photos by Tim Konrad

Three things happened this evening when the magnitude 0.9439 Annular Solar Eclipse occurred over Squaw Valley, CA.

1. The light dimmed as if the sun was setting.
   
2. Shadows got very odd looking.
   
3. The birds and animals started going nuts.

This was the moment of Annular Eclipse - Ring of Fire.

Squaw Valley, CA

Map of the Annular Solar Eclipse of 2012

This map shows the path of the Annular Solar Eclipse of 2012 May 20 . The northern and southern path limits are blue and the central line is red. The yellow lines crossing the path indicate the position of maximum eclipse at 10-minute intervals. -NASA

Map of Solar Eclipse Paths

Solar Eclipse Facts

Matt skinning toward Mount Baker. Photo: Zeb Blais.

Five hours after our descent of Mount Rainier, we were on the road again.   By the wee hours of the morning we were sleeping in the Subaru near the base of Mount Baker.  At this point we were too late for a single push on the peak, so we took our time and leisurely skinned up to camp at 6,000′.

The approach to camp revealed the magic of this place.  Rolling ridges, features and steep gullies abound.  It is a true backcountry skier’s playground.  Even if you don’t get near the peak, the terrain is vast and begs exploration.

But we were on a mission, so we got down to brass tacks and planned out our next day.  The Northwest Avalanche Center had just issued a special avalanche bulletin and it was all gloom and doom due to record high heat in the North Cascades.  We figured we should get an early start.

We started moving just before dawn and were soon greeted by a beautiful alpenglow.

Early morning light on Mount Baker's Coleman Glacier. Photo: Zeb Blais.

The easy way up the Coleman-Deming route was appealing for a few reasons.  First, with ski crampons we could ascend the entire route: a welcomed vacation from boot packing!  Second, this route would get us to the top quickly before the heat of the day really beat down on us.

We soon realized that the temps were cooler than forecast.  Instead of rushing to ski down before the snow turned to slop we would be waiting for the snow to soften.  We slacked off our pace and enjoyed the mellow skin up to the top of Baker.

Matt skinning a few hundred vertical feet from the top. Photo: Zeb Blais.

Once on top, we reveled in the amazing weather we were getting.  There was a hint of a breeze, but nothing that could keep us from taking an hour long nap on the summit.  After about three hours on top, we figured we might as well get to skiing.

We had met an  intrepid skier named Todd on our way to our camp who had skied the Coleman Headwall with a friend that day.  We decided against it, but were able to admire the rugged beauty and exposure of the line.  Todd said he measured the upper section of the main Headwall at 55 degrees.

Mount Baker's Coleman Headwall. Burly ski line. Photo: Zeb Blais.

Our ski was significantly less gnarly, but fit the laid-back pace of our Baker Mission.  Who can complain about great powder turns in mid-May?

Last day of powder 'til the next storm on Mount Baker. Photo: Zeb Blais.

And to finish off the day, perfect corn back to the car.  

Perfect corn all the way down to the Heliotrope Trail. Photo: Matt Paul.

Next on the list:  Mount Shuksan.  It’s not a volcano, but hell it’s in the Cascades and it’s amazing!

This Sunday there is going to be an annular solar eclipse, an event that takes place only once every 50 years, and it just so happens that it is going to be best viewed from none other than Reno, NV.  While most of the US will witness only a a partial eclipse, a small strip starting at the Oregon/California border heading East/Southeast and ending over Texas will bare witness to a  complete annular solar eclipse.

Details:

• Start time – 6:31 PM
• Duration – 4 minutes, 16 seconds
• Cities best viewed from – Reno, NV; Redding, CA; Eureka, CA

Map tracing the path of the eclipse

So what exactly is an annular solar eclipse anyway?

• Sun and moon are directly in line
• Apparent size of moon is smaller than the sun, creating a vivid ring of fire around the border
• Viewed from Reno the eclipse will appear to be a near total eclipse, only a small ring will be visible bordering the moon

Pay attention to the shadows during this event, apparently the trees will likely cast odd ring shaped shadows on the ground.   If you are hoping to photograph the eclipse, look into a Solar Filter to protect both your eyes and your camera.  And bare in mind, despite the blocking of the sun the rays will still be just as intense.  Do not stare directly into the sun!!!

