That’s SphincterGirl, halfway back down after the epic summit bid on Volcan Osorno, in northern Chilean Patagonia near Puerto Montt. Too bad you can’t see the abject terror on our faces! OK just kidding. It was a great climb, trip report is here.

There will be a second TR on our trek on Isla Navarino, in Chilean Tierra del Fuego, once I dry out enough to write it. We hiked five days and it rained for 4.5. But we found time for a little cheer:

Ain’t we cool? For the truly sleep-deprived, there are more photos here.

And BTW, quit hogging all the snow out there. We spent three weeks Down Under and there’s less snow now than when we left!  –SB

Brad L. & I noticed an ugly-looking fracture after skiing Rose this morning on the south side of the East Bowl access road just before it enters the parking lot.  We thought we’d take a look to see whether the snow cover has improved at the lower elevations and saw the obvious results of an avalanche.  After looking at the scene for a minute, we could see a single set of tracks descending, then an uptrack that ended about 50 feet below the crown with no (visible) exiting uptrack…it didn’t look good, so we reported to ski patrol and they initiated a search.  As of now, RGJ reports that the search continues, but that it looks like the slide occurred yesterday and no one has been reported missing.  Here’s a photo showing the fracture and another highlighting the truncated uptrack.  The slide appears to have occurred as a result of the hiker passing over a convex bulge into the gully where the slope steepens.  One reason I wanted to post this is because a lot of us ski this general area – so please avoid the steeper slopes of the gullies.

original full-size image, crown spans the middle third of the photo, skintrack enters from left

smaller image with highlighted skintrack truncated by avalanche

Well, the rock was harder than the climbing, but it was great to get out!

I popped up to Donner with My sisters Sunday. Did Insidious Crack and Jellyroll Arch. Refreshing. I haven’t done much climbing in recent years for one reason or another, but I still love it. Climbing adds a layer to physical activity that it’s hard to duplicate on a bike, skis or trail. The fear, the need to focus, the shiny metal gear…

Hope to do a gorge trip soon.

-M

Check out this hoser! Who knew knee droppers could do that shit! Yeah Yeah…

Nooner, TheRestlessApe, Pyrofloptic, Tongaroo and Wolfy (me) hit Incline Peak today with Juni and Chloe rounding out the quadrupedal auxiliary (Smoky on the semi-injured list). If you know the area, you can tell from the pic where we were. If you don’t, get a map, view the exif on the pic for the time of day, put 2 and 2 together… Coverage was so so, as was depth, but the compact layer beneath last storm’s 6 inches or so made for some NIIIIICE turns! Got three runs in and Nooner said he was heading back tomorrow. I even defended a cool steep line against Nooner through some rocks and trees. Then the ride out was fast super-g’s through a boulder field! Not a lot of damage considering…

All in all for the depth of snow it has developed pretty well over the last few weeks. Very skiable in the B/C. And if this prediction is right complaints may be on the decline by the weekend. (That is the Draino Gazette-Urinal tho…)

Post up your experiences this weekend! And link up the photos!

Wolfy – Incline Peak

TheRestlessApe – Incline Peak

-M

The amazing Bando demonstrates his feathery-light touch as he crosses the Incandescent Rocks WSA without even leaving FOOTPRINTS!
More pics on Nevada Outside.

Also, JW et.al toured Mt. Emma.

Where is Mt. Emma?

-M

It’s comming on ski season. Here is an excerpt from an article I’m writing for RLife Magazine.

-M

The day starts early. Like 5:00 early. The alarm goes off and there’s that moment of truth, cliché though it may be: nap a while longer and get a normal start, or hit the road in the dark and be ready for first tracks. But then the phone rings and it’s all on.
Real skiers have the coffee ready the night before and the gear already loaded up. All that’s necessary is clothing, lots of it, and the car keys, and the dog. Some of us take it that serious. The drive only takes us a few minutes once I’ve stopped to pick up Dave. And we’re there, past the golf courses, past the east bowl parking lot, past the main parking lot and almost up to Mt. Rose Pass. There are usually a few others in the lot, usually Lee’s green Ranger with the Mountain Gazette sticker, or Carrie’s Forester with the snowmachine sticker, all parked barely straight and looking hastily abandoned, though it’s cold and dim in the strangled light of the morning.