12-3-06 Snoqualamie Pass Report and Lesson Learned

Snoqualamie Pass backcountry, north of I-90. Headed up Saturday morning at 8:00 am with Brian, just a little after Jim, Yanna and Silas so they could break trail (good planning). Overtook them after we broke out of the trees and got up to the ridge, 3000 feet up, where soft but settled snow greeted us for our first descent in the trees. Another group, Dave and John, joined us but plenty of terrain for all. About 5 creamy inches permitting ripping good fun through glades and woods. 

Additional lap with Brian and Silas was about 1800 feet with equally enjoyable snow in the wooded terrain. No avi threat in the trees so no pit dug, but later day cooling caused some breakable suncrust and a few crunchy turns. 

Good lesson learned today. On the last run on a very steep slope with Brian and Silas, did an off-balance tumble and got a ski caught on the uphill side of a old growth tree. Tip tangled in a small branch and I ended upside down, nearly vertical, hugging the massive tree. Fortunately Brian was close by and I hollered for him to wait. Wiggled and tugged, but no go, even after ejecting pack and poles. My position did not permit easy binding release or boot unbuckle without serious, potentially muscle-pulling contortion or knee twisting so best option was asking for release help.

A humbling moment and fortunatley partner Brian had little uphill to backtrack. Silas was a little ahead and had stopped, but we couldn€™t hear him shouting back up the hill because were were in the dense trees. Keep your partners close!