schubwa
New member
After a break from snow sports (kiteboarding in Maui) I got the urge to turn but Bachelor, even with our somewhat extended season, was long closed. But no probiem, there's tons of snow for skinning and even lift riding at Timberline.
So last weekend I drove up to Government Camp with my son Spencer, who was home for a few days between sessions at High Cascade Snowboard Camp. He's a "digger', a coveted position in the snowboarding world. You get to ride every day practically all summer and get to hang with all the stars, wanna be's, campers, coaches, etc. Perfect if you're 18 and a rising player.
I have been suffering from allergies and so haven't been that active training so I decided to skin up Mt Hood with my dog Pancho instead of buying a ticket for $56. I was going to go kiting in the Gorge anyways so I just threw in my AT stuff. Good to go.
It froze overnight but was already warming fast at 8 AM. I started straight up the Climber Trail, a machine groomed track on the extreme climber's right of the Timberline ski area. I made good progress up and admired the excellent conditions the skiers and snowboarders were enjoying. So much room, so much snow. Usually you're on a ribbon of snow on the lower part at this time of year. However, this season the snow is wall-to-wall down on the Magic Mile Chair, which starts at the 6000 foot elevation. I continued skinning above the Palmer and the crevasses were noticeable and the pitch was increasing. I was with my dog so off came the skins. Pretty much great corn all the way down, especially since I poached the ski area with it's clean salted groomers. Pancho ran down after me, much to the delight of the teenage ski racer girls. He's a total chick magnet. Sorry Timberline, I promise I won't do that again!
At about 1 PM I was kiting on the swollen Columbia on my 10.5M. The water is still pretty cold but the current has subsided a bit since I went a few weeks ago.
Looking up the Climber's Trail on the south side of Mt Hood.
This is about as far as I got up. I'm amazed how few of the climbing parties used skis for on this route. So much easier to skin up and then ski down!
The Palmer Snowfield looking good this year! They usually stay open to Labor day and then some years reopen for a fall ski season.
Pancho got lots of attention on his run down. I thought for sure I would get busted!
Yesterday Mt Bachelor reopened for a brief "summer" ski season. Kudo's to the owners for the effort but it's still a shame a month's worth of perfect corn mostly went to waste. They were to reopen Pine Martin for the summer sightseeing season anyway, so why not open the Summit Chair, charge for tickets, and get some good press. You had to walk on and off Pine with your gear but the Summit was ski on and off. There is enough snow on that chair to make it until next season with a little effort, but hey we're lucky to get a few days in July.
I started skiing about 8:30 and the snow was already pretty soft up top. Slightly cupped, it never froze overnight as yesterday wound up in the mid-eighties in Bend so it was a warm one. I hiked and dropped the Pinnacles, which was pretty decent but then decided to bag it after four runs off the Summit. But much to my surprise, the lower ungroomed runs were really quite good! The surface was dirtier and more cupped but firmer so you could ski without the brakes on. I wound up pulling the plug at around 11 so that was a fun way to start the weekend!
Looking back down to the bottom of Summit, amazing with a base elevation of only 7300 feet compared to other areas in the west.
Mid mountain looking up West Ridge.
This run is called Beverly Hills (after founder Bill Healy's wife Beverly). Summit Chair July 2, 2011.
A view from Cow's Face looking into the bowels of Broken Top over some summer corn.
Top of Pine Martin with South Sister plainly visible (next weekend's objective). I've never skied it, about time.
So last weekend I drove up to Government Camp with my son Spencer, who was home for a few days between sessions at High Cascade Snowboard Camp. He's a "digger', a coveted position in the snowboarding world. You get to ride every day practically all summer and get to hang with all the stars, wanna be's, campers, coaches, etc. Perfect if you're 18 and a rising player.
I have been suffering from allergies and so haven't been that active training so I decided to skin up Mt Hood with my dog Pancho instead of buying a ticket for $56. I was going to go kiting in the Gorge anyways so I just threw in my AT stuff. Good to go.
It froze overnight but was already warming fast at 8 AM. I started straight up the Climber Trail, a machine groomed track on the extreme climber's right of the Timberline ski area. I made good progress up and admired the excellent conditions the skiers and snowboarders were enjoying. So much room, so much snow. Usually you're on a ribbon of snow on the lower part at this time of year. However, this season the snow is wall-to-wall down on the Magic Mile Chair, which starts at the 6000 foot elevation. I continued skinning above the Palmer and the crevasses were noticeable and the pitch was increasing. I was with my dog so off came the skins. Pretty much great corn all the way down, especially since I poached the ski area with it's clean salted groomers. Pancho ran down after me, much to the delight of the teenage ski racer girls. He's a total chick magnet. Sorry Timberline, I promise I won't do that again!
At about 1 PM I was kiting on the swollen Columbia on my 10.5M. The water is still pretty cold but the current has subsided a bit since I went a few weeks ago.
Looking up the Climber's Trail on the south side of Mt Hood.
This is about as far as I got up. I'm amazed how few of the climbing parties used skis for on this route. So much easier to skin up and then ski down!
The Palmer Snowfield looking good this year! They usually stay open to Labor day and then some years reopen for a fall ski season.
Pancho got lots of attention on his run down. I thought for sure I would get busted!
Yesterday Mt Bachelor reopened for a brief "summer" ski season. Kudo's to the owners for the effort but it's still a shame a month's worth of perfect corn mostly went to waste. They were to reopen Pine Martin for the summer sightseeing season anyway, so why not open the Summit Chair, charge for tickets, and get some good press. You had to walk on and off Pine with your gear but the Summit was ski on and off. There is enough snow on that chair to make it until next season with a little effort, but hey we're lucky to get a few days in July.
I started skiing about 8:30 and the snow was already pretty soft up top. Slightly cupped, it never froze overnight as yesterday wound up in the mid-eighties in Bend so it was a warm one. I hiked and dropped the Pinnacles, which was pretty decent but then decided to bag it after four runs off the Summit. But much to my surprise, the lower ungroomed runs were really quite good! The surface was dirtier and more cupped but firmer so you could ski without the brakes on. I wound up pulling the plug at around 11 so that was a fun way to start the weekend!
Looking back down to the bottom of Summit, amazing with a base elevation of only 7300 feet compared to other areas in the west.
Mid mountain looking up West Ridge.
This run is called Beverly Hills (after founder Bill Healy's wife Beverly). Summit Chair July 2, 2011.
A view from Cow's Face looking into the bowels of Broken Top over some summer corn.
Top of Pine Martin with South Sister plainly visible (next weekend's objective). I've never skied it, about time.