The hiking in Shirley Canyon is spectacular right now. Most of the wild flowers are out and the creek is running  strong. South aspect are clear of snow allowing for hiking all the way to Shirley Lake. 

tahoesbest.com named Shirley Canyon one of the top hikes in Tahoe. Here is what they had to say…

Shirley Lake

It’s in Squaw Valley and the trail starts at the end of Squaw Peak Road. (There are numerous trails which follow the creek up to Shirley Lake; this is one of them.) It follows Squaw Creek about 2½ miles each way to Shirley Lake, passing gorgeous waterfalls and canyon boulders. (Top of tram to Shirley Lake adds considerable distance.) Going uphill, stay to the left of the creek; going downhill, stay to the right. The trail diverges and disappears at times but just keep following the creek and you’ll get there. Carry water. The hike is somewhat difficult and takes 2½ – 3 hours. Wear appropriate clothing and shoes.

Click here to view the embedded video.

A few weeks ago we received this email from Adam Kopelman. “Here is a video from my archives I thought you guys might get a kick out of.  Music by Fearless Chicken.” Thanks Adam, We did get a kick out of it! With only 94 views on Youtube it is about time this underground video makes its big debut on UnofficialNetworks.com.

If any of you out there have sweet videos of ripping around Squaw, Tahoe or just some general skiing readiness feel free to send them over to timkonrad@unofficiailnetworks.com  – Marry Christmas!

Reflection of Squaw/KSL decision making?

Apparently Squaw has Officially answered the dilemma regarding wether or not they are going to have a Bike Park this year.

Answer: Posting a story on their website regarding the Western States Trail. Not worth reading, but here is a link for inquiring minds…. Notice their featured image is taken from exact point our video starts, located nearly 5 miles from the boundary of Squaw Valley!

http://www.squaw.com/blog/riding-western-states

What’s weird about this? Well for starters, the only section of the Wester States worth riding (as mentioned in their story) doesn’t even run through Squaw’s property. In fact, its on the opposite side of the Highway and nearly a 2 mile ride form the resort boundary. What is even more weird, is that Unofficial just posted an article with video clip included regarding this exact section of trail just over a week ago.

http://unofficialnetworks.com/conditions-report-592012-mountain-biking-95821/.

Come On Squaw! If this is Extraordinary, I don’t want to see what is ordinary….

Scouting the ascent route from the Muir snowfield. Photo: Eric Seel.

Mount Rainier is always an exciting ski.  The tallest, most glaciated peak in the Cascade Range has no simple hiking routes to the top.  All routes to the summit are glaciated if not steep or rocky.  We decided to climb the less traveled and more aesthetic Gibraltar Ledges route to the top of the R-dome and ski the classic Fuhrer Finger.  This trip Matt and I were joined by some crew from Tahoe: Corey Champage, Mike Kilcarr, and Eric Seel.

Our first day at Muir we could see the wind ripping snow from the upper reaches of the mountain.  The winds were forecast to be around 60 mph on top which seemed like  a reasonable estimate from our view at Muir. We waited a day, then got an early alpine start at 10am.  It was still cold.

Our team climbs towards Gibraltar Rock above Camp Muir. Photo: Eric Seel.

The climbing in the Ledges was great.  Good snow allowed for a quick ascent and the view of the Nisqually Ice Cliff was amazing.  While we were climbing, ice cleaved off it’s face a few times and we were glad we decided not to climb the Gib Chute directly under the ice cliff.

Matt and Zeb scouting the route on our blow down day. Nisqually Ice Cliff in the background. Photo: Eric Seel.

Above the Ledges, the crevasses were a little spooky.  Poking a leg through a snow bridge into a deep black hole called for a couple of quick route changes.  We bobbed and weaved our way up until the crevasses became well bridged.

Navigating the ice above the Gib Ledges. Photo: Eric Seel.

Corey, Matt and Seel above the blob of volcanic rock known as Gibraltar. Photo: Zeb Blais.

Five hours later we reached Columbia Crest at 14,411′.  The northwest wind was brutally cold, even at 3pm.  After a quick bite to eat, we started our descent.

After getting through the sastrugi of the summit crater, the snow became flat and chalky.  You can’t ask for much better than that on the top of Rainier!

Matt skiin' some chalk off the top. Photo: Eric Seel.

Navigating the cracks of the Nisqually means the descent is always exciting and aesthetic.  The snow wasn’t quite as nice as it had been on the top 1,500′.  The beautiful chalk we experienced up high had been glazed over by solar melt-freeze.

Seel skiing the Nisqually Glacier. Photo: Zeb Blais.

When we entered the Finger, things changed.  At the top of the chute the snow had a breakable crust that skiied suprisingly well and by the time we got halfway down it went to perfect corn.  The descent onto the Wilson was pure gold.  We had amazing corn turns down to 7,500′.

The author descends into a cloudy Fuhrer Finger. Photo: Eric Seel.

Below the Wilson, the skiing was firm on east faces and soft corn on southwest and south aspects.  We skied down to the Nisqually Bridge at 3,900′,  after skiing down over 10,500′!  Amazing!

More pictures to come on my blog: http://zebblaisbigmountainblog.blogspot.com.  They’re on the blog now.

Thinking about heading up to Tahoe this weekend? Should be a doozy! 

Read the Full forecast at NOAA.gov  

TRUCKEE for the Month of May

High: 75
Low: 19
Average temp this year: 46.4 Departure from norm: +.9
Precipitation: trace
Total snowfall: 0 inches

This past weekend I had the fortune of remembering why the Mt. Shasta area is arguably one of the highest quality spring skiing centers known to skiers and riders. With a solid crew of splitboarders, our group set out for two memorable days shredding some of the best snow one can ask for in the month of May.

We started with a late afternoon cruise north from Tahoe, and caught a nice evening glow in the Lassen area with Mt. Shasta showcasing its prominence seen in the above photo. We pulled into the Bunny Flat trailhead parking area, which gives great access to Shastina, the west and south aspects of Mt. Shasta, and after some gear sorting were quickly asleep in preparation for our 4 a.m. start.

It’s never all that easy to get going after a long drive and a few hours of sleep, but as we slowly ascended Shastina it was clear we were  in for a treat. This shot may not look all that interesting at first glance, but upon closer inspection it shows the transition that’s prone to happening in this area when a completely frozen mountain slowly grows a fresh layer of perfect corn snow.

Our objective for day one was to check out the north side of Shastina, and then either head up to a south or west aspect on Shasta, or ride the south side of Shastina back to the car. Here Seth and Allison start booting up the north crater rim of Shastina.

After scoping our descent as best as we could no one really expected the utter brilliance we were about to receive for a few thousand vertical feet-the elusive and often tough to nail porn descent. The north aspect we skied was consistent all the way to the Whitney Glacier comprised of that beautiful blend of not quite corn, not quite powder, but most accurately described as porn snow. Here’s a rad shot by Dave Campbell showing Allison in her essence.

Seth had just as much fun as his lady,

and the panel I ended up skiing was one of the nicer surprises I’ve had all season.

By the time we collected and skinned our way up and out from the Whitney Glacier the clock was ticking so we jumped on the south side of Shastina and were treated to the definition of perfect corn skiing. It was so good that I felt like I had just skied a full on blower powder run, only it was just a truly perfect corn run. Here’s Allison effortlessly gliding down the south side of Shastina.

One of the cool things about staging at the Bunny Flat trailhead is you can post up in the parking lot after your hard earned efforts and totally relax for the remainder of the day (photo by Dave Campbell).

For day two we set our sites back to Shasta proper knowing the classic West Face or Trinity Chutes would provide.

Here’s Seth and Allison heading up Avalanche Gulch as early morning light greets the Trinity Chutes.

If you’re heading up to Mt. Shasta via Bunny Flat looking to ski, although you should hit the summit at some point, more often than not, you’ll find the best skiing doesn’t start until you get to the top of the West Face or the Trinity Chutes. Since Dave had yet to stand on Shasta’s summit we decided to head up there along with a good grip of other skiers, riders, and climbers on the mountain that day.

A look down from the summit towards the north shares a glimpse of how worthy some of the other routes on Shasta currently look,

and here’s a shot of Dave enjoying himself on the summit.

Although skiing Misery Hill above the Red Banks is usually nothing but a way to gain some experience making turns on variable high elevation ski mountaineering terrain, the turns were actually not that bad. However, it was no surprise that the turns in the Trinity Chutes were the real gem (photo by Dave Campbell),

as were the multiple panels of perfectly smooth corn and fun mini chutes that were linked up over to Casaval Ridge on our way back to the car.

