Home > Trip Reports > Bullion basin April 8

Bullion basin April 8

4/15/07
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
3041
4
Posted by Robie on 4/8/07 11:25am
Got home from 4 days at Mt Batchelor. (Backside in good corn shape!) . Laurie had school prep to do so she cut me loose. A last minute sat nite  email rounded up a partner. Ron Jarvis ! But forcast was stinky. Oh what the hell we pushed our luck and came out  winners! Sunshine start to finish.
Did the SE passage up, not unlike the long sought NW passage. Climbed up to Hauser Peak and enjoyed a safe ski down in somewhat sloppy snow. Crossed over the basin to the southwest, climbed up the north facing slope and skied down to the "Edge ". The  Edge being steep North  facing do not fall zone was kinda not ready for our turn applications. But we survived with a beautiful quick self arrest by Ron. Next up was the "Chicken head"  slope under the cliff band. Ok Robie turn one, evaluate. Turn two, evaluate. Turn three etc. WE ended with a peaceful bushwhack back to the prehistoric ski slopes,some lazy turns  and the road return to the cooler waiting at the car.
Thanks to Ron for dragging my butt along on another great tour.
Conditions close to soggy corn but all bets are off due to upcoming weather frocast. Cold and precip is acoming.
Rockin' Robie tearin' it up in the BB:


We couldn't figure it out.  The place was deserted.
We were the only car in the upper C lot ALL DAY.  The upper A lot never got even half full.
We had the entire east ridge backcountry all to ourselves and as we looked over to the inbounds, we had to look hard to see any skiers at all.
And as you can see from the PICTURES, the weather was fantastic.

And then, finally we got it (the announcement from the CM Church PA system may have had contributed to our keen grasp of the situation), EASTER!!

That's why we had the entire backcountry and almost the entire inbounds, as well, to ourselves.
Well, It's not entirely our faults; we're not complete heathens... Part of it has to do with our up bringing and other unique handicaps.  You see we're both dyslexic agnostic insomniacs (we lie awake at night wondering if there's a DOG).  So, you can see why we might mess up and ski instead of doing what the rest of you were doing.

Robie seemed to be doing ok despite his handicap though:


I sincerely hope you all had a warm and fulfilling Easter with friends and loved ones.



Gee, Ron Thanks for the Robie Show !  Sorry gang but I left my camera in the car.
And actually I stay awake at night thinking of how I'm going to ski like JW and what tomorrows condtions might be.

Yes, we too were pleasantly surprised by the mis-forecast and the vacant ski area.  Our party of three did the cheap and dirty: we used up left over coupons to get a free lift up to the top of Silver Queen and then traversed out to the lizard's back.  Then a nice sun drenched run down to Crystal Lakes basin where the low angle snow was the best corn of the day.  We followed this with a quick skin over the col towards sourdough gap, and then a run down towards Placer lake.  The weather started coming in as we skinned back up around 3-way peak and into Silver basin. The snow was getting quite soft at the end but not rotten.  I think we are in for a good corn season this year!

Looking up from Crystal lakes basin towards 3-way Peak (low res camera phone)

Nice report and photos.  I remember a Spring day a few years back when Jill and I  began the day  with an early morning walk at Cannon Beach, OR and ended with a suset descent of "The Edge".   ;)

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bullion-basin-april-8
Robie
2007-04-08 18:25:34