J.Spin
New member
Gash Point, MT 12MAR05
A link to pictures from the trip can be found at the bottom of the report.
My boss Bruce asked me if I wanted to head for some backcountry skiing in the Gash Point area (summit elevation ~8,800?) on Saturday. I was a bit skeptical about the conditions since we?ve had no new snow in the past three weeks, but Bruce is such a great guide for the Gash area that I figured it would be fun even if just for the hike.
When I awoke on Saturday morning, it was in the mid 40s F in town, about half the local peaks were shrouded in clouds, and there were on and off spits of rain. It wasn?t the kind of day that gets you excited about backcountry skiing. In fact, it was the kind of day that would typically cause me to turn around and head back to bed. But, since we?d made plans, I figured we should try to see them through. Bruce even called to see how I was feeling about the trip, and we vainly tried to talk ourselves out of going. We failed. So, we met up at the Corvallis post office at ~8:30 A.M., and hopped in Bruce?s pickup for the approximately 45 minute ride to the trailhead. There are a number of different points from which one can start the hike to the Gash Point area, and the one you choose depends on how far your vehicle can go on the snowy forest service roads. Since we?ve had below average snowfall this season, and the past three weeks have been dry weather, we were able to get to the highest trailhead at 5,800?. I was amazed to see that the road was almost clear for the entire drive, save for a few patches of snow and ice in the most shaded areas. The snow situation on the drive didn?t suggest great skiing, but at least we didn?t have to put on the tire chains like last February.
The mostly cloudy skies had broken up into brilliant sunshine, and we began our hike on bare ground wearing sunglasses and light clothing. This was my first chance to try an extended ski/hike with my new Dakine Sequence ski pack. Since I?d already put my skins on my skis the previous evening to save time, I wanted to carry the skis with their bases together to protect the skins. I tried the diagonal carry option on the pack, and it worked VERY nicely. The weight distribution was excellent, and I hardly knew the skis were there except for when I?d catch an overhanging branch above my left shoulder. I was walking in my hiking boots and carrying my ski boots in the pack. The ski boots easily fit in the pack, and the pack?s nice protective pad meant that there were no annoying bulges poking into my back. Anyway, it was the first time I?d carried both boots and skis with this pack and I say that Dakine gets high marks for a pleasurable experience. We made great time on the trail, and in about 15 minutes, we?d reached the area the Bruce and Rob refer to as ?the flat spot? (elevation ~6,125?). We took a quick break, and Bruce showed me how to mark waypoints on my GPS. A cold breeze hit us while we were stopped, so we quickly got moving again.
The next goal was to cross the creek on this side of the drainage. The low snowpack made for fewer crossing options, but Bruce led us to a point where he and Rob had made a small bridge of logs that remedied these types of situations. There was actually a partial snow bridge, and the logs really filled out the remaining gaps. We?d been walking on broken snowpack since before ?the flat spot?, but Bruce knew of a couple more spots that might be melted out, so we waited on the skins. The snow was rotten at times, and in these areas we?d occasionally post-hole down a couple of feet. It was frustrating and we couldn?t wait to get skinning. Finally, at an elevation of ~6,500?, we stopped for a quick bite to eat and strapped on the skins.
Our hike continued through relatively thick woods with consistent snowpack, and at ~6,800? we hit the bottom reaches of the south bowl area. It actually took a bit of navigating to find a good route up into the bowl, due to an abundance of exposed brush. Secretly, the sky had become a bit cloudier and it was spitting out a few flurries, but we assumed it was a passing shower. We worked our way up the lower reaches of the bowl, and finally moved southward into what are known as the ?Swedish Trees?. In general, I think people prefer to set their skin tracks in this area because it is out of any potential slide hazard from the bowl. I certainly know I prefer it. The lower reaches of the bowl had featured more areas of rotten snow, with the remainder being unbreakable or barely breakable crust. We weren?t optimistic about the ski conditions, but we figured we?d keep climbing and see what elevation did for us. We were now walking on about ½ inch of new snow that had probably fallen overnight, and it was gradually increasing as we gained elevation.
