2017 Trips
#FluffyPillows@Hyak
1.5 miles of hiking • 1500' elevation gain •
Wow... what a great afternoon ski tour yesterday. Santa came early and delivered the goods this year. With almost 18" of fresh dry powder and a cold windless bluebird day.... Who could ask for anything more? The main face was looking pretty abused by the end of the day, but there is still some stashes of pow to be had on the side runs. Get up there and get it before they open on 12/26. Happy Holidays and here's to some big climbs in 2018!!!
December 23, 2017
Granite Mountain
5 miles of hiking • 3750' elevation gain •
Simon and I put in a hard days work of breaking trail in unforgiving conditions. We went up the winter route to the west ridge. This was my first time ascending this route, I have come down it before in the dark under a full moon. It was straight forward, however we had to battle some nasty slide alder that needed about another 2 - 3 feet of snow to bury it for the winter. The creek crossings were spicy due to the lack of snow as well and don't even get me started on the booty traps in the boulder field. All in all though the weather was amazing and there was a nice inversion layer going on. As we got closer to the summit, I almost felt like busting out my beach towel and flip flops. Felt great to be out and pushing myself hard again. The back issues I had over the summer were pretty much non existent, but I was sure sore when we got down.
December 10, 2017
1
Summit West - Early Season Ski Tour
1.5 miles of hiking • 1250' elevation gain •
After watching the snow pile up on the web cams for a few weeks it was nice to get out and sample some of the goods. I was able to hit this before the Thanksgiving Rain !!
November 18, 2017
Lake Dorothy
5 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain • 2 nights
7th Annual Labor Day Weekend Backpacking Trip with the Family. Had a great time up at Dorothy Lake and scored an amazing camp spot. We enjoyed amazing weather, swimming and were fortunate enough to eat fresh fish every single night. We caught Rainbows and Brook Trout. Mindy got to do lots of swimming and was beyond exhausted when we returned home. Here's to next years trip !!!!
September 2 – September 4, 2017
Mirror Lake
2.5 miles of hiking • 750' elevation gain •
Spent the 4th of July with Mayumi doing some Jeeping and then a hike up to Mirror Lake. It was a great day out and we both really enjoyed spending the day together. Afterwards we swung by DruBru for some tasty beverages and filled a few growlers for the 4th of July Fireworks show back home !!!
July 4, 2017
Camp Muir Ski Tour
4 miles of hiking • 4750' elevation gain •
Great day on the mountain !!! The workout was intense, but the turns were just okay. The snow was way over cooked and it took a lot of work to get down the Big R today. Still you can't complain about a clear calm day, I'll take it any day of the week !!!
May 28, 2017
Silver Fir - The Farewell Tour
1 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
On Tuesday night I noticed that Snoqualmie was getting hit hard with some fresh snow. It's the winter that keeps on giving !!! So Wednesday at work all I could think about was getting a few more turns in before this next big warm up. I rushed home and grabbed my gear. Hit the parking lot at the Fir by 6:00 and was back home before 9:00. Coverage is getting really thin and the new snow was super wet and heavy. Nothing like what we skied on Sunday. The fresh schmoooh really helped to cover the layer of pine needles and pollen that was starting to form. This will definitely be my last run for this area. Summit West still looked like it had good coverage. Looks like Alpental is still bumpy. Might go check that out this weekend though.
May 17, 2017
1
King Slayer - Crystal Mountain via Silver Basin
2.5 miles of hiking • 2250' elevation gain •
What an amazing day, by far the best tour of the year !!! There was 3 - 4" of Fresh Snow on top of a nice firm base. The sun made a few short guest appearances and we had flurries off and on all afternoon. We didn't quite slay the King, we got up to about 6,600' and decided to call it at the saddle. Some clouds were approaching and visibility was getting poor. Turns out we made the right decision because 15 min later it was a whiteout, but then like usual once we hit the parking lot.....everything was clearing. Gotta love spring time in Washington !! My buddy Tyson and Matt joined me on this trip. Matt was out testing his new gear and trying to get some training in before his Mount Rainier push later this summer. It was great to get out with these guys.
