Home > Trip Reports > March 18, 2012, Crystal BC - Prosser Peak

March 18, 2012, Crystal BC - Prosser Peak

3/18/12
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
4070
7
Posted by timmyfitz on 3/18/12 3:15pm
Hit the BC all day today.  Started in Greenbacks (skier's right of Cash Run).  Nice on West and WNW facing, little crust 6" down on the WSW facing.  Solid conditions with 6-12" on top of a denser layer (but decent bonding) then a consistently heavier layer down to 3 feet at which point a much harder layer, weaker bonding there.

Had lunch @ Cambell then hit the Morris Creek drainage off "Knoll 1" just south of 3 way peak.  Hit the East side down.  Nice, similar snowpack to Greenbacks.

Toured south to Sourdough Gap, peek over and then tried to bag Prosser Peak.  Massive wind effects on the ridge have 10'+ walls of wind hardened snow littering the ridge.  no easy way up, but went up 3/4 way and called it due to time of day and tiredness of hacking a route up.  Skied a subdued partial run down to the drainage and skinned up backside of Joe's shoulder.  Hit one of my favorite lines on North side, deeper, but again, similar snowpack profile to other spots of the day.

Touring is in full effect tomorrow.  Early bird gets the worm.  Heard from another tourer coming out when we went in that Crystal Peak was skiing great too.
Which one's Prosser?
Is Crystal Peak the lookout site peak?  North gully off that?  Thanks,
John

We put in the skin track up to the gap and were going to go for the peak but were not happy with the mini slabs.

Be safe out there peeps and there is a new slide path that took out a handfull of trees just East of there.

P.S. It is Placer Peak (Referenced because of the lake below it)

curious, do you access that area via lifts and then skin out southback?  or skin from parking lots?

on a semi-related note, there was widespread surface hoar (1-1.5 cm) on top of several inches of low density snow, which was then covered with some grapel and then snow yesterday afternoon.  im sure the sun took care of the hoar where it could, but something to keep track of as this next storm comes rolling through...

-mc

author=Kyle Miller link=topic=24180.msg102204#msg102204 date=1332164858]
We put in the skin track up to the gap and were going to go for the peak but were not happy with the mini slabs.

Be safe out there peeps and there is a new slide path that took out a handfull of trees just East of there.

P.S. It is Placer Peak (Referenced because of the lake below it)


Thanks Kyle, not really knowing the area well is that Pt. 6706?  We've come in via Morse before but went north each time to Pick/Crown points.
Still would love to know if those gullies on the map off the north side of Crystal Lookout go in winter?  Must be visible from the lifts but i haven't been to Crystal in the modern era!

author=timmyfitz link=topic=24180.msg102201#msg102201 date=1332137730] Heard from another tourer coming out when we went in that Crystal Peak was skiing great too.

Yeah...It was OK  ;)

Nice one Joe ;)

Just saw this.  Nice tracks on Crystal.

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march-18-2012-crystal-bc-prosser-peak
timmyfitz
2012-03-18 22:15:30