Home > Trip Reports > October 12, 2003, Boulder-Park Cleaver, Baker

October 12, 2003, Boulder-Park Cleaver, Baker

10/12/03
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
7816
17
Posted by Paul Belitz on 10/13/03 10:30am
here: http://students.washington.edu/pbelitz/bakerOctWet/bakerOctWet.html

Edit: different address, and I downsized the photos.
Great report Paul.

Paul - what was all this talk a month ago on the Park, and even a month before that on the Squak that skins were inefficient???  I think you should have pushed forward bootin' up to really appreciate what skinning has to offer....If I remember your argument back in Aug/Sept., it wasn't just "spring conditions" that you thought they were inefficient, but winter as well... ;D

Dave, what are you tripping on?  ;) I was arguing that I'll use skins when they are most efficient. Here they WERE more efficient. You should have come along, the views were incredible.  8) 8) ;D ;D

PS, it was nice to have the skis on when we were crossing crevasses that had barely any bridge. Sky tried to ski into one on the way down, but failed. So your argument makes *some* sense.  ;D

Paul,

I enjoyed reading your report, and of course the photos.  Thanks for sharing.

-kam

Thanks. Sky wrote one, too: http://staff.washington.edu/skykilo/Wet/Wet.html

Nice report Sky, and I like the idea of covering up your boots with a grocery bag!  Great turns in the video.

that's funny...word is you only made it to the base of the cleaver, and there are no crevasses in that area.  You guys must have been in the main Boulder drainage in order to cross cracks as little elevation as you guys gained  ;D

I have no idea where we were, but on TOPO you can see that you have to cross some ice to get to the cleaver proper. I'm going back to bag that line from the summit this winter. I was feeling stronger than I expected, but continuing unroped would have been dumb, and roping up would have taken too much time, being that cold/wet.

PS, Jeff wants to get out and get miserable again on Sunday. You in?

that's funny...word is you only made it to the base of the cleaver, and there are no crevasses in that area.  You guys must have been in the main Boulder drainage in order to cross cracks as little elevation as you guys gained  ;D


Yo Dave, you're wrong.  The fact is just like the Muir Snowfield gets cracked and nasty in a year like this, the same happened to the snowfields below the cleaver.  I think the cracks were really shallow, glide crack type things, and I think we could have made it to the cleaver proper fine without roping up, but I was already cold, and ruling out a faster pace (I won't explain this.) meant that I could only get colder higher up.  I know I'm selfish, but I'd like to keep my fingers.

Thanks for both of the reports. Paul, when I looked at yours, only the first photo loaded - the rest had broken link icons (I think there's a "\" instead of a "/" in the URLs for those).

p-

I actually was able to view all of your photos, though (and perhaps this was the issue for Charles), the latter photos took a moment to load; whereas, the first was immediately in view.
-s



Yo Dave, you're wrong.  The fact is just like the Muir Snowfield gets cracked and nasty in a year like this, the same happened to the snowfields below the cleaver.  I think the cracks were really shallow, glide crack type things, and I think we could have made it to the cleaver proper fine without roping up, but I was already cold, and ruling out a faster pace (I won't explain this.) meant that I could only get colder higher up.  I know I'm selfish, but I'd like to keep my fingers.

You mean Jeff and I were slow, and you're too skinny to sit around waiting for us. Right?  8)

Charles, I'm new to HTML, so I could easily have screwed up the code, but the photos load fine for me. They are massive, though, I'll downsize them in the next few days.

no need to downsize - they weren't impressive enough!  8)

Paul - as for this weekend, I'm not sure yet...my skis are torn apart for the new bindings I'll be putting on.  i'd have to bum off Sky or Ben who both have 2 sets.

Well Dave, you still have time to put the dynafits back on.  ;)

I really want to go this weekend, I bet today's rain is snow, but the forcast really doesn't look wintery enough.

A RAINY AND BLUSTERY PATTERN WILL DEVELOP THURSDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY...
...RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES IN THE NORTH CASCADES... SNOW LEVEL 9000 FEET.
...RAIN LIKELY... SNOW LEVEL 10000 FEET...
...RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES IN THE NORTH CASCADES...SNOW LEVEL 10000 FEET.
...RAIN LIKELY... SNOW LEVEL 10500 FEET

with heavy rains and high snow levels, it seems doubtful that any of the snow from this week will be left at all.  Maybe that much rain will at least smooth out the slopes, but to me it looks like the snow you guys skied was more of a teaser than the true start of winter.  Certainly worthy, but we still might have to wait a bit for a chance at the goods.

Have you seen the Fritschi light?  ;D

No I haven't seen them....  But I bet I've heard them clack-clack-clacking away somewhere.   ;D

I paid attention while skinning on Sunday...and I concluded that the tap only sounds if a. you don't know how to skin, or b. when you have to set your skin particularly well. I love the step-in when I have frozen hands and cramping calves.  ;D

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october-12-2003-boulder-park-cleaver-baker
Paul Belitz
2003-10-13 17:30:52