About halfway up through the Swedish Trees, I noticed an ominous finger of cloud snake up from the valley below and begin to fill the bowl. ?Great?, we though, ?there goes the visibility.? No sooner had the bowl been filled by clouds (fog) than it began to snow. We continued our way up through the Swedish Trees, and all the while, the snowfall became steadier and the depth of new snow increased. By the time we?d reach the zenith of our hike (elevation ~7,600?) there were two inches of new snow on the ground over what felt like an unbreakable crust. ?These conditions might actually make for some quality skiing!? we thought. We debated going higher in search of even better snow, but Bruce pointed out that the terrain wasn?t quite as good as the Swedish Trees. We could do a quick run and maybe go for another lap, or even higher, if the turns were fun. We had another quick bite, and switched to ski mode. I?d brought my goggles, more out of routine than anything, because I figured I?d use them instead of my sunglasses when I skied. Bruce had brought his as well, and boy were we thankful we had them now. It was snowing steadily, and winter temperatures had made a triumphant return. It just goes to show you how nice it is to be prepared for rapid changes in the weather; our relatively warm, blue sky day was anything but at this point.
We skied cautiously at first, unsure of how the two inches of snow over crust would support our weight. As it turned out, we could generally ride on top of the crust in the new powder at the start of our run? that is until we tried to turn. If you edged very hard, you would break through the crust and the skiing was raised to an entirely different tier of difficulty. I was on my 180 cm CMH fats (since they are the only skis for which I have skins) and even my ~140 lbs was breaking through the crust on hard turns. Switching to longer, more gentle turns let me ride on top of the crust? at least for a while. Bruce, who?s about 180-190 lbs, was on a similar length ski in more of a mid fat width and he was breaking through routinely. After the first couple hundred feet of vertical, the accumulations of powder began to diminish, and staying on top was all but impossible in any sort of turn. We were soon into the realm of survival skiing. I can honestly say that it was the most difficult skiing I?d done all season. We went through breakable crust, unbreakable crust, rotten snow pockets, and probably some conditions that don?t even have names. We pulled out the whole bag of tricks to deal with the snow, jump turns, side-stepping, side slipping, traversing, kick turns, and even the occasional safety fall. Actually, I really enjoyed devising methods to deal with the conditions, it made me think a lot about various aspects of ski technique. We made it out alive, so presumable we?re stronger skiers for the experience. All I can say is that my turns at Lost Trail the following day (Sunday) were like lightning, so perhaps there is something to the concept of trial by fire.
Reaching the bottom of the bowl, there wasn?t even a though about another lap (at least not that I could tell). I might have been interested in checking out the skiing in the higher elevations above 8,000?, but it still would have entailed a ski through the lower terrain, so it just didn?t feel like it was worth it. The snow was coming down in buckets at this point, so we figured Lost Trail would be getting hit as well, and we could reap the lift-serviced rewards the following day. Bruce?s friends Rob and Linda had also come up into the Gash area for the afternoon, and Bruce had been in contact with them via radio throughout our trip. Based on what they expected for ski conditions, they were mostly planning on exploring a bit and trimming some additional ski terrain. Bruce had initially given them a somewhat optimistic report when we were at the top of our hike, but he quickly filled them in on the horrible conditions in the lower elevations. They weren?t sure what they were going to do, but if they did go up they would go to the top in search of the best snow.
Our ski/hike down was through very heavy (1-2 inches per hour) snowfall and although the skiing hadn?t been great, our spirits were really high about the return to winter. We were able to ski all the way down to the lower stream crossing, and then we hiked about ½ hour back to the trailhead. Even the lowest elevations of our hike that had been totally bare on the way up were now covered with 2 inches of fresh snow. It made for a really great hike. Fortunately, the accumulations didn?t affect the drive home. Bruce called his wife Joan on the cell phone, and we were amazed to find out the even the valley (elevation ~3,600?) had received an inch of snow during the past few hours. Later that evening, Bruce talked to Rob, who said that he and Linda had found 4-6 inches up near the top and the skiing had gotten a lot better. I don?t doubt it, based on the way the snow was falling up there. It really got us excited about the potential for skiing at Lost Trail the following day (report to come). So it appears the in the span of a couple of hours, the Bitterroot quickly returned to winter. The forecast for this week suggests we?ll stay there for a while.
Some pictures from the day can be found at:
http://www.jandeproductions.com/2005/12MAR05.html
For more information on Gash Point, check out previous trip reports from Feb 15, 2004 & Nov 11, 2001:
http://www.jandeproductions.com/2004/15FEB04.html
http://www.jandeproductions.com/2001/11NOV01.html
J.Spin
A link to pictures from the trip can be found at the bottom of the report.
