3/17/02
So the plan was to meet at 6AM in Hood River. Trouble was I still somehow sabotaged the triple-threat alarm array - I rolled back over and went back to sleep. Called Matt to inform him of my tardiness. Arrived in H. River at 6:30. Meanwhile, Matt accidently slipped back to sleep while riding the couch waiting for me! Maybe we weren't that stoked to go?? He booked it down the hill and met me at 6:45.
LOTS of new snow over the last week... 3 feet or so . . . and lots of new in the previous 24hrs. Skinned up the Heather Canyon access and then up to the top of the ridge leading into the Newton Creek drainage. After negotiating some massive whoopty's and wind-rolls we made it up to a shot that looked good to both of us. Any higher looked riskier and at least more wind-affected.
| One of the bigger box-car sized jelly rolls at the ridgetop - it's been a pretty big snow year |
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| Looking across the drainage and down our intended line |
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| Matt gettin chummy with the freshies |
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There was a bit of a weather window when we topped out (I actually could see Mt. Adams top to bottom on the drive to Hood River) but the squalls soon returned. The snow was obviously very very light - any time it's snowing in Portland when I leave - that's usually a positive sign for good snow quality up high. We wasted little time and dove in to the freshies. The skiing was absolutely some of the best of the year.
| Matt kicking up a plume on lap one - the cornices above looming large |
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| Hoppin' back on the human-powered escalator |
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On the skin back up we noticed a pretty major avenue / gully to skier's right that was begging to be tracked up. It was tucked a little more into the ridge and more protected from the wind. After topping out on the ridge and gowning back up, we had at it.
| Matt pops down thru the trees (whilst trying to maintain a powder-free airway) as we angle to the gully entrance |
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| Looking down about 700 vertical feet of untouched powder before we dropped in |
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What followed were, as Matt and I both agreed, some of the best deep snow powder turns that he and I had ever had in the years we've been touring together. There was some discussion of a third lap prior to doing this shot . . . that third lap became a certainty.
| "This snow is too deep . . . let's go home!" |
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| Putting some additional wear and tear on the skin track |
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After we reached the top another group of 2 reached our spot (it was now close to noon). We were surprised we hadn't seen more parties - it was a Sunday. The final lap down into the drainage was equally unreal.
| Gotta love it when your powder plumage is taller than you are! |
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| My best behind-the-back-as-Matt-blasts-by contortionist photog. Powder snow on the way up for another bit of chin music. |
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| "Mt. Hood, Utah!!" If it wasn't for all the light powder snow and the giant rooster tail blasted into the air, you'd see Matt more clearly in the center of the photo. |
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We regained the ridge and descended back into the Heather Canyon. There was a fairly hard sun crust underneath about a foot of fairly wind-worked stuff on this aspect and the skiing was kinda tricky. Closer to the bottom it got fluffier and deeper and linking turns became easier.
The usual routine cruise out to the HRM lot was complicated for me by an absurd lack of wax and unfortunate amount of adhesive from my skins still left on the bases of my skis. Skate, skate, skate . . . Still, it could do nothing to take the shine off an incredible day.