Results 1 to 25 of 53
-
03-22-2010, 01:36 PM #1
to the valley below...
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
- Location
- Burlington, VT
- Posts
- 120
TR: 1-Part Pow, 1-Part Corn, Mt Washington, NH
PART 1
Nearly a year since my last trip to Mount Washington, a trip that ended in an 800 foot rag doll tumble down "chute", an ice axe to the face, and 13 stitches at the local ER, it was time for redemption.
On Friday, March 19th, the skies were bluebird clear and sunny, temps forecasted in the mid to high 40's at the summit, much warmer down below, and the avy danger had just dropped to LOW.
At 8:30am, just moments after launching the world's largest frost heave in my suby, I reach the parking lot where Thin Cover and MtnBiker/Boarder have spent the night, at least part of it. TC's truck is the lone vehicle in the lot, and I notice a heavy frost layer inside their windshield as well a spare tire on the front passenger side. "Rough night", mutters a groggy Biker/Boarder.
Coming all the way from Pennsylvania on the bus, I expect nothing less.
As we get our gear in order, a bunch other cars begin rolling in, quickly filling th lot. They all have big dogs named after places in Alaska, so no leashes are required.
It's Biker/Boarder's first winter trip to Mount Wash, and as a recent convert to skiing, he is stoked to get going on his first ski tour at the Rockpile.
But, we're in no hurry, the snow is as hard as concrete and the sun still low in the sky. After taking the necessary safety precautions, we set out for the summit.
The last we see of Biker/Boarder all day.
Halfway to the summit we stop to take in the views.
Note Para-skier, center of photo.
The skin track is firm, but manageable. And the sun is getting up there.
Sheltered from the summit winds, we wait for MtnBiker/Boarder while we enjoy hot tea and a smoke with some new friends.
TC informs me that Olga from Boston, who is solo touring, is going to join us for our ski. I am skeptical,
but go along with it. I can't crack a smile for the summit shot.
The snow at the summit is some sort of a death crust with chicken-heads, so we ski down a ways on a cat track, that's slightly more skiable.
TC and Olga talk out our options.
Upon closer inspection, Olga thinks the gulley we are scouting looks GOOD, so without further discussion... "dropping!"
Turns out Olga from Boston is right-on. Week-old Pow, out of the blue!
TC says it's not only GOOD, it's probably best ever! (Agreed)
Olga getting some of the good snow.
With every turn, the snow gets better...
Snow sirens lure us further and further into the gully, til we reach a frozen lake
TC thinks we got some good ones.
Looking back up. This climb is going to suck.
This climb sucks
Time to boot it... our Gully of Dreams is losing sunlight.
Olga (and her dynafits/ski crampons) smoke us on the climb out... so she snaps this one which really puts the climb in perspective. Best of the bunch, IMO.
...TR continuesLast edited by FixedGrip; 03-22-2010 at 04:23 PM.
-
03-22-2010, 01:59 PM #2
to the valley below...
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
- Location
- Burlington, VT
- Posts
- 120
PART 2
Once back at the top, we traverse over to ski an expansive sweet corn field, ripe for the harvesting.
Olga likes the look of things.
TC happily skis it off into the sunset
Olga follows suit
We ski it out to the flats where we enter some dense trees and skin up. A half hour of bushwacking later, were are back at a nearly empty parking lot. Luckily, MtnBiker/Boarder is there waiting with a beer and a story of his own adventure.
Awesome way to return to Mount Washington. Couldn't have asked for better snow, weather, or ski partners. Hope to get back up there real soon.
Good to meet you Olga, thanks for the pics. Let's get after it again... ordered ski crampons today.Last edited by FixedGrip; 03-22-2010 at 04:09 PM.
-
03-22-2010, 02:11 PM #3
ohhhh you betcha!
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
- Location
- 0000 0010 0001 0011 1001
- Posts
- 739
niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice
loving the mt wash stoke around the boards this year... seems to be more and more and that's a great thing... as long as we all stay outta the zoo i think the rewards will be sweet... looks like the west side treated you well... but what happened to MtnBiker/Boarder? shall we let him tell his own side of the TR?
-
03-22-2010, 02:16 PM #4
Registered User
- Join Date
- Mar 2006
- Posts
- 1,335
Great work guys!!! Looks amazing.
-
03-22-2010, 02:29 PM #5
Vulgar Display of Powder
- Join Date
- Nov 2009
- Location
- Jersey
- Posts
- 214
Nice report and beautiful shots!! Looks like redemption was sweet
if signatures were sausages, this would be the wurst
-
03-22-2010, 03:28 PM #6
safe as milk
- Join Date
- Jan 2006
- Location
- low and inside
- Posts
- 4,846
nice work!
looks like the most awesome of days...
thanks to some outstanding photos
congrats on getting mt wash off your back!
...and props to olga
-
03-22-2010, 03:31 PM #7
paddles with 1.95 arms
- Join Date
- Mar 2004
- Location
- ME
- Posts
- 1,999
Sweet work, that's a fun day with some good terrain. Great shots.
Coverage looks quite nice too. Thanks for sharing."A local is just a dirtbag who can't get his shit together enough to travel."
- Owl Chapman
-
03-22-2010, 05:10 PM #8
Grateful Shred
- Join Date
- Jan 2008
- Location
- out there on the neon avenue
- Posts
- 3,689
Best spring day for me on MTW thanks for getting this up.
