Post
by Harlen » Tue Apr 25, 2017 11:34 pm
Sorry for a delay "Willy," two hours (it was a lot more, but painful to admit it) of a completed TR lost in the nether world of this machine?! I hit "submit, but had been logged out, and nothing left but the cussing. Probably my own damn fault.
I don't know if Eric will be able to recover it, but I haven't the heart to begin again- aaarrrgh! Maybe tomorrow. Blast it all and many worse words that I'll keep to myself. Harlen.
Tom, I envy your many trips into such a wonderful place. To answer your question, I skied in with my dog Bear, pulling a 40lb sled- me that is. My mid-weight ski gear is 175cm Karhu "Pavos," mounted on NNN BC bindings and Merrill boots, which blew up on me, first one, and a mile later- the other, before I had even left Echo Lake! Both soles completely separated from the upper boots- failed glue. No problem- its happened before. just knife a slit into the upper boot just back of the Achilles tendon, missing the tendon itself, and thread a mess of cord in there, and down around the heel. Wrap the dog's leash around the toe area, finish with duct tape, curse your foul luck, and off you go- why am I always cursing?! At least I am now the wiser, and will never trust in $25 dollar Craigslisted boots again.
The boot fix held up fine, with some periodic cord repair work, and I managed a climb up the fine south slope of Jacks Peak. 1700 feet in those shithouse boots! I highly recommend a long tour up under Pyramid Peak, down and around the north end of the lake to Mosquito Pass for a further look down the Crystal Range, which seems to me to be the very last of the mountainous Sierra, i.e., everything to the north looked more like hills.
Lots of interesting , and slightly concerning avalanche signs, the largest- capable of shallowly burying an unwary person, occurring on the south slope of Jacks. A hard slab I believe, perhaps mixed in with soft slab that became entrained after the hard stuff came away from the steep rock wall above. 8-10" fell a week ago Tuesday- 4/18. The conditions now call for early morning starts and finishes for any steep climbing routes. Avalanche signs of different kinds on every aspect- a fascinating study.
Anyhow, it's brilliant shining white up there right now, and will be great in May too "Willy." All the best, Harlen.