2012/2013 Central Oregon Volcano Stoke!

[linds-o-rama]

Who loves to shred our volcanoes?!?! Post your Central Oregon backcountry ski stoke here.

I'll start us off by saying that this Christmas storm was out of control! I haven't gone through all my photos yet, but here are some from Moon Mountain (too deep to ride to Ball!) and Kwolh Butte.

I have spent every Christmas at my mom's home in Sacramento, California. When I moved to San Francisco after high school, the short drive was easy. Then I moved to New York City, and the trip became much more difficult: crazy weather at home, long lines at the airport, delayed flights, stressed out people everywhere... you know how it goes.

When I moved to Bend, Oregon it should have become easier, but in some ways it just isn't. The lack of direct flights from Bend to Sacramento means we choose to drive rather than fly. The weather is always the wild card: if it is nice out, we get to stop at Bunny Flat on Mt. Shasta for some fun backcountry skiing to stretch our legs. If the weather is bad, however, our drive becomes hours longer, we start tallying vehicles off the side of the road (we counted 14 on one trip), and we are miserable by the time we reach our festive destination.



This year the weather was unusually stormy. It had been snowing non-stop for about two weeks before Christmas, and the roads were covered in ice and packed snow with tire chain ruts. We read about multiple fatal accidents on the roads in central Oregon. We began researching alternate routes, all of which would have taken hours longer, and also had snow on the road and in the forecast. I-5 had been closed on and off in the days leading up to Christmas Eve, and the traffic looked horrendous.

Erik and I had to make a tough call, but we decided: it was going to be too snowy and crazy to drive down to Sacramento for Christmas this year. We were stuck, snowbound, in Bend.

How did we fill our free time over the Christmas holiday? In the snow, of course!

We rode our snowmobiles through deep pow in search of soft landings and face shots...



And found them!



We broke trail through thick blankets of snow:



We explored the forest looking for new places to ski:



We got cold in the sub-freezing temperatures...



And warmed ourselves by a wood stove in a warming shelter:



And did plenty of skiing!

[jonesy]

So good linds

[astralboy15]

Central Oregon volcano stoke always stokes me out. Keep it up!

[linds-o-rama]

We did some skiing on Lava Butte around Christmas too!

Every few years when we are really lucky, a big, low-elevation storm will cover Bend and the surrounding area with a respectable amount of snow. Sometimes even enough to start thinking about all the volcanic bumps around town that would be good to ski! One of those spots is Lava Butte, right next to Highway 97, about 10 miles south of town.

Lava Butte can look rocky, but it has a deep depression facing the highway that collects wind-deposited snow, and the resulting slope is steep enough that you get that nice pull of gravity on your skis as you make your way down.

A close to town, decently steep, untracked, show-off line next to the highway that is clearly visible to the hundreds of vehicles passing by? Yes please!


We came, we skied, we hit some rocks...

[linds-o-rama]

Broken Top did not suck on Friday!

[linds-o-rama]

Here you go, some excellent Broken Top stoke for you all. Springtime in February...

"Hey! We got here in 8 minutes!" I yelled over to Erik as we were parking our snowmobiles at the wilderness boundary near Broken Top. It is about 4.5 miles from Dutchman Flat to where we parked, so I was pretty impressed by how quickly we got there. "The snow was really easy to ride!"



We put on our skins and cruised across the big meadow leading to the blown-open crater, or what I consider to be the front of Broken Top. I fell in love with Broken Top the moment I laid eyes on him (and yes, he is a him). Craggy and pointy and crazy looking... my kind of mountain for sure! An hour skinning across the meadow gives me plenty of time to stare at the mountain: enjoying its unique character, remembering epic ski days past, and dreaming about adventures that are about to go down.

Our objective was 3 o'clock couloir. The ski lines in the crater are named after the numbers on a clock: with the summit being 12:00, you can work left to see the popular climbing routes 9:00 and 11:00 or work right to see some fun ski lines like 1:00 and 2:30.

3:00 is a giant ski slope walled in by orange and brown striped cliffs. I'd skied on that side of the mountain a few times before, but never this particular line. 3:00 can get hairy with plenty of rockfall and balls of rime ice littering the snow, so timing is important. On this day, the time was right!



We skinned up the apron and into the couloir proper. Erik, always up for a challenge, skinned all the way to the top, up and through some cliffs to the left which he dubbed the 3:00 variation. I switched to bootpacking about a third of the way up, traded my ski pole for an ice axe, and felt like a ski mountaineer for the first time in over a year. Yes!



We met at the top and really soaked in the views. It is gorgeous up there!





Erik skied off the backside of the couloir toward the tarn, made some turns in windpack, then climbed back up and over into the top of 3:00. I was standing all alone on the top of 3:00 variation, looking down the steep shot below my skis, getting really excited to ski my line! The snow was soft and almost slushy corn, and if there is a type of snow that I really know how to ski, it is corn snow!

