Splitboard Oregon

February 14, 2019 – Willamette Pass

I wanted to get some February turns in outside of ski patrol and Dan was game to take a half day off of work to head to the Pass for a little out-of-area play. The weather was looking iffy after a few days of decent snow, but we decided to head up anyway to see what we could find. When we arrived around 1:00, we were happy to see it was “snowing” although the flakes were pretty wet.

We donned our gear in the patrol room and chatted a bit with Laurie and Kip, who confirmed the snow was pretty sticky. After a quick bite of lunch, we headed out to catch the lift, and made a quick run down Peak 2 before heading out to the sidecountry. The snow on Peak 2 was decent, and soon we found ourselves on the skin track. It didn’t take long and soon we were standing at the top of our first objective of the afternoon.

Dan wanted to dig a quick pit to check out the conditions, so we did that and didn’t really find anything too interesting in the snowpack. With our curiosity satisfied, it was time to step into the bindings and make a few turns. The sun came out as we descended, and I snapped a few photos of Dan skiing….

The snow actually skied really well, compliments of the steep slope we had chosen. Lower down, we eventually worked our way back to the resort boundary and down to the bottom of the lift. The snow became super sticky at the base, to the point of barely being able to slide, so we went in for a quick hot wax before heading back out. With a freshly waxed base, it was time to hit the lift again and make another run. Within minutes, we were on the skin track again, and soon dropped in for lap number two. At the bottom, it was time to enjoy a well deserved cold beverage…

The snow was holding well, so we skinned back up for another lap, with the hope of maybe hitting the Peak 2 lift before it closed at 3:30. This time on the descent, Dan grabbed the camera and snapped a few photos of me ripping down the slope…

Matt slashing a heelside turn at the Pass

Our second run was pretty sweet. At the bottom, we drank the rest of our beers we left from the previous run, then skinned up and out. Looking at our watches confirmed we wouldn’t make the final chair at Peak 2, but another run was still in the cards. We phoned Mindy, the P4 Hill Chief, to let her know we’d be down late and not to worry, then set out for one more run.

Before we dropped in for our last run, the skies cleared just as the sun was setting above the clouds. I snapped the below shot of Dan before we headed down…

The sun above the cloud bank at Willamette Pass

Our final run down through the trees was really nice, as the snow was starting to sublimate as the temps cooled down. We worked our way back to the ski area, and headed down the empty runs towards the base. Skiing in a ski area after it’s closed is always a great treat. At the base, we headed back into the warmth of the patrol room, and found a couple of beers courtesy of P4 waiting for us. As we enjoyed our brews and snacked on some chips and salsa, both Dan and I agreed that taking the afternoon off from work was the right call!

January 29, 2019 – Mt Thielsen

It looked like high pressure would hold on for another day or two, and the stars aligned such that both Dan and I were able to get a day off work mid-week to try and harvest some mid-winter corn. Mt Thielsen was our selected destination, and we met at Dan’s house at 5:00 am for an early start. We made quick time to the trailhead, as the roads were dry and bare, and our drive was reminiscent of summer. We pulled into the trailhead at 7:30 am, quickly sorted gear, and started skinning on crunchy snow. The temperature was in the low 20’s, but we knew it wouldn’t stay that way for too long.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, with bluebird skies and bright sunshine. The first couple miles of skinning were efficient under the firm snow, and eventually we worked our way through the forest and started getting some glimpses of our objective…

A short bit later we worked our way up to the ridge separating the northwest bowl from the southwest bowl, and were (not all that) surprised to find some soft snow on the north facing slopes that hadn’t received any direct sunlight in a number of days.

Skinning along the ridge was somewhat slow, and the windlips made progress even slower as we had to do end runs around the larger ones. As the slope steepened, we made the call to switch to boots and crampons, which immediately made the traveling more efficient.

We continued up the ridge, pausing periodically to enjoy the views back across the frozen Diamond Lake and out over Mt Bailey. The temperature was starting to warm considerably as we worked up the ridge and out onto the south facing slope. Traveling up the ridge, I had my eye on the northwest couloir. It looked like it would go. Dan was skeptical, but after a little discussion, we agreed and started to get stoked on the line…

We continued our climb under the sun, eventually working our way to a high point below the summit pinnacle which was a nice place to change over, get a quick rest, and offered good views of our objective in front of us as well as the Crater Lake Rim and associated country to the south…

Looking out over Crater Lake to the south

We didn’t hang out long after making the changeover, as the sun was warming the upper pitches of the couloir and some rockfall was starting. I donned my helmet and ice axe, and stayed up top to snap a few photos of Dan who agreed to drop in first and check out the conditions. His first few turns looked money, so we decided to commit to the line.

