Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:13 pm Falling for High Hut 03.12.09
Inspired by Layback’s trip reports and annoyed by the fact that the weather refuses to cooperate on weekends, JK took Thursday off work and we drove down to Ashford to ski up to High Hut. We've been wanting to do it as a two-night trip, but with a new puppy and a broken dog at home, we didn't want to leave them with anyone overnight.
After a quick stop to put on chains halfway up the forest road, we parked at Sno Park C and put on our cross-country skis. I strapped snowshoes to my pack as I have absolutely no reason to trust my XC ability.
The first half of the trail was in the shade and my skis kept slipping backwards, so I ascended most of it herringbone-style – I would probably have been much faster on the snowshoes. Past the Snowbowl trail junction we had sun all the way, and I could glide the remaining 1000 vertical feet to the hut.
The views and the hut itself were fantastic; volcanoes everywhere and a very inviting outhouse. We had lunch outside, staring at Mount Rainier, then explored the hut and played a couple of hands of Uno. We met two other dayhikers (dayskiers?) at the hut, and two lucky bastards skinning up with pulk sleds to spend the night as we were going down.
My extraordinary lack of self-confidence combined with a total absence of skill led to some mildly traumatic experiences on the way down. At the risk of having my Norwegian passport revoked, I have to say that cross-country skis are not meant to go downhill. I spent the entire way down trying to gain as little speed as possible and, I am ashamed to say, even took my skis off a couple of times at those magical junctions of icy crust and sharp turns.
I am proud to say I only fell twice (plus once on the way up - an impressive feat on its own – but surely that doesn’t count).
Next time we’re spending the night – there can’t be a better place to watch the alpenglow on Tahoma…
Miles: 8ish
Elevation gain: 2400 feet
Method: Evil cross-country skis
Fuel: Lentil soup and too many mini Twix bars
Information: Mount Tahoma Trails Association
Joined: 08 Jun 2003 Posts: 1882 | TRs | Pics Location: Round the Bend
Sat Mar 14, 2009 3:37 pm Re: Falling for High Hut 03.12.09
Ingunn wrote:
Imagine the marketing potential of sunglasses that always provided a fantastic mountain view regardless of the weather...
Thanks for the fabulous mental ski into the mountains ~Jo
Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 8568 | TRs | Pics Location: Going to Tukwila
Sun Mar 15, 2009 1:50 pm
Very nice! Totally jealous...
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Past the Snowbowl trail junction we had sun all the way, and I could glide the remaining 1000 vertical feet to the hut.
