Mt Baker TR for 12/09/04 goes here

**Jumper Bones** · 12-09-2004, 04:56 PM

I am opening this now just because I'm not so sure I made the right call when I decided to not go today.

anyway post here and tell me how right or wrong I was.

When I checked the report this morning (5:30), it was 31 degrees. Same temp at 2pm report.

Mucky? good?

**Duder** · 12-09-2004, 05:17 PM

Yesterday was insanity! I will just let everyone know that. A total fucking blizzard storm up there. Puked ALL day. Some noteables included: Chair 6 opening at 11am, 12" new with 30 degree temp in the morning, ridiculous blizzard and puking snow conditions, No chair 1 all day nor access to Pan Dome....

Hope everyone had a good time today....I would be jealous if it was any better than yesterday.

**optics** · 12-09-2004, 05:19 PM

Yep, looks right around 30 all day w/12"+ fresh.

Sweet, sweet sludge.

**hop** · 12-09-2004, 06:03 PM

Did I fuck up by not going? I dunno... just got a 2nd hand report that today was bad (cue Run DMC). If that's the case oh well, I missed an all-time great pow day. However, my day was not wasted because I learned the solo to THE TROOPER!!!!

Edit: just talked to patrol. Apparently today was leaps and bounds better than yesterday.

**Duder** · 12-09-2004, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by hop

Edit: just talked to patrol. Apparently today was leaps and bounds better than yesterday.

Is that "inbounds" or "out of bounds"?

**optics** · 12-09-2004, 06:19 PM

It's gotta be decent. If it were that bad we'd be reading drunk posts by now.

**hop** · 12-09-2004, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by Duder

Is that "inbounds" or "out of bounds"?

I suppose inbounds. He said it was colder with less snow so you could actually ski instead of wallow. Edit to include that would probably mean OB was better as well, if you were brave enough/crazy enough to go out there!

Damn, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are good (understatement of the year). By "learned" in my above post, I mean I can sort of play about 60% of each of their parts before I go into pentatonic-fake-it mode. How they get that fast up on the neck I'll never know!

**Snow Dog** · 12-09-2004, 08:08 PM

It was sweet. The Baker posse still remains a myth but that's ok. I heard somebody named "Tim" on 5-4. The 12 inches of new was out by 12 inches (no new). Everything was tracked up so I suspect no new after Baker closed yesterday. I rode the lift by myself almost every time (2 trips with a boarder). I saw a few people in the late morning/afternoon following the track from the top of chair 8 over to the Canyon.

I found some untracked areas (because it was almost flat) off of chair 3 but I had enough float to cruise through it. Nice. Low speed cruising through the trees between Big Creek and Sneaky Pete's until I found the big creek (and it's big gully). Not smart.

It almost clearded up in the morning but by 2pm it was snowing again. I finished my cario workout and was gone by 2:30.

Could someone explain to me what "closed" and "canyon closed" really mean (I know what the Canyon is). I'm just curious -- is the Patrol saving runs for themselves? What will they do to you?

**Stikki** · 12-09-2004, 09:59 PM

Could someone explain to me what "closed" and "canyon closed" really mean (I know what the Canyon is). I'm just curious -- is the Patrol saving runs for themselves? What will they do to you?[/QUOTE]

Someone with a little more Baker experience can correct me if I’m wrong, but the closed areas are run of the mill closed inbounds terrain, cliff outs and such. The canyon closed signs are for when the avy danger is high enough that were the hemispheres to slide you’d be caught in the terrain trap that is the canyon run. If you’re caught poaching they’ll yank your pass because you were stupid enough to put yourself in that situation.

**PulverSchwein** · 12-09-2004, 10:17 PM

I was wondering the same thing as SD. I think he was more referring to the fact that everyone basically ignores the various closed signs/ropes including patrollers, everywhere but the canyon. If you poach closed ropes at most places you'd get a spanking for it. Is that just house rules for Baker? I just rolled with the canyon being closed because a patroller said it like he meant it when they opened 6 yesterday and it seemed like wise advice.

**BakerBoy** · 12-09-2004, 10:26 PM

The patrol at Baker can't/don't/won't actually CLOSE a single run on the mountain. They might tell you its a bad idea, but they won't tell you to not go... except for the Canyon. For multiple reasons, mostly being that during this time of the year, there's a 20foot running waterfall in the middle of the chute.

Stikki touched on the "official" reason for closing the Canyon during most of the year, yet there's a bunch of technicalities regarding the canyon closure, but unless you ride Baker a ton, you really won't ever run into them... Regardless, it keeps the gapers and the people who shouldn't be out there away.

**Buster Highmen** · 12-09-2004, 11:29 PM

Heh. It was sweet. I'd say the snow was good, not manky per BofferBoys description of yesterday. Like the new had dried it out or it set up so you could float on it a little.

Chicken Ridge was great, face shots of clotted cream abounded. I pulled Le Grand Augert into a windlip and lost z-bo and Squirrel99 when they went out to the Elf chutes. Vis was bad there, so we regrouped and skied Oy Valley, dropping pillows of poof down through the weedy draws, bobsledding out the gully.

I was whipped by 2:00. Skied the morning with tibaher and 1 run with RotBatteredHum.

z-bo and Squirrel99 rool. tibaher is the dood. Thanks.

**Jumper Bones** · 12-09-2004, 11:35 PM

GODDAMMIT!!!

