Since Crater Lake is more or less halfway between Central Oregon and Southern Oregon, it has been a bit more of a mixed bag than the Central Oregon mixed bag.
Bob and I rallied to meet for a weekend of splitboarding at Crater Lake this past weekend. We were a bit anxious about the snowpack and conditions as the area did not seem to have received their usual huge snowpack.
The upside was that the weather looked absolutely amazing for the weekend...It looked like spring corn conditions were in store and mother nature did not betray us relative to what the forecasters had projected for the weekend.
This was the first time we had been able to align calendars and weather to meet up for a Crater Lake rendezvous since earlier in the season and we quickly realized the season might soon be coming to a close. What better way to celebrate it than with an exceptionally mild day with views for hundreds of miles?
The game plan was to leave before mid-morning such that the temps would warm up a little and soften the snow up. We got more than what we bargained for. As we were getting ready to leave, I heard Bob exclaim something along the line of 'ruh roh'...That is never a good thing to hear as 99 times out of 100 it means something was forgotten. I recognize that tone well as I have been guilty of the same. As it turns out the missing offenders were the poles. We surveyed the options and then came up with a plan...it just meant we would get a little later start but that actually ended up working in our favor since the snow conditions were just getting better as the day progressed.
After sorting through some of the logistical challenges, we made our way into the park and parked at the lower visitor center that would give us access to the upper ridge. From there we would see what conditions held in store and plan the day accordingly.
We started the steep ascent up the ridge and quickly realized we should have brought our crampons as the icy and steep conditions proved sketchy!! As I was cutting back on one of the steep switchbacks, one of my split edges lost contact and there I was sliding down the hillside with poles askew and split board and skins all going in different directions. It was as if someone threw a starfish down down the side of the hill and watched it slide and spin until friction finally stopped the slide. It woke me up and Bob got a good chuckle of the clown show that unfolded in front of him. I gained a renewed respect for the conditions that day as we kept lamenting the poor planning of leaving our crampons behind, With the crampons, the icy side-hilling ascent would have been much much easier and dare I say 'enjoyable'?
We tried to find 'good' snow with better traction but were stymied by the icy conditions thanks to the old growth drips freeze/thaw cycle. Eventually, the ridge was gained and we got into a better rhythm as we continued our approach. As we ascended, we discussed the options and fairly quickly settled on some unfinished business....Garfield Peak. We had ogled this bold and proud line for a while but wanted to make sure conditions were safe since it is an avalanche path. We had done the lower section of it before but had never dropped in from the top to link the line from top to bottom. Conditions proved to be uber safe as the snow was very well consolidated (concreted) with a layer on top that was starting to soften up.
We reached the summit of Garfield which is right around 8,000 ft and we took our time enjoying the views and being in the moment. There was very little wind so we lingered and basked in the process of switching from tour to ride mode.
Soon enough we were on the upper glade that is separated from the bottom section by a rock band that you can either drop through a chute or skirt around the side on some steep terrain.
While on the upper glade, I had a moment of realization and clarity that shouted out loud to not be over-zealous and over-aggressive as falling would mean a long slide until the terrain flattened out. The conditions were such that a fall would have consequences. As quickly as those thoughts raced through my mind, they quickly subsided as I found the flow and was able to carve some McDreamy turns....ahhhhh
All too soon we were at the rock band and we worked our way around the band and got some more luscious turns in while hooting and hollering on the way down. We both knew that this was a culmination of having the patience to wait for the right conditions and being bold. It all came together and we each really enjoyed being in the moment as we rooster tailed turns on the way down.
Day 1 was in the books and it would prove to be a cherry day! Every time I pass that line, I will think fondly of the virgin run down it...and I look forward to the next time everything aligns so we get an opportunity to ride it.
more pix to come....
