December 25-28, 2003, Stevens Pass bc
12/25/03
WA Stevens Pass
2103
0
Skied backcountry around the pass the last 4 days.
12/25: Heather Ridge, out over skyline lake, over the saddle, through the boulder garden, and up to peak 5467. Dug a pit on S/SE aspect. 5" new on top of a bomber base. The snowpack is really consolidating nicely on this aspect. Skied from the summit down the open slopes. Skinned out to the saddle, and down the front side for some sunset face shots.
12/26: Attempted to go back to Heather Ridge, but the parking secene was crazy. We routed down to Yodelin and instead of wait for the shuttle, we decided to check out the slopes at Yodelin. Skinned up an access road to some open slopes and a notch. Skied the north facing trees-soft and deep. Went back up and continued through some trees and gained a vista of Jim Hill and Mill Creek Valley-looks like some potential back there. Turned and skied north back to the road and found the sweet pitch I hjad been eyeying on the way up, soft and deep.
12/27: Union Peak. Skinned up Smith Brook Road to Rainy Pass and up the shoulder to Union Peak. Visibility was getting poor and I was solo, so instead of skiing the NW shots towards the lake and back out, I returned via the ascent route, hitting powder stashes and clear cuts back to the road.
12/28: Skyline Ridge. Skinned up to skyline lake and to the rocky ridge above. we skirted along the south side, above some beautiful looking glades and up to the ridge. Breaking trail in up to 14" of new snow from the night before out over the ridge, to the saddle to the north and up to a notch which offered great tree skiing down into Nason Creek drainage. Skinned back to the skyline lake saddle, down the front side where we found deep and light turns. Pit on S/SE aspect showed 12" of new on top of a well consolidating base..the rain crists from earlier semm to be bonding well and the snowpack is becoming more isothermal. shear tests showed a dirty shear 2' down, and compression tests showed the new snow failing easily, but the base below was bomber. I could have been convinced to ski some bolder lines, but prudence was good and the tour was amazing.
12/25: Heather Ridge, out over skyline lake, over the saddle, through the boulder garden, and up to peak 5467. Dug a pit on S/SE aspect. 5" new on top of a bomber base. The snowpack is really consolidating nicely on this aspect. Skied from the summit down the open slopes. Skinned out to the saddle, and down the front side for some sunset face shots.
12/26: Attempted to go back to Heather Ridge, but the parking secene was crazy. We routed down to Yodelin and instead of wait for the shuttle, we decided to check out the slopes at Yodelin. Skinned up an access road to some open slopes and a notch. Skied the north facing trees-soft and deep. Went back up and continued through some trees and gained a vista of Jim Hill and Mill Creek Valley-looks like some potential back there. Turned and skied north back to the road and found the sweet pitch I hjad been eyeying on the way up, soft and deep.
12/27: Union Peak. Skinned up Smith Brook Road to Rainy Pass and up the shoulder to Union Peak. Visibility was getting poor and I was solo, so instead of skiing the NW shots towards the lake and back out, I returned via the ascent route, hitting powder stashes and clear cuts back to the road.
12/28: Skyline Ridge. Skinned up to skyline lake and to the rocky ridge above. we skirted along the south side, above some beautiful looking glades and up to the ridge. Breaking trail in up to 14" of new snow from the night before out over the ridge, to the saddle to the north and up to a notch which offered great tree skiing down into Nason Creek drainage. Skinned back to the skyline lake saddle, down the front side where we found deep and light turns. Pit on S/SE aspect showed 12" of new on top of a well consolidating base..the rain crists from earlier semm to be bonding well and the snowpack is becoming more isothermal. shear tests showed a dirty shear 2' down, and compression tests showed the new snow failing easily, but the base below was bomber. I could have been convinced to ski some bolder lines, but prudence was good and the tour was amazing.
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