dropping in from the top and hugging the far skiers right tree line.
That was a fun day. Thanks to all of you (M?) who blazed the trail ahead and allowed us to get up easy and work off the Miller Highlife. We usually tour up north so it was fun to see a new area. I think it would be a good place to dig a cave and stay a few days to do more exploring.
Here's a nerdy map.
Yea, the first line was in the near gully which was fun. The snow was great in there, condensed and well bonded which made it fast. We did the next gully (the larger one to the east) by hiking the ridge and dropping in from the top and hugging the far skiers right tree line.
That was a fun day. Thanks to all of you (M?) who blazed the trail ahead and allowed us to get up easy and work off the Miller Highlife. We usually tour up north so it was fun to see a new area. I think it would be a good place to dig a cave and stay a few days to do more exploring.
Here's a nerdy map.
Hey---I wanted that steep one on lookers' left through the cliff. Was it stable?
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