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Silver Star area 23-Apr-2011

Posted: April 24th, 2011, 7:14 am
by VanMarmot
When I was on Table on Friday, I could see across to Silver Star, which looked to have quite a lot of snow on it. So Saturday I headed up there to check out road and snow conditions. For some, possibly delusional, reason, I thought the snow on Silver Star would be more “consolidated” than that on Table and so, once again, left my snowshoes behind. The road from Washougal (#1200) was snow-free until about 300 yds from the Grouse Vista TH (and even some of that snow melted away during the day). All was good on the trail until I rounded the ridge at 2800’ – then the postholing began. With snowshoes it would have been a great experience but without, well, it’s too painful to discuss. I could see Silver Star in the distance,

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but knew I wasn’t going to get there today. So I made my way (slowly) to Pt 3577, the rock outcrop just N of Pyramid Rock and took a nice long break in the sun. With snowshoes, I could have just continued along the ridge toward Silver Star,

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but by then the sunbathing was working out pretty good too. Eventually, I got up and headed back to the car, thinking along the way that I had to work on my relationship with my snowshoes – how my seeming rejection of them only lead to the pain of postholing. Hopefully we can get back together again before the snow melts. Only 4 mi RT, 1600’ gain but lots of sun.

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Re: Silver Star area 24-Apr-2011

Posted: April 24th, 2011, 8:20 am
by Charley
If you think of snowshoes as extra weight for purposes of "training", then maybe it won't feel so pointless to take them, even if you're not sure you'll use them! I have a friend who has taken as much as three gallons of water, for extra weight. Naturally, she's a Mazama.

Re: Silver Star area 24-Apr-2011

Posted: April 24th, 2011, 8:25 am
by Don Nelsen
Nice photos and report. Too bad about no snowshoes. You actually did make it to Pyramid rock - the map has it mislabled. I've tried to get the USGS to correct the misplaced label but so far to no avail.

Don

Re: Silver Star area 24-Apr-2011

Posted: April 24th, 2011, 8:35 am
by VanMarmot
Don Nelsen wrote:Nice photos and report. Too bad about no snowshoes. You actually did make it to Pyramid rock - the map has it mislabled. I've tried to get the USGS to correct the misplaced label but so far to no avail.

Don
I thought the label was odd since there are no evident "rocks" there. Thanks for the clarification. Fortunately, the current snow forecast suggests I'll get another shot at Silver Star (with snowshoes) before the season ends.

Re: Silver Star area 24-Apr-2011

Posted: April 24th, 2011, 8:38 am
by VanMarmot
Charley wrote:If you think of snowshoes as extra weight for purposes of "training", then maybe it won't feel so pointless to take them, even if you're not sure you'll use them! I have a friend who has taken as much as three gallons of water, for extra weight. Naturally, she's a Mazama.
I just kept trying to second-guess the snow conditions, thinking I'd find "Spring-like" (consolidated) conditions just because it's Spring. Anyway, plenty of snow on Silver Star (with more coming) for a second chance here.

Re: Silver Star area 23-Apr-2011

Posted: April 24th, 2011, 8:56 am
by Don Nelsen
This has been an interesting year for snow - somewhat like 2007/08: That winter the last snow to melt on Silver Star's north face was in late August(!). Here's a pic I took on July 6th of '08:

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Re: Silver Star area 23-Apr-2011

Posted: April 25th, 2011, 11:13 pm
by Roy
Nice Photos check out the tr I just reposted from Jan 30th and how I did the summit from grouse vista in well less than two hours.


And we were all taking about a nice dry spring back then. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nice to see you are out a about Van -Take care

ROY is not feeling sharp