Conditions far exceeded our expectations and we met a great new touring partner. Looking forward to many more dood.
-
03-22-2010, 06:47 PM #9
Hot Plate Heaven
- Join Date
- Sep 2006
- Location
- Seattle
- Posts
- 849
That doesn't suck. Jealous as fuck. Nice job.
-
03-22-2010, 08:16 PM #10
Class(less) Clown
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- New England
- Posts
- 7,139
Nice work men... that's a dream day on Mt. Washington!
Great skiing and shots.
Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!
-
03-22-2010, 08:40 PM #11
Still a Pinhead
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
- Posts
- 2,965
phenomenal story telling. love this TR
-
03-22-2010, 08:49 PM #12
Registered User
- Join Date
- Mar 2010
- Posts
- 1
hey, olga here
thanks for a great day and companionship, was great to ski with two of you!!! I might've been quick to drop in, but sure would've felt so very lonely 3 mins later by myself inside the Great Gulf
hope we get to ski together soon!
And yea, ski crampons are key, just keep your bindings low so they work well
-
03-22-2010, 09:05 PM #13
High Pressure Feign
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Location
- JH/Los Andes
- Posts
- 2,273
TC cut your hair for fuggin hippie!
...oh... and keep the grade A stoke coming
"The idea wasnt for me, that I would be the only one that would ever do this. My idea was that everybody should be doing this. At the time nobody was, but this was something thats too much fun to pass up." -Briggs
More stoke, less shit.
Originally Posted by LeeLau
-
03-22-2010, 09:30 PM #14
1959 Ford Retract
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Location
- In Transit
- Posts
- 750
I remember the tr from last year's carnage. Looks like you guys had a day of days up there. Nice work.
Ελευθερία ή θάνατος
"Great moments are born from great opportunity."
-
03-22-2010, 09:34 PM #15
skins miles for hardpack
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Posts
- 2,769
Looks awesome
"The skis just popped me up out of the snow and I went screaming down the hill on a high better than any heroin junkie." She Ra
-
03-22-2010, 10:30 PM #16
Registered User
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Location
- on the mountian
- Posts
- 1,380
sick andy, looks like an amazing day to be on that mountain. when i was home it was like 50 below on washington with 100 mph winds. keep killin it ! be sure to come back out for some high altitude training to make those hikes easier and easier!
-
03-23-2010, 07:06 AM #17
Mother Theresa
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
- Location
- New England
- Posts
- 1,223
Way to kill it!
Curious about biker/boarder's story though... Originally Posted by JoeStrummer
-
03-23-2010, 07:07 AM #18
Just living the dream...
- Join Date
- Feb 2010
- Location
- The Flat Middle West
- Posts
- 569
Nice stoke!
-
03-23-2010, 07:12 AM #19
License To Gape
- Join Date
- Jul 2008
- Location
- Powdery with a chance of tittyballs
- Posts
- 1,375
GREAT WORK GENTS.
bwahahahaha! Originally Posted by FixedGrip
As we get our gear in order, a bunch other cars begin rolling in, quickly filling th lot. They all have big dogs named after places in Alaska, so no leashes are required.
Nice...
-
03-23-2010, 08:30 AM #20
wait, what?
- Join Date
- Mar 2006
- Location
- 907
- Posts
- 1,983
Way to get redemption FG. Looks like a great time! Nice pics and good work guys! Stoke.
Hilarious to hear both Biker/boarder and thin covers stories about the drive to Tucks they shall not forget anytime soon.
Oh and Andy, you are the happiest damn skier I've ever skied with...Always a hudge grin. Even when in tree wells.
"Powder snow skiing is not fun. It's life, fully lived, life lived in a blaze of reality." -Dolores LaChapelle
-
03-23-2010, 09:10 AM #21
Get Some!
- Join Date
- Jan 2009
- Location
- New York Shitty
- Posts
- 218
i like fellas. look forward to harvesting some of that corn with you on my return...looks schweeeet
-
03-24-2010, 08:50 AM #22
Grateful Shred
- Join Date
- Jan 2008
- Location
- out there on the neon avenue
- Posts
- 3,689
nah letting it flow like samson for my move to VT full time. Get that wrist healed dude so you can get this spring season with us! Originally Posted by _Aaron_
TC cut your hair for fuggin hippie!
...oh... and keep the grade A stoke coming
-
03-24-2010, 08:53 AM #23
High Pressure Feign
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Location
- JH/Los Andes
- Posts
- 2,273
You moved to VT? Doc says Mid April should be game time. Originally Posted by thin cover
nah letting it flow like samson for my move to VT full time. Get that wrist healed dude so you can get this spring season with us!"The idea wasnt for me, that I would be the only one that would ever do this. My idea was that everybody should be doing this. At the time nobody was, but this was something thats too much fun to pass up." -Briggs
More stoke, less shit. Originally Posted by LeeLau
-
03-24-2010, 08:58 AM #24
Like a shithawk, Ricky.
- Join Date
- May 2008
- Location
- weezin' the ju-uuuice
- Posts
- 5,201
Originally Posted by thin cover
Buying up the flannel are we? Good to hear you're preparing yourself!"If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise." -Robert Fritz
"The clearest indication of character is what people find laughable." - Goethe
-
03-24-2010, 12:48 PM #25
Registered User
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Location
- bucks county pa
- Posts
- 1,940
Fixed grip great report here .....I will be chiming in with a personal note tom.....
always forward but never straight
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks