All I can say is...wow. A whole afternoon to get in maybe 1200ft of vertical over 4 runs, and it still feels like the best day of skiing I've ever had.
The snow was DEEP (but packed). That made hiking pretty manageable. There was a tree well that I skied by that was at least 6ft deep and a snow bank blown into a rhododendron cluster that must have been 7ft deep (it was taller than me).
I was solo...(some folks talked a big game about getting out there with me, but backed out last minute) so the pictures are all after the fact.
Roughly this shows 3/4 lines that I skied. The first run, I was more toward the middle-right of the bald. Then 2-4 I hung tighter to the the trees on the right side, mostly skiing between the brush.
My dog followed me on all 4 runs. She was basically pulling me up the hill the first and part of the second times uphill. By the time I turned around to make it 3, she was walking more politely by my side. On the 4rth trip uphill, she basically just wandered around slowly making her way up behind me. As soon as I opened the back, she jumped in. Even though there were quite a few other people and dogs around, she didn't move to even acknowledge them.
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The messageboard is now in read-only mode and no new posts or topics can be created. We will leave the messageboard up for historical purposes, but you will not be able to make new posts or comment on existing ones.
We have started a Discord server and hope that you all will join us on there. Technology has changed over the years and maintaining the messageboard has become somewhat of a pain in the butt and Discord offers many features for users, the main one being a very polished mobile app.
We really hope you all will join us on Discord and think you will like the platform. Use the invite link below to join.
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Roan Mountain Backcountry 3/6/2010
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Tmiller72
- Expert
- Posts: 2162
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 9:17 pm
- Contact:
How was the hike up?
2019-20
Beech: 10
Snowshoe: 3
Alta: 2
Brighton: 1
Solitude: 1
Jackson Hole: 2
Beech: 10
Snowshoe: 3
Alta: 2
Brighton: 1
Solitude: 1
Jackson Hole: 2
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Joshua8200
- Intermediate
- Posts: 933
- Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:15 pm
Hiking wasn't bad at all...the snow pack is really good. It's also pretty tracked out from folks hiking all over the place.
First hike up, I stuck pretty close to the trail. That wasn't bad at all. It was actually pretty casual.
Second time, I stayed in my ski boots and hiked pretty much straight up the bald, switchbacking a little bit. Still not too bad, especially where the snow was nice and packed down...hit a couple of spots that I was sinking into, but not too much.
3rd hike, I'd gone all the way back down to my car parked at Carver's Gap. Got some water, switched back to my hiking boots and hiked the same way I went up with my ski boots on. It was a little nicer having regular boots on.
4th hike, I didn't bother switching boots. I just turned around and went straight back up the right side of the bald. Wasn't too bad either.
All in all...I think the bald is roughly 300-400ft above Carver's Gap (Carver's Gap is 5,500ft) and Round Bald is 5,800ft). I think what I would do next time is hike all the way out Jane/Grassy Bald. Then ski back toward Round Bald. Looks like that would have had more vertical too it. I don't know how that hike could have been...Round Bald was tracked out, but I doubt a lot of people were headed out past Round Bald.
First hike up, I stuck pretty close to the trail. That wasn't bad at all. It was actually pretty casual.
Second time, I stayed in my ski boots and hiked pretty much straight up the bald, switchbacking a little bit. Still not too bad, especially where the snow was nice and packed down...hit a couple of spots that I was sinking into, but not too much.
3rd hike, I'd gone all the way back down to my car parked at Carver's Gap. Got some water, switched back to my hiking boots and hiked the same way I went up with my ski boots on. It was a little nicer having regular boots on.
4th hike, I didn't bother switching boots. I just turned around and went straight back up the right side of the bald. Wasn't too bad either.
All in all...I think the bald is roughly 300-400ft above Carver's Gap (Carver's Gap is 5,500ft) and Round Bald is 5,800ft). I think what I would do next time is hike all the way out Jane/Grassy Bald. Then ski back toward Round Bald. Looks like that would have had more vertical too it. I don't know how that hike could have been...Round Bald was tracked out, but I doubt a lot of people were headed out past Round Bald.