July 16, 2006, - The Gouda Tour (MRNP)
7/16/06
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
5527
12
Scene: Paradise Glacier, Mt Rainier
Suspects: Ronj, Maddog, JW, Sag, Darryl, Zap, Jill, Scottsman and Snoslut.
Car by car our gang rolled into the Paradise parking lot. Sometime between 9-9:30 we were hiking under the sun with a cool breeze. Our destination today was the Paradise Glacier. We marched up to Pan Pt. and then to Pebble Creek, stopping from time to time to chat with inquiring minds along the way. Everybody started skinning from just above Pebble Creek and before long we crossed over from the Muir Snowfield onto the Paradise Glacier. This is where we bumped into Kenji and 2 others. This is also where Darryl decided to turn back due to illness. Bummer.
I watched from a bench as the last skier in Kenjis group skinned up the steep pyramid shaped pitch climbers left of Anvil. This nice bench is where .
Our route led us down to the top of Golden Gate where we enjoyed a nice stroll through Edith Creek before arriving back at the cars. After loading up gear and saying goodbyes, some of us were too hungry and decided to stop by the Mexican eatery in Eatonville.
There were a bunch of cameras so I'm sure there will be some more pics. I'm still sorting through mine.
It was a very BIG day for the "geezers" so we had to skip a lot of things to get an early start so we could make our destination. We had to skip our usual Tall Timbers breakfast stop :(, skip the Muir snowfield :D, "skip the cliffs" ;D, and skip the Dairy Queen >:( on the way home. But.......it seemed we had our own secret garden to play in the whole day, not wanting it to end. This had to be one of the best days so far this summer ;D 8).
(Hope your feeling better Darryl, you would have had a great time).
(Hope your feeling better Darryl, you would have had a great time).
Gouda as it gets ? Wisha wouda been there.
Thinking of heading up there this weekend to help a friend keep his streak alive and have a few questions about route conditions.
How are the cracks on the glacier? Are things opened, closed or just sagging? Was the crossing of the 'Iron Curtain' at 7800-8000 pretty straightforward or did you stick to the shoulder (skiers right) and just hook back over to avoid the cracks.
Thanks...skh
How are the cracks on the glacier? Are things opened, closed or just sagging? Was the crossing of the 'Iron Curtain' at 7800-8000 pretty straightforward or did you stick to the shoulder (skiers right) and just hook back over to avoid the cracks.
Thanks...skh
author=The_Snow_Troll link=topic=5135.msg21600#msg21600 date=1153320747]... How are the cracks on the glacier? Are things opened, closed or just sagging?...
I'd probably describe the glacier's condition as "sagging and opening up more every day". Our descent was more above the cleaver that extends up from the saddle at Cowlitz rocks. We crossed a wide bridge with cracks on either side of us at about 8300 and we had to skirt around to our right of some larger cracks at about 8200.
I wouldn't hesitate to ski it again this weekend with the usual care, control and caution that any experienced glacier traveler would exercise, while obviously avoiding lines where a pleasant outcome could not be ascertained with certainty from above.
Thanks Ron,
Were you able to ski all the way down or did you have to walk out the valley?
Were you able to ski all the way down or did you have to walk out the valley?
Looks like it was another great trip! I was overlooking your route that same day from ~9,500-ft on Little Tahoma. 8)
author=The_Snow_Troll link=topic=5135.msg21604#msg21604 date=1153332147]
Thanks Ron, Were you able to ski all the way down or did you have to walk out the valley?
We skied the length of the lower Paradise Gl morraine down to about 6400 where we skirted up the west wall of the morraine with a short portage. We basically swithced footgear and saddled up for the hike back at Golden Gate although Scotty stuck it out with more short carries here and there and managed to make it down to the Edith Creek Bridge before loading up. You'll, of course, encounter more rocks than we did ;)
If you have even half as good a tour as we did it will be fantastic -- I wish at least that upon you. 8)
Chris - Great shot of the route. Thanks. I filched it fir my files. :)
That was some very Gouda Stuff Enjoy! 8)...Jerry
Jerry & Jen,
Excellent video ! It was a perfect day on "The Mountain". Eric,for the record, I was kidding. ;)
Zap
Excellent video ! It was a perfect day on "The Mountain". Eric,for the record, I was kidding. ;)
Zap
Fun video Jer & Jen.
Its early Monday morning and there's nothing better than some ski/board porn. The ending gave me a good laugh. Zap its all good! 8)
An especially Rockin' video, Jerman. Must have been the editing guidance from Jen, eh? ;)
I was going to put one of those stills from the beginning of your great "46 degree" run in this post but for some reason, unbeknowst to me, msn groups puts something in their photo urls that much of the time prevents the hotlinking to TAY threads, which I find somewhat irritating.
Do any of you techno types out there know how to fix or work around that foible? ???
This one linked in fine for me:
Here MadDog is saying "Did I just ski over that?"
Some other stills for the trip are POSTED HERE.
FWIW, the Paradise Gl still looks like it's in pretty good shape for skiing as of yesterday as viewed across from up on the Tatoosh.
I was going to put one of those stills from the beginning of your great "46 degree" run in this post but for some reason, unbeknowst to me, msn groups puts something in their photo urls that much of the time prevents the hotlinking to TAY threads, which I find somewhat irritating.
Do any of you techno types out there know how to fix or work around that foible? ???
This one linked in fine for me:
Here MadDog is saying "Did I just ski over that?"
Some other stills for the trip are POSTED HERE.
FWIW, the Paradise Gl still looks like it's in pretty good shape for skiing as of yesterday as viewed across from up on the Tatoosh.
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