Kruser and Jack, suffering from the rainy days blahs, took a chance and hiked up the Crow Pass Trail with skis in tow. The duo started under the cloudy, foggy skies we've endured for the past couple of weeks.
The clouds were still with us at the Crow Creek Cabin. Still, we hoped for the best.
We continued on and mounted Raven Glacier just around the corner and started up.
We entered the white room with black curtains...Slogging up toward the Raven Headwall, it didn't look great, but we weren't totally disoriented. So we continued.
Kruser was not amused by Alaska Jack's rendition of Clapton's [Cream] White Room:
In the white room with black curtains deep crevasses
In the white room with black curtains deep crevasses
Deep crevasses wait to eat you, you will die
Why? Why? Why?
Why? Why? Why?
We will ski in this place where the sun never shines.
Ski in this place where the shadows run from themselves.
And the mountain god smiled upon us and created an opening in the clouds as we approached Raven Knoll.
Fresh snow at 4800' el. Does the new season start at the solstice, or does it start when you ski new snow, or does it start whenever Kruse says is starts? Anyway you look at it, the new season is here!
And as Kruser so eloquently yells it, "It's NEVER OVER!" Having skied every month for the past 22 years - since 1986! He's earned the right. This trip was his 4th ski day in July 2008 - 262 straight months, SICK.
Shadows were a welcome sight after meandering up the mile-wide Raven! And, just in time for the descent!
Shadows were a welcome sight after meandering up the mile-wide Raven! And, just in time for the descent!
Blue ice? Stem christie, no problem.
Mountain goats are common in the Crow Pass area, especially on the Milk Glacier side of Jewel and Barnes Mountains. Here are a couple of curious critters on the east face of Jewel. I heard them before I saw them. They were kicking off rock fall.
Milking the Milk.
The dismount from the Milk Gl. is crucial. If you do this trip, be sure to make the saddle between Barnes and Jewel Mtns.The Barnes-Jewel saddle is really not visible from above due to a lateral moraine.
In more than 20 years since I first skied the Milk, this is the first time I've found snow on the lateral morraine at the Milk dismount.
Snow remained on the front side of the Barnes-Jewel saddle, so we skied it - all the way to the high traverse Crow Pass Trail.
Snow remained on the front side of the Barnes-Jewel saddle, so we skied it - all the way to the high traverse Crow Pass Trail.
Snow on the 'front side' was a special treat that we experienced for the first time in summer conditions.
One last gaze ...
Raven-Milk Loop - put it on your list.
1 comment:
Wow, I can't believe how much snow is still up there! Good on ya for getting out and milking some turns - thanks for the route beta!
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