December 5, 2004, Heather/Skyline Ridge
12/5/04
WA Stevens Pass
2615
4
Quickly before the report - I toured with 4 guys from Seattle (sorry, can't remember all of your names) up Skyline Ridge. I wasn't able to get their contact info so that I can send them photos - if you are one of the 4, please respond so that I can send you copies of the pictures I took. Thanks again for letting me come along - what a great day!
Spent the night in the Steven's Pass parking lot and awoke to a lot of fresh snow. Toured up to Skyline Lake and to the ridge above the boulder field. Skied the boulder field to the valley. Not great, but getting better - needs more coverage. Looking back, we realized we should have toured further to the north and dropped in somewhere to the north (skier's left) of the first boulder field (coverage looks much better over there). From the valley, we then toured up the peak that is to the west-northwest of the valley at the base of the boulder field. Was about a foot or so of fresh snow on top of a thin rain crust - all seemed well bonded. Also still a lot of small shrubs/alders anchoring the slope. Our first run down was amazing - light snow with pockets that were waist deep. Even a few face shots in deep pockets near trees. The alder bushes were just showing through the snow in some sections, but they didn't really pose a problem to turning. A few hidden surprises, but not as bad as expected. We ended up skiing this peak 3 times, it was so good. Conditions were slightly better to skier's left when coming down. Arrived back in the parking lot at dusk - a long day of skiing some of the best conditions I've seen in the Cascades. Temp seemed to hover around 20 degrees the entire trip & it was snowing hard around 4 pm as we toured out. Car was covered with fresh snow up to the roof racks. ;D
Spent the night in the Steven's Pass parking lot and awoke to a lot of fresh snow. Toured up to Skyline Lake and to the ridge above the boulder field. Skied the boulder field to the valley. Not great, but getting better - needs more coverage. Looking back, we realized we should have toured further to the north and dropped in somewhere to the north (skier's left) of the first boulder field (coverage looks much better over there). From the valley, we then toured up the peak that is to the west-northwest of the valley at the base of the boulder field. Was about a foot or so of fresh snow on top of a thin rain crust - all seemed well bonded. Also still a lot of small shrubs/alders anchoring the slope. Our first run down was amazing - light snow with pockets that were waist deep. Even a few face shots in deep pockets near trees. The alder bushes were just showing through the snow in some sections, but they didn't really pose a problem to turning. A few hidden surprises, but not as bad as expected. We ended up skiing this peak 3 times, it was so good. Conditions were slightly better to skier's left when coming down. Arrived back in the parking lot at dusk - a long day of skiing some of the best conditions I've seen in the Cascades. Temp seemed to hover around 20 degrees the entire trip & it was snowing hard around 4 pm as we toured out. Car was covered with fresh snow up to the roof racks. ;D
Hey Rob-
Thanks again for the highway heading to the top of the peak; it made the trip up a snap for Sonya and I. What a great couple of runs!
Did the duct-taped skins make it through the rest of the day?
Thanks again for the highway heading to the top of the peak; it made the trip up a snap for Sonya and I. What a great couple of runs!
Did the duct-taped skins make it through the rest of the day?
sounds like you were skiing off Tye peak? guess i should have headed out there, sounds like a good day. thanks for the beta.
The duct tape worked for awhile. I started to have some problems with my skins on the tour out as well - the clips don't fit very will with the tips of my pocket rockets. Thanks again for your help with the duct tape - your dog was great! So it sounds like the slope we were on was Tye Peak - thanks Juan.
Hey Rob, good touring with you. (I was one of the "4 guys from Seattle".) What a day we ended up having, eh? I expected the upper slope to be OK (of course it was not just OK but great), but those last few plunging turns after hitting the trees were just plain awesome. The total vertical for the day was 4,400', if you're into that kind of info. And now we know what the hill is called: Tye Peak.
Pictures would be great, if you want to shoot me a message.
Pictures would be great, if you want to shoot me a message.
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