My boss Bruce asked me if I wanted to head for some backcountry skiing in the Gash Point area (summit elevation ~8,800?) on Saturday. I was a bit skeptical about the conditions since we?ve had no new snow in the past three weeks, but Bruce is such a great guide for the Gash area that I figured it would be fun even if just for the hike.
When I awoke on Saturday morning, it was in the mid 40s F in town, about half the local peaks were shrouded in clouds, and there were on and off spits of rain. It wasn?t the kind of day that gets you excited about backcountry skiing. In fact, it was the kind of day that would typically cause me to turn around and head back to bed. But, since we?d made plans, I figured we should try to see them through. Bruce even called to see how I was feeling about the trip, and we vainly tried to talk ourselves out of going. We failed. So, we met up at the Corvallis post office at ~8:30 A.M., and hopped in Bruce?s pickup for the approximately 45 minute ride to the trailhead. There are a number of different points from which one can start the hike to the Gash Point area, and the one you choose depends on how far your vehicle can go on the snowy forest service roads. Since we?ve had below average snowfall this season, and the past three weeks have been dry weather, we were able to get to the highest trailhead at 5,800?. I was amazed to see that the road was almost clear for the entire drive, save for a few patches of snow and ice in the most shaded areas. The snow situation on the drive didn?t suggest great skiing, but at least we didn?t have to put on the tire chains like last February.
The mostly cloudy skies had broken up into brilliant sunshine, and we began our hike on bare ground wearing sunglasses and light clothing. This was my first chance to try an extended ski/hike with my new Dakine Sequence ski pack. Since I?d already put my skins on my skis the previous evening to save time, I wanted to carry the skis with their bases together to protect the skins. I tried the diagonal carry option on the pack, and it worked VERY nicely. The weight distribution was excellent, and I hardly knew the skis were there except for when I?d catch an overhanging branch above my left shoulder. I was walking in my hiking boots and carrying my ski boots in the pack. The ski boots easily fit in the pack, and the pack?s nice protective pad meant that there were no annoying bulges poking into my back. Anyway, it was the first time I?d carried both boots and skis with this pack and I say that Dakine gets high marks for a pleasurable experience. We made great time on the trail, and in about 15 minutes, we?d reached the area the Bruce and Rob refer to as ?the flat spot? (elevation ~6,125?). We took a quick break, and Bruce showed me how to mark waypoints on my GPS. A cold breeze hit us while we were stopped, so we quickly got moving again.
The next goal was to cross the creek on this side of the drainage. The low snowpack made for fewer crossing options, but Bruce led us to a point where he and Rob had made a small bridge of logs that remedied these types of situations. There was actually a partial snow bridge, and the logs really filled out the remaining gaps. We?d been walking on broken snowpack since before ?the flat spot?, but Bruce knew of a couple more spots that might be melted out, so we waited on the skins. The snow was rotten at times, and in these areas we?d occasionally post-hole down a couple of feet. It was frustrating and we couldn?t wait to get skinning. Finally, at an elevation of ~6,500?, we stopped for a quick bite to eat and strapped on the skins.
Our hike continued through relatively thick woods with consistent snowpack, and at ~6,800? we hit the bottom reaches of the south bowl area. It actually took a bit of navigating to find a good route up into the bowl, due to an abundance of exposed brush. Secretly, the sky had become a bit cloudier and it was spitting out a few flurries, but we assumed it was a passing shower. We worked our way up the lower reaches of the bowl, and finally moved southward into what are known as the ?Swedish Trees?. In general, I think people prefer to set their skin tracks in this area because it is out of any potential slide hazard from the bowl. I certainly know I prefer it. The lower reaches of the bowl had featured more areas of rotten snow, with the remainder being unbreakable or barely breakable crust. We weren?t optimistic about the ski conditions, but we figured we?d keep climbing and see what elevation did for us. We were now walking on about ½ inch of new snow that had probably fallen overnight, and it was gradually increasing as we gained elevation.
