Tracks

Warms You Twice

10 31 09 Mt
Originally uploaded by oncwillamette

The party of seven planned to meet in Salem at dawn suddenly swelled to eleven by the time we made final assembly at Rosie's in Mill City. What is it about splitting wood in the mountains? Can it be City Man's primeval urge to bash something secure in the knowledge that it won't bash back? Is it the puerile desire to return to a sweeter simpler life free from the cloying complexities of the modern world?   

Anyhow, enough of these vaporings...

Not knowing the state of the road to the shelter (and having had an instructive chain  experience last Wednesday on the South shelter entry road) we were loaded for bear; all three vehicles were four wheel drive with drivers mentally committed to putting on chains (excepting Julius).

And?

No snow all the way, with the both gates open.

Bursting from the cars with pent up energy the group was instantly hard at it and the satisfying sound of splitting fir rang throughout the welkin shortly followed by some heavy breathing.

All the while a cool  and nourishing mist kept us refreshed until we had a brief lunch in the cabin by the stove.

"A perfect day for splitting wood"  said One who should know.

By 2:30 pm  the woodshed was full and locked after which we made a brief inspection of the new south shelter.

And then back to the flatlands.

Next Saturday 11/7 we plan to restock the Santiam Pass shelters and will need at least two groups to accomplish this.

And there may be some trail work in the following days absent heavy snow.

By the Time We Got the Wood Stocked, We Were Half a Million Strong...*

Hi all sturdy Nordic club followers!

Well, maybe we won't be a half million strong, but we need volunteers for the annual shelter wood stocking at Mt. View Shelter to enable our toasty warm picnics this winter.

I'm passing on this call for volunteers from Stuart McDill:

The Forest Service, Detroit Ranger District, is planning to stock the Mt View shelter with fir cut near the shelter on either Thursday 10/22  and/or Saturday 11/7 and is looking for volunteers to split and stack. 

The Forest Service will do the cutting.

Last year they said they were snowed out early and could not get this project done so time is of the essence since early snow is predicted  this year..

So, we need volunteers to load and stack (and maybe split) this Thursday, Oct 22, (and Saturday, Nov. 7, if we don't get done Thursday)

Gear to bring: Bring lunch, water, heavy gloves, maul/wedges (if you want to split)

Location: Past Marion Forks going east on Hwy 22, turn left on Big Meadows Rd (NFD 2267) on 220 Rd until you see the work site  (big downed fir trees).

Please contact Stuart McDill or Joel Mathias to volunteer and see about car pooling:

      Stuart McDill, 503-623-6783, smcd1929@mac.com  

      Joel Mathias,  503-749-2012, jmath@speedpal.com

*Apologies to Joni Mitchell

Volunteer Report: Progress on Maxwell Butte South

The walls go up
Originally uploaded by oncwillamette

Submitted by Stuart. 

After all that palaver about block & tackle,  wire rope and snatch blocks, both side walls went up in about thirty seconds apiece with a stout  crew of Forest Service, Americorps and Nordic Clubbers. 

Then,  glorying in the group strength, we rolled a 16 foot beam onto the walls to lock them in place. Nothing delicate about this structure. As we were assembling the back wall more than half the group were called away to search for a lost soul up north so all the remainder could do was cut, fit, drill and assemble the back wall and call it a day.  

For weather, not a watermelon day, but more like what the Irish call "A Soft Day".  The first maple leaves are beginning to turn and we had a visit from a hunter with a very exotic bow who said he saw  a cow elk about 75 yards away before she got wind of him.

For next Saturday, 9/26, we plan to make the truss, attach two braces to the south beam and contemplate the possibility of having the contractor with the extend-a-hoe show up after lunch to raise truss, beam and back wall. We'd then go as far as the day permits to finish the skeleton and it will probably take another day or two's work before we can think about rafters and roofing.

As before we appreciate your work and offer you yet a little more of the action in the same manner that Tom Sawyer allowed Huck Finn to whitewash his fence.

Back on Track!

The ski season is just around the corner, which means the Willamette Chapter of the Oregon Nordic club is resuming writing on the club's blog, Tracks. Here you can find information about upcoming club activities, like the potluck next week, read about trips already past, and learn all sorts of interesting tips and tricks for cross-country skiing. 

This is also a great way to communicate directly with the club. The blog is monitored, and if you have a question, the blog editor will respond as promptly as possible. 

Let's all hope for a great ski season, with lots of white fluffy snow!! 

President's Tracks: Life is Short, Ski Hard

Ah, at last autumn has arrived in Oregon.  The leaves are turning and there’s a nip in the air each morning.  It’s not winter, but you can see it from here. As I write this the Santiam Pass cam shows a dusting of snow on the highway.  Yes, all you pessimists, I know it will melt by noon; but surely September snow is a sign of good things to come.  Skiing in October is not unheard of and the determined enthusiast can almost always find skiable snow in November.  It’s none too early to begin dreaming and planning for the ski season. 

What would you like to accomplish on skis this year?  Improve your technique?  Try out Tele turns or skating?  Enter a race?  Learn to wax your skis?  Travel to a spectacular ski destination?  Tour to a new backcountry destination?  Go snow camping?  Lead a tour or organize an overnight trip?  Build and stock a ski shelter?  Just take an easy glide to a great view?  

All of these and more are on the agenda for Willamette Chapter members.  Come and join in any or all of these activities; or bring your own ideas and you’ll find skiers to share them with you.  

