Home > Trip Reports > April 4-6 Geezer Powder Feast, Stevens Environs

April 4-6 Geezer Powder Feast, Stevens Environs

4/15/08
WA Stevens Pass
8663
17
Posted by Don Heath on 4/7/08 2:43pm
This 3 day event seemed more like a mid winter triumph than a spring search.  Moscawulf (Brad), Big Smooth (Joe) and I headed out to accomplish some long held goals.  Incidentally, Brad is not a geezer, he's a young tele-buck, single, looking for an avid back country babe that likes...wait this isn't The Stranger, I better stop here.

    Friday - Jove Peak, minus 500 feet.  We hoped for corn.  No such luck.  We did find several other varieties; crappy trappy crust off Rainy Pass, nearly bullet proof crust at about 5500 on the south side of Jove Peak, and soft creamy powder down through the big trees. 
   We saw lots of recent avalanche debris, including the picture below of one that caught Brad...Note: Don't worry Mom - it was staged.  3-4000 vert total.

   Saturday - Was supposed to be a rest day.  So... Joe and I headed up Arrowhead Mountain.  Tagged the top, after following a nice skin track set by two tough guys ahead of us.  Thanks whoever you are!  We hiked down a bit to find a less steep pitch, then enjoyed great powder in the shady areas and north slopes *or maybe we didn't* all the way to the road.  Even the road down was great!  3000 vert.

   Sunday -  Was Really supposed to be a rest day.  So...J** H*** was nearby ;D  We climbed the main route up to the bottom of the main basin, then benefitted by another groups hard work up to to about 6300 feet on the east ridge.  The powder on the north facing slopes was breathtaking, especially after a faceplant.  Skied sugar through the trees nearly down to the waterfall.  Corn and mush down to the creek.  Then following a hunch (and somebody else's tracks, we found a secret way out...   Anyway, for a fee, Maddog will guide you there.

    9-10,000 vert in 3 days makes an old guy feel, well, older, but prouder.
Way to get after it Don!!! Not sure I could do 10,000 vert in 3 days!!!

Sorry that I missed you, Don. It looks like you did us old geezers proud.

Hey RustyKnees. Way to go dumbo. Tell the whole world about the lines on Jim Hill so the next time we go back it will be wrecked and crowded just like Yodelin every weekend this winter after some skank posted a wild endorsement about it on TAY. That was our skin line you were sucking a** on, at least do us the favor keeping quiet about the next line you stagger into a good stash. It won't be so crowded or skied out the next time you go back. By the way, that  skin line was put in by a couple "old geezers" (55 &62).

Maddog.

Whoa RustyKnee, Maddog is a super nice, kind person, but I think you found out how to make Maddog mad. Not good form.
While neither Jim Hill nor Yodlin are secrets, just about every ski guide for the PNW published include both, the secret stashes should be guarded. Out of pure self interest, one should not share them on the interweb or with a big group. Last year I found something on Yodlin that I thought was special and was sort of sad when a member of our group annouced he would take a group of 12 Mounties down it tomorrow. Which he did.
Keeping mum about secret things in plain sight is just good form. Everyone loves good form. An edited post would be a start to that good form, but hey your call. Might save you from having to break trail next time.

BTW, Maddog, which Yodin post? I did not see too big a spike in attendance, or at least I did not attribute it to a post, rather than big avy danger.

jdclimber - Oh, you must be referring to "Mad_Dog"!  The above "maddog" is just getting started with their first post...

Very similar names, however...    ???


Yow!  A stinging rebuke.  I'm glad I was only tagged "Dumbo".  I have been called worse, though in other contexts.  Yeah, I'm guilty of a little too much enthusiasm, I suppose.  I also think "secret stashes" are overrated.  To keep a stash really secret, Maddog, maybe you should sweep away your tracks on the way up.  BTW, It was a great uptrack, and we are really grateful for your hard work ahead of us.  We saw you, but you didn't see us...

So, I'm wondering, would a better TR be something along the lines of:
"  We went somewhere up high and had a great time.  Maybe we found some powder hidden in the hills, maybe we didn't.  Here's a few more pictures of somebody aimed downhill on boards, can't tell you where.  You want some beta? Go fish. "

I think exulting in the excitement of some late season powder skiing is OK.  Most of the areas I've skied, including Yodelin, offer up untouched lines for way more people than normally get up there.  For that matter - 30 people could have skied the "secret" area in question for a couple thousand feet without crossing a track.  I like the solitude up there, too, but also enjoy seeing people get out, get up, get tired doing a hard thing, and enjoy the heck out of the downhill experience.  We're never going to have a whole powder area thrashed in one hour like a lift serviced hill.  Most people think we're nuts anyway.

JDclimber - I did edit.  Also, maybe people shouldn't write so much about "The Slot"  ;D.  I enjoyed all those recent posts.



I had no idea there were so many angry K-9s.
Makes me laugh.

Much appreciate the edited post.
A fine line between a useful post and giving away the goods.
I'm sure I have crossed it, although I try not to.

Nice work on the vertical!  What exactly constitutes a "geezer"?  I would have to say that I don't know any geezers who can bust trail or ski/board bc...sounds like the young at heart can still perform well!  8)

Nice job Rusty -- sounds like a great 3 day stint.

This new maddog... much grumpier than the Mad_Dog I'm used to seeing around here.  Jim Hill's not exactly a secret.

Now, there's this great little stump near Kendall that you have to check out....

I'm confused, there are two Maddogs now!!!!!!!!
One that is sweet and nice and so feminine and such great fun and another one that says a**?

I demand that the new maddog be made to change their TAY name, it's just going to be too confusing!!!!!

I want a vote!
Should the new( one post maddog) be allowed to keep their name when Mad_Dog already exists and is such a treasured TAY persona?

I'm with Scotsman.  I vote change it.

The worst offender by far, when it comes to secret stashes and sources of inspiration, is that pesky USGS. Fred Beckey and John Scurlock come in close behind.

One resource folks may not have encountered, but might find useful through the summer: The friendly folks over at nwhikers.net often post conditions information that's relevant to routes that haven't seen up-to-date coverage on TAY or cascadeclimbers.

If we're being protectionist with usernames, it might be easy to include a single line of code that makes creating mAdDoG, M_a_d_D_o_g, etc. impossible once someone creates Mad_Dog. Excluding M@dD0G might be more involved. Seems a little unkind to offer someone a username only to take it away again.

author=Scotsman link=topic=9666.msg39255#msg39255 date=1207965675]

Just trying to give Shredder some advise, and I WOULD NEVER try to act as moderator, but perhaps this is a role you aspire to.




author=Scotsman link=topic=9727.msg39256#msg39256 date=1207968133]

I demand that the new maddog be made to change their TAY name, it's just going to be too confusing!!!!!



???

Talk about confusing   ;)

I agree with you however Chris.
Perhaps whomever had "Mad Dog" custom painted on their helmet first be entitled to the name.


Maybe the bizarro Mad Dog could just disappear and try again later (with an original handle) when they are in a better mood and not come off like such a jerk.  I know that when I get hungry I can be a little grumpy.  Try some peanutbutter to get your bloodsugar back in whack.


author=maddog link=topic=9727.msg39223#msg39223 date=1207884762]
...after some skank posted a wild endorsement about it on TAY.
Maddog.


Who are they calling a "skank" anyway?

I, and I am confident many others, enjoy Don's enthusiasm and his TR's.  He, Joe and Brad are all nice guys and we should all be happy to share turns with them.  I look forward to hearing about their spring adventures without the inappropriate interjections of hecklers.  Now lets all go ski this secret Jim Hill we all just learned about.


SPECIAL REPORT!!!!

New and secret stash information leaked here, or here, or even here!

I think their might even be MORE info if one digs really hard in the archives... :D :D :D

author=Scotsman link=topic=9727.msg39256#msg39256 date=1207968133]
I'm confused, there are two Maddogs now!!!!!!!!
One that is sweet and nice and so feminine and such great fun and another one that says a**?

I demand that the new maddog be made to change their TAY name, it's just going to be too confusing!!!!!

I want a vote!
Should the new( one post maddog) be allowed to keep their name when Mad_Dog already exists and is such a treasured TAY persona?



Thanks Scottie. 

"maddog", you may think that handle sounded cool and macho, but around here its synonymous with femininity.  Based on the theme of your post (which by the way does not fit into the congenial atmosphere that this community aspires to) it doesn't sound like femininity fits in with your hoped for image.  I vote for euthanasia of maddog #2.

I second the vote. This "maddog" has rabies, and needs to be put down.

Maybe his handle should be changed to "BadDog"  ::)

Reply to this TR

5027
april-4-6-geezer-powder-feast-stevens-environs
Don Heath
2008-04-07 21:43:55