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Friday, May 31, 2013

Cascade Volcano Trip 2013

When in Oregon, do not skimp on the Beer!
Looks like we are going for Bachelor!
Skinning up into the notorious Cascade fog.
I walked around in the no viz looking for THE high point, and I might have found it, but otherwise we're at the summit.
Walking for Thielsen. 
Skinning for Thielsen, still havnt seen a Cascade mountain upon approach. 
Brief break in the weather to reveal Oregon's Fitzroy!
~200ft from the Summit; no more snow and definitely no viz. High enough for the girls I date!
Looking at Mt.Washington (well clouds anyway) after a failed attempt due to no viz in the morning.
OMG, we might be able to see our ascent and descent on Mt.Washington. 
Holy crap there is the mountain. 2.5 weeks and 5 peaks later, this is the 1st Cascade volcano we could see upon approach.
Showing you skiers a real pole-whack! (Looks like I whacked myself right in the junk)
Our Mt. Washington high point. Below me is the ski. The summit proper behind me was falling apart before our eyes so we were definitely not going to make a summit bid. 
We skied the shady aspect from the ridge all the way to the PCT.
Is that 3 Fingered Jack that I see?
Across the PCT for peak 4 of the trip.
Jeffy in the background.
Pretty much our high point on Jack. Again, the summit pinnacle was a non-stop rock-fall battle zone. 
Sob knobb on the way to Jefferson. I decided there needed to be more or less snow, not what we were experiencing.
Ah Mt.Hood
Its a little different 'back country skiing' when you skin up a snow-cat trail half way to the summit!
No shortage of people. 
Last years summits in the background: St.Helens and Rainier. Adams is there too and is next on the list.
Adams
I was a backcountry skier...
Thats a 2k ft face above me, crazy right! Looks tiny.
St.Helens from the summit.
Rainier from the summit with a crazy inversion.
The cutest climbing ranger in the world took this photo. I gladly accepted her offering of peanut M&Ms :)
Kicking is not as hard as it looks.
Skied all the way to the TH!!! Next to Rainier that was the biggest descent of my life. 
Driving down to McGlaughlin we stopped at Crater Lake. Thats the most unreal shade of blue I have ever seen.
So we decided that bug REPELLANT was good and all, but it only keeps them from landing on you. They dont cease to quit buzzing in your ears and face so we lit 'em up; bug ELIMINANT!
Mt.McGlaughlin's ascent ridge from the South. Walked to the summit in my tenny runners.
Peak 7 in 11 days!
Shock and Awe
McGlaughlin; skied the fall line off the summit to tree line then traversed skiers right back to the car.