I dropped in first, making turns down a steep, beautiful slope with dramatically-striped rock all around me. The line didn't drop directly down fall line, but turned toward skier's left, which made my descent feel even more adventurous! Eventually my line connected back with 3:00 proper, and I got to stop and take some really great photos of Erik ripping it!







Skiing the rest of the couloir, I enjoyed making huge turns and really let my skis get going. At first, I was doing my own thing, but I somehow ended up following Erik's turns exactly. It's funny how that happens sometimes... it must be love.



Skiing off the mountain was "woo hoo!s" all the way to the snowmobiles. There was definitely a high five or two. Psyched to finally ski 3:00 couloir, and on such a fantastic, sunny, warm, excellent day!

[Southeast Maggot]

^^^wow, beautiful line.

When was that descent?

[linds-o-rama]

Friday, 2/1.

[Tap]

Worrrrrrrrd!

[Game Over]

Yes! Sweet write up Linds!

I gotta mention in case anyone cares (or is a geology geek like me) that the crater was not formed or blown-open by a eruption (very common misconception) it was actually formed by glacial erosion.

[Oceanman]

Y'all's terrain looks amazing ! I want to ride some volcanoes... Keep up the good work gents

[spook]

nice pics, linds...

[linds-o-rama]

I gotta mention in case anyone cares (or is a geology geek like me) that the crater was not formed or blown-open by a eruption (very common misconception) it was actually formed by glacial erosion.

Yes I care, but damn you for destroying my dream!

[linds-o-rama]

OK people. I know some of you have been out skiing! Post up some photos!

[rod9301]

Does anyone know how the good morning couloir on n sister is?
How long is the approach?

Thanks, I tried skiing out in early june one year, and got turned back by a late start and rockfall, or maybe the two are related??

Sent from my SCH-I500 using TGR Forums

[Kraemer]

nice write up and fotos L-rama!

[linds-o-rama]

Does anyone know how the good morning couloir on n sister is?
How long is the approach?

Early morning couloir is awesome. The length of the approach depends on how much snow is on the road... from pole creek, I'd guess it is a few hours. Not too bad, but definitely a full day. If you don't have access to a snowmobile, it may be prudent to wait until spring and shred it in corn!

[TracerBullet]

I spent a few weeks last summer in Bend, with a handful of days up on Paulina Peak. Has anyone here skied it? It seems like it could be a fun day of snowmobile laps if you have a handful of friends to run up and down, but I dunno where it dumps you out, so I could be off on that.

[Orange Julius]

Does anyone know how the good morning couloir on n sister is?
How long is the approach?

Thanks, I tried skiing out in early june one year, and got turned back by a late start and rockfall, or maybe the two are related??

Access via Pole Creek TH is currently "closed" due to the fire damage. Not sure how much it will be enforced but my guess is the fine is large.

Early June is usually a good time to ski that stuff. It gets early sun so it pays to get up there early. Rockfall is pretty much a given any time. I think a helmet is worth it.

Here's the view down with some cool debris at the bottom from a few years ago

[linds-o-rama]

I spent a few weeks last summer in Bend, with a handful of days up on Paulina Peak. Has anyone here skied it? It seems like it could be a fun day of snowmobile laps if you have a handful of friends to run up and down, but I dunno where it dumps you out, so I could be off on that.

Yes, I've skied it, and yes, it is awesome... I have not done snowmobile laps to the top, but rode them to the base of the mountain and skinned up. There is some tricky boondocking required at the bottom of the ski lines if you want to lap it with sleds. Something I will figure out one of these days...

[linds-o-rama]

This photo is giving me heart palpitations!!!!! I wish I was RIGHT THERE, RIGHT NOW!!!

[linds-o-rama]

I had the great pleasure of skiing this crazy line yesterday! More photos to come...

[D-Roc]

Mags,

Thought i would post to this thread as i am heading to the central Cascades to do some backcountry skiing.

My buddy and i are New Englanders and I have AIARE I & II and Wofer, my buddy has avy awareness courses and first aid and is accustomed to the backcountry.

Wanted to reach out to see on any suggestions of places to go. Or if anyone wanted to join up - March 6 to 13. Thinking of Broken Top, So Sis, and Tam.

Beers etc. on me for the leads and good times.

Also looking for a sled - any help there would be great. Will throw the funds down.

BTW - Linds your pics make me thankful i picked Central OR as my BC destination this yr! Great Stuff!

Thanks guys

- D

[linds-o-rama]

Headed to the Wallowas later this week (it was a last-minute decision) and need some beta! Would appreciate any info on day tours, whether or not we need to bring snowmobiles, where to ski out of the way of the guided groups up there, which ski lines are most drool-worthy, etc... you know, the normal stuff. If anyone out there can help out, please send me a PM!

[Slaag Master]

yay!!!!!! feed the stoke!!!!