June 22, 2003, Green Valley - Crystal Mt.
6/22/03
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
3878
8
Being a geezer, there wasn't much chance of me coming up with an epic "can you top this" tour. For that matter, I seldom get far enough away from the car to even be considered "in the running" compared with some of the totally impressive tours that some of these local young jocks have been knocking out and posting reports on lately.
To rub salt in the wound, it was one of those weekends where all the usual suspects were busy with other pressing matters more important than skiing. No matter, a short solo seemed a good call, and I had stuff to do at home anyway.
My gut told me there might still be skiable snow up at Crystal in Green Valley, just a little over an hour from home. With no one to meet or think of, I took my time getting ready and got on the road by around 7:00. Checking my phone messages once in the car, I noted that Kam called the night before, trying to rustle up a ski partner, himself. Cool.
I called him and woke him up. He was pretty mellow for a guy who'd just been woke up on a Sunday morning, and wished me a good ski. About 10 minutes later he called back & says he's joining me! I figured he'd catch me before I got to the top of Green Valley anyway, and that's exactly what happened.
Instincts were correct on the snow. The goods in skinable form appeared like clockwork at Kelly's Gap (the bottom of Green Valley). I put the skis down and chugged up to the top, checking out the possible lines (still lots of them) on the way up. Kam topped out about 2 minutes after I did. He made it from the CM base (4,400) to the top of REX (6,800) in about an hour on a loooong road. (I think he ran most of the way up Kelly's Gap Road. He said at one point his altimeter watch was reading 3,000 fpm on his way up!)
Green Valley had about 80% coverage in the valley with some dirt spots showing but plenty of room to run the corn harvest machines :-)
Here's a shot of Kam running one on West Face:
From Iceburg Ridge the coverage still looked pretty good in Campbell Basin, Avalanche Basin and Silver Basin.
More pics at:
http://groups.msn.com/WildHeartsSkiing/greenvalley62203.msnw
To rub salt in the wound, it was one of those weekends where all the usual suspects were busy with other pressing matters more important than skiing. No matter, a short solo seemed a good call, and I had stuff to do at home anyway.
My gut told me there might still be skiable snow up at Crystal in Green Valley, just a little over an hour from home. With no one to meet or think of, I took my time getting ready and got on the road by around 7:00. Checking my phone messages once in the car, I noted that Kam called the night before, trying to rustle up a ski partner, himself. Cool.
I called him and woke him up. He was pretty mellow for a guy who'd just been woke up on a Sunday morning, and wished me a good ski. About 10 minutes later he called back & says he's joining me! I figured he'd catch me before I got to the top of Green Valley anyway, and that's exactly what happened.
Instincts were correct on the snow. The goods in skinable form appeared like clockwork at Kelly's Gap (the bottom of Green Valley). I put the skis down and chugged up to the top, checking out the possible lines (still lots of them) on the way up. Kam topped out about 2 minutes after I did. He made it from the CM base (4,400) to the top of REX (6,800) in about an hour on a loooong road. (I think he ran most of the way up Kelly's Gap Road. He said at one point his altimeter watch was reading 3,000 fpm on his way up!)
Green Valley had about 80% coverage in the valley with some dirt spots showing but plenty of room to run the corn harvest machines :-)
Here's a shot of Kam running one on West Face:
From Iceburg Ridge the coverage still looked pretty good in Campbell Basin, Avalanche Basin and Silver Basin.
More pics at:
http://groups.msn.com/WildHeartsSkiing/greenvalley62203.msnw
Hi Ron
Great shot! I am sure JW would agree. It seemed cold - you had a photo of Kam skinning up in a shell; i thought in June / July you skin up in a t-shirt...
Are you already starting to make some preliminary plans for July 6?
Cheers
ivo
Great shot! I am sure JW would agree. It seemed cold - you had a photo of Kam skinning up in a shell; i thought in June / July you skin up in a t-shirt...
Are you already starting to make some preliminary plans for July 6?
Cheers
ivo
Great Shots Ron!
Sorry I missed out and bailed the night before you on Kam. I'm sure Kam got some cool pics also. I look forward to those. Looked like a great time for the both of you! You saw that Silver Basin looks snow covered still- about how far down? Great work! Was there new snow and did you see anyone else?
Joe
Sorry I missed out and bailed the night before you on Kam. I'm sure Kam got some cool pics also. I look forward to those. Looked like a great time for the both of you! You saw that Silver Basin looks snow covered still- about how far down? Great work! Was there new snow and did you see anyone else?
Joe
Nice score, Ron and Kam. I appreciate the efficient clverness of this report at least as much as I appreciate the ambition and pioneering spirit shown in some of those other reports. There is a time for both.
To rub salt in the wound, it was one of those weekends where all the usual suspects were busy with other pressing matters more important than skiing. No matter, a short solo seemed a good call, and I had stuff to do at home anyway.
Looks like you had some really great turns at CM. I was one of those usual suspects that was out gallivanting about, not skiing but bike riding the Mt. St. Helen's "Tour De Blast" bike ride. An 82 mile round trip ride from Toutle to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. My salt shaker is empty ;D and I'm back and ready for more skiing this weekend. 8)
It seemed cold - you had a photo of Kam skinning up in a shell; i thought in June / July you skin up in a t-shirt...
Temps in the Cascades in the summer, especially on the volcanoes, can vary from blistering heat to full on winter blizzard conditions (sometimes in the same day!!), depending on the weather. I started climbing in a tank top on this trip and had 4 layers on the top at one point later in the day.
Are you already starting to make some preliminary plans for July 6?
Proly be better to wait 'til it's closer to get a better handle on the weather. You're coming either way, right?
You saw that Silver Basin looks snow covered still- about how far down?
Was there new snow and did you see anyone else?
Based on the coverage in Green Valley (where continuous snow started at about 5800) the other north facing bowls should have fairly good coverage to their bottoms. South and west facing was pretty much bare. There was just a dusting of fresh snow from the storm the day before up near the top. We saw no one else the entire trip.
I appreciate the efficient cleverness of this report at least as much as I appreciate the ambition and pioneering spirit shown in some of those other reports. There is a time for both.
Thanks. That's a very kind perspective, Jim. And this old timer appreciates it ;)
My salt shaker is empty ;D and I'm back and ready for more skiing this weekend. 8)
Great!! Some the best touring of the year is coming up this weekend. Let's do it!!
Ron,
Thanks again for the wake up call. Everyone I talked to (about 10 people) on Saturday night had better plans than going skiing. I originally wanted to go explore around the Mountain Loop highway area, like near Monte Cristo or Sloan Peak. The other option was to ski down the north chute of Mount Pugh, then follow Stujack creek down to White Chuck river. I wonder if ditching a bike there and riding back to the car would be feasible? Say, has anyone skied that chute? It looks good, at least from my summer hiking experience. I wonder if it's a major bushwhack getting down to the White Chuck river. One way to find out I guess.
Anyway, it was nice to get some exercise on Sunday and to make some turns. Thanks for the invite and overall, a very relaxing day.
-kam
Thanks again for the wake up call. Everyone I talked to (about 10 people) on Saturday night had better plans than going skiing. I originally wanted to go explore around the Mountain Loop highway area, like near Monte Cristo or Sloan Peak. The other option was to ski down the north chute of Mount Pugh, then follow Stujack creek down to White Chuck river. I wonder if ditching a bike there and riding back to the car would be feasible? Say, has anyone skied that chute? It looks good, at least from my summer hiking experience. I wonder if it's a major bushwhack getting down to the White Chuck river. One way to find out I guess.
Anyway, it was nice to get some exercise on Sunday and to make some turns. Thanks for the invite and overall, a very relaxing day.
-kam
Hey Kam...isn't bushwack your middle name? ;)
Yeah, I think it's definitely a worthy ski descent. Sky, Ben, Jason and I were up there in March, at which time you could clearly ski from the ridge. Not sure about the wack to get out of there though. Our goal was the summit, and not the glacier, but the weather was lousy. Given it's NE aspect, might want to hit it before it becomes to cupped & runnelled. Have fun.
Yeah, I think it's definitely a worthy ski descent. Sky, Ben, Jason and I were up there in March, at which time you could clearly ski from the ridge. Not sure about the wack to get out of there though. Our goal was the summit, and not the glacier, but the weather was lousy. Given it's NE aspect, might want to hit it before it becomes to cupped & runnelled. Have fun.
David!
You are the man! Thanks for the beta. I'm thinking of doing it this week if the weather is good...can't wait for that bushwhack ;D.
-kam
You are the man! Thanks for the beta. I'm thinking of doing it this week if the weather is good...can't wait for that bushwhack ;D.
-kam
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