Post by mrsquishy on May 6, 2009 7:16:39 GMT -9
Did you ever wake up and think, "It's a beautiful day, I think I'll go ski some place where no one else has been going recently."? I decided to head on up to Heitman Lake for some touring.
First, I got a tenth of a mile up the trail and realized I left my GPS on the hood acquiring satellites
, so I traipsed back to get it. The snow was deep and wet and squishy. Oh, and muddy in spots as well - that combo wet & frozen & slippery mud.
Next, I bushwacked off the trail to skin up the slopes. Within five minutes, the plastic doohickey that holds the skin on the tip of my left ski broke. Of course, I had chosen the one pair of ski poles that do not have duct tape wrapped around them for emergencies.
I tried to continue on, but to no avail. I finally turned around and tried to ski down, but anyone who's been on that trail knows there's not any room to maneuver. 
The snow was soft, wet, and deep and I didn't even make it to spot where you dip down to cross the creek and head up the other side and toward the power poles.
My advice would be to snowshoe up the trail until the snow hardened enough for skins and skis. I think there is probably great skiing up high.
I headed up to Pyramid for a nice tour around the north base.
First, I got a tenth of a mile up the trail and realized I left my GPS on the hood acquiring satellites
, so I traipsed back to get it. The snow was deep and wet and squishy. Oh, and muddy in spots as well - that combo wet & frozen & slippery mud.Next, I bushwacked off the trail to skin up the slopes. Within five minutes, the plastic doohickey that holds the skin on the tip of my left ski broke. Of course, I had chosen the one pair of ski poles that do not have duct tape wrapped around them for emergencies.
I tried to continue on, but to no avail. I finally turned around and tried to ski down, but anyone who's been on that trail knows there's not any room to maneuver. 
The snow was soft, wet, and deep and I didn't even make it to spot where you dip down to cross the creek and head up the other side and toward the power poles.
My advice would be to snowshoe up the trail until the snow hardened enough for skins and skis. I think there is probably great skiing up high.
I headed up to Pyramid for a nice tour around the north base.