May 14, 2017
1
Hyak - A Tour for All Seasons
1.5 miles of hiking • 1500' elevation gain •
I had heard about a glowing orb returning to our region of the planet for a few days, but when I woke up Saturday it was cold, damp and cloudy. At first I cursed Cliff Mass and the local weather crew, but then I decided to take action and look at the web cams to see what was actually happening up high. Low and behold there was patches of blue sky and even some white stuff on surrounding trees. I quickly gathered my things and hit the road. While driving through North Bend, I noticed that there was a fresh coat of snow at about 3k. My blood really got pumping and the stoke was certainly high. By the time I reached the pass it was actually snowing and snowing hard. Not much was sticking, but I had high hopes for the slopes up high. After about 30 min of skinning, the sun came out and provided some much needed warmth. It would come and go throughout the morning, but in those rare moments I couldn't resist stopping to soak in a few extra rays !! The fresh snow was just enough to fill in the sun cups that had formed over the past week and it really helped to smooth things out. I got 2 laps in, the East Valley side wasn't all that great. The top third had the freshies and I was able to lay down the 1st tracks of the day. The bottom two thirds on the other hand was sticky and schmooey. After that mediocre run, I quickly skinned back up to the top and got ready to try the west face out. It had been in the sun for quite sometime now and hopefully it had done its thing and microwaved me some corn. After the first turn, I knew that it was going to be an amazing run. Good firm base with just enough creamy corn to spread around. No Slush Puppies were had this day !!! Sections are melting out fast, so get it while its still here. Expect about a 100' carry to and from your car as well.
May 6, 2017
1
Silver Fir - Friday Night Tour Part 2
1 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
Had to try and squeeze in a quick lap before the weekend and rain returned. Getting tired of just one day of sun sprinkled in here and there.....when are we really going to hit spring ????? Conditions were okay, the top portion of the mountain was windy and cold. The snow was firm and crusty for about half my run and then soft and creamy for the last half. Enjoyed a great view and was having beers in North Bend by 9. All in all a good way to relax after a long week of work !!
April 21, 2017
Silver FIr - Friday Night Tour
1 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
Left work around 4:00 on Friday and was geared up at the pass by 6:00. Took a quick tour up to the top of Da Fur @ Summit Central. Had some nice views from the top and then enjoyed some ripe corn all the way down. Got back to the car with just a few minutes of day light to spare. Stopped in North Bend on my way home to enjoy some adult beverages with my Brice. Even though most days have been grey, spring is here !!
April 7, 2017
Ski Tour around Hyak
2 miles of hiking • 2000' elevation gain •
Harvested some amazing spring corn on a nice tour with my buddy Jason. We got 3 runs in today. Two in hidden valley and one on the face. He carried his snowboard and wore slowshoes. This ended up being the perfect combo for the day. He was able to carve out his first turns in over 10 years !! He just recently bought a snowboard and has been wanting to get out. Our original plan was camp muir, but due to poor visibility and high winds we decided to keep it local and just head up to the pass. Afterwards we enjoyed some DruBru and watched the Final Four action.
April 1, 2017
Summit West w/ Snow not Rain !!
1.5 miles of hiking • 1250' elevation gain •
After a week of Rain and hearing that Summit West had closed down for the season.... I went to bed Friday night dreaming of fresh snow and my prayers were answered. When I checked the web cams it was snowing and forecasted to stay cool throughout the morning. I quickly gathered my gear and off I went. I took my dog Mindy with me and we had blast. 6" of fresh snow to explore and the best part was nobody else was up there yet. I got first tracks on a couple of runs and by 11:00am the sun started to poke out. It felt great, but the snow got cooked fast and everything got schmooooooy !!! Ohh well, take it when you can get it. Felt great to be out touring again. Bring on some the spring ski season !!!
March 25, 2017
Grand Lake Slowshoe Trip
1.5 miles of hiking • 500' elevation gain •
Spent a week in Grand Lake with my family and had a blast at my aunt's cabin. We went skiing, tubing and even took in a short snowshoe trip. This was the 1st time my sister and her husband had ever gone snowshoeing. They had a great time and enjoyed some much needed peace and quiet from their newborn Mr. Wyatt !!! Although it was short, it was just what the doctor ordered. Fresh snow, 1st tracks and dead silence.
February 23, 2017
Da B-Train
9 miles of hiking • 2250' elevation gain •
This entry is going to capture all my training runs / hikes for this season. I am hoping for a big year and have lots of plans already for 2018 !! Getting out is only half the battle =)
1.) 1/31 - Clark Lake Night Hike: Stats 2.5 Miles w/ 350' of Elevation Gain / Unofficial Time of approx 45 min
2.) 4/28 - Chirico Trail to Poo Poo Point: 3.8 Miles Round Trip w/ 1,690' of Elevation Gain.
3.) 8/12 - Clark Lake Hike: Stats 2.5 Miles w/ 350' of Elevation Gain - Testing my back out
January 31, 2017
1
Tronsen Meadows Ski Tour
3.5 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
A bluebird day and 8" of week old blower powder made for a great day of skiing the glades at Tronsen Meadows near Blewitt Pass. This was my first time exploring this area. The close access is great, but it's a bit of a drive for me. Probably going to wait until some longer spring days to go deeper into this area, but there is lots of good lines. Spent the day with my buddy Tyson and we both felt happy for getting out and getting some turns in. Here's to the 1st trip of the new year and hopefully a few more months of quality snow !!!
January 14, 2017
