Mt. Democrat Trip Report 03/21/2012

Peak(s):	Mt. Democrat - 14,154 feet
Date Posted:	03/21/2012
Date Climbed:	03/20/2012
Author:	Gueza

Democrat summit ski- Lake Emma Chutes
Date: 3-20-12 Participants: Eatinhardtack (Zach), Gueza (Eric) Route: Climb and ski of the Lake Emma Chutes. Skied from the summit to the car minus the 30ft of billy-goating. RT stats: 3.5 Miles, 2,150ft Throwing out a last minute invitation to ski Democrat the next morning, Zach was in. To much of our surprise, you can drive up all the way to Kite lake right now. 3 inches fell across the zone the night before with strong NW-N winds, shallow wind slabs would be the avalanche concern today. We began our blustery morning at 8am. Democrat Zach gaining the bench Lake Emma Chutes- We took the one on the right side Lake Emma with Mt. Buckskin in the back Time to booter We dug a pit off to the side of the chute and found a very stable spring like snowpack. Our pit and observations showed stable snow, and so did CAIC's LOW avy danger forecast for the day. Skis on the summit Is Cameron in? Zach on the summit ridge Zach Me Mugshot > Love that sastrugi and sun cups! Our line kinda looks like a man with his hands up in the air eh? Can you spot the tracks? > (Helmet Cam footage to come with some funky music) Thanks for a good day Zach. And BTW, anyone know why a lot of my photos are washed and others are perfect? I have a Nikon Coolpix S3000 and have been fighting this problem ever since I got it. Tips? Ideas? I was pretty consistent with how I took every picture. ~Eric

Democrat summit ski- Lake Emma Chutes

Date: 3-20-12
Participants: Eatinhardtack (Zach), Gueza (Eric)
Route: Climb and ski of the Lake Emma Chutes. Skied from the summit to the car minus the 30ft of billy-goating.
RT stats: 3.5 Miles, 2,150ft

Throwing out a last minute invitation to ski Democrat the next morning, Zach was in. To much of our surprise, you can drive up all the way to Kite lake right now. 3 inches fell across the zone the night before with strong NW-N winds, shallow wind slabs would be the avalanche concern today. We began our blustery morning at 8am.

Democrat

Zach gaining the bench

Lake Emma Chutes- We took the one on the right side

Lake Emma with Mt. Buckskin in the back

Time to booter

We dug a pit off to the side of the chute and found a very stable spring like snowpack. Our pit and observations showed stable snow, and so did CAIC's LOW avy danger forecast for the day.

Skis on the summit

Is Cameron in?

Zach on the summit ridge

Zach

Mugshot

Love that sastrugi and sun cups!

Our line kinda looks like a man with his hands up in the air eh? Can you spot the tracks?

(Helmet Cam footage to come with some funky music)

Thanks for a good day Zach. And BTW, anyone know why a lot of my photos are washed and others are perfect? I have a Nikon Coolpix S3000 and have been fighting this problem ever since I got it. Tips? Ideas? I was pretty consistent with how I took every picture.

~Eric

Comments or Questions

pioletski	Well done guys... 3/22/2012 3:10am ... but holy smokes, I'm glad I skied 'em when I did! Looks awful thin out there.
Papillon	Photos 3/22/2012 5:28am Could you be toggling between modes and not realize it? Many of your photos are rock-steady. I don't think it is anything on the lens and I don't think you are old enough to booze it yet so it can't be the shakes. Congratulations on another ski descent. And tell Zach I'm pulling for his Spartans tomorrow night at 5:47 PM.
dillonsarnelli	eric you're an animal 3/22/2012 6:46am nice report. hope to see you again in these mountains soon sir
SurfNTurf	Nice 3/22/2012 4:36pm Glad to see someone's finding some snow out there. Congrats on another ski descent, Eric an Zach.
bergsteigen	Good Line! 3/22/2012 6:24pm That line was a lot of fun last year, can't believe how thin it looks already! I have a Centennial planned to ski this weekend, and I hope it is still in... After that, we need to find some 14ers with good lines to ski before the season is over! Camera: My guess is the auto focus is a bit off. Maybe it switched from landscape to portrait? Or maybe you need to press the shutter half-way on what you want to focus on. Is there a focus indicator on your screen?
benners	Nice 3/22/2012 7:06pm Good work man! Thanks for the beta, a few of us may head up there on Saturday and check out the same line. Any summit to car descents that are in this year should be made a priority in my opinion, as they are going to be few and far between here real soon .
bckcntryskr	Nice TR 3/23/2012 2:27am Good to see the beta rolling in. We really need some cover out there. Good work guys.
geojed	"Man with hands up in the air" 3/23/2012 2:19pm They should call those the ”Rocky Chutes”. First thing that came to my mind was: Thanks for the beta, but not for the peak you skied... Hopefully that road will stay plowed now.
EatinHardtack	Thanks for a good day Eric 3/23/2012 3:55pm Another fun one with you Eric. Thank you for putting up with my slow fat butt, I need to start getting out more. Thought about it and it was my 14er since September, ouch. @Papi-In Phoenix now and saw your Spartans. Sorry for the loss, it hurts me as well, I had money on them this year
Yikes	pics 3/23/2012 6:00pm i would look at the settings that are recorded for each picture and try to see what looks off. it's hard to tell what it is focusing on (not like a specific pic has clear shots of distant mtn, but fuzzy up close). and shutter speed doesn't jump out since the non-moving and moving objects are the same fuzziness.

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