So get your skis out of the closet and prep the bases; visit a ski swap and add to your stock of essential gear; check out the Willamette Chapter website (oncwillamette.typepad.com) to see what’s happening; get in touch with the Board members about overnight trips, day tours, volunteer projects or other ski topics; come to the October Potluck where it all begins.to each of you for all that you have done for the Club. 

Life is short; ski hard. 

October Meeting: Annual Potluck

It’s time for the season opening Potluck Dinner for the Willamette Chapter of the Oregon Nordic Club.  Bring your favorite foods to share and enjoy.  

Also, bring your stories and photos from last season as well as some goals and dreams for the new ski season.  We need your ideas to plan for this year’s trips, tours and programs.  Please join us and help get the ski season off to a great start.

The festivities will start at 7:00 p.m. at Pringle Hall Community Center, 609 Church Street, SE, Salem, Oregon. 

Volunteer Appreciation

The Willamette Chapter of the Oregon Nordic Club contributes volunteer hours to ranger districts that encompass the areas in which we ski, primarily the Santiam Pass. 

The Detroit and Sweet Ranger Districts have hosted several outstanding volunteers this year. In appreciation of their service and the contribution they have made to supporting the Forest Service, they will be hosting two volunteer appreciation potlucks. 

The dates and times are as follows: 

Detroit Ranger District: November 5th, 2009, 11:30am - 1:00pm at the Detroit Ranger Station. 44125 N Santiam Highway SE, Detroit. 

Sweet Home Ranger District: November 12th, 2009, 11:30am - 1:00pm at the Sweet Home Ranger District, 4431 Hwy 20, Sweet Home. 

Please join us is you can! 

Volunteer Opportunity: Maxwell Butte South Shelter

shelter
Originally uploaded by oncwillamette

Autumn is in the air, which means snow and skiing can't be far behind! 

Do you like a challenge? The Willamette Chapter of the ONC is working with the Detroit Ranger District to construct a new shelter in the Maxwell Butte area. The structure pictured at right is a scale model of the new shelter. 

The next work day is Saturday, September 12th. The goal for that work effort is to finish the assembly of the side walls with the possibility of raising and bracing them. 

As of today, the weather in the Santiam Pass is predicted to be glorious, and this would be a great way to spend a sunny Saturday, before the rain sets in for the season. 

If interested, call Stuart McDill (503) 623-6783 or Bob Young (503) 399-8055 and tell them you saw this on Tracks! 

Trip Report: Spring Skiing on Snow Creek Trail

cornice
Originally uploaded by oncwillamette

Submitted by Stuart.

Casting about for candidates to go skiing on a Friday drew a blank. Likely work day skiers both had leg problems and begged off.

So Frank, Joy and I met at Sisters Ranger Station at 9 on a sunny Friday and set off for Three Creeks Lake Snopark and found it empty of both cars and snow. But a mile or so up the road the snow began, tentative patches of ice and moving into larger patches of spring snow, culminating at the Snow Creek Trail junction into definitely skiable, turnable stuff. Because we could bypass the gate we only had a 9.1 mile ski even with a visit to the  Jeff view hut which, on such a day, gave us unusual aspects of our favorite mountains. See new photo additions in the Flicker Badge. 

As a reward (and on doctor's orders) we had a beer and an excellent pizza at Papandrea's in Sisters. On the trip back my side of the road was pretty quiet but the east bound side was heavy with pleasure seeking lemmings.

Trip Report: Bachelor Mountain Tours, April 16 & 18 2009

Mt. Jefferson from FS2234
Originally uploaded by oncwillamette

No, this is not Mt. Bachelor in central Oregon.  Bachelor Mountain lies four miles from Marion Forks, west of Hwy 22, and just two miles northeast of Coffin Mtn.  With a summit elevation of 5953', Bachelor is the highest point in the area and has spectacular views of Mt. Jefferson's west face--only ten miles away.   

The tours begin by skiing up the Bugaboo Rd (FS 2234), the first road on the west side of Hwy 22 as you head south from Marion Forks.  This season's heavy snowpack left skiable snow right down to the highway at 2558'; but for the first mile there were stretches of bare pavement in open, sunny spots.  Above 3100' it was all great spring snow: smooth, solid, no trailbreaking.  At two miles the road forks at a sharp switchback and offers a choice of approaches.  Straight ahead FS 280 & 286 climb through dense forest with few views to the south ridge of Bachelor Mtn at 4450'.  Here there is a spectacular view of Mt. Jefferson and the option of climbing the south ridge toward the summit.  A sharp right at the switchback continues up FS 2234 to open ridges with panoramic views of Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington and The Three Sisters.  Further windings onto FS 260 & 263 will lead the determined skier onto the east ridge of Bachelor Mtn at 4800'.  A summer hiking trail buried under deep snow leads up this ridge to the summit.  

  On both routes we headed up the ridges hoping to reach the top.  The climbs steepen dramatically, but the views are even more rewarding as you move up the ridges.  Nevertheless, in both cases we turned back at 5000-5100', still a substantial distance below the summit.  We found that both routes to Bachelor are protected by the three C's: Cliffs, Cornices and Chutes steep enough to avalanche.  The summit appeared to be accessible; but only to experienced, well equiped ski mountaineers with a l-o-o-o-ng day to devote to the project.  For the rest of us, tours to the ends of these roads are about 4.5 mi. one-way and offer spectacular views with great downhill runs as an added reward for the climb.  The east ridge at the end of FS 263 even has a huge clearcut suitable for tele practice.  Pick a sunny spring day and go enjoy it.