Maude NF 6/14-6/15, 2008

One of the first things i bought upon moving to Warshington was a mountain bike. They gots lots of mountains out here.  But the shiny thing has been sitting in the corner ever since, come to find out the ski season out here ends about a week before deer season starts.  So when I saw the Phelps Creek road closed 10 miles from the trailhead, it seemed like a great chance to finally burn the hairies off those tires, and maybe ski the north face of Mt Maude with more than the teeny sliver of snow you see in the classic pictures from 7 Finger Jack.  The usual crew were all injured, out of town or intent on other sporting pursuits so I had to pay for all the gas.  Got a later start out of Seattle than I wanted on Saturday morning and it was after 10 when i left the truck at the atkinson flats gate.  Luckily there was no snow in the road and only one very very small washout.  Like two boy scouts with shovels and rakes for an afternoon small.  There was snow over most of the phelps creek trail, but it was firm and easy walking.  The switchbacks up Leroy creek were bare until it flattens out, and there was snow down to 5k or so, soft enough to climb to the maude-7FJ col in running shoes.  With such ideal approachin' conditions there was plenty of time to scramble to the top of 7FJ and snap some photographs. 


North Face of Mt Maude from 7 Finger Jack, 6/14/08.  Like any good line picture, this makes it look steeper than it is

I made a couple runs in the perfect corn on the south slopes and settled in to watch the sunset, wishing I had brought some Rainiers instead of the rope.  That durn thing gets more free rides...



After agonizing for some time about which sleeping bag to bring, I forgot them both in Seattle and had to settle for a second coat upside down on my legs.  Fortunately it was a warm night and I slept well, until the alarm at 4:00.  I packed up and skinned to the col with the intent of skiing the short pitch down into the traverse.  After taking a look at the hard morning snow and eyeing the valley floor below I switched to cramps and downclimbed into the traverse.  I wasn't sure what to expect with so much snow still adhered to the face above but even as the sun began to warm the rocks around me things stayed put.  All the snow made for easy traversing and the ski line was soon in view.  As others have mentioned, it lays back quite a bit compared to the head on view.  Some heavy breathing later I got to the summit and snoozed a bit while the sun went to work. 


7 Finger Jack from the summit of Maude

I was a little impatient to ski, and also a little concerned about what might be happening to the snow on the traverse which is rather exposed in spots.  Not sure what time it was when I clicked in and slid over the edge, but the short steep top pitch was still in the firm but edgeable category.  I negotiated this with an embarrasing amount of sideslipping and right wing jump turns and then relaxed as the slope eased and the hero corn began.  I stopped skiing a bit too high and traded the last few turns for sketchball exposed downclimbing through mixed choss and rotten snow to the actual traverse as a penalty for not scouting the return route better.  The snow on sunnier aspects of the traverse was already a bit mushier than i would have preferred but not bottomless and still no rock or icefall to speak of.  Upon regaining the col I indulged in some racer boy fantasies on the warming mellow south slopes down to the basin (around 6000'). With some Mad River style survival turns and log rides I didn't have to switch back to shoes until probably almost 5k.  As usual I spent the afternoon wondering why downhill deproaches always seem so much longer than uphill approaches. 

Anyway, thanks to all those who take the time to post their war stories here, I love reading them.  Thought i'd put one up in hopes that it'd help get someone else off the couch.    Also hopin a couple more roads open up soon.