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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    PNW
    Posts
    57

    Early start to the Cascade high alpine season?

    I've been doing some various canoe based visual recon in the N. Cascades in the last couple of weeks- the ground is ugly and bare below about 5500, but so very nice and white above. Has anyone been up poking around on access roads? Snow conditions are probably similar to a normal June or later, it seems like normal mid summer routes might be in October condition by June this year.
    Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    PNW
    Posts
    57
    Wow, lack of interest in PNW skiing is kind of... sad... so I'll answer my own question. Sat night we drove up to the Schreiber's Meadow access on Baker. Road is free and clear (a few icy sections, no 4wd necessary) until about a mile before the meadow. We were able to skin up from this point, except for the lower Railroad Grade valley, which is rocky enough to keep sleds out. Above this, the Easton is in good climbing shape- we made it up to 6500 or so, had some lunch and enjoyed the view. N. Cascades high alpine looks well covered. So how about it? Anyone want to go skiing?
    Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    amidst 5 mountains
    Posts
    3,854
    I'm wanting to ski Rainier this year, Emmons glacier. With this drought, I wonder what the best time to hit it will be. Early June?
    "In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair." -Emerson

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Uptown
    Posts
    6,208
    Yeah, soutrh facing slopes pretty well open up to 5500 right now. Even the lower faces of herman are completely bare. Still holding on well on the north slopes.

    Had planned an april-may summit ski on Baker, companions crapped out on me. Still got a solstice north face climb planned, but would be interested in attacking the south face later this month or early next month.
    Living vicariously through myself.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Deep Inside......lurking.
    Posts
    60
    Most def. looks like an early high alpine season. Got up high on baker this past week. thin for this time of year, but doable.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Whistler, B.C. (almost)
    Posts
    1,272
    If I'm around the area, I'd be stoked to do a tour on Rainier in June.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Jackson, WY
    Posts
    5,642
    Quote Originally Posted by powstash
    I'm wanting to ski Rainier this year, Emmons glacier. With this drought, I wonder what the best time to hit it will be. Early June?
    You know where to find me


    and yes, I'll be up for some exploring later in March or April.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Seattle, wa
    Posts
    794
    there was a aticle in the paper last week say that they were starting to clear the north cascades highway. It said that there was only a couple feet of snow on most of the road and that there only a couple avy paths that went up to 8 feet.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    PNW
    Posts
    57
    I'm up for any high alpine trips, volcano or otherwise, in the next few months. June on Rainier is standard for a normal snow year, I don't know how much snow they have above 8000 feet, crevasses could be opening up pretty well by June.
    Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk

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