RR
03-31-2003, 03:34 PM
Saturday March 29,
We got a start up from Pinkham around 9AM. The weather was warmish with soft, small-corn snow underfoot all tthe way up. Mostly fogged in all morning with one or two clearouts for a typically stunning, visual confronation with headwall reality. Left Gully was showing the least falling ice hazzard. Ceter section was starting to show crevasses and the ice blocks looked pretty temporary. Little Headwall was bumped up nicely, but we had to stay well right on the way out. Rain in PM, convinced us to leave after only one run down Left...but what a run, hero carves all the way.
Sherborne was "goodish" as there is a long dirt patch halfway down. I avoided the bare patch left in trees, plenty of cover there and surprisingly easy going amongst the trees. The next to last pitch had a single ski width passage on right, bare on left.
Sunday, the Saturday showers and soaking rain firmed up the ravine and widened all holes. We had to make fresh steps in Left and right of Chute due to the washout and freezing of the old steps. Skiing left was great, like a firm groomed trail, very nice if the edges were sharp, not so nice otherwise.
Center was more rugged, avy debris-marbles making for some under foot vibration, otherwise very nice.
Saw one scary fall: a snowboarder fell from the lip at the top of "The Chute", missed the rock about 80 meters down, get tossed into the air over the bushes just below that and started ragdolling the rest of the chute...steadily tending more and more off-center towards the rock wall of V-Buttress at the narrows at the base of the chute gulley. She missed the rock face by less than three feet and crossed the fan below it with the snowboard flopping on one foot and sliding head first. She was still moving fast past the first prominent rock in the brush and continued through the brush for another 20 meters. The fall was about 1000 feet on rock hard snow and pebbley avy cone.
She didn't move for about 15 seconds...we were all scared...then she sat up and waved...we were all relieved...her friend made it down more gracefully (just), by using a seated safety slide for the gut of the chute. Both young women made it out of the bowl on their own efforts, catching some nice turns on the way. (bet they both feel sore and stiff today!)
We got a start up from Pinkham around 9AM. The weather was warmish with soft, small-corn snow underfoot all tthe way up. Mostly fogged in all morning with one or two clearouts for a typically stunning, visual confronation with headwall reality. Left Gully was showing the least falling ice hazzard. Ceter section was starting to show crevasses and the ice blocks looked pretty temporary. Little Headwall was bumped up nicely, but we had to stay well right on the way out. Rain in PM, convinced us to leave after only one run down Left...but what a run, hero carves all the way.
Sherborne was "goodish" as there is a long dirt patch halfway down. I avoided the bare patch left in trees, plenty of cover there and surprisingly easy going amongst the trees. The next to last pitch had a single ski width passage on right, bare on left.
Sunday, the Saturday showers and soaking rain firmed up the ravine and widened all holes. We had to make fresh steps in Left and right of Chute due to the washout and freezing of the old steps. Skiing left was great, like a firm groomed trail, very nice if the edges were sharp, not so nice otherwise.
Center was more rugged, avy debris-marbles making for some under foot vibration, otherwise very nice.
Saw one scary fall: a snowboarder fell from the lip at the top of "The Chute", missed the rock about 80 meters down, get tossed into the air over the bushes just below that and started ragdolling the rest of the chute...steadily tending more and more off-center towards the rock wall of V-Buttress at the narrows at the base of the chute gulley. She missed the rock face by less than three feet and crossed the fan below it with the snowboard flopping on one foot and sliding head first. She was still moving fast past the first prominent rock in the brush and continued through the brush for another 20 meters. The fall was about 1000 feet on rock hard snow and pebbley avy cone.
She didn't move for about 15 seconds...we were all scared...then she sat up and waved...we were all relieved...her friend made it down more gracefully (just), by using a seated safety slide for the gut of the chute. Both young women made it out of the bowl on their own efforts, catching some nice turns on the way. (bet they both feel sore and stiff today!)