Dan skiing the pitches above the couloir

As we worked our way down into the couly, the slope steepened and the snow became hard. The soft snow we were hoping for in the deep shade of the line didn’t materialize, but we were already committed so we had to put our alpine riding skills to the test. It was a mix of jump turns, a bit of side slipping, and a few good turns, as we entered the heart of the line…

In the middle looking out over Diamond Lake

Once we made it to the bottom of the couloir proper, we enjoyed some chalky turns on the apron before heading into the main bowl. Dan grabbed the camera from me and snapped a few pics from below of me coming down…

Riding the northwest bowl on Mt Thielsen

At the bottom of the couloir, after riding the apron, both Dan and I were stoked on the line even though we didn’t score it in optimum conditions. The riding wasn’t done however, as we still had most of the northwest bowl still to carve up….

If there’s one thing that both Dan and I can do well, it’s sniff out good snow, and even though the couloir wasn’t as good as we’d hoped, we found the one area in the bowl that was still holding and milked it for all it was worth….

To our right and to our left, the snow wasn’t prime, but right down the gut it was holding in a swath that was about 30 yards wide and 600 feet long. We hooped and hollered all the way down…

Looking back at the mountain and our tracks

We worked down to the bottom of the bowl, eventually switching back over to skins for a short skin out to the ridge above to make our exit. Sitting atop the ridge, enjoying the warmth of the sun while eating some lunch and drinking a beer, I felt pretty fortunate to out in the mountains on such a beautiful day. My beer of choice for the day — a Divine Shine by Hop Valley — seemed fitting for the day.

We switched back from skins to ski mode, and headed down the ridge for the exit back to the car. The turns along the way were a mix of soft snow up high and then firm, quick snow down low. I was stoked on how quickly we were able to ski out, especially on the crack headed portion of the trail down low, and soon we were unloading our gear at the car, enjoying another beverage in shorts and flip flops.

All things considered, this was a fun day in the Oregon cascades that neither Dan nor I will soon forget. Here’s a parting shot from the day….

January 12, 2019 – Sun and Sleds at the Pass

The sun was out and the mountain was bathed in early morning light, and I knew it would be a good day as Dan and I pulled into the parking lot and unloaded our gear at the patrol room. After donning 0ur gear, we had a quick morning meeting and set out to open the mountain. The ride up EPA went quickly, and when we arrived at the top the sun was shining brightly and the east wind was brisk. Before opening any runs, I snapped a couple of photos, including the shots below….

I dropped in on RTS, and though it was a bit icy up top, most of the run was in pretty good shape. A few runs later, it was time for some sled work with the sled candidates, and I agreed to work with Jon, a fellow snowboarder, on Peak 2. After a couple of runs down Where’s Waldo, Jon was pretty comfortable in the handles, so we worked over to Escalator for a few runs before heading in for lunch.

Jon bringing the sled up the Peak 2 lift

Lunch was a welcome break, and served up courtesy of the social committee, but we were back out on the hill by 1:00pm to do a little more sled work. In between runs, a couple of photo opportunities presented themselves, and I was stoked to test out my new fisheye lens…

An hour or so before sweep, I was stoked to ride alongside Hannah while she took a sled out for the first time in a couple of years after a nasty leg injury. Hannah was solid in the handles – and picked up right where she left off.

Running sleds on Waldo with Mt Ray in the background

Given the amount of effort we’d put in training for the day, Hannah and I bailed on Peak 2 sweep and skied a couple of runs on High Lead and Eagle’s to get some late afternoon corn before it was gone. We were able to make two runs and still catch the last chair at the bottom of EPA before 4:00.

We unloaded at the top of EPA and found a gaggle of patrollers preparing for sweep, so I orchestrated a quick photo with the fisheye lens. The sun was just getting ready to set over Diamond Peak as the shutter released…

At the base after closing lower mountain

I swept RTS and then down George, and then it was time for the evening meeting, followed by beers courtesy of Oakshire. Sitting back and enjoying the bs with fellow patrollers, I was stoked on another great day at the Pass.

