TR: Yet another PWN BC update...

[snoslut]

Uh...yeah I meant PNW...(more pics added)

Mother Nature must have switched dandruff shampoos because the past few weeks, the flakes have been piling up. I can't recall too many times when White, Stevens and Snoqualmie Passes were so frequently closed. Even Baker fell victim to closure today, Saturday.

The backcountry has been epic thus far. The trail breaking, not so epic. Neither are the avalanche conditions. It has really put the limit on the amount of venturing.

Yesterday, Friday, I opted for solo tour in the Crystal BC. The snow was falling as graupel as I started skinning by 8am. After an inch or so it turned to snow. Snow had that settling feeling that is typical after weeks of big dumps of various layered snow. It dumped all day and not a soul back here but myself. I love days like these. I compare it to being at the beach and having these perfects sets all to yourself. A sort of re-discovery of ones self. Sure breaking trail alone in boot to thigh deep snow is long and arduous but IMO it's well worth it. After 2 and half hours I found myself on top of East Peak. Visibility across the valley was zero. Visibility below me was manageable in a sense that it didn't slow you down. However, wind lips can blend in so well. Glad that the snow was deep enough to lean back without hitting anything.

There were pockets of instability here and there that if caught in, could be a reason for concern due to tree wells and terrain traps. Nothing widespread like shooting cracks or big whomfs. The sluff ran fast on any terrain steeper than 30 degrees. That was evident on the skin back up. With the winds help, my skin track had accumulated around 4 inches of snow between laps. Winds were generally mild and tolerable with just a wicking layer while ascending. Btw, on deep days stepping off your board is always a mystery. Today I only sank up my knee to thigh. By the end of the day I was up to my waist and the snow kept dumping.

On my 4th lap I noticed that my first tracks were nearly gone. On the way out my up-track was nearly gone, filled with a foot plus of new snow. I almost came to a stop but just before I did, the pitch steepened. Instead of taking the groomers out, I skinned to steeper tree slot. I was only able to take a few turns. It was deep today.

By the end of the day the snow was getting a bit moist. I returned to my car to find the snow up to my door bottom of my suv. Plenty of cars just spinning out in the lot as I left.

Anyways a trip report is ALMOST worthless without pics right? Here are some from last weekend from the same area. It was almost this deep. But wait, who knows how deep it will be on Sunday once those temps dip back down?

I took this pic of Eli. He's over 6 ft. Yup it's deep...


Eli trying to hide from the camera...(photo by jcocci)


Eli took these pics of me capturing my spirit...

Examining the snowpack...


Hey, it looks like I'm skiing. Oh wait, my poles are on my back...


Here comes the rooster...


PNW Cascade Cement...


Where's the rest of my body?


This is just plain ridiculous...


A smiling slut is a happy slut...


Snoslut trying to hide from the camera...(photo by jcocci)


All razy and raid back...(photo by jcocci)

[moose pit]

That is deep!
Great shots.

[LightRanger]

Great TR. I like your words. I almost want to say the photos are icing, but they're too sweet to be just icing.

[DirkaDirkaJack]

snowmonsters attack....

[filthyfrenchbum]

This picture is so damn cool! Nice stoke, let it snow!

[Monique]

Nice work, E.

Assume you skipped today too...did ya notice 4-5 sluffs hitting the blvd on the way down? Rumor in G-dub says a slide closed it for a while today, but no reliable stories yet.

[Lloyd Christmas]

The texture in those pictures is amazing. Be careful out there. Solo trips to the BC in these conditions is pretty gutsy.

[snoslut]

Nice bumping into ya Monique. Yeah I skipped out today. Now thinking about it, I might have had enough time to take another run yesterday.

I did see the pic from BenWa of the fracture today. Nuts. For once I'm glad I stayed home. A good day for drinking and bowling.

Forecast is calling for temps to drop after mid-day tomorrow around here. I wish it was sooner.

[Mofro261]

more eye candy from the snoslut!

rock on dude. maybe one of these years I'll get around to skiing with you again.

[jwolter7]

Good stuff, not trying to rain on anyones parade, but I have noticed something over the years.
Many people ask the question, what's the difference between this snowpack and other areas?
Look at the first picture and you will see the snow breaking up as chunks/blocks of snow next to the skis. When you see photos of deep snow from Utah/Colorado it will be in very small pieces/flakes of snow blowing up around the person.
The biggest difference is this kind of deep conditions seam to happen in the Northwest every week, and the terrain is second to none. Steep and deep, the snow sticks to pitches that in other areas it would just blow away.
I just wish I could see where I was going when skiing in the Northwest so I don't go over any of the cliffs that always surround you on the nice lines!

[Sutter]

Snoslut has consistently provided some of the best stoke of the season, yeah dude!

[snoslut]

A few more pics from Jcocci...

Eli trying to hide from the camera...


Snoslut trying to hide from the camera...


All razy and raid back...

[Gregbo]

Niiiiicccceeeeee -

Crystals' BC has been special this season.. however, these picks will bring more
folks .... progress?

[skibee]

Horray!! Snow for everybody to enjoy!!

[mikefut@hotmail.com]

sick sick sick. nice stoke

[muted]

I don't know why, but I felt compelled to fuck with this photo by making it brighter and less grainy and more surreal. Sick photo though.

[supermodel159]

Very nice and very deep.

[skier666]

[brown9]

Very nice and very deep.

That's what she said

Shameless stoke bump... why can't it be snowing right now? I'm ready to see some waist deep.

[alto]

Good bump. Epic shotz.