August 19, 2007, Camp Muir - Complicated Freshies
8/19/07
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
4148
2
Got a late start to Muir today - left the lot at 11 am in hopes of catching some fresh snow after the NWS's prognostication of showers with a low snow level. Precipitation took many forms, but was both mellow and continuous all day, fading toward evening. I sandaled up to Pebble Creek, where I switched into boots. There was some limited evidence of a few inches accumulation at the creek proper, though it was rapidly melting out in the moderately-sideways drizzle/sleet. With a few exceptions, visibility hovered between 10 and 50 m all day.
It's possible to ski from Muir to Pebble Creek with at most one ~10m portage. Given the low visibility, I stuck near the conga path; I'm optimistic that a continuous line might exist. The fresh snow was pretty wet powder. At Muir, it drifted into ~high calf deep channels along the windward side of the lee outcroppings. At pebble creek, the fresh was barely there. All that's the good news. The trouble was the base - the sun/wind cups that others have reported are definitely still there, and the powder was too fluffy to efficiently fill them in. The result: powder on icy/dirty micromoguls/runnels.
I found the skiing challenging, but fun. I wish I'd had more chances to let the skis run though... If you're looking for smooth turns, the skiing improves below ~8500'. The sun broke loose right at Muir, so I got a few photos of the frozen powdercupsea. Tune in tomorrow for a sample. The Nisqually belched a number of avalanches that I couldn't see.
Given the fresh snow's propensity for hiding features, I looked especially hard for the the glide cracks that Gauthier and a hiker/climber ("big holes!") mentioned. The biggest glide crack I could find was ~2-4" wide, and perhaps 20' long. Is there something bigger up there that I missed (and skied over....)?
It's possible to ski from Muir to Pebble Creek with at most one ~10m portage. Given the low visibility, I stuck near the conga path; I'm optimistic that a continuous line might exist. The fresh snow was pretty wet powder. At Muir, it drifted into ~high calf deep channels along the windward side of the lee outcroppings. At pebble creek, the fresh was barely there. All that's the good news. The trouble was the base - the sun/wind cups that others have reported are definitely still there, and the powder was too fluffy to efficiently fill them in. The result: powder on icy/dirty micromoguls/runnels.
I found the skiing challenging, but fun. I wish I'd had more chances to let the skis run though... If you're looking for smooth turns, the skiing improves below ~8500'. The sun broke loose right at Muir, so I got a few photos of the frozen powdercupsea. Tune in tomorrow for a sample. The Nisqually belched a number of avalanches that I couldn't see.
Given the fresh snow's propensity for hiding features, I looked especially hard for the the glide cracks that Gauthier and a hiker/climber ("big holes!") mentioned. The biggest glide crack I could find was ~2-4" wide, and perhaps 20' long. Is there something bigger up there that I missed (and skied over....)?
Freshies in August---yowza! That photo looks like one time we did Muir In January, when blown pow filled in the hollows formed by waves of solid ice. That was 1000'+ of tele for the left turns, and grueling stem turns to the right. "Challenging but fun" can be had at any time of year....
I was up on the Muir snowfield Sat Aug 18. Started partly sunny, then a later in day brought lite snow/freezing rain mix and rain lower down. As you gain elevation (skin up) from Pebble Creek, the suncup'ing gets worst, most nasty up above 9000'. My suggestion would be to find some boot tracks to skin up, staying on the tracks really made for a suprisingly quick ascent up to Muir. Coming down another matter, snow was hard & suncap'd up high, much like hardpack moguls. Fortunately that day, snow softened considerably w/ less cup'ing after descending below 8500'. The last ~1000' (skiers left) to Pebble Creek was a joy to ski... carving lot-o-turns!
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