And one of my peeps (Sandy) got canned on the Apprentice. NOT MY DAY!!!

Fuck, fuck, fuckitty fuck fuck fuck.

BakerBoy was right...even reputable weathermen, such as Komo's Steve Pool, can be dead wrong with their forecasts, even with a 12-hour period!

**PNWbrit** · 12-10-2004, 10:24 AM

Awesome day! Sorry I didn't find anyone else - I forgot my radio. My Buddy and I just spent all day getting to know Baker a little better. I think I now see where the passion for the place comes from (I still think Crystal kicks its ass!) but we'll just have to get up there more often.

I feel very old this morning - I ache all over!

**Zeedashbo** · 12-10-2004, 01:39 PM

yesterday kicked ass. we skied all the goods except for the arm and all of hemi's. (if i woulda had my skins i woulda been there too). thanks to all the baker maggots for not showing up.

**Buster Highmen** · 12-10-2004, 01:41 PM

BofferToy and Plop are just scared of me. Wussies.

**optics** · 12-10-2004, 02:26 PM

Pics, Squirrel?

**Buster Highmen** · 12-10-2004, 02:39 PM

I think z-bo has 'em. One of those guys had a camera that Squirrel used to shoot z pillow pounding.

eeeewwwwwww. That didn't sound right.

**tibaher** · 12-10-2004, 03:57 PM

thanks to everybody for a great time yesterday!
Always good to change a new nickel (what happened to you anyways E-DUB?) and it's always good skiin w/ maggots!
I was really surprised by how good the snow was. Fresh tracks were had on every run and even a few face shots too.

**Squirrel99** · 12-10-2004, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Zeedashbo

yesterday kicked ass. we skied all the goods except for the arm and all of hemi's. thanks to all the baker maggots for not showing up.

Yes it did

(sorry- no pics, my camera is broken)
Great skiing with Tibaher/Rehabit, Buster, HBR, eDub, Zbo, and Buster plus the Alpine Hut gang.

The vis may have run on the poor side many a times, but what a great day. OY was where it was at. And those pillows kicked ass. It also helped they had Chair 1 closed, making all the laps off Austin and Panface side rather deep and creamy. Occasional faceshots, it was a great day.

Snow Dog- I thought I heard someone changing nickels on 5.4 but was the reception was spotty. Tried responding at the top, but no response. eDub, nice meeting you- not sure where you disappered to when we left the top of 6.

Yeah, Hop, inbounds was much better. One trip was enough out to Elf/Elbow and in hindsight, might not have been the best idea. OY was better, but we were bushwhacking and staying in the tight treed sections. Snow overall didn't feel as cohesive as Sunday and later on Thursday night's avie report- many fractures of 1-3' were being reported both natural and triggered across the Cascades. Perhaps this rain is a good thing- sounded like our layers were starting to stack up pretty bad with quite a bit of sugar near the bottom and a smooth layer above it.

Pending on weather/reports, I'm mulling over a trip to Crystal for Saturday... But I'll definitely be up at Stevens to ski the icepack on Sunday.

**eDub** · 12-10-2004, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by tibaher

what happened to you anyways E-DUB?

Yeah, I was a victim of my rotten flat-light vision. While you guys were traversing high over the top of Pan Face (stupid skiers and their superior ability to traverse

), I dropped down the right side with the intent of cutting back left to Austin. I was charging over some mellow rollers without properly scoping my line and I dropped too low and I ended up buried up to my waist in a valley between two rollers.

By the time I dug myself out and got moving again, you guys were probably all the way back to Chair 6.

No worries though, I just kept hitting Chicken Ridge and managed to find fresh lines until I headed back over to the White Salmon side around 2pm. I played around there for awhile and then called it. By the time I left, the parking lot was almost cleared out.

I still can't believe how good the snow was and that the warm front held off all day. So glad I hit it before the rain today.

By the way, did anyone else get stuck in the HELLISH traffic heading back to Seattle? It took me 4 1/2 hours to get from Baker to West Seattle. First the constuction on I-5 outside of B-ham, then the massive gridlock on every highway into and out of Seattle. (Rainiest damn city in the country, and the natives can't drive in the rain. WTF?)

**tibaher** · 12-11-2004, 12:02 AM

heh we musta kept lapping each other, 'cause that's where we skied 'til at least 12:15. Kept gettin better, so I was like why ski anything else! It was too good to say no... although the run in to the chute under chair one was my favorite of the day.

Nice skiing with you! If you're up to Crystal tomorrow, we'll be on 5-4 again.

**eDub** · 12-11-2004, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by tibaher

heh we musta kept lapping each other, 'cause that's where we skied 'til at least 12:15. Kept gettin better, so I was like why ski anything else! It was too good to say no... although the run in to the chute under chair one was my favorite of the day.

Yeah, I was pretty sure that was what happened. I tried to radio you guys a couple of times, but radio reception was shitty so I gave up, turned on the iPod and just enjoyed the pow.

Originally Posted by tibaher

Nice skiing with you!

Likewise. Glad I ran into you guys.

Originally Posted by tibaher

If you're up to Crystal tomorrow, we'll be on 5-4 again.

I would be down for Crystal, but I have to be at Stevens Sat. and Sun.

Holy

! My dog just let the longest and loudest fart I have ever heard come out of a dog. Now my living room reeks! Oh man, I may have to open all the doors and windows. Damn, I gotta go, my eyes are starting to water (and I am not kidding.)