High Pressure

By:  Sam
January 3, 2011


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This was a long run by Baker standards.

“Grrr” – Allen

Before too long we reached the bottom of the valley, a place with it’s own unique set of challenges. Allen led the charge here with river crossing Attempt #1. Attempt #1 was quickly aborted upon the realization that it would require a skins-on gap jump over a freezing cold stream.

Attempt #1 was soon followed by the ultimately successful Attempt #2. Attempt #2 involved collapsing the bank of the stream into the stream, thereby creating a platform from which it was possible for me to excavate a ramp up the opposite bank of the stream, thereby creating a path for egress from the valley.

Now on the proper side of the stream, we were encouraged to make haste by the presence of large predatory animals in the area.

So, after several hours of this…

… and a bit of this….

… we found ourselves here, at the base of the ski area access road attempting to hitch a ride back up to the ski area to retrieve our car after the ski area had already closed. As most traffic was coming down the road, not going up, this proved to be somewhat challenging. In the end however, some aggressive hitch-hiking by Allen saved us from near certain inconvenience.

Here are a few bonus photos that didn’t really fit into my story:

Some tracks that I wish were mine…

…A look at the Coleman Pinnacle with Baker in the background…

… and an alpenglow-ed Larrabee.

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Read about the author:   Sam
Enjoy this TR? Read another: TR: Diagonal Gully, Huntington Ravine

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9 Comments

  1. scottydubsnw
    wrote on January 4th, 2011 at 1:04 am  
    1

    that last photo of peak thru trees you say to be larabee, close, this is winchester mtn, larabee is to looker left( if standing in baker’s lot. Larabee is a taller, shear rock with snowy slope facing the e-se. I look at these mtns many days thru winter with imagination that i will summit and snowboard descent them all!!!!!

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    • jake
      wrote on January 6th, 2011 at 11:08 am  
      2

      That pic was correctly labeled as Larrabee. Winchester does not have that much of an exposed face.

  2. Ben
    wrote on January 4th, 2011 at 9:42 am  
    3

    nice pictures, looks like fun!!!

    I hate near-certain inconvenience!

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
  3. Greg
    wrote on January 4th, 2011 at 11:39 am  
    4

    great TR Sam! Pretty friggin clear why you moved :D

    That woods shot definitely got me giddy… loved it

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
  4. savantskis
    wrote on January 4th, 2011 at 11:57 am  
    5

    Was wondering what you guys have been up to out there. Thanks for the update and some pics. The Jan thaw didn’t hit out there I take it

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
  5. Porter Haney
    wrote on January 4th, 2011 at 4:43 pm  
    6

    I’d like to know about Allen’s aggressive hitch hiking.

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
  6. christian
    wrote on January 4th, 2011 at 5:24 pm  
    7

    EXTREME CLOSEUP!!!…AHHHHHHHHHH. party on!

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
  7. Sam
    wrote on January 4th, 2011 at 9:53 pm  
    8

    so a guy on TAY says that those were cougar tracks. Cougar, lynx, or bobcat: it’s pretty cool to know that they’re out there.

    As for allen’s hitch hiking, we were deciding which would be the best way to approach getting a ride: either having him show a little skin, or going all crazy style and running into the road naked with a rock in hand threatening cars (actually witnessed this in India). I’m not going to tell you which tactic he actually used though….

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  8. Samthemandaddy
    wrote on January 7th, 2011 at 2:34 pm  
    9

    The tracks are obviously cougar based on my google image research. The toes are always more splayed. In addition I saw one in SC (yes south carolina) and it had big feet. Keep working on your spelling Sam.

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