Diamond Peak Again 5/25/13

Photo Credit: Gordon Levitt 

In the last week it snowed over 8 inches in the mountains. Gordon and I decided to head up to Diamond Peak to see if we could get any of the goods before they were gone. Unfortunately, we were too late, and by the time we reached the upper slopes, the sun had already crusted even the true North facing slopes. I guess that's what happens with you get dumped on in the end of May.

Gordon and I climbed to the NW false summit, ate a bit, and took some photos before making our descent. The descent above treeline was on a mostly supportable sun crust. Once we got into the trees, however, the glop was almost unskiable. We made survival turns all the way down to Corrigan Lake. There, we removed our skis and hiked the rest of the way back to the car. We didn't get the late-May powder we were hoping for. But a day in the mountains is always a good day.

For more photos, click below:

Diamond Peak 5/15/13

Exams ended on May 13, as did my career as a law student. With only a few days between our last exam and graduation (and subsequently the drudgery of bar study), Jake and I decided to get out and ski something. Originally our plan was to ski Mt. Adams. However, closure of the access road caused us to change our plans. Lassen was presented as a possibility, but given its distance we were forced to foreclose on that option as well.

Then it occurred to us: Diamond Peak. Only an hour’s drive from Eugene is one of those most aesthetic shield volcanoes in the Cascade range. Rising up above Willamette Pass, Diamond Peak is not like most of Oregon’s volcanoes. Instead of having a conical shape, with a single definite peak, Diamond Peak is a network of peaks, ridges, and valleys. It is like a one-mountain mountain range.

To see our tracks, check out:  http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2133987