Forum Index > Trip Reports > Jelly peak 10 Feb 2018
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kitya
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kitya
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PostSat Feb 10, 2018 9:53 pm 
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2490746019 My original plan was to go to Mount Baker, but I couldn't due to time constraints, next plan as to go finally climb Philadelphia mountain by Lake Serene, but this didn’t work out either, as we found trailhead gated with lots of angry closure signs – they started logging poor trees around the trail ☹ So I ended up going to the third backup plan – Jelly peak on the Nason ridge. In case you don’t know Jelly peak is just east of Peanutbutter peak. Now you know. These summits, along with other little bumps along Nason ridge are tree covered. Route is rather steep, but very short and goes through mature open forest. I'm actually surprised how much forest there is and how well it looks. Based on route profile I was expecting more of an avy terrain. 6 miles roundtrip 3389 feet gain. Snow is now perfect cascade concrete, bad for skiers, but great for snowshoes. There is only about an inch or two of fresh dry powder on top of basically soft ice. Makes it for an easy and fast snowshoe. Lots of skiers at the parking lot by hwy 2, but they all went to Smithbrook instead, no human signs on Nason ridge this time and great views.

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RichP
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PostSun Feb 11, 2018 7:55 am 
Great views from up there. Looks like a perfect day.

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kitya
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PostSun Feb 11, 2018 9:36 am 
How does everyone go in snowshoes down though? I find going down on steep slow very uncomfortable in snowshoes. Also grip is not good and I'm sliding when going down (but not when going up) - snowshoe seems to just grab the first layer of soft snow and slide with it on crust. I tried to switch to crampons or just boots to get better traction, but than I fall into the snow up to my waist, which is not really great either. Is there any technique to help with going down on steep slopes?

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Matt
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PostSun Feb 11, 2018 5:09 pm 
Yesterday's conditions were a bad combo for trying to descend in snowshoes. If there's just a crust, you angle your feet to match the crust and stamp the claws into it. If there's deeper soft snow, you can pack down steps as you go, sometimes by turning sideways and side-stepping down. With thin powder over a crust, as you encountered, the shoes want to slide, so you just have aim for the lowest-angle lines and do your best, but it doesn't work well.

“As beacons mountains burned at evening.” J.R.R. Tolkien
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mbravenboer
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PostTue Feb 13, 2018 12:53 pm 
kitya, yeah going down in snowshoes is sometimes unpleasant/scary/painful for me as well. I usually bring my crampons and use those when conditions. It helps that I have long legs, so what's waste-deep for some is knee-deep for me wink.gif. Sadly I don't think there is a silver bullet for this, though I'd be curious to see if somebody can design a snowshoe with even more traction or a crampon attachment. Nice photos btw. Nason Ridge always looks great. I should head up there more.

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ale_capone
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PostTue Feb 13, 2018 5:50 pm 
Mmm. Peanut butter and jelly... Never heard them names before. Back story? We call them flying squirrel, owl, and bald otter. I ski nason more then I'd like to admit. You nailed the preferred up route. Relatively avi free on all but the worse days.. highly recommended.

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kitya
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PostTue Feb 13, 2018 6:09 pm 
I don't know the backstory of these names, but this is what I've seen other people on this forum call these peaks before me!

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ale_capone
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PostTue Feb 13, 2018 6:46 pm 
Ha. Well "we" only made the names up because we don't know any better. Point 5*** sounds boring. Peanut butter and jelly work for me. Looks like fantastic snow for the dog.

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kitya
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kitya
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PostTue Feb 13, 2018 6:57 pm 
Well this is how tradition starts, doesn't? Someone makes us a name, other people use it! So why not? I like these names, because I like peanut butter and I like jelly. My dog too smile.gif Thank you Matt and Mbravenboer for advice on snowshoe descent. I wonder why not make snowshoes with bigger spikes, like real crampons? I would only see upside to that!

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xuanxier
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PostTue Feb 13, 2018 9:55 pm 
Re: snowshoeing downhill.. Think I should contribute a bit to this topic after tagging hundreds of summits (some very technical) on Lightning Ascents and have dealt pretty much all kinds of conditions. 1. Layer of slush on crust. 30 degree+. This is potentially dangerous kind of conditions even with the best snowshoes. Turning sideways and side-step is one technique but won't work for a long stretch. If only a short hill I sometimes turn into the slope and down-climb wearing the snowshoes. Maybe with an ice axe. Often I would rather remove the snowshoes and boot-pack especially if there's exposure. If there's too much post-hole then facing into the slope. An inwards plunging/post-holing is easier than an outwards one and reduces the chance of tripping and falling. Experience in alpine climbing helps too. 2. Hardpacked but not packed enough for boot travel. 30 degrees+ This is not that dangerous but painfully tedious. You just have to be patient and go step by step. A bit of sideways angle helps to reduce the knee stress. 3. Layer of slush on crust, low angle.. like 20 degrees. Fun conditions. Just slide and glide. 4. Powder. Have fun and enjoy.. Plunge and glide. 5. Isothermal slush. Not so much fun. Take it easy and plunge. Sometimes sideways angle. 6. Breakable Crust... Not so much fun neither. Step by step and don't rush unless you want face plants.. 7. Hardpacked trail. Probably easier to just remove the snowshoes and walk down on foot. Much easier on your knees.

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