July 2 + 3, 2011, Mount Scott + Crater Lake peaks

Saturday afternoon and evening, I went for Mount Scott. I came from the east, drove 10 miles along dirt roads (where they end is about where the snow patches start, around 6000ft), hiked a mile or so along Scott Creek, dropped overnight gear and put on ski boots around 6600ft, and started skinning when I finally reached the bottom of the slide path from the southeast face. Snow was all heavily runnelled, but soft enough at 6pm. I was on top by 7, fooled around for too long, and started back down the same face by 8. The steeper turns at the top were still good, but 1000ft below that, the runnels were starting to harden up again. It may have been possible to ski all the way back to camp with careful snowpatch-maze navigation, but I gave up within several hundred feet and walked through the bare spots. Chilled beer and mosquitoes were waiting.

I hiked out early the next morning, and after considering McLoughlin, decided to just go back to Crater Lake to take it easy and hit a few peaks in the park. Garfield was first. I parked at the visitor center and walked a mile along the closed East Rim Drive to begin skiing from the south. Suncups were almost a foot deep in much of the flat open spaces along the route, but it was all nicely soft and grippy, so I skied it all without skins (on Karhu Guides). I was surprised to find the summit untracked. I made about a dozen turns back down the south side and then was back on gentle terrain, gliding over suncups and jumping across runnels.

I finished that by noon and drove past the crowded Rim Village along West Rim Drive to The Watchman and Hillman Peak. Four skiers were already climbing The Watchman when I got there, so I sat to watch and then joined in for their next lap. This north-facing slope still had smooth corn for its entire length, so it was nice to finally get a good run in (500ft, anyway). I took a second lap, and then did the same on the north side of Hillman Peak, which has a very similar but slightly longer run (plus a rocky pinnacle). It was kind of a strange setting, with something of an audience in the hordes of other park visitors on the road and at the viewpoint immediately below the slopes. I don't think I embarrassed myself too much.

approaching Scott from the east


southeast face


and its slide path


first summit


optical phenomena: the opposition effect


next morning, tracks barely visible through binoculars


East Rim Drive, partially plowed, but still gated


cups and crusts


Garfield from the south


second summit


The Watchman


looking closer


third summit


fourth summit (snow on the other side)


Thielsen's south side


McLoughlin's north side