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1.16.07 Super Secret Stash

1/16/07
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Posted by JimmyO on 1/16/07 8:19am
Woke up to new snow.  The dreams of freshies were real!  But time was short.  The rain was my uninvited enemy.  So I hopped the Outback down and parked by a gulley.  To enhance speed, went as light as possible, taking  my 20 year old Rossi TRS, double toothpicks with 3 pin bindings and Voile Plates, and dusted off the leather lace up Asolo extremes.  Armed with just a cell phone, and no pack, I started up. 

Others had been before me.  There were some tracks in the first gulley, up an east aspect.  Lots of tree cover.  After several minutes, by the top of the gulley, with wind aid, I saw the first significant accumulations with drifts up to 4 inches.  I made mental note to watch for tree wells on the way out and moved on, hoping to make it out before dark.

l soon heard whooping and hollering and knew the goods were close at hand.  Luckily, this meant an excellent uptrack and I was atop the headwall in a flash.  Although I was a bit tuckered from the several hundred yard approach, there were north, north east, east and southeast aspects all available from the same spot.  I could hardly contain my glee! 

Despite being very tracked out, I didn't see any snow pits so I dug one.  In the compacted snow, I found just under 2 inches bonded very well to the dirt below.  In places, there was slippery grass and I had some concern about that layer becoming superlubricated and sliding if the termperature were to rise.  Shovel shear was uneventful.  Up to four inches untracked in places!

So I tightened the laces and pointed em.  7 exhilerating turns later, I was down the main pitch.  I kept the boards on reclimbed the 50 vertical, and made about 20 more runs, trying all the aspects and watching out for the kickers.

I told people I'd keep the secret, but most of your kids were probably there anyway.  Woodland Park in loverly Seattle.  150 parents and kids playing around all morning.  After taking my 20 month old boy  home for his nap (leaving him with mom) I returned trying to beat the rain, did a tour around greenlake and about 20 laps on the old school gear, double cambered, metal edge, no side cut.  I hardly made anyone laugh, I think, but most had gone home for hot cocoa by that point.  Here's to the new-age gear! 

JimmyO

author=JimmyO link=topic=6045.msg25027#msg25027 date=1168993149]
I hardly made anyone laugh...


I'm laughing. Thanks for the smiles!


Your stash is pittyful compared to the glory run down the north face of Ravenna ditch. ;D

Great trip report!

In the Maple Leaf Range (Sacajawea Valley), the locals roll avalanches down on those who might reveal their secret stash. Here is photographic proof obtained this morning.



Dave_R, you may recognize your son in some of these pictures. Charles's kids were there too, but I think they'd gone home by the time the avalanches started to roll.

I pulled out my dad's vintage toboggan for this trip, but I never expected it to be hijacked by the avalanche crew.  ;)


Ah yes, that's my instigator in the red touque.  Taught him everything I know about Avy control.  How to aim the big chunks, how to achieve maximum impact, heh heh...  And what I didn't teach him, he learned from Calvin & Hobbes!

Thanks for the report, JimmyO.  I think you've provided Lowell, Charles, & I with enough beta for an epic tour that will combine the bodacious snowpack of Woodland Park, the scenic expanses of Green Lake, the sunless stashes of Ravenna Ravine, and end with some white-knuckle runs down the couloirs of the Sac Valley (NE 90s).  http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=1162.0

Thanks for the chuckle, it helps those of us who were cube-bound.

-Dave R

Yo! Great report.

Don't forget about one of the most scenic urban descents in Seattle - kite hill at Gasworks Park. With a breeze off Lake Union and a kite in hand it would be possible to leave the skins at home...


author=KajBune link=topic=6045.msg25084#msg25084 date=1169156969]Don't forget about one of the most scenic urban descents in Seattle - kite hill at Gasworks Park. With a breeze off Lake Union and a kite in hand it would be possible to leave the skins at home...


Ha! In a moment of foolishness several years ago, I tried to practice kiting my paraglider on Kite Hill in a strong wind. Just about killed myself! People have gotten hurt kiting paragliders on flat ground--up on that hill I was lucky not to launch myself into the next county.

That's good stuff! Those kids must have been fired up (adults, too)! Growing up in NH in the 70's when we actually had snow all winter there was a lot of that going on.

In regards to in-town turns, we took advantage of a couple of spots in W Seattle during that 2004 storm. One was that small park at the end of California overlooking Alki, that was good. Then we found the West Seattle golf course (btw Delridge and Avalon) to be the real jewel...

In 1988 and 1990 had some big dumps in Seattle.  I skate skied on downhill gear completely across Ballard, then got sweet turns on Phinney Ridge, very steep. 
  The terrain park is at The Locks in Ballard.  If you know where the lawn on both sides of the locks does the short rolling levels you will know what I mean.  With a foot and a half of snow it was super fun.  We also skied the sand dunes at Discovery Park.

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2007-01-16 16:19:09