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On pretty short notice, I decided to make a trip out to Three Fingered Jack with a few ski buddies to check out the conditions. It snowed a few inches during the week, but precip for December here in Oregon has been next to nil, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The approach to the steeper stuff is about 4 miles, so I knew we'd be in for a full day given the distance and the fact that the solstice is approaching.

John, Dan, Joe and I met Todd in the morning and started skinning through the burnt trees just after 9:00. The nice thing about the burn is that very little snow is needed compared to other areas since the trees don't intercept the snow before it hits the ground.



We made pretty good time up the hill. The weather was beautiful, though it was quite warm. It was good to get out of the valley fog and enjoy some nice weather for a change. Within three hours or so, we topped out on the south ridge with an excellent view of the west bowl of TFJ, which would make an excellent area for an overnighter.



We enjoyed the sun for a bit while drinking a frosty beverage and taking in the views. It seemed odd to be sitting out in the middle of winter in only a light shirt. In fact, the skiers skinned the last 1000 feet without a shirt. I snapped this photo of John before we dropped in for the first of three runs....



Dan dropped in first, and I knew the snow was good even though it was warm by watching his turns. I dropped next and made smooth fast turns down the slope, letting out a few whoops along the way. The rest of the crew dropped after me, and I shot a few photos of the action.



After about 500-600 vertical, we climbed the steeper part of the slope back to the top of the ridge to do it all over again. Here's a shot of John climbing back up...followed by a shot of me making turns back down....





After three laps were in the books, we were able to ride most of the way back to the car, albeit a very flat ride back over the four miles. I had to unstrap several times and walk, but for the most part was able to glide with the assistance of my poles. We made it back to the car just as the sun was setting, in time of another brew, before enjoying the car ride home discussing future ski plans/trips, etc. I guess if we can't have powder in December, corn isn't all that bad! Here's a parting shot of the Sisters & Mt Washington to the south from high up the ridge on the south side of Jack....

Awesome! Glad to see you've been scoring. Can I ask where you approached from? I hiked up from jack lake this summer and decided there would be some great riding on 3 finger provided you could drive up there. Plus I LOVE burn forests.

Thanks for the stoke.

Thanks Joeyzims - we approached from the highway snowpark across from Hoodoo. I've looked about Jack Lake as well and want to do that this spring/summer. Looks like some good lines on the N/NE side of the hill - it would be fun to hookup for a tour there this spring when the snowpack allows....

Nice! It's good to see splitters out work for what little there is to be had so far this winter.

Very nice!

Wow! That looks awesome! Stoked to see you getting some. There was snow in the siskiyous (I know the 1 or 2 north facing patches that last the longest) almost year round this year..but now..in december the last of it has melted. Ironic huh?

Hope to hook up with ya soon. Will be in OR mid Jan, if you're inclined to drive south at all (conditions permitting) let me know.

Cheers!

Sweet Josh - shoot me an email or pm when you're heading up this way, I'd love to get out and ride something with you, and it looks like we might even have some snow coming our way soon

Awesome! You live in a beautiful area.