schubwa
New member
After a terrific week of lift-assisted riding and with the prospect of weekend crowds, the decision was made to go backcountry skiing. You guys know me as primarily a snowboarder, but the truth is I've skied all my life and I think it's the more efficient way to travel in the backcountry. Plus my AT buddies are all skiers and frown on snowboarding, so I have refrained from buying a split board.
The forecast was for clearing skies and we were drooling at the prospect of bluebird conditions. Much to my surprise it was snowing hard in Bend in the morning and so the dark goggles were swapped out for the regular High Intensity Yellows. Plus my heavier Burton AK shell was pressed into service.
It was still snowing hard all the way to Sisters and after we started up the road to Three Creeks it just got deeper and deeper. We were getting hood shots as we slid into the upper snow park. We loaded up the two sleds and with rider and the pull-in skier we headed up. Pretty sketch but I kept my 'bile in the track. But once we got to the lake the snow was bottomless. It had snowed another foot of 6% over the five feet that had snowed since last Tuesday. Bob promptly got his RMK hopelessly stuck, not once but twice. The other party of six heading in got all their sleds stuck too. After digging out we decided to aim them out and skin in to the yurts, where there was bound to be some kind of existing skin track.
Sure enough the guest s at the yurts had headed up ahead of us and we ran into them shortly after. We knew a couple of them and wished them happy skiing as they were headed for the "Playgrounds". We decided to head straight up towards "Satin", and even though it's an open face and therefore very sketchy due to the recent huge snowfall and ridge top winds. But it's lined by steep tree shots and that's just what was required on a deep day like this.
Scot Kellar knows it's going to be good!
Three Creeks Yurts after a six foot dump.
Dr. Bob Shannon (it's nice to have an orthopedic surgeon along) floats through some waist-deep.
Mikey likes it!
Bob is smiling too.
Mike Stahly shooting the trees.
I think this is Shannon again, it was quite deep.
This is Schubwa having an enjoyable Saturday! (Click on pic to see vid)
The forecast was for clearing skies and we were drooling at the prospect of bluebird conditions. Much to my surprise it was snowing hard in Bend in the morning and so the dark goggles were swapped out for the regular High Intensity Yellows. Plus my heavier Burton AK shell was pressed into service.
It was still snowing hard all the way to Sisters and after we started up the road to Three Creeks it just got deeper and deeper. We were getting hood shots as we slid into the upper snow park. We loaded up the two sleds and with rider and the pull-in skier we headed up. Pretty sketch but I kept my 'bile in the track. But once we got to the lake the snow was bottomless. It had snowed another foot of 6% over the five feet that had snowed since last Tuesday. Bob promptly got his RMK hopelessly stuck, not once but twice. The other party of six heading in got all their sleds stuck too. After digging out we decided to aim them out and skin in to the yurts, where there was bound to be some kind of existing skin track.
Sure enough the guest s at the yurts had headed up ahead of us and we ran into them shortly after. We knew a couple of them and wished them happy skiing as they were headed for the "Playgrounds". We decided to head straight up towards "Satin", and even though it's an open face and therefore very sketchy due to the recent huge snowfall and ridge top winds. But it's lined by steep tree shots and that's just what was required on a deep day like this.
Scot Kellar knows it's going to be good!
Three Creeks Yurts after a six foot dump.
Dr. Bob Shannon (it's nice to have an orthopedic surgeon along) floats through some waist-deep.
Mikey likes it!
Bob is smiling too.
Mike Stahly shooting the trees.
I think this is Shannon again, it was quite deep.
This is Schubwa having an enjoyable Saturday! (Click on pic to see vid)