EISPIRATEN

a bit late out the gate, but i wanted to do a post and say if you have the chance, take a ride around the corner to Baden-Powell and enjoy the show! i was invited to join Miguel and company on a snowshoe up BP last Sunday after the storm passed. we suspected we might not get all the way to Vincent Gap and we were right. Hwy 2 had only been plowed to Grassy Hollow which added a 2.5 mile approach. not bad on the way there, but a bit sucky on tired legs on the way back.

what we found was POW heaven in the San Gab's! we had the privilege of breaking trail from Grassy Hollow on. maybe i should rephrase that... Miguel and Kevin and Brian shared that privilege as the rest of us had an easier 'shoe on the track they provided. fear not, we didn't all totally wimp out. Ingrid the Invincible broke trail for a spell as did Kirk and I. man 'o man was that tuff 'shoeing a steep slope while breaking trail. i think i counted a measly 100 steps for me. just the mtn alone is 2800' elevation gain in 4 miles and in fresh POW that is one heck of a schlep. Miguel has quads of steel and proved it with his un-matched lead for the day.

the storm left a winter wonderland in it's wake with a temp of 7 degrees to begin the day and a windless summit that made us all wish we had worn bathing suits. OK, maybe it was a bit cool for board shorts, but maximum sunscreen was mandatory. the snow plow spent the day working the grade and we found a clear road back to the cars. it was nice to remove our snowshoes for the final 2.5 miles though the gate was still locked at Grassy Hollow to traffic. total stats: 13.5 miles, 2900'+ elev gain, 8.5 hrs. A most excellent day in the snow!

a few pix from the day...

from Grassy Hollow we spot our objective


Miki and Ingrid 'shoeing up on Hwy 2


7:58 am and the summit of Baldy is showing some wind action


Kirk and Brian being bullish and trying to reach Vincent Gap sans snowshoes


Miguel and Kevin making it look a whole lot easier


The girls reaching V Gap after the boys


Cold crapper... the Vincent Gap bathroom


No worries today as we are guaranteed a deep POW day, but a very real concern once this precious stuff goes into melt/freeze


The trail was wherever we chose it to be


Picture postcard views all day




Ingrid on lead


Miguel cutting a mean track


Majestic Limber Pines of Baden-Powell


Having gained the final ridge we are treated to the artwork of wind on snow


Mt. San Gorgonio, Pine, Dawson, Mt. San Antonio, West Baldy and Ontario from a B-P cornice


Nearly there


The POW gang on the summit. Winnie, Miguel, Miki, Ingrid, Kevin, Brian, me and Kirk. (minus Joan who was snapping the shot)


Joan enjoying the pristine descent


4:40 pm as we walk back up Hwy 2 the afternoon sun lights up Baldy as clouds form at its base


rest of my pix are here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma ... OWell22711#[/i]

Man, that is some serious trail-breaking. How lucky are we all to live near all of this, eh? Beautiful pictures Norma.

Burchey wrote: ↑...How lucky are we all to live near all of this, eh?...

VERY!!! i count my blessings with each step i take

This photo is awesome:

norma r wrote: ↑ Mt. San Gorgonio, Pine, Dawson, Mt. San Antonio, West Baldy and Ontario from a B-P cornice


this one....TMI!!!

Cold crapper... the Vincent Gap bathroom

Awsome Trip pics Norma.. What a perfect day for a summit .

Spectacularness!

WOW, nice POW! Great photos, Norma, among your best.

I'm going to try to get over to Dry Lake tomorrow. Hope the snow is still decent.

HJ

Hikin_Jim wrote: ↑I'm going to try to get over to Dry Lake tomorrow. Hope the snow is still decent.

HJ

Hey kids,

This question reminds me: I'm going to try and summit Marion, Jean, and then San Jacinto from the Deer Springs TH on Sat/Sun, and I'm wondering if I'll be struggling to break trail, or does that powder consolidate at all after a week of laying there? In the past, I only went downhill on the board in the winter. This is my first real season of going uphill, haven't had much experience in timing conditions.

I think it's supposed to be relatively warm, so I could be wetsliding it to my doom!

Those pics are great. I also like the photo overlooking the various peaks, and the windblown sculpting of the snow.

Burchey wrote: ↑Hey kids,

This question reminds me: I'm going to try and summit Marion, Jean, and then San Jacinto from the Deer Springs TH on Sat/Sun, and I'm wondering if I'll be struggling to break trail, or does that powder consolidate at all after a week of laying there? In the past, I only went downhill on the board in the winter. This is my first real season of going uphill, haven't had much experience in timing conditions.

I think it's supposed to be relatively warm, so I could be wetsliding it to my doom!

Hard to say without first hand observation, but you should get some consolidation. The big issue is temperature. If it gets just over freezing during the day and then goes well below freezing at night, generally you'll get good consolidation fairly rapidly. If it gets super warm during the day and then refreezes at night you get crappy ice. If it stays below freezing the whole time (unusual in So. Cal.), it'll take longer to consolidate.

HJ

Hikin_Jim wrote: ↑ Hard to say without first hand observation, but you should get some consolidation. The big issue is temperature. If it gets just over freezing during the day and then goes well below freezing at night, generally you'll get good consolidation fairly rapidly. If it gets super warm during the day and then refreezes at night you get crappy ice. If it stays below freezing the whole time (unusual in So. Cal.), it'll take longer to consolidate.

HJ

Thanks Jim, makes sense. I wonder if that's why many time you'll find conditions get worse with respect to consolidation as you climb - because temps tend to stay colder the higher you go, so it may retain the powder-patrol when everything 1000 feet below was much firmer to walk on.

Yep.

That is puuurttyyy snow,but not cold enough for ice cigars :/

Great stuff yall!

Norma, like your pictures! Nothing like making first tracks

Burchey wrote: ↑

Hikin_Jim wrote: ↑I'm going to try to get over to Dry Lake tomorrow. Hope the snow is still decent.

HJ

Hey kids,

This question reminds me: I'm going to try and summit Marion, Jean, and then San Jacinto from the Deer Springs TH on Sat/Sun, and I'm wondering if I'll be struggling to break trail, or does that powder consolidate at all after a week of laying there? In the past, I only went downhill on the board in the winter. This is my first real season of going uphill, haven't had much experience in timing conditions.

I think it's supposed to be relatively warm, so I could be wetsliding it to my doom!

Which way were you thinking of hitting Marion . I was thinking of doing these next week. Was going to hit Marion from the Deer Springs couloir first and then the other peaks.

Tried to get Marion last week from Tamarack but breaking trail from there to Wellman in that powder took longer then expected so had to turn back

Burchey,
IMHO it is hard to call. chances are since it's only been one week. there will be areas that snowshoes will make the going easier, but you won't need them for the whole hike. so it's wear them on your back when you're not wearing them on your feet. you will post-hole at some point and maybe way too much without them, but the postholing will get less as the snow freezes more as Jim said.

if we have no snow for the next week, by next weekend the snowshoes will be put in storage and it's bootin' it and 'pon time.

thanks for the kind comments on my pix everyone. it was one of those days where it was hard not to take a good photo. Mother Nature at her best.

Thanks so much for sharing such a cool adventure! The pics are spectacular. Such a change from I was on BP on 1/22 when the snow had undergone quite a bit of freeze/thaw so we got slush in the sun and ice in the shade. I am amazed (and delighted) how long Baden-Powell holds snow every year. It may not be the biggest mountain in the SG's but it's become my personal favorite

Wow. Really spectacular photos, Norma.