January 6, 2019 – Willamette Pass

Sunday’s forecast looked to be promising earlier in the week, but that changed on Saturday, and neither Dan or I had real high expectations of a great day. Since we’d already made plans to head to the Pass, we figured it was worth the short drive up highway 58 to see how the day would develop. The snow phone was reporting 5 inches overnight, which was better than the snotels, so the morning was filled with cautious optimism. It was snowing hard when we arrived at the area, and continued to snow all morning long.

We ended up catching the first chair with Jensen and a couple other locals, as well as Joe who we met up with in the patrol room. The turns were pretty sweet, with about 8-10 inches of fresh on both the upper and lower mountain. We continued to pound out runs on both the front and backsides of the hill until about 11:30, then headed down for a quick lunch and to grab the skins for a little sidecountry action.

Joe had to leave a little earlier that we did, so he stayed at the Pass, and Dan and I headed out on skins to check out one of our favorite local spots. Switching over to skins is always a good feeling after riding the lifts for a few hours, and the snow was light and deep underfoot — around 16-18 inches deep. A short time later, we were in position to drop in. After making a couple of ski cuts, it was time to open in up for some untracked powder turns…

The powder was some of the best in recent memory, and we both were stoked at the bottom of the run. It didn’t take long to change over to skins and head back up to do it all again…

Skinning outside the area during a snowstorm is always so quiet and serene. Less than a mile away hundreds of skiers are ripping it up and the lifts are noisily spinning, while outside the area the pace is calm, steady and quiet. We reached the top in short order, and enjoyed a quick break to drink a beer and transition before dropping in for more turns.

Our second line was as good as the first, and faceshots were had all the way down. We ended up making a third lap before it was time to head back to the car, and it continued puking on us all afternoon. By the time we worked our way back to the area, there was 20 inches of fresh snow on the ground.

We had enough time left to make a couple more runs in the area before the lifts shut down for good, and both of our legs were pretty burned by the end of the day. Sitting in the car in the parking lot, munching on chips and salsa, it continued to snow heavily. Neither of us could believe how good the day turned out to be, and it just goes to show, you never know what it’ll be like unless you go!

January 1, 2019 – First turns of 2019

After closing out 2018 with a few friends, Julie and I figured the best way to ring in the new year was making turns at the Pass with the family. The forecast was looking sunny, and the kids were excited as we headed out in the morning. The drive up highway 58 went quickly, and soon we were sitting in the patrol room helping the kids with their gear. Somehow during the night before when I was loading gear, I forgot Julie’s ski boots, so she ended up spending the day in slippers in the patrol room reading a book. We all walked over to Twilight to begin the day, and I snapped a pic of the family before we loaded the chair…

We started our day with a great groomer down Duck Soup and Sally’s Way, and both kids were skiing well. Carson wanted to ski Sally’s again, so we hit it up for a second lap before skiing down Picaboo for our third run in the Twilight zone…

After three runs, we headed in to check on Julie, eat an early lunch, and drink some hot coco. Carson wanted to stay in with Julie and hang out for a little bit, so Shaun and I headed up EPA for a couple of runs. The views from the top were excellent as usual, and the groomers off the top were in excellent condition, so we tried out KP and the Rosary’s.

After two runs off the top, we checked back in at the patrol room and Carson was ready to ski again. He was pretty stoked to ride “the big lift” so we loaded up EPA and headed to the top for his first ever trip to the top of the mountain. At the top, Joe was hosting and was pretty stoked to see the boys, and graciously offered to snap our picture in front of Diamond Peak and Odell Lake. For Carson’s first run, we headed down KP, and he ripped it…

We spent the next hour and a half spinning laps on EPA, alternating between the Rosary’s and KP. Shaun wanted to do Eagles and Charlie, but we agreed we’d try those next time after Carson had a bit more experience under his belt. Watching the kids ski down the runs, up and down the banks on the sides of the runs, and through the trees, I couldn’t help but feel proud at how they were doing…

We called it a day in the mid afternoon, and headed down to the patrol room to where Julie was waiting. The kids were happy with the day, but ready to leave, in part due to the promised Dairy Queen treats later in Oakridge. I loaded the gear in the car, and as we pulled out onto the highway, I thought to myself — there really isn’t any better way to ring in 2019!