Home > Trip Reports > March 22-24, 2013, Stemilt Basin lift-assisted BC days

March 22-24, 2013, Stemilt Basin lift-assisted BC days

3/22/13
Canada BC
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5
Posted by mikerolfs on 3/25/13 5:02am
Wenatchee Outdoors staged their first WenatcheeOutdoors day on Friday, 3-22 and I liked the idea so I played hookey from work and spent the day, what.. of course, skiing.  One chair ride to the top of Mission Ridge and a short hike across the plateau to the east gives access to a great big ski-area sized basin called "Stemilt Basin".  When the Wentachee community was considering developing a ski area, there was argument for this basin instead of the one that was chosen.  I think the Mission Ridge basin won on snowpack history.  Anyway, this is a big awesome area just outside the Mission Ridge boundary.  I spent Friday touring in the Stemilt with Andy Dappen (of Wenatchee Outdoors) and we skied all the way down to an irrigation reservoir called "Upper Wheeler Reservoir".  Skiing was fantastic.  11" of snow from Wednesday and not a track in the entire drainage.  Here is Andy showing just how good the snow was:



We made two long runs in the basin and returned to the ski area after closing feeling like we got away with something.

On Saturday I thought I would make one more lap through the area and I headed out by myself.  One run was so good!  Maybe just one more quicky.,  but ooh that was so good, maybe just one more, no one more... 4 short and one long lap later I was still singing to myself.  Man the skiing is good out there.

Sunday I had a new partner for a tri-peat Stemilt day.  From the high point on the ridge the Clara Lakes area is visible and we could see we'd made the right choice to go to Stemilt instead of Clara.  The snowmobiles had done their thing above (and on) the lakes:



This time we went further to the East and after one baby-bottom smooth butter lap in the upper basin we were joined by Royce, a Mission local, who was touring alone even further East.  The three of us made two more upper laps before taking it all the way down and out.



If I could, I'd be out there again today.  The sun is still out and there is plenty more room for fresh tracks.

Video fun:
https://vimeo.com/62612450

WAHOO!! What a day!

Nice guys!  What a great spot for day tours.  Now, how about working toward making the area non-motorized except for access to some location down low (warming hut maybe)?  Obvious opposition from the motorheads of course but what an asset for the ski community!

That second picture! Is that a watercolor painting?! I honestly think it looks like one.

author=sneaky_steve link=topic=28057.msg118094#msg118094 date=1364399135]
That second picture! Is that a watercolor painting?!


my camera has a function labeled "hdr art".  It takes a series of shots and combines them somehow.  For me, tracks show up better with that function.

author=TN link=topic=28057.msg118091#msg118091 date=1364394994]
Nice guys!  What a great spot for day tours.  Now, how about working toward making the area non-motorized except for access to some location down low (warming hut maybe)?  Obvious opposition from the motorheads of course but what an asset for the ski community!


You betcha, TN!  There is discussion of making both basins adjacent to the ski area (Clara and Stemilt) into non-motorized ski areas.   I sure hope this happens.  I tag along to meetings where this is discussed and I am hopeful.  Latest effort is in the DNR's Naneum Ridge to Columbia River Recreation Plan Update.

Great idea. GO day!

great write up on W.O. too.


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march-22-24-2013-stemilt-basin-lift-assisted-bc-days
mikerolfs
2013-03-25 12:02:30