March 14, Skyline Area
3/15/10
WA Stevens Pass
2047
1
Experienced the best day (in WA) of the year yesterday.
Climbed Skyline, dropped down into the basin and then climbed the next peak to the North (anyone know its name?). Northfacing lines had 18"-ish inches of unconsolidated perfection. At the top, I tried to ski-cut what seemed like a loaded start zone, but nothing moved. Not an inch. We then enjoyed 1500-ish perfect vert down to a lake. Back to the top and then down again. We made the mistake of exiting at Yodelin, which resulted in a long slog to and then on the snowmobile track.
Climbed Skyline, dropped down into the basin and then climbed the next peak to the North (anyone know its name?). Northfacing lines had 18"-ish inches of unconsolidated perfection. At the top, I tried to ski-cut what seemed like a loaded start zone, but nothing moved. Not an inch. We then enjoyed 1500-ish perfect vert down to a lake. Back to the top and then down again. We made the mistake of exiting at Yodelin, which resulted in a long slog to and then on the snowmobile track.
You must have climbed to Heather Point (the entire horseshoe shaped ridgeline is actually named Heather Ridge, the Skyline name is in common use because of the lake). The north side of Heather drops to a wet meadow that the crest trail goes thru on its way to Lake Valhalla. On a big snow year, when you look back up the slope from the bottom there is a group of rock outcrops that can look like a Happy Face. I named it this when I first skied the slope (on toothpicks and tennis shoes) more than 30 years ago, the name has stuck among patrollers and locals. Like yourself, most skiers will have a happy face on at the bottom.p
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