Scenes From Oregon

 

Despite the fact that it has been a wet Spring in the Northwest, it has been a busy guiding season here in Oregon. And contrary to what NOAA has been predicting, we have seen occasional sunshine this Spring. The following post is a series of photos and trip reports from my last three weeks with Timberline Mountain Guides and Smith Rock Climbing School. I have been guiding mostly alpine climbing on Mt. Hood, but I did get the opportunity to dust off the skis this Memorial Day weekend for a day of ski touring in White Salmon Canyon on Mt. Hood. 

My first trip of the season was a two day climb on Mt. Hood. It was a chilly and windy morning but as we climbed up the Old Chute and reached the summit ridge, we got to bask in the early morning sunshine. 

Springtime here in Oregon is the prime season for rock climbing at Smith Rock State Park. While Smith gained international attention as a destination for elite sport climbing, it boasts a life-time of single pitch and multi-pitch moderate routes. Here is a shot of Todd climbing on Pack Animal, a lesser traveled 5.8 route.

And the view gets better the higher you get! 

In mid-May the whole TMG staff got together for four days of Guides' Training. One of the advantages of working for an AMGA Accredited Guide Service is the high quality Guides' Training provided each year. This year IFMGA guide Art Mooney came out from New Hampshire to team up with on-staff Certified Guides to provide 4 days of excellent rock training. One of the days was spent fine tuning the Tyrolean Traverse from the Diving Board to the Monkey Face. Here is a shot of Geoff going for it!

A silhouette of Tico crossing from the Diving Board to the mouth of the Monkey.

And I have even gotten some turns in this season. All this late season snow has led to some epic spring skiing conditions.

Nicole and Shane came back to Hood for a First Tracks ski touring program this Memorial Day Weekend. They had never been backcountry skiing before and were interested in learning some new skills on snow. We practiced beacons, learned skinning techniques, talked about route selection and the snowpack and of course got some turns in. It was a fun day in the White Salmon Canyon. 

Springtime in Oregon has something for everyone: alpine climbing in the Oregon Cascades, rock climbing at Smith Rock and even ski touring on Mt. Hood or in the Bend Area. Come visit and see why we believe this is the prime location for a springtime adventure in the mountains! 

Early Season Alpine Climbing on Mt. Crested Butte

Paul and Tom joined me for some adventurous early season alpine climbing on Guide's Ridge this weekend. The three of us found great climbing conditions, exhilarating exposure and very alpine weather up on Mt. CB. We skinned up the CBMR to the top of the Silver Queen Lift and swapped split-boards for crampons, harnesses and helmets. We then began our traverse across The Peel and gained Guide's Ridge via a steep snow and rock ramp. 

We roped up as the ramp steepened and we had to negotiate several rocky steps to gain the ridge. This section provided fun moderate mixed climbing. 

Once we gained the ridge, the weather took a turn for the "alpine" as we worked through the snow and rock sections of Guide's Ridge. Good granite, thrilling exposure and awesome climbing!

Here is a shot of Paul with the jagged knife-edge section of Guide's Ridge below him. Earlier in the day, Paul expressed that he was hoping the weather would get wet, windy and wild. Judging by his smile, he got his wish!

We reached the summit around 3 pm. Thanks guys for a great climb. We hiked down from the summit via the non-technical East Ridge. We reached our stash of split-boards and skis an hour later and got a fun 2200 ft. ski run back to the car. A great day out in the mountains!! Look forward to climbing with you both again!

A final look back to Guide's Ridge. This is my favorite local alpine climb. With ease of access, awesome exposure, fun mixed climbing and the best views in the Elk Mountains, it is hard to beat!

British Columbia Trip Report

Hi Folks,

This is a delayed post from an AMGA Ski Mountaineering Guides Course and Aspirant Exam I attended in British Columbia's Coast Range. The course was 10 days long and included a exam portion during the last 3 days. It was a great learning experience in a fantastic setting. 

I had been ski touring up in the Coast Range two previous times, but only for a combined couple days. During this exam I had the opportunity to explore the mountains of southwestern BC in more depth....and I still only have seen a fraction of the potential up there! We skied in two locations: off piste at Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort and in the mountains north of Pemberton near Duffy Lake. The off piste skiing provided amazing lift access to the massive and beautiful backcountry that surrounds Whistler. The Duffy is killer terrain right from the road. We spent our Aspirant Exam in Keith's Hut at the base of the Anniversary Glacier.

Take a look down this couloir! This is a classic shot that drops skiers down about 500 meters down to the Blackcomb Glacier. Can you say 40 degree Bon Poudre! 

The weather was predictably bad, but that didn't stop us from skiing amazing lines. It snowed over 1.5 meters during the 10 day course which made for spectacular powder skiing. Above is a picture of me working on my white out steep skiing. 

BC's Coast Range is an amazing venue and I look forward to returning. Special thanks to the AMGA instructors as well as all the other candidates. You guys made this an awesome experience. 

And what would a post aboot Canada be without a picture of me in a brimmed tuque, eh! 

Tips for Thinking Outside the Pit

Here is an excerpt from an article I wrote for the CB Weekly:

Too often backcountry skiers and riders let a snowpit determine and/or justify their decision of skiing in avalanche terrain. However, one snowpit is just one snapshot of our snowpack and anybody who has been out in the Crested Butte backcountry this season knows that our snowpack is anything but uniform. So instead of just looking at the snow in one place, I often attempt to efficiently gather information about the snowpack throughout the day. This helps me gain a better mental image of how our snowpack changes over the terrain.

To help me do this, I constantly pull out my probe to check for depth, uniformity and layering in the snowpack.  I am primarily concerned with shallow snow, changes in snow depth and strength within a short area, and strong over weak layering. If I encounter strong over weak layering, (which I commonly do here in Colorado!) I will take out my shovel and dig down to look at the layers. A quick test pit will reveal the depth of potentially troublesome layers as well as changes in hardness between layers.

I also always read the Crested Butte Avalanche Center’s forecast and create a “backcountry problem list.” The forecast provides me with a targeted list of concerns that I can go out and investigate. When I do dig in the snow, I commonly look for a specific layer and test how the snow above and below that layer is bonding. Reading the forecast can also generate questions that may assist me with safer terrain selection.

Rather than basing decisions in avalanche terrain on one piece of data, I encourage backcountry skiers and riders to employ a holistic and targeted approach to backcountry clue gathering. Have a safe winter and think snow!

Wintertime Options at CBMG

Howdy Folks,

I am merging a couple trip reports into a Crested Butte wintertime sampler blog to show a snapshot of what I have been up to this season with CBMG backcountry guests and AIARE avalanche courses. Despite a lack of snow in the last two weeks I have had several great backcountry ski trips since New Years. The untracked cold stuff is still out there, and I am happy to show you where it is. Steve came to Colorado all the way from Australia with his son Sam. We had a great tour over to the East River Valley and found some virgin powder. 

Here’s a shot of Steve and his first tracks in the Crested Butte backcountry. This early season has been a challenging one in which to guide, but sometimes it takes just a little creativity to find good turns in a familiar stomping ground. Steel and I toured up Washington Gulch to explore a lesser traveled section of Coney’s Bowl. The main bowl was stacked with tracks but we hiked just a bit farther and found some great skiing.  

Backcountry skiing is just one way to experience the mountains outside Crested Butte. Chris and Jennifer joined me for a snowshoe tour and we explored the aspen glades and meadows in Washington Gulch. Beautiful weather, good company and great views made for an amazing day out in the mountains.

AIARE avalanche safety courses have kept me busy just about every weekend this winter. CBMG offers a host of courses–AIARE Level I, AIARE Level II and Refresher Courses–that meet the needs of most winter backcountry travelers. CBMG avalanche courses are taught by local ski guides and avalanche forecasters who are experienced educators and have an intimate knowledge of the local terrain. The courses blend classroom time with practical field experience. In the field we focus on companion rescue, gathering backcountry weather and snowpack information and traveling safely in the backcountry.

The rescue component focuses heavily on shoveling. Recent research in avalanche rescue points out that shoveling a victim out of snow will consume the majority of the rescue. We teach “strategic shoveling” as a method to efficiently move snow and quickly dig out the victim. The entire third day of the avalanche course is a ski tour in the Crested Butte Backcountry. Students learn the skills to plan and prepare for a full day ski tour and then spend the day implementing skills such as navigation, terrain selection, travel techniques, and managing the “HUMAN FACTOR.”

And of course we always try to get some turns in.

Looks like Missy found the goods on Mt. Emmons during a refresher course this winter! It’s been a busy winter and I have had a variety of trips. Give the CBMG office a call and let us organize your next adventure. We enjoy traveling on snow on all kinds of skis–AT, Telemark, and Nordic as well as snowshoes and we hold permits to both the Lake City and Ouray Ice Park. We look forward to sharing our backyard with you!

CBMG Guide

Johnny MacKinnon

 

Off Season Update!

Hey Folks,

It's off-season around these parts and I have been in and out of Crested Butte since September. Here is an update from the last couple weeks.

I have been doing some professional development for this winter season by attending several snow and weather conferences. It was great to be back in a classroom for the CAIC's Mountain Meteorology Workshop at CMC in Leadville, CO this October. 

 

This 3 day course was an excellent mix of background science and practical applications for forecasting. I will be working as a forecaster for the Crested Butte Avalanche Center this winter and immersing myself in the models with expert oversight was incredibly useful. While in Leadville, I also attended the National Avalanche Center Conference and the Colorado Snow and Avalanche Workshop. I left "Cloud City" super-saturated with information, but excited and prepared for this upcoming winter season.

After thinking about cold, snow and winter, I headed down to the Utah Desert to track down some wayward friends, and find sunshine, splitter cracks and desert towers. I also attended the AMGA Annual Meeting for several days and re-certified my Wilderness First Responder.

After the meeting, I was able to meet up with Chris Benson, Chris Wright and Mike Bromberg at Indian Creek for several days of stellar climbing on the world's greatest cracks.

The Creek hosts an amazing collection of world-class crack climbing in a beautiful remote setting. However, it is not just about the climbing...it's about being there and being ridiculous with your buddies in one of the most spectacular places in the country. 

And what trip to the desert is complete without bagging a couple classic towers. Chris Wright and I were able to climb a couple towers in a few days in the Castle Valley.

And there's also something unique, if not ephemeral and downright dirty, about climbing in the Fisher Towers. Chris and I thoroughly enjoyed the exposure up Ancient Art and were both intrigued by the relatively solid mud climbing. 

Chris on the corkscrew summit. As a geologist, I am not too sure how this mud dribble has seen so many ascents and not succumbed to gravity! 

All in all, it was a fairly productive off-season. Some learning, some climbing and some exploring. Right now I am focusing all my attention onto this winter and waiting for the snow to fly. The CBAC opens on the 16th, we are currently expecting up to a foot of snow this weekend, and soon it will be time for ski touring,  AIARE Avalanche Courses and maybe even a pitch or two of ice. Maybe! Think Snow

A Great Series of Adventures with Harry and Iris

I first climbed with Harry and Iris last summer. We had a couple of fun days rock climbing down at Taylor Canyon. This spring, Harry contacted me via email and inquired about climbing around Colorado with me this summer. My ears perked up at the chance to work at some of my favorite remote, exciting, alpine places with two great folks who are always up for an adventure.

Both Harry and Iris were interested in furthering their rock climbing skills as well as climbing in the mountains around Crested Butte. They both live in the U.K. and have climbed and skied extensively in the Alps so I did my best to show off local treasures right here in CB. 

The basis for all technical travel in the mountains begins with a fundamental understanding and use of rock climbing skills and techniques. 

We began at Taylor Canyon and climbed a variety of multi-pitch rock climbs. We were able to hone in on movement skills as well as ropework at the crag and then apply those skills to the mountain environment on rock and snow. 

Some of our alpine objectives included a traverse of the Ruby range via an ascent of the S Couloir on Purple Peak and a rarely visited rock and snow route on Goldentop, a local 13er. 

Our final objective was to climb a route in the Black Canyon. Climbing in the Black is a test of rock climbing skills but also incorporates alpine climbing skills like route finding, dealing with loose rock and being very alone in a very remote place. 

We selected Maiden Voyage III 5.9 as our climb. Unfortunately Iris was ill that morning so just Harry and I headed down to the Black. We left Crested Butte at 0400 to ensure an early alpine start and to beat the heat.

We topped out at 1115 just as the sun hit our route. Instantly, a chilly morning turned into an 85 degree summer day. Good thing Harry and I cruised the route!! 

All in all, we had six great days of very unique diverse climbing and rarely saw another individual. Our granite is not quite like Chamonix's, but we had it all to ourselves, and only saw two Frenchmen smoking cigarettes throughout the six days! 

I want to thank Harry and Iris for a ton of great, exciting climbing but also for their wonderful camaraderie and great sense of adventure. It was a pleasure working with them both, and I am looking forward to it next summer.