About halfway up through the Swedish Trees, I noticed an ominous finger of cloud snake up from the valley below and begin to fill the bowl. ?Great?, we though, ?there goes the visibility.? No sooner had the bowl been filled by clouds (fog) than it began to snow. We continued our way up through the Swedish Trees, and all the while, the snowfall became steadier and the depth of new snow increased. By the time we?d reach the zenith of our hike (elevation ~7,600?) there were two inches of new snow on the ground over what felt like an unbreakable crust. ?These conditions might actually make for some quality skiing!? we thought. We debated going higher in search of even better snow, but Bruce pointed out that the terrain wasn?t quite as good as the Swedish Trees. We could do a quick run and maybe go for another lap, or even higher, if the turns were fun. We had another quick bite, and switched to ski mode. I?d brought my goggles, more out of routine than anything, because I figured I?d use them instead of my sunglasses when I skied. Bruce had brought his as well, and boy were we thankful we had them now. It was snowing steadily, and winter temperatures had made a triumphant return. It just goes to show you how nice it is to be prepared for rapid changes in the weather; our relatively warm, blue sky day was anything but at this point.
We skied cautiously at first, unsure of how the two inches of snow over crust would support our weight. As it turned out, we could generally ride on top of the crust in the new powder at the start of our run? that is until we tried to turn. If you edged very hard, you would break through the crust and the skiing was raised to an entirely different tier of difficulty. I was on my 180 cm CMH fats (since they are the only skis for which I have skins) and even my ~140 lbs was breaking through the crust on hard turns. Switching to longer, more gentle turns let me ride on top of the crust? at least for a while. Bruce, who?s about 180-190 lbs, was on a similar length ski in more of a mid fat width and he was breaking through routinely. After the first couple hundred feet of vertical, the accumulations of powder began to diminish, and staying on top was all but impossible in any sort of turn. We were soon into the realm of survival skiing. I can honestly say that it was the most difficult skiing I?d done all season. We went through breakable crust, unbreakable crust, rotten snow pockets, and probably some conditions that don?t even have names. We pulled out the whole bag of tricks to deal with the snow, jump turns, side-stepping, side slipping, traversing, kick turns, and even the occasional safety fall. Actually, I really enjoyed devising methods to deal with the conditions, it made me think a lot about various aspects of ski technique. We made it out alive, so presumable we?re stronger skiers for the experience. All I can say is that my turns at Lost Trail the following day (Sunday) were like lightning, so perhaps there is something to the concept of trial by fire.
Reaching the bottom of the bowl, there wasn?t even a though about another lap (at least not that I could tell). I might have been interested in checking out the skiing in the higher elevations above 8,000?, but it still would have entailed a ski through the lower terrain, so it just didn?t feel like it was worth it. The snow was coming down in buckets at this point, so we figured Lost Trail would be getting hit as well, and we could reap the lift-serviced rewards the following day. Bruce?s friends Rob and Linda had also come up into the Gash area for the afternoon, and Bruce had been in contact with them via radio throughout our trip. Based on what they expected for ski conditions, they were mostly planning on exploring a bit and trimming some additional ski terrain. Bruce had initially given them a somewhat optimistic report when we were at the top of our hike, but he quickly filled them in on the horrible conditions in the lower elevations. They weren?t sure what they were going to do, but if they did go up they would go to the top in search of the best snow.
Our ski/hike down was through very heavy (1-2 inches per hour) snowfall and although the skiing hadn?t been great, our spirits were really high about the return to winter. We were able to ski all the way down to the lower stream crossing, and then we hiked about ½ hour back to the trailhead. Even the lowest elevations of our hike that had been totally bare on the way up were now covered with 2 inches of fresh snow. It made for a really great hike. Fortunately, the accumulations didn?t affect the drive home. Bruce called his wife Joan on the cell phone, and we were amazed to find out the even the valley (elevation ~3,600?) had received an inch of snow during the past few hours. Later that evening, Bruce talked to Rob, who said that he and Linda had found 4-6 inches up near the top and the skiing had gotten a lot better. I don?t doubt it, based on the way the snow was falling up there. It really got us excited about the potential for skiing at Lost Trail the following day (report to come). So it appears the in the span of a couple of hours, the Bitterroot quickly returned to winter. The forecast for this week suggests we?ll stay there for a while.
Some pictures from the day can be found at:
http://www.jandeproductions.com/2005/12MAR05.html
For more information on Gash Point, check out previous trip reports from Feb 15, 2004 & Nov 11, 2001:
http://www.jandeproductions.com/2004/15FEB04.html
http://www.jandeproductions.com/2001/11NOV01.html
J.Spin