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Turns All Year Trip Reports
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Topic: April 18-19, 2009, Chiwaukum Coul./traverse/Swaut (Read 2876 times)
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Oyvind_Henningsen
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Posts: 272
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Sean, Tobae, Adam and I thought it would be mighty fun to ski the couloir on Big Chiwaukum that we have been looking at all these years. What better time to do it than when you can take the chair at Stevens for a free 1000'. On saturday we were dropped a car at Cascade Meadows Church Camp and took the lift to the top of Tye Mill a little after nine. We skied the hard pack a few hundred and started our route up and over Lake Susan Jane and then Lake Josephine. Beautiful views already starting to appear down the headwaters of Icicle Creek. We proceeded to cross Whitepine Creek at around 4200' and headed up Mule Creek. We had looked at this drainage from the top of the Burn earlier and it had little vegetation and seemed to offer easy travel. We continued East through a pass between pt 5984 and 6172. From this pass we skied down to Wildhorse Creek and crossed this around 4200'. Then it was time to go up......again. We headed East and up until about 5200, took a left and headed N on a slighty uphill traverse crossing a ridge coming down from Big Chiwaukum at around 5600. Finally we could see our camp site and the couloir we wanted to ski.
We made camp in the basin in a group of trees at 5980 and figured we better ski the couloir today as tomorrow morning it would surely be in worse condition figuring the night time freeze would destroy the softness. The couloir is nicely sustained for about 2000 feet to the top of the ridge just shy of 8000'. It offered some nice bootpacking, but mostly pretty deep postholing and hard work. Suffice to say we were pretty pooped at the top. The wind was ripping and it was late - around 7 pm, so the crampons came off and the skis came on and off we went. Top part had a few constrictions and rocks protruding, but overall the ski was very nice. In right snow conditions it would be a great couloir to ski, not too steep, but sustained and very scenic.
Dinner and snacks were enjoyed and sleep came fast. Rain and sleeth came down at night between 3-5 am about, but dawn came with decent weather. We got going at about 9 am (no need for alpine start when you are in the alpine?). Our first obstacle of the day was Deadhorse Pass at 7200 - the backside was a question mark on the map as we had not researched a descent off the East side. Skiers left about 200' above the low point of the pass offered a non-rappel/no fall you die entrance. We were happy. Great sloppy corn down to Cup Lake. We headed N towards the pass on the East side of Middle Chiwaukum (pt 7423) on McCue Ridge. Views are just incredible up in this high country. On the other side of the pass we saw many corn tracks from people we assume were staying at the Scottish Lakes High Camp. Great touring and skiing terrain can be found from this camp.
We then followed the ridge from pt 7423 towards pt 7132 and pt 6602 and the top of the Swauth slidepath. The ski down as SLOPPY with slush avalanches needing to be managed on every turn. Ski cutting the top produced a wet slab (10" - 20' x 20') that entrailed quite alot of snow on the way down. We were happy to be at the car and back to the top lot of Stevens to enjoy the last of the tailgate parties!!
Great tour, super company, send me a pm if you want more information as the tour is highly recommended.
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Lytt til erfarne fjellfolk!
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Joedabaker
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Posts: 1778
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Nice trip and report Oyvind and crew!
Alpine traverses are great and it amazes me when peaks and passages link up.
Glad you got that chute!
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If it's called common sense, why isn't it more common?
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prestonf
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Posts: 102
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Sweet! That thing looks so close but is sooo far.
Is this the chute you rode (as seen from lichtenberg)?
Anyway, nice trip, and thanks for posting it.
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ryanl
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Posts: 305
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Hot Damn! Great trip guys and girl.
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Oyvind_Henningsen
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Posts: 272
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hi Preston - yes the lookers right one - it is more filled in now than it was when your picture was taken
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Lytt til erfarne fjellfolk!
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philfort
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Posts: 605
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Nice! I've been looking at that one for years...
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Gregg_C
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Posts: 299
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Great Job Oyvind.......good story and way to link up the terrain.
Gregg
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Monika
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Posts: 141
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Wow, great idea to link it all in a traverse! Nice route planning/finding as usual Oyvind ( :
And way to go All of you !
Could anyone draw your route on a topo? (my brain is dizzy from all the details--but thanks!)
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Oyvind_Henningsen
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Posts: 272
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Monika - i'll draw it up - cool to cover 3 usgs maps in one trip! sorry for the rambling.
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Lytt til erfarne fjellfolk!
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trees4me
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Posts: 466
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That's a great looking tour! Way to use the last few days of the lift to its full advantage 
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chill people, skiing is fun
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Gregg_C
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Posts: 299
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No need to apologize Monika. Never forget that you were a member of the Champion Kokanee Hut Brainiac Team.
"Go team brain injury"!!!!!
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natefred
5Member
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Posts: 63
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Nice! Looks great
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Stugie
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Posts: 925
WWW
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Nice trip! Those are some sweet lines for sure!
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"The mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals; the houses where I practice my religion." - Anatoli Boukreev
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Stefan
5Member
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Posts: 81
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Great trip!
But I got a question. How did you manage to do the trip on "JUNE" 18-19?
By my records, that hasn't occurred yet. Do you have a different calendar than all of us?
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Kyle Miller
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Posts: 536
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Nice trip. Ive been scoping that terrain for awhile and I am sooo Jealous
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Ditch the splitboard, bring skis and some guns then we'll invite you!
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Oyvind_Henningsen
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Posts: 272
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Stefan - sorry I am on Norwegian calendar - quite progressive over there you know. thanks - changed the date.
Monika - have sent you tpo file - could not figure out how to attach
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Lytt til erfarne fjellfolk!
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