Forum Index > Trip Reports > NOT skiing on CommonWealth Basin 1/17/09
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
boot up
Old Not Bold Hiker



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 4745 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bend Oregon
boot up
Old Not Bold Hiker
PostSun Jan 18, 2009 12:29 am 
The meandering, relaxing, just dinking around and exploring and photographing route.  Just 5.32miles, max elevation 4019 feet, about 1390feet total elevation gain.  and  a nice soak in the sun for lunch. pace was relaxed.
The meandering, relaxing, just dinking around and exploring and photographing route. Just 5.32miles, max elevation 4019 feet, about 1390feet total elevation gain. and a nice soak in the sun for lunch. pace was relaxed.
A LAZY day, getting out of the gray (which turned out to scrub out of the lowlands too, for the first time in AGES). Working on getting back into the swing of hiking after storms and flooding kept us down low for too long. What was up with EVERYONE using telemark skis on that trail? Used to be mainly snowshoers but this time it was a stream of telemark skiers with only a couple of us old farts using snowshoes. It just didn't look like good conditions for skiing to me. One HUGE group of snowshoers started in right behind us, but we never saw them again. Stats: Mileage: Not much. time: Lots. Elevation gain: just a tiny bit. Max altitude, about 4019feet. I REALLY like this route for getting lots of photos of pretty amazing icicles on the network of creeks that you cross. And there were a lot more obvious crossings than usual. In fact the ice bridges were starting to get a bit thin and we kept as light as possible crossing most of them. biggest challenge was getting down to and up from the creek with steep and deep banks of snow. I switched back and forth between trying my new cheapo but effective MSR denali snowshoes which worked MUCH better than my cheapo tubular frame snowshoes I was using. But the snow was so hard and crusty that I switched to Kahtoola MicroSpikes for most of the day. I was personally quite happy to NOT be on skis on that trail. We found a sunny sheltered place to bask in the sun and have lunch at our turnaround spot. Stayed there way to long soaking up the rays and munching lunch. The photos pretty much tell the story.....
My new snowshoes,  Cheap but effective.
My new snowshoes, Cheap but effective.
Dicey crossing. Hardest part was getting down to and out of the creek with the walls of snow.
Dicey crossing. Hardest part was getting down to and out of the creek with the walls of snow.
Thom in front of mini waterfall
Thom in front of mini waterfall
Lots of ice bridges like this, and some seemed a bit sketchy.
Lots of ice bridges like this, and some seemed a bit sketchy.
One possible crossing. ...naw.....
One possible crossing. ...naw.....
Deep in the mini-glacier
Deep in the mini-glacier
exploring the small glaciers
exploring the small glaciers
Creek flow with ice brush
Creek flow with ice brush
Alien hatchery....they are out there
Alien hatchery....they are out there
Ice brush over the creek
Ice brush over the creek
dangly ice  over flowing creek
dangly ice over flowing creek
LOTS of skiers this day.  One of the major creek crossings
LOTS of skiers this day. One of the major creek crossings
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin water fall
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin water fall
Ice goose bumps
Ice goose bumps
V-groove in ice
V-groove in ice
v-groove.....Groovy.
v-groove.....Groovy.
framed small waterfall
framed small waterfall
Ice branches and small waterfall
Ice branches and small waterfall
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin Ice Nubbles
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin Ice Nubbles
Still in the fog in the early morning
Still in the fog in the early morning
Snow mounds
Snow mounds
Udderly amazing icicles
Udderly amazing icicles
Icey crossing....thank gawd for MicroSpikes
Icey crossing....thank gawd for MicroSpikes
Red Mountain with waterfall in the foreground
Red Mountain with waterfall in the foreground
Red mountain with clear sky
Red mountain with clear sky
climbing out of the fog
climbing out of the fog
Well hung ice
Well hung ice
Blue ice clouds
Blue ice clouds
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin snow clouds
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin snow clouds
Creek Icicle frame
Creek Icicle frame
Ice fringe
Ice fringe
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin ice covered branches
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin ice covered branches
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin Waterfall 1/17/09
Snoqualmie Pass, CommonWealth Basin Waterfall 1/17/09

friluftsliv
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
bleeper
Member
Member


Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Posts: 41 | TRs | Pics
Location: East of Eden
bleeper
Member
PostSun Jan 18, 2009 5:48 am 
Awesome pictures, dude! And it is much better that you are near all that ice rather than me - it looks cold! And you got above the clouds, proving, if only to yourself, that the large yellow ball in the sky is still extant - well done.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
boot up
Old Not Bold Hiker



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 4745 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bend Oregon
boot up
Old Not Bold Hiker
PostSun Jan 18, 2009 9:30 pm 
bleeper wrote:
Awesome pictures, dude! And it is much better that you are near all that ice rather than me - it looks cold! And you got above the clouds, proving, if only to yourself, that the large yellow ball in the sky is still extant - well done.
twas a bit on the coolish side It certainly wasn't the 40 degree temps predicted for the upper elevations, due to the inversion layer. It was definitely below 30degrees for most of the hike. We tried denial for awhile, then I decided putting on a fleece was a better way to get warm. cool.gif Not sure what happened to the inversion layer and lowland cold and fog. I got back to the flatlands and it was sunny and warm and good weather for washing the car to find out what color it was.....blue....who knew?

friluftsliv
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Bedivere
Why Do Witches Burn?



Joined: 25 Jul 2008
Posts: 7464 | TRs | Pics
Location: The Hermitage
Bedivere
Why Do Witches Burn?
PostSun Jan 18, 2009 11:31 pm 
Neat pictures! I really like the ice covered branches over the creek. I think you probably had to get up higher to experience the inversion layer. I can tell you that it was balmy and warm at about 5800 feet down by Mt. Rainier on Saturday but got colder as you descended. It's also possible that Snoqualmie Pass area was kept colder by cold air flowing out of Eastern WA. I wasn't anywhere near a pass so wouldn't have been affected by that.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot



Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 4307 | TRs | Pics
Location: Shoreline
Matt
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
PostMon Jan 19, 2009 12:51 am 
Cool pictures of all the ice shapes.

“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
boot up
Old Not Bold Hiker



Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 4745 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bend Oregon
boot up
Old Not Bold Hiker
PostTue Jan 20, 2009 2:37 pm 
Chainsaw_Willie wrote:
Neat pictures! I really like the ice covered branches over the creek. I think you probably had to get up higher to experience the inversion layer. I can tell you that it was balmy and warm at about 5800 feet down by Mt. Rainier on Saturday but got colder as you descended. It's also possible that Snoqualmie Pass area was kept colder by cold air flowing out of Eastern WA. I wasn't anywhere near a pass so wouldn't have been affected by that.
I think there is a cold pocket on Snoqualmie Pass. I noticed the ski area up there seemed to be the only place around that was socked in with fog, lower or higher. Reading other trip reports from the weekend shows the same localized trend in that general area. Cold and foggy right at the Pass, and beautiful weather everywhere else. At least we didn't get the wind that Pratt did! It was almost dead calm the whole day, which really helped the comfort level.

friluftsliv
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
DIYSteve
seeking hygge



Joined: 06 Mar 2007
Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics
Location: here now
DIYSteve
seeking hygge
PostTue Jan 20, 2009 2:47 pm 
boot up wrote:
What was up with EVERYONE using telemark skis on that trail? Used to be mainly snowshoers but this time it was a stream of telemark skiers with only a couple of us old farts using snowshoes.
Hey, those are great pics, some good candidates for the 2010 calendar! We've been skiing in Commonwealth Basin -- usually en route to Red, Lundin or Snoqualmie Mtn. -- for years. Sometimes we see more skiers than snowshoers, sometimes vice versa. I cannot imagine why anyone would ski the frozen snowpack this past weekend. eek.gif

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Sabahsboy
Member
Member


Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Posts: 2484 | TRs | Pics
Location: SW Sno County
Sabahsboy
Member
PostTue Jan 20, 2009 8:50 pm 
Love the waterfall photos....fascinating. The other worldly snow/ice shots (in a glacier?) are amazing.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Trip Reports > NOT skiing on CommonWealth Basin 1/17/09
  Happy Birthday noahk!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum