Home > Trip Reports > 8/17/07 Ptarmigan Ridge-Coleman Pinnacle

8/17/07 Ptarmigan Ridge-Coleman Pinnacle

8/17/07
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
4650
5
Posted by Don Heath on 8/17/07 3:29pm
I have a problem.

Hello.  My name is Rusty Knees.  I'm a ski-aholic (Hi Rusty!) It's been 5 hours since I last skied.  I was doing pretty well until today.  I hadn't skied since July 1 coming down off Mt. Adams.  But that was a binge, because I skied June 30 on Adams, too. (Sigh).  Any way, it had been about 47 days since I last skied.  But today the pull was too strong.  I think I abused every rule of addiction:
  -  I skied before noon, (Actually, left Seattle at 6AM, started hiking at 10 ish - put on my skis on the back side of Coleman Pinnacle probaby around noon. 
  -  I skied to make myself feel better,
  -  I skied to avoid real problems, (work is a problem, so I dumped it on my co workers and headed for the hills.)
  -  I skied alone (with my snow dog Anna, and various and sundry hikers around Ptarmigan Ridge),
  -  I skied till I blacked out - (that's not true, but a couple of times I got my heart rate up so high I saw stars). 
  -  And even now I'm dreaming of where and when I can get my next fix.

And none of you were there to help me!  In fact all of the other August Trip Reports only made it worse.  What kind of therapy group is this?  (We want to hear the details!)  Oh you do...

Well, there is still a lot of snow out of Artist Point.  I found nice slopes between the parking lot and as far as I went to the south side of Coleman Pinnacle.  The snow was a little bit cuppy, but I figure that just makes it easier to walk back up for the next YO!
I did 3-4 runs below the back (south) side of Coleman, then was rewarded with a ski back a lot of the way parallel to the ridge. 

The last good slope from the ridge down to the Chain Lakes saddle was the best.  It was north facing, had some rock debris in it, that I used to determine when to turn, some cups, but soft on top for carving.  The sun came out pretty strong about 3 PM so it really softened up then making my turns even more fun.  I did about half a dozen yo-yos there, before heading back to the parking lot. 

I saw on the trail register that there were a couple of guys skiing Sholes glacier, but I didn't make it that far.  Their trail comments were that they had fun out there.

My "streak" is now from last November to August.  I'm thinking I can actually turn all year.  Unless my wife does an intervention.
Hi Rusty. My name is Telemon. I,too, get many of my fixes along the notorious Ptarmigan Ridge. In fact, some of my track marks might still be visible after getting my goods there. I will need another shot in the arm in September and October, the most difficult time to get a hit of the white stuff. Even during those prohibitional times, Ptarmigan Ridge stashes will feed my addiction.


Hi Telemon,  I did see some previous tracks.  It might have been one of your trip reports that made fall off the wagon up there.  Let me know if you need a partner in the fall.
Rusty (aka Don)

I got my August hit off the Coleman Pinnacle yesterday (8/18) early AM. Because it was not warm, and early, I stuck to the south slopes, although the north slopes looked like they held more adventure. Cups were OK. Runnels were less OK but could choose lines to avoid. Best run was from highest snow on S pinnacle then slight jog skiers L and down amusing gully, might have totaled 600-700 vf right there and certainly made the requisite 1K with various shenanigans getting back. The snow patches that led from Hippie Vista to the next ridge, (had to regain 200vf or so) and then from there to the mossy stream crossings, were welcome travelways for avoiding being on the trail, even if the snow surface there wasn't the best. Was nearly sunny at sunrise but as the day went on cirrus rapidly built to cumulus and fog gradually filled in as the morning went on.
I also nearly skied directly into a group of 6-7 young mountain goats on my first run. I think I might have disturbed their 'private time' based on the number of pellets and shed wool that was all over the snow in that spot. The next time I saw them they had made it all the way across the valley in less than 5 minutes; goats are amazingly fast travelers.

wolfs, did you get a look at the condition of the park headwall? sounds like bakers is where the best snows at.

The headwall itself at least to/from top might be out, because there was a stripe of brown all across it, at perhaps 100-200vf under the top. Dirt or something poking through the ice/snow. Even if you could pick through, would probably introduce the risk of pieces of it melting out and falling on you. (Sorry the one pix I have is real lame, camera batteries went dead before I was at good vantage. Maybe see http://www.lumenation.com/trip/ptarmigan-ridge - not sure what date these really are because 8/25/07 is a date in the future ...)

But, remaining Baker glacier destinations on NE side looked like they would be good, as well as N side Coleman. The Sholes still looks nice, saw it from two different angles during the day. There was also what seemed like a decent noncrevassed corridor on the Park before you got to the headwall. Maybe someone else who got through the portals and had a look at how the approach under Landes Cleaver looked could comment on that.

Also, Hadley Peak looked very nice. After my morning trip out Ptarmigan, I met up with my family and we drove up to Cougar Divide. No snow on Divide itself but Hadley Glacier not too broken. Mazama Glacier (what I could see) somewhat crevassed but still areas of snow cover.

(By the way, for access information purposes, Wells Cr road is open again, and does not require true AWD or particularly high clearance. But it is a fairly sketch road if only for long stretches without turnouts where encountering oncoming traffic would suck hard, and the last half that gains the elevation is first gear all the way because of sharp rocks and narrowness. Also, once you got there, bugs were insane. Not even strong rain and hail seemed to daunt them very much, they just emerged again once it stopped.)

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8-17-07-ptarmigan-ridge-coleman-pinnacle
Don Heath
2007-08-17 22:29:39