Three Sisters conditions for Spring 2013

[brooks]

April 6 North Sister
Meg, Maya and I headed up for a quick North Sister run. It took 20 minutes of hiking to get to consistent snow in the gut. Once there, the conditions started out crusty since it sits in the shade. But as we crested out of the gut things started to look better.

Maya kept saying there was a slab layer but I was skeptical.

We headed to the saddle where the sun was shining and we got to see a nannie and kid scurry up Middle Sister

We told Meg that the weather has been like this the whole time she was gone. Welcome back Meg!

I had a suspicion that someone was following me

Photobomb by Wilbur

The snow was fantastic spring corn snow. Unfortunately, the hard freeze coming tonight is going to turn all that soft wet snow into ice. But a few days from now it will probably be softened up again

Time to hike. Great day and its good to have Meg back.

[Philip]

I'm pretty surprised that the Sisters turned out so nice today. It seemed like a chilly day. That's awesome news and could portend good things to come.

And awesome pics.

[Philip]

Tuesday April 16

Popped up the North Sister after work. Sunny, stunning day. Some crusty snow and ice on the trail up, but mostly clear and dry. You can skin from the middle access to the bench behind the spruce tree tunnel. The snow was crusty and frozen during much of the skin up to the brush line. The sun was just starting to warm the western slopes between 4 and 5 pm. I skinned (barely) up the second, wide chute you come to (where most folks just boot up to the summit), backtracked a little along the ridge, and then rode down the first obvious chute you see when coming up. The top is very steep but it has a nice long, even gradient slope and looks just south enough that it had warmed in the sun. I did a one-and-done. I would skin farther around the corner towards the saddle between the North and Middle Sisters next time and find a better supply of warm corn. Still, just beautiful up there and wonderfully close to town.

Climb towards the peak in the center, and then descend the chute on the left:

[Philip]

Stunning evening on the North Sister. I skinned straight up the main face on the west side of the peak, and then booted up the last couple hundred feet to the summit. MAN I wish I had brought crampons. I was following someone's kicked steps, but they barely got purchase on a few sections and my snowboard boots were not up to the task of making the steps much deeper. I ended up pulling my shovel out and cutting some steps. Sheesh.

I rode down the west face off the peak and it was really lovely. Nice corn refreeze. Tomorrow should be great again.

A bear had walked in the skin track yesterday evening. They're baaaack...





On the summit of the N Sister:

[Philip]

Tuesday May 14.

Today I climbed the Middle Sister (from the Pillar Creek side) and observed pretty good coverage on the SW and W facing slopes of the Three Sisters after I summited and looked over the other side. The ridges have melted out a bit but there is pretty decent coverage in all the bowls and faces we normally ski. You may have to hike up the Virginia-Creek-side trail a bit, but there are still laps to be had in the area if you don't want to schlepp all the way up to Pmid. I also saw 14 goats on the North Sister on the southeastern face (the Pillar Creek side). They looked fat and happy.

[Philip]

Friday May 17

Adelia and I headed up the North Sister around 5 pm. As we drove out to Monashka Bay some seriously dark skies were brewing to the west. We climbed into a little snow squall and things were generally a little flat and dark, but the snow was spring rounds and pleasant enough. We had to boot climb the trail all the way to the top of the spruce bench, but we could skin from there. The trail up is well-drained and in great shape for booting. There are a few hundred feet of salmonberry skinning at the start, but as soon as you get up to the first gully the snow is thick and coverage is very good. We opted to just ski the second chute you cross on the traverse up between the Sisters. We skinned to the bottom of the tundra ridge separating the first and second chutes, and then just hiked up from there. Pretty easy walking. We did a one-and-done due to the funky weather. Anyway, it's still a good option if you don't mind a short hike at the start.

At the top of the spruce bench, the weather moved in:





Termination dust on Monashka Mtn. Summer is OVER!







Strapping in:





Done and then strolling out (note the hints of green):