December 2008 archives
I just received the following email from a friend at the Northwest Avalanche Center. The email was originally sent by the owner of North Cascades Mountain Guides, Larry Goldie. As an avid backcountry skier, this is not what I want to hear. Hello Skiers, There is currently a set of circumstances in the backcountry that [...]
Winter has officially arrived here in the Pacific NW. Besides a few breaks here and there, it’s pretty much been snowing for the past two weeks. This is great for the snow pack, but unfortunately the backcountry is hard to reach and scary to be in at the moment. We’re not alone. The other day [...]
This is not the weekend to go backcountry skiing, at least here in the Northwest. Interestingly, the reason for what could be a truly hazadarous weekend for any sort of ski touring, has less to do with the Pacific Northwest and more to do with the Rockies. “This is the weakest snowpack I have seen [...]
The west is experiencing a series of big snow storms. The arctic front that had created havoc here in Seattle is moving across the country dumping all sorts of snow in the mountains. Great for ski areas, bad for backcountry skiers. Just today, the day before Christmas, 2 snowmobilers were caught, buried and killed in [...]
I never thought I would be skate skiing to breakfast…in Seattle! Ok, so it’s not exactly an epic backcountry ski tour. But when you consider having to be aware of what’s coming around that next blind corner, it’s almost like exploring a new mountain. And more snow is on the way!
Snow is finally starting to fall here in the Pacific Northwest and soon enough we should all be enjoying some backcountry ski tours. For now I’ll take what I can get, even if it’s a couple ski photos from past trips. This shot was snapped on a three-day ski tour to the Snow Peak hut [...]
It’s that bad. Dec 7th, 2008, and still no snow in the Washington Cascades. So what’s a backcountry skier to do? How about go for a trail run up Mt Si? Sounds like fun right? We’re getting desperate, but at least the 4,000 ft climb up Mount Si was under clear blue skies and afforded [...]
Time is running out on holiday shopping. Which is kind of scary, because with Christmas only a couple weeks away, there still is barely any snow in them hills! I woke up this morning, as I do every day, looked out the window and the Olympic Mountains are bare bare bare. It will come they [...]
