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Foist
Sultan of Sweat



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Foist
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PostWed Dec 11, 2019 4:44 pm 
My parents are at Silver Star this week and having some great skiing. The Methow should get some snow over the next several days. If the forecast holds up they should have grooming by next week. Cabin Creek, not so much... Snoqualmie Pass Nordic takes weeks to open even after they get snow because they are forking useless.

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Malachai Constant
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Malachai Constant
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PostWed Dec 11, 2019 4:49 pm 
Foist wrote:
Snoqualmie Pass Nordic takes weeks to open even after they get snow because they are forking useless.
True dat, but they are useful for squeezing double fees from Nordic skiers and providing no services. They are also good at protecting the profits of The Summit Nordic center.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Foist
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Foist
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PostWed Dec 11, 2019 4:55 pm 
Top notch sarcasm there, MC. I forgot to mention Stevens Pass Nordic. They are forecast to get a lot of snow over the next few days and they are much better at opening quickly than Snoqualmie. It's too bad the trails and terrain are less interesting, but still, skiing is skiing.

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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostFri Dec 13, 2019 12:21 pm 
At my house.
My house looking North
My house looking North
Leaving my place
Leaving my place

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Cyclopath
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Cyclopath
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PostFri Dec 13, 2019 12:26 pm 
Foist wrote:
My parents are at Silver Star this week and having some great skiing. The Methow should get some snow over the next several days. If the forecast holds up they should have grooming by next week. Cabin Creek, not so much... Snoqualmie Pass Nordic takes weeks to open even after they get snow because they are forking useless.
I tried to go to the Snoq Nordic Center once, parking had filled up early enough that I had to find other plans. Never tried again. I hear I have to do the Mount Catherine loop at least once.

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Cyclopath
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Cyclopath
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PostFri Dec 13, 2019 12:30 pm 
Backpacker Joe wrote:
At my house.
Cool. I'm moving to Cle Elum. Microsoft lets me work from home.

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treeswarper
Alleged Sockpuppet!



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treeswarper
Alleged Sockpuppet!
PostFri Dec 13, 2019 1:37 pm 
The snow is still sliding off my roof making for avalanche danger at front and back doors.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Foist
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Foist
Sultan of Sweat
PostFri Dec 13, 2019 2:16 pm 
Cyclopath wrote:
I tried to go to the Snoq Nordic Center once, parking had filled up early enough that I had to find other plans. Never tried again. I hear I have to do the Mount Catherine loop at least once.
Yes. The parking is a nightmare, you'll need to stand in line in the cramped nordic center behind 20 beginners being helped by one indifferent employee just to get your trail pass, and then it's shockingly difficult just to get to the beginning of the actual XC ski trail (either up a steep slope that criss-crosses a downhill slope to a cruddy trail filled with snowshoers, or up a chair lift). HOWEVER, once you get out there, and they've finally groomed it, the Mt. Catherine Loop is spectacular.

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Malachai Constant
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Malachai Constant
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PostFri Dec 13, 2019 2:39 pm 
The only decent way to do the Mount Catherine Loop is on a weekday or when Summit East is closed. There is a public corridor that access it from the Lake SnoPark but they require a grooming permit. There is also an access from the roads on the North end of the Parking lot but it pretty steep more for snowshoes. Also fun to go over the Mt. Catherine Radio Peak Pass.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Cyclopath
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Cyclopath
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PostFri Dec 13, 2019 2:52 pm 
I'm getting the sense I really do have to go do that loop. Not really eager to deal with the parking, or waiting 20 minutes in line to use my own gear. The Methow and Cabin Creek/Crystal Springs have spoiled me.

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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostFri Dec 13, 2019 7:21 pm 
Cyclopath wrote:
Backpacker Joe wrote:
At my house.
Cool. I'm moving to Cle Elum. Microsoft lets me work from home.
You're welcome in my neighborhood. There are only three of us.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Randito
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Randito
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PostFri Dec 13, 2019 8:46 pm 
Cyclopath wrote:
I'm getting the sense I really do have to go do that loop. Not really eager to deal with the parking, or waiting 20 minutes in line to use my own gear. The Methow and Cabin Creek/Crystal Springs have spoiled me.
FWIW: It's possible to loop Mt Catherine without buying a ticket or a sno-park permit. Park in the Summit East lower lot, walk the road toward the maintenance buildings between the sewage ponds and the Palouse-Cascades trail, ski the trail a couple miles to a little shy of Cold Creek, look for blue diamonds on the right. Follow the blue diamonds up through the woods until you intersect the nordic center "Cold Creek" groomed trail, where ticketless travel is permitted as part of the nordic center's lease agreement with the USFS. Follow it up to "Windy Pass" , leave the groomed track and work up through forest to "Nordic Pass" the low spot on the ridge between Mt Catherine and "Radio Mountain" , head NE through forest staying left of ponds, navigate across powerlines and nordic center groomed tracks to reach "Creek Run" in the Summit East lift served area. When crossing this area, avoid following the groomed tracks to "Grand Junction" as you may be asked to show a ticket. Descend that back to Summit East using Creek Run and Summit East lower slopes. Several variations are possible, especially going counter-clockwise starting at the Silver Fir base area and ascending the "Nordic Pass" route that ascends the forest south of the Silver Fir lift to Hyak Lake (marked with blue diamonds) Travel along this route without a trail ticket is also required by the Nordic Center lease terms with the USFS. Skiing the wooded sections, especially around Nordic Pass would be challenging on "track" skis, but is enjoyable on wider nordic touring skis at least when the snowpack is deep enough. Reccomend at least 4 feet showing on this telemetry https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/reportGenerator/view/customSingleStationReport/hourly/672:wa:SNTL/-167,0/WTEQ::value,SNWD::value,PREC::value,TOBS::value

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