Buck Creek Clearcut 4.18.08
4/15/08
5969
4
Certainly this tour may not size up to the big lines on this site, but it is a notable tour.
The lower snowpack is still holding on, so I finally got after what seems like a lifetime of looking up from Hwy 410 and drooling at a clear cut patch above the mass clearcut above the Buck Creek Airstrip.
Always said I have to ski that someday and today was the day to check that off the list.
Made my way up from the church camp [2700ft] past the airstrip up the forest service road making some adjustments cutting the road time and up through the clear cut or in summer "Moon Dust Trail" on the lower end of the Suntop trail. Whittled through trees on the trail to the clearing by the Doe Creek cutoff trail. I called it the Soulpatch 500vf [4510ft] for lack of better name.
Skiing was firmer breakable, but skiable snow with 2-3 inches of new up top on the Soulpatch and progressively turned into tail grabbing, potential leg breaking technology near the bottom. Done off the list of things to do!
Got flagged down by guys who tried to 4 wheel drive a two-wheel drive truck in deep snow by the airstrip and got stuck, was able to yank him out with the old 4-runner, good thing I decided to do that tour.
Given the phenomenal snowpack it would have been fun to to this in better snow.
Joe
The lower snowpack is still holding on, so I finally got after what seems like a lifetime of looking up from Hwy 410 and drooling at a clear cut patch above the mass clearcut above the Buck Creek Airstrip.
Always said I have to ski that someday and today was the day to check that off the list.
Made my way up from the church camp [2700ft] past the airstrip up the forest service road making some adjustments cutting the road time and up through the clear cut or in summer "Moon Dust Trail" on the lower end of the Suntop trail. Whittled through trees on the trail to the clearing by the Doe Creek cutoff trail. I called it the Soulpatch 500vf [4510ft] for lack of better name.
Skiing was firmer breakable, but skiable snow with 2-3 inches of new up top on the Soulpatch and progressively turned into tail grabbing, potential leg breaking technology near the bottom. Done off the list of things to do!
Got flagged down by guys who tried to 4 wheel drive a two-wheel drive truck in deep snow by the airstrip and got stuck, was able to yank him out with the old 4-runner, good thing I decided to do that tour.
Given the phenomenal snowpack it would have been fun to to this in better snow.
Joe
Nice work! I've spent a few days here in Oregon on similar lower elevation terrain, though I didn't post. These trips hold special meaning to me. Granted, they don't have the typical alpine setting, but to me they still rate near the top!
Joe, have you continued up to Slide before? This sure has been the year of adventure in finding new, low level runs. I've hiked that many times, even in the winter to get to Slide, but it's never had enough coverage low down to ride all the way. This is late May '05.
author=Boot link=topic=9814.msg39618#msg39618 date=1208730927]
Joe, have you continued up to Slide before?
Not yet Boot, but if I had enough time and more importantly a ski partner or two I would have kept going. As you know it is a long approach from the lower road to Slide (6 miles uphill just to get there). It's only a few miles from my house to the trailhead, so maybe sooner than later...Of course the distance would be greatly reduced with use of your sno-mo ;)
It is indeed ::).
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