March 29, 2007, Kendall slope, couloir, lakes, knob
3/29/07
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2079
0
Did this tour with my brother Andreas. Parked at West, and we took my suggested route to Kendall Peak slopes, which involves going over to the Knob. We parked there because the original plan was to come back down Commonwealth. From the Knob, through the forest for about 1/2 mile, then drop into lower part of Kendall slopes. On this stretch we found some wet fresher snow, which made the forest floor reasonably smooth. As we got onto the Kendall slope this new snow started to become an annoyance because it glopped skins voraciously. Up and over a small col, and from there a short traverse to the entrance of the gentler of the couloirs.
We had hopes that perhaps sheltered or wind transported powder might remain on this mostly N facing slope. Alas, not so. Scoured to rain crust in top 50 feet, and thereafter pretty wind slabbed. For some of the run it was only wind affected rather than slabbed and that part was fun. But the slab soon reappeared, and with the sun now hitting it, it was pretty marginal stuff. Great setting and a fun run, so I want to come back some time when conditions are better.
Skinning back out of the basin up our couloir induced much cursing. The slab would ball up underfoot. Then a couple more steps we'd get to the rain crust. But we had big 8" towers of glop underfoot, and couldn't edge, and kept taking awkward little rides. Arggh! This went on until the angle increased enough to make it a boot anyways.
Andreas is in way better shape than I so he also dropped the next couloir over and effectively lapped me on the bootup. I couldn't muster up enough energy for what didn't seem like a good cost/benefit of a second run, even though I knew I should given the effort made to even get there.
At the top of coouloir again we then made a change of plans and decided to drop the slope to Kendall Pk Lakes, instead of going back to the col and taking the slope to Commonwealth. But the snow here above the lakes was that new snow that had gotten soggy, and was really grabby. Wet surface slides went easy. Touring past the lakes was interesting and at least went fairly quickly through the glades. Then skins on and back to near the top of the Knob. Hot climb ... And then, irony of ironies, the best snow of the trip was the late afternoon corn on Kendall Knob. That might be good again, when it thaws out sometime after this weekend.
No good pix, my camera was acting up. Andreas might have some ...
We had hopes that perhaps sheltered or wind transported powder might remain on this mostly N facing slope. Alas, not so. Scoured to rain crust in top 50 feet, and thereafter pretty wind slabbed. For some of the run it was only wind affected rather than slabbed and that part was fun. But the slab soon reappeared, and with the sun now hitting it, it was pretty marginal stuff. Great setting and a fun run, so I want to come back some time when conditions are better.
Skinning back out of the basin up our couloir induced much cursing. The slab would ball up underfoot. Then a couple more steps we'd get to the rain crust. But we had big 8" towers of glop underfoot, and couldn't edge, and kept taking awkward little rides. Arggh! This went on until the angle increased enough to make it a boot anyways.
Andreas is in way better shape than I so he also dropped the next couloir over and effectively lapped me on the bootup. I couldn't muster up enough energy for what didn't seem like a good cost/benefit of a second run, even though I knew I should given the effort made to even get there.
At the top of coouloir again we then made a change of plans and decided to drop the slope to Kendall Pk Lakes, instead of going back to the col and taking the slope to Commonwealth. But the snow here above the lakes was that new snow that had gotten soggy, and was really grabby. Wet surface slides went easy. Touring past the lakes was interesting and at least went fairly quickly through the glades. Then skins on and back to near the top of the Knob. Hot climb ... And then, irony of ironies, the best snow of the trip was the late afternoon corn on Kendall Knob. That might be good again, when it thaws out sometime after this weekend.
No good pix, my camera was acting up. Andreas might have some ...
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