PNW Dawn Patrol, is it possible?

[Squirrel99]

PNW peeps- Anybody know of some good locations to do some dawn patrols assaults (aka Powstash LCC style) boot up, ski down, and make it back to work in Seattle by about 9am?

Must do dawn patrol assaults soon. If it's possible and anyone interested, post or PM.

edit (although 10am return to work might be okay with bossman)

[cj001f]

It's possible in the PNW. I'd be interested if I weren't in PDX.

[joshbu]

Dr. Crash and I have been trying to do this on tuesday mornings, with some modicum of success. As far as terrain, you're looking primarily at Snoqualmie Pass. That's not such bad thing. There's a ton of b/c terrain in the pass, and if you stick to north facing stuff you can get cold pow with _generally_ excellent stability.

Our round trip on Catherine this week took about 5.5 hours, and our approach was, ahem, less than ideal. I bet we could shave an hour off of that with a little practice in the terrain.

So, you looking at getting out of your car at 4, which means getting into your car in the morning at 3. (erp)

If you just wanted to skin up Hyak and ski that, you could round trip that in an hour.

[Dr. Crash]

I'm not sure. But if you're okay being at work by 4pm there are plenty of opportunities... [Edit: joshbu beat me to it.] As Joshbu pointed out, we went through the steepest slope (cf. post "The idiot's way up Mt Catherine"). We'll blame it on fog and being tempted to follow someone else's tracks (last time we do that!). And we started up late.

If we take a 4-6 hour trip in Martin Volgel's book, aim for 5 hours, and say we want to be back in town at 12pm, we need to leave at 12 - 5 - 2 = 5am. Doable I say. It needs to be a place where skinning up is pretty obvious for the first hour and something before dawn. Or we need big ass headlamps (I have a small BD Moonlight that is not big ass).

If you find out stuff that'd work with back to work around 11am-1pm though, I'm in!

drC

[cj001f]

The other thing to consider is the night shift. Especially w/ a full moon(just past ) you can get in some excellent skiing. Leave work at 4, 2hrs to the mountains, 4 hrs skin/ski, 2hrs home - Easily doable.

[Platinum Pete]

Originally posted by cj001f
It's possible in the PNW. I'd be interested if I weren't in PDX.

I've done a couple Hood trips from PDX for dawn patrol. Goddamnfuckingsucks early mornings, but you get the fix.
I'm thinking of climbing Hood tonight, skiing down and going to work tomorrow (arrive dirty and tired at 9:30am). I want to get a climb in before the weather window closes. Maybe Luetholds or RGHW, probably hogsback.
Anybody wanna come?

[cj001f]

Originally posted by Platinum Pete
Anybody wanna come?

Love too, but I've got plans tonite

The overnight trips not that bad - if you can make it through the dreaded after lunch hour.

[Squirrel99]

CJ-
Tempting on the night shift deal. Any ideas of the next full moon?
Where at- down South toward Crystal or are we talking about Snoqualmie or Stevens?

[Platinum Pete]

Originally posted by cj001f
Love too, but I've got plans tonite

.

sorry for the hijack - I hope those plans include going to the downtown Stumptown Coffee at 7:30 to watch Breaking Away with my mayoral candidate Phil Busse - end hijack.

Snowcrummie has some good action. If I lived in Seattle and could get to work at noon, dawn patrol would be in fullest effect.

[Viva]

Originally posted by Platinum Pete
sorry for the hijack - I hope those plans include going to the downtown Stumptown Coffee at 7:30 to watch Breaking Away with my mayoral candidate Phil Busse - end hijack.

Yo Dood! I may see you there following my dinner date- I'll be right down the street from Stumpy's.

I'll be the one limping.

[pollard]

Originally posted by Squirrel99
CJ-
Tempting on the night shift deal. Any ideas of the next full moon?
Where at- down South toward Crystal or are we talking about Snoqualmie or Stevens?

I'd be down for it at stevens. mondays would work really good for me. towards the spring I'd be up for making it a weekly thing. if anyones interested.

[Squirrel99]

Yeah, count me in for any of the three- but would definitely need a guide as never having been to Stevens or the Stevens Backcountry. I think a full moon assault is in order! Anyone know when the next one is?

[Squirrel99]

Pollard,

Let's try and get a group together for the next Monday full moon up at Stevens. On a separate subject, how'd you do in the Red Comp?

[pollard]

sounds good. I'll try to figure out something that'd be good.

I didn't do so good at red. I hucked a cliff alittle bigger then I'd practised and couldn't keep my speed under control. went down in the qualifer and freeskied the rest of the week.

[Platinum Pete]

Originally posted by Platinum Pete

I'm thinking of climbing Hood tonight, skiing down and going to work tomorrow (arrive dirty and tired at 9:30am). I want to get a climb in before the weather window closes. Maybe Luetholds or RGHW, probably hogsback.
Anybody wanna come?

Shit. I've been drinking and somebody gave me a half tablet of some zoloft like pharmy that is making my head feel glowy. Fucking cop out bullshit. I don't think I'm doing it tonight, but I owe me one.

[joshbu]

The moon is waning right now. Next full will be ~March 7.

It's got to line up just right with avy conditions and cloud cover to happen, but I bet it would be super fun if it did...