Snow in the PNW 13/14

[Toadman]

Not worth touring for higher north facing stuff? I've been debating bike vs. ski for this weekend.

No debate for me, I'll be on the bike.

[Scotsman50]

Your early season makes me really hope my wife gets accepted to the PhD program she's applying for at UW. This is 2 frigid dry novembers in a row here.

YEah ...well looks like we are in a high pressure system for a while...not looking good for thanksgiving pow.

[yergz]

How about those "groomers" at baker yesterday? Fun times, we need some effin snow though...

[Chugachjed]

This is what my car looked like after work today.

[BeardedClam]

Not worth touring for higher north facing stuff? I've been debating bike vs. ski for this weekend.

Got high today. Snow was good in the morning, but by 1pm, steep high north facing stuff was feeling the heat. The nights might help it, but 10k+ FL won't help much.

Anything n. facing and steep enough to hold good snow tomorrow does not have coverage or will not hold good snow for long.

Coverage in the alpine is good but S. faces will not hold it for long. Not worth riding anything southfacing till early mid week to corn up a little.

You should bike.

[plugboots]

FYI for mags skiing at rainy pass, etc., the road over WA pass was a bit like chugachjed's car last night, with the added excitement of rocks being shed onto the road from all the waterfalls.

[Zeedashbo]

FYI for mags skiing at rainy pass, etc., the road over WA pass was a bit like chugachjed's car last night, with the added excitement of rocks being shed onto the road from all the waterfalls.

Still good up there? We bailed on hwy 20 and went hwy 2 and were thoroughly unimpressed by the conditions above 5500

[plugboots]

It was OK according to my buds last week above lake ann. Now there's a crazy inversion with no new snow. It's skiing, anyway, with a wild luge run down the hiking trail to get out. Not my thing, but lots of folks do it.

[BeardedClam]

Usually on the other end of the lens. Some proof that I actually can ski.





And some shameless self-promotion in this spell of dry weather we're sitting in. The Pass Life photo contest is still going on and I would be indebted to the maggots to help vote up a photo I took of local boy Andrew Eckels givin' it proper over the Davey Jones cliffband. Nothing says The Pass Life like taking it fat to flat in full view of the padded seats.

Click the image to go to the voting page if you want to help out



Closing day minikeg of homebrew will be brought up and doled out to those that help.

[foreal]

Mmmm that looks tasty, BC. Sweet shot.

[shafty85]

The gf and I are going to be taking the avy course at Baker the weekend of Jan 25/26. Anyone have some floor space/couch we could crash on? We'd be more than happy to provide food and/or beverages in exchange.

[hop]

Here's a first-hand writeup of the avalanche in Japan.

Looking at the photos of the terrain I got a sinking feeling that it's basically the same mega terrain trap that Shuksan Arm/Rumble Gully is. Just something to think about.

http://www.modestbike.com/dlp/index....tateyamanov23/

[d542east]

That's one hell of a sobering read. Makes you wonder about the traverse on/near the cornice at the top of Rumble Gully.

Baker should buy a big print of this and stick it at the bottom of chair 8:


For more see Grant's Website:
http://grantgunderson.com/

On a different note, snow was soft and styrofoamy in patches around little AK this morning. I was pleasantly surprised. Early season low expectations may be a significant factor on my snow quality assessment, but I had a good time.

[Alkares]

Didn't the Shuksan Arm go huge a year or two back? I Remember reading 7-8 ft. or something?

[TripleT]

^seriously? Did you see the post above yours?

[Alkares]

Yes, but wasn't sure if the above picture was of said event.... I've heard its gone many times, hard to tell the size by that pic...

Edit: or maybe my eyes are just bad

[TripleT]

It's discussed in the old PNW thread and I think might have had its own as well...but the pictures are crazy

http://grantgunderson.com/blog/?p=117
http://grantgunderson.com/blog/?p=132

[hop]

It went big in February 1999 and killed two people which prompted the BC policy in place now. Three years ago it went naturally during the day in the middle of a March storm cycle and nobody was killed only via a miracle/delayed Pan Dome opening (when the storm cleared days and many feet of snow later finally offering a view of the crown it was still over 10' tall). Two years ago it went just as big or bigger, naturally, in the early morning before the area was open. Debris came into the ski area.

Oh yeah, then there's the heli-bombing stuff like the 2nd link, which produced giant manmade slides less than two weeks after the giant natural slides.

[Norseman]

Poked around in the Olympics yesterday:

[Roder]

Stoked to get on a plane from Boston to Seattle, with the goal of skiing Baker 14-18th. Pray for snow!!

[Stikki]

Great day at Stevens today. Arrived to find knee+ deep dry snow in the base area, pow turns on the rope tow hill to the lift. Lapped short lines off Hogs for face shots until Tye opened a little before noon. Then 7th opened unannounced, deep turns up there until 2pm when suddenly Chief opened, by then less than 100 people were left to share more pow turns.

Coverage was good, stuff in the trees can be sketchy and holes, creeks, etc are still around but easily avoidable. Low key pow day that didn't feel competitive, just a bunch of riders having a good time making turns cheering each other on.

[Z]

Great day at Stevens today. Arrived to find knee+ deep dry snow in the base area, pow turns on the rope tow hill to the lift. Lapped short lines off Hogs for face shots until Tye opened a little before noon. Then 7th opened unannounced, deep turns up there until 2pm when suddenly Chief opened, by then less than 100 people were left to share more pow turns.

Coverage was good, stuff in the trees can be sketchy and holes, creeks, etc are still around but easily avoidable. Low key pow day that didn't feel competitive, just a bunch of riders having a good time making turns cheering each other on.

This sounds exactly like our day yesterday. My girl and I were passing through and rolled the dice on a detour to Stevens. Nailed all those lifts and ski deep pow all day. Fun little mountain and good vibe you guys have up there. The Chief at 2pm was icing on the cake!

[hop]

[TAFKALVS]

Not like there is a quick and easy road to skin up the other side or anything.... the level of stupidity displayed (and that people get away with) in the Baker BC never ceases to amaze me.

[hop]

Not like there is a quick and easy road to skin up the other side or anything.... the level of stupidity displayed (and that people get away with) in the Baker BC never ceases to amaze me.

It's an epidemic in the entire PNW/Coast range, not just Baker.