Slot Couloir -Map/Aerial Pcs

Does anyone have any decent aerial pics or maps of the route to Slot Couloir on Snoqualmie Mt? I would like a little bit more than what's in the Snoqualmie BC book.<br>Thanks<br>Raven

I don't think you need a map, Martin's directions are more than adequate for finding it from the bottom. From the top, as Sky has mentioned, it is the first thing you can access from the summit, although the ridge line is very narrow now due to snow melt. There are several other entrances to the north face down the ridge, some of which look extremely sketchy and may not go through.<br> <br>This is what it looks like from the top; be careful, I skied it yesterday and it was extremely rough (runnels) and icy - you would slide a long way if you fell. The waterfall finish of the Phantom is also close to being unskiable, it is down to a thin snow bridge over the creek and doesn't look solid.

There are aerial photos of much (all?) of the US on terraserver.microsoft.com/

Here is the URL for the terraserver image of the top of Snoqualmie Mtn.<br><br>terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=1...096&y=26286&z=10&w=1

The slot colouir is about 1/3 of the way from the left side of the image. The summit is just to right of center.

Actually the slot is the obvious snow finger that starts in the center center and goes to the top of the image.  The one on the left is "not the slot", but the one that people tend to mistakenly arrive at if climbing up along the west of ridge of Snoqualmie.

Maps and aerials aren't going to tell you much. There are numerous ground level photos taken by people here and posted in various TRs that will make either the top entrance to the Slot or the bottom entrance if booting up from the N basin completely unmistakeable.

If you're entering from the bottom it is a no-brainer but you could be setting yourself up for unnecessary avi danger. <br><br>If you're entering from the top it is an obvious, easy skiing ramp that angles skiers right and turns the corner to the left (rest of chute out of sight). If it looks hairball, you are either too close to the summit (unlikely) or too low and at the entrance to the "Not Slot Couloir" (likely). The Not Slot has a trickier entrance and is shorter and not nearly as aesthetic.

Alpentrol - does the "Not Slot" dump into the bottom of the New York gully? Maybe you can clear up a mystery for me. There is a sinuous line that looks skiable, but I know Not the Name. (Pardon the expression).

MW8888 -<br><br>I'm not sure exactly which line is the New York Gully, but I suspect it is not the Not Slot since I believe it goes 5th class in the Beckey Guide. Maybe a climber on this board can set us straight? Lowell, perhaps?<br><br>The Not Slot is readily apparent in Volken's guide on page 66 - it's the obvious chute between the slot and the exit to the phantom slide path. The entrance is a bit tricky and can be rocky...

New York Gully is a mixed route that goes at 5.8, WI4, A2, very technical. Nothing that would EVER be skiable.

Furthermore, I hear the remarkable thing about New York Gully is the sustained difficulty. It is a bit relentless, it's not like you make that 5.8 move and then snow slog the rest of the way. <br><br>Maybe it would be a better way to approach Slot Couloir. Let's go climb it Paul!

I believe NY gully climbs up the rock between the Slot and Not Slot. To approach it one would post hole up the very bottom of Not Slot. One of the times I've skied the Slot, there were some climbers on NY gully, and I believe their boot prints went up this way. Memory is a little foggy though, so this could be completetly inaccurate. This has been discussed at length on cascadeclimbers.com<br><br>Along the ridge above the entrance to the north side basin from the Phantom is a mini-peaklet. The ridge descends slightly from this peaklet to a saddle where the entrance to Not Slot is, then climbs to the entrance of Slot and the summit.

Ok, great info, thanks - now we're on to something. If you look at the picture on pg 66 of volken's guide - down and to the right of the Slot where it meets the ridgeline you'll see an "s" shaped snow finger (well, really an "s" with a tail) that if skied would dump into the Not Slot about 3/4 of the way up, and pretty close to the start of the rock climbing on NY gully. It looks like it connects the ridgeline and the larger chute, the Not Slot. I think the rock in between the "S" chute and the Slot is the climb the New York Gully (which indeed is a class 5 rock/ice climb) as photomatt indicates. <br><br>I've stood above this "s" and wondered if it would go. Maybe I'll have to climb up it sometime.

<br>Of course, only if I had rocks in my head. he-he

Furthermore, I hear the remarkable thing about New York Gully is the sustained difficulty.  It is a bit relentless, it's not like you make that 5.8 move and then snow slog the rest of the way.  <br><br>Maybe it would be a better way to approach Slot Couloir.  Let's go climb it Paul!

<br>Let's go check it our, probably been too warm lately. <br>

The Not Slot has a trickier entrance and is shorter and not nearly as aesthetic.

<br><br>Alpentrol, is this the entrance you're referring to?<br>homepage.mac.com/mpobrien/slot1.jpg
This is just down the ridge from the real Slot, it looks to me like the start of the "S" that MW88888888 is talking about. Then there is the "UltraSlot", the next thing down the ridge, where you would have to make about 3 turns then straightline about a 10 ft. wide hole between the rocks dropping off into who knows what . . .

gregL<br><br>The entrance I was talking about for the "not slot" is the later, below and further down the ridge than the S-shaped entrance. It looks like both funnel into the same overall chute. When I skied this chute there was a bit more snow than now (99) and although awkward was not a big deal, relatively speaking, a few rocks and a small drop....<br><br>Again, it is not nearly as classic or noteworthy as the slot itself.