April 20, 2019, Black Peak S Face
4/20/19
9557
13
Cloudy and very lightly snowing at Rainy Pass when we arrived around 7:30am. Started the day by locking my keys and backpack in my car. Fortunately all it takes to break into a 2004 Subaru is 5 minutes and a ski pole.
Breakable crust and avalanche debris on the descent to Lewis Lake. Cloud layer around 8-9k stuck around until noon or so giving us time to get up the S face before the sun really started to bake it. Some wind slab crowns 6-24" deep in the western gullies, but not in the eastern-most gully that we skied.
We tried scrambling up to the summit but turned around about 30ft away. The final bit to the summit had some precarious snow that we didn't want to trust without a rope.
Descent down the S face to Woody Creek had great corn, even on the lower slopes that had been baking for a while. Skinned up to Last Chance pass on miserable crust and avalanche debris, then had a nice descent to Maple Creek. Final descent to Rainy Pass was breakable crust in the open, mush in the trees.
Photos:
1. N Face of Goode
2. Powder high on Black Peak
3. Woody Creek, Logan in the background
Breakable crust and avalanche debris on the descent to Lewis Lake. Cloud layer around 8-9k stuck around until noon or so giving us time to get up the S face before the sun really started to bake it. Some wind slab crowns 6-24" deep in the western gullies, but not in the eastern-most gully that we skied.
We tried scrambling up to the summit but turned around about 30ft away. The final bit to the summit had some precarious snow that we didn't want to trust without a rope.
Descent down the S face to Woody Creek had great corn, even on the lower slopes that had been baking for a while. Skinned up to Last Chance pass on miserable crust and avalanche debris, then had a nice descent to Maple Creek. Final descent to Rainy Pass was breakable crust in the open, mush in the trees.
Photos:
1. N Face of Goode
2. Powder high on Black Peak
3. Woody Creek, Logan in the background
...really very fabulous photos.
Great photos.
Your Subaru story reminds me of a time in college at UVM when we had this massive 4' storm on Valentine's Day. Somehow we had loaded our gear into my friends car but shut the door and locked ourselves out while it was running in the driveway. I was able to break in with a coat hanger and the powder day was saved. I think that day I actually triggered a small wind slab in the trees at Mad River, which I was not expecting!
Your Subaru story reminds me of a time in college at UVM when we had this massive 4' storm on Valentine's Day. Somehow we had loaded our gear into my friends car but shut the door and locked ourselves out while it was running in the driveway. I was able to break in with a coat hanger and the powder day was saved. I think that day I actually triggered a small wind slab in the trees at Mad River, which I was not expecting!
schwing
Picture number #2 put a smile on my face. Thanks for sharing - If you are ever looking for an extra tour buddy hit me up!
I nominate picture #2 of the next cover photo on Turns All Year. Second?
author=peteyboy link=topic=41860.msg164876#msg164876 date=1556149067]
I nominate picture #2 of the next cover photo on Turns All Year. Second?
Second! Magazine cover worthy.
Heck yes that is a good shot. Agree that the S slope of Black down to Woody Cr skied great!
We also noticed you guys problem-solving on the lockout earlier in the morning, and congratulated you. At one point it looked like you were going to find yet another use for a whippet.
We also noticed you guys problem-solving on the lockout earlier in the morning, and congratulated you. At one point it looked like you were going to find yet another use for a whippet.
Thanks for the photo complements, my friend Matthew took it. It's a special shot for me because Goode is in the background and my great grandfather was on the first ascent of Goode in 1936. Black Peak was climbed a decade earlier, but back then it was probably a multi-day expedition from Lake Chelan, not a roadside day trip. It's a spectacular part of the Cascades.
The whippet was nice for prying the window open, but if you need to smash the window a real ice axe is the tool for the job. Glad it didn't come to that, even though this day would have been well worth a broken window.
The whippet was nice for prying the window open, but if you need to smash the window a real ice axe is the tool for the job. Glad it didn't come to that, even though this day would have been well worth a broken window.
author=aaasen link=topic=41860.msg164881#msg164881 date=1556226471]
Thanks for the photo complements, my friend Matthew took it. It's a special shot for me because Goode is in the background and my great grandfather was on the first ascent of Goode in 1936. Black Peak was climbed a decade earlier, but back then it was probably a multi-day expedition from Lake Chelan, not a roadside day trip. It's a spectacular part of the Cascades.
Nice Lane! Good to be reminded of your great grandfather, OP Dickert. I didn't make the connection until you mentioned him. Glad you had a good trip. That's a beautiful area.
I suggest a caption contest.... or at least OP let me know if it's not cool to use as cover photo. I concur that the photo is one of many really nice shots aaasen has recently posted.
author=peteyboy link=topic=41860.msg164876#msg164876 date=1556149067]
I nominate picture #2 of the next cover photo on Turns All Year. Second?
author=PhilH link=topic=41860.msg164877#msg164877 date=1556209571]
Second! Magazine cover worthy.
author=Micah link=topic=41860.msg164891#msg164891 date=1556341346]
I suggest a caption contest.... or at least OP let me know if it's not cool to use as cover photo.
Go for it. I'm the skier (Lane Aasen) and my friend Matthew Koppe took the photo.
Thanks, Lane.
author=aaasen link=topic=41860.msg164892#msg164892 date=1556344403]
Go for it. I'm the skier (Lane Aasen) and my friend Matthew Koppe took the photo.
Off topic... Perhaps used by OP Dickert himself on the Goode FA in '36? Fantastic photo of NF Goode, and recent Black Pk carving.
Reply to this TR
Please login first: