Conditions on Adams, etc?

[Hutboy]

Hi all,
I'm planning to hit some of the less-often skied stuff outside Tucks in two weeks (april 17-20), but don't really know too much about how it's looking.
Places I'm looking at are Great Gulf, Oakes Gulf, King Ravine, Jefferson Ravine, Castle Ravine. I don't even know if Castle and Jefferson Ravines ever have skiable lines, but I'm pretty sure I've seen enough snow in them at some point to make it worth the trip. Also, how's M. Brook as an exit from Oakes looking right now?
I might also want to ski all of Adams, but haven't been able to see the darn thing to see if there's the possibility of linking snowfields on either side to make it work out.
Anyone been out in any of these spots to let me know the viability of this plan? I know the mountains have been hit pretty hard with rain, and that two weeks is along way off, but if any of this is already unskiable that would be great to know.

Any beta I could get that would help me plan a safe trip would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[icelanticskier]

well, that's quite some list ya got there canteen, i mean hut boy :D.

all enters and exits from the high places are starting to get pretty annoying and will get more annoying in the next two weeks. temps look to be on the cool side meaning that not enough snow will melt down low to make the accesses easier by foot. if we get a few feet of snow down low, then game back on. up high places mentioned will hold up well from what i saw yesterday and many spots could be better as a tour on a whole come may. i think may will be amazing in spots.

rog

[gpetrics]

i was up on adams for four days recently. there is good stuff in all the ravines you mentioned.

go when you've got some good vis, sight it and GO

be careful. you're very much on your own back there...

[yuckster]

You didn't mention Madison Gulf. Access from below looks easier than GG, JR etc.

[Hutboy]

Thanks for all the beta/info. Mad Gulf was definitely a thought as well, but I didn't want to bombard too much in my first post.
gpetrics, were you skiing up on adams? Do you think a top to bottom is feasible? I know we'll be pretty much on our own up there, that's how I like it, and I'll only be doing it if the conditions are great and the croo I'm with feels good about it. I haven't skied anything over there but i've seen some stuff that looks pretty sweet...

[gpetrics]

yes i was skiing... weather the last time i was up there prevented us from doing the big stuff (which i've already done this year, and it's filled in nicely in case you were wondering)

below 3K (around and above the applachia lot) is cooked... above that it's feasible to ski the hiking trails

above KR, adams is pretty rocky, but i can see a snowfield link being a possibility... depends on how much you love your skis... for some reason lurking sharks teeth under the snowfields on adams seem to get my skis much harder than the ones on washington's upper SE snowfields... go fig

GG is the safest way through KR (there are others however...check my started threads for a decent Ben and I made back in may), although does present several hazards such as potential blown out sections at the choke halfway down, and an ice flow just below it.

if you do find yourself in GG in KR, take a skier's left variation near the middle (vertical-wise) to avoid the tightest spot where a blow out is possible and the ice flow just below it... if you ascend the gully you'll see what i'm talking about... also see JT's TR from last may... he describes the hazard in some minor detail.

this is based on my observations in KR over a week ago now... so be forewarned it's likely changed... the general overview of the place though should be the same.

there are alpine snowfields above CCamp on the spur trail that present a nice mellow option from which you can easily and quickly obtain shelter if the weather is bad... good luck

[Hutboy]

Thanks for that added beta, I'll check out those reports. If we do GG, we'll definitely hike up it because I don't want to hit that ice bulge (or the potential blow-out) without knowing about it... I've wanted to ski King Ravine for a while now.

I love my skis, particularly when they stay between me and the ground, but the way that I express that love is to carry them up to faraway places and put their fate in the same hands as mine. Sometimes they've got to take a few rocks for me; I figure that's in return for the amount of time I spend hanging out with them.

One other idea I had, though I don't know if it'll work, is to head down in the Star Lake trail direction and then head into the great gulf down the shoulder that the Buttress trail crosses. I seem to remember some kind of snowfield over there, leading Eastish ( I think) towards Mad gulf. I don't know if that's filled in, or if there's an exit, but I remember thinking it looked skiable a couple years ago. Anyone headed over there before?

[icelanticskier]

snow or skiing does not really exist over there and if you do go, it is heavily haunted by the esoteric spaces clan. but, it is all illusion.

rog

[PWDR8S]

snow or skiing does not really exist over there and if you do go, it is heavily haunted by the esoteric spaces clan. but, it is all illusion.

rog

Not to mention the hyperdimensional vortexes hidden everywhere in there! :eek:

[Hutboy]

sounds good! I love the hyperdimensional vortex that's right under the parapet... the aetherians told me all about those esoteric spaces clans too...