May 22, 2008, - Early Winters
5/22/08
3140
1
Gorp and I took a quick trip to WA Pass last week. We managed to exploit a small break in the weather and skied some of the popular slopes near the Early Winters spires. There were 4 or 5 other parties in the vicinity, many were out to do some version of the Birthday Tour. We stuck closer to home and did laps on both sides of the col to try and maximize the turnage. The snow was a bit soft, but skied surprisingly well. Things have really settled since the big warm-up.
Most of the terrain east of the hairpin turn was patchy or snow-free down low still a fair amount of snow up high, but the approaches looked like a lot more work. Locations west of the pass, including all the stuff around Rainy Pass, looked like less work. There is plenty of fine skiing still available, at least until things get hot again. We saw tons of stuff worth a return trip in the near future.
Most of the terrain east of the hairpin turn was patchy or snow-free down low still a fair amount of snow up high, but the approaches looked like a lot more work. Locations west of the pass, including all the stuff around Rainy Pass, looked like less work. There is plenty of fine skiing still available, at least until things get hot again. We saw tons of stuff worth a return trip in the near future.
I was in this area yesterday, May 28. Here's an update on conditions:
I arrived at the Blue Lake trailhead shortly after 8:00. The weather overnight had been clear and cool, and the snow was firm to very firm (leaving minimal tracks) on the ascent. I had intended to skin to the col, but rapidly-forming black clouds convinced me to have lunch on the ridge a few hundred feet short of the col.
I had two enjoyable runs in the upper section, with a thin layer of softening snow over a firm base. If I had waited a couple of hours, the skiing would probably have gone from good to excellent.
The lower section (which is not necessarily used by every party on this tour) takes you from the upper basin, down a short, steep ramp (skiers left) to another basin. The lower basin gives way to a long, steepening chute with sparse trees. This is a nice run in good conditions, but here the suncups were still pretty solid, making for a lumpy, skittish ride. This area also had lots of scary treewells and moats and the frequent sound of unseen running water.
I arrived at the Blue Lake trailhead shortly after 8:00. The weather overnight had been clear and cool, and the snow was firm to very firm (leaving minimal tracks) on the ascent. I had intended to skin to the col, but rapidly-forming black clouds convinced me to have lunch on the ridge a few hundred feet short of the col.
I had two enjoyable runs in the upper section, with a thin layer of softening snow over a firm base. If I had waited a couple of hours, the skiing would probably have gone from good to excellent.
The lower section (which is not necessarily used by every party on this tour) takes you from the upper basin, down a short, steep ramp (skiers left) to another basin. The lower basin gives way to a long, steepening chute with sparse trees. This is a nice run in good conditions, but here the suncups were still pretty solid, making for a lumpy, skittish ride. This area also had lots of scary treewells and moats and the frequent sound of unseen running water.
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