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Solstice Couloir route page

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 Author Topic: Solstice Couloir route page
rhyang


Joined: 28 Apr 2004
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:38 am GMT  Quote
 
I just submitted a route page for the Solstice Couloir on Mt. Dana. Any feedback would be appreciated. I'm particularly clueless about the skiing and boarding aspects of this route.
forjan


Joined: 24 Sep 2001
Posts: 381


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:46 pm GMT  Quote
 
Rob,
Thanks for submitting this.
Diggler


Joined: 10 Sep 2001
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:39 pm GMT  Quote
 
Hey Rob,

in case he doesn't see the thread, you might want to contact Rich (steeleman), one of the resident SP Cali backcountry ski experts- I'd guess that if it's skiable, he's probably been down it.

BTW- as I didn't see it (& haven't done that couloir, so I don't know), is there a 'schrund that needs to be crossed? This would be a good thing to mention if so.
Steve Larson


Joined: 14 Oct 2003
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:43 pm GMT  Quote
 
The one time I was on Dana to ski I checked out the Solstice Couloir. It was out of condition (way too many rocks), but it looked quite reasonable. My understanding is that the crux is dropping in. It's usually corniced at the top. That was certainly the case when I looked down it.
rhyang


Joined: 28 Apr 2004
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:01 pm GMT  Quote
 
Thanks guys - I have incorporated your comments !
steeleman


Joined: 28 Oct 2001
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:26 am GMT  Quote
 
well, the main issue about the solstice is not the schrund, but the cornice. Usually it keeps a honkin' cornice (mandatory BIG air) until well late in the year, then it collapses and messes up the whole ski line Smile

funny story is that a few years ago a friend was up there and reported seeing a huuuge group of n00b skiers atop the solstice contemplating the entry, and then literally one by one then tumbled down the thing, cartwheeling the entire way down. The followers never learned from the ones who went before them. How tragedy was avoided was sheer providence.

A few cornice shots from teletips and splitboard postings:










rhyang


Joined: 28 Apr 2004
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2006 5:32 am GMT  Quote
 
Shocked that last one is friggin huge - I remember topping out on the left side of the couloir, and seeing a 15-20' boulder directly in front of me - which in that pic is entirely covered by the cornice.

Thanks for the info Rich - I've put your notes into the route page.
bcd


Joined: 19 Jun 2005
Posts: 29


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 3:40 pm GMT  Quote
 
Damn! Those guys are studs! Wink


The page looks good. I added another snowboard shot to it, showing a smaller cornice from a season with a more average snowfall.
PellucidWombat


Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 821


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 12:13 am GMT  Quote
 
Nice page, Ryang. I was interested in yoru putting it up because half of the job of a route page is to show what is out there (and hopefully enough about the route to see if it is of interest!).

BTW, I disagree about the easiest descent route. There is an easy and very reasonable X-country descent route that leads back to the car:

Take the main trail down until you reach a mild saddle with some sort of structure built on it. From there, traverse away from the trail, heading just to the right of a rocky knob (cl. 1) From the knob, descend a few hundred feet to the right of the knob, aiming towards a sublte promontory that juts out from the ridge (cl.1-2-). From here, descend slopes to the right to a meadow, and pick up the use trail you used to hike in just downhill from the outlet of the meadow, next to the river.

There is a good topo map that shows this route on the Dana page, and I was very happy with the route.
rhyang


Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Posts: 8137


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:01 am GMT  Quote
 
PellucidWombat wrote:
Nice page, Ryang. I was interested in yoru putting it up because half of the job of a route page is to show what is out there (and hopefully enough about the route to see if it is of interest!).

BTW, I disagree about the easiest descent route. There is an easy and very reasonable X-country descent route that leads back to the car:

Take the main trail down until you reach a mild saddle with some sort of structure built on it. From there, traverse away from the trail, heading just to the right of a rocky knob (cl. 1) From the knob, descend a few hundred feet to the right of the knob, aiming towards a sublte promontory that juts out from the ridge (cl.1-2-). From here, descend slopes to the right to a meadow, and pick up the use trail you used to hike in just downhill from the outlet of the meadow, next to the river.

There is a good topo map that shows this route on the Dana page, and I was very happy with the route.


I disagree Mark. Consider that a trail is YDS class 1 and a cross-country route is YDS class 2. No routefinding is needed for a trail.

But feel free to submit your comment on the Solstice page, and to the Dana Couloir page, if you like. Thanks for your vote !
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