If you want to check out some more rad Shasta/Shastina photos check out this piece on the Powder website, but all you really need to know for now is as of last weekend Mt. Shasta and Shastina were both firing on all cylinders, 100%. Never mind the blissful porn skiing on north aspects, the corn was absolutely going off! This past week there’s been some weather instabilities in the region with scattered snow showers high on the mountain, and some rain showers and thunderstorms at the lower elevations. However, the weather forecast is looking good for the weekend before a chance of snow returns to the area on Monday so my best guesstimate is there could be some very smooth snow surfaces to ski and ride this weekend. Keep a watchful eye out for rapid warming where any new snow has fallen over this past week, but if you have an inclination to go have one of the best spring runs you’ve ever had, and this area serves up anything like what was experienced last weekend, you can be sure that you won’t be paying much attention to all the banter about what a lackluster ski season was had this year. All you’ll be doing is shaking your head in disbelief, wondering how spring skiing in May on a Northern California volcano be that good.

BJ Orozco makes his way through "The Turret", a slot as wide as his body in the Grand Staircase.

The Line of the Week

Southern Utah

The Turret

When I left off last week I was covered in poison ivy and questioning my moves. I was deep in the Escalante and had some quality time on my hands.

Amongst the maroon colored canyon walls lay all types of insight into the past. Ruins and alcoves housed remnants of ancient cultures. Some of these remnants, like arrow heads lay right out in the open and all that is necessary is to open your eyes. Most of these remnants get passed by almost everyone. While the canyon itself was a source of natural beauty in its purest form, there was something lurking at the canyon’s mouth. The hidden gem that I speak about was a source of trepidation for my good friend BJ. It was something that had plagued him since an earlier visit and attempt. It was “The Turret”.

The Turret

We made our way to a break in the walls where a large tower stood alone. The desert sun blazed on our faces and the cracks on my dried out feet separated as sand entered and rubbed against my wounds. Blood trickled down into the base of my Chaco sandals. The mileage was starting to take its toll.

“The Turret” rested atop a sandy hill and provided a great source of shade at its base. While gazing at it I had difficulty comprehending that it could be both entered and climbed. We shed our gear, put on long sleeves and searched for the entrance. A few false slots made us question if we had the right tower. After a couple attempts we noticed markings on the wall, possibly left by the first people to have gone inside.

I put my head in first and couldn’t see very far. I turned sideways and slithered in with my face pressed up against the left wall and my ass and back smeared against the right. I used my fingertips to slide my body further into the dark slot as I shimmied in further and further. The entire section was not meant for the obese. You could hardy turn around throughout most of it. A cool breeze moved through the narrow hallway. The light from the entrance gave the slot a copper glow.

After 25 feet or so the hallway hit a T junction where it was possible to adjust your positioning. Then came the fun part. The T junction signified that a second slot crossed the one we were in. The light from the sun came in from a different angle and instead of continuing on straight there was a narrow, exposed climb upward. At first it was puzzling to comprehend how to proceed. I shimmied out to edge and then noticed a small carved out foothold on the wall behind me. I began to chimney upward. With each movement I became more and more exposed to a big fall but at every move there was yet another carved out step or handhold.

BJ makes his way up a chimney section

The Indians of the past had used this as a lookout tower and carved out these Mochi Steps to aid in their climbing. The only difference was that these steps in particular were full on! The sandstone in this part of Utah is known to be brittle and although it looks perfect it’s sketchy as hell.

I moved onward and upward. Every so often I had to stop and check out the holds. I paused suspended toward the top but finally pulled the exposed, hairball crux. There was another hallway both narrow and cool. The dark rock appeared to be limestone at this point and was a bit sharper to the touch. We angled upward.

When we were about 15 feet from the top things got hairy. A set of old, decomposing Mochi steps moved up the slot vertically. At first it was a chimney but made its way into a haphazard, off-width crack that moved over a section of canyon that was even more exposed. It then moved right over an area that left you about 30 feet off the deck with boulders and rocks in the landing. For us this was the end of the line. Getting up would have been doable but the retreat seemed deadly. Some things are best left to the imagination.

To view Photography from Southern Utah, check out:
http://ryansalmphotography.photoshelter.com/gallery/Southern-Utah-Canyons-Llamas/G0000pN.pn5EUGcA/

The Line of the Week is a weekly photo piece by Ryan Salm featuring some of Tahoe’s finest athletes doing whatever we deem rad. We will be using the term “Line” loosely to describe anything resembling chutes, big airs, pointers or any general madness. All images are the property and copyright of Ryan Salm Photography. All images are only to be used in conjunction with the Line of the Week. Any other usage must be cleared in writing by Ryan Salm.