July 5, Glacier Peak via the Cool Glacier
7/5/13
WA Cascades West Slopes Central
2921
3
Climbed and skied Glacier Peak on July 4-6. The hike up to White Pass was snow free, we put on ski boots at the pass and hiked to the Snohomish-Chelan county-line (NE ridge of White Mtn). From the far side of the county-line we were able to ski/skin to the White Chuck "Glacier" (which shows no signs of glaciation I could tell). We camped on the Glacier near 6600 feet.
The next day we climbed the peak, we were in a whiteout below 8000 feet, but sunny and beautiful above. The Cool Glacier is in great shape with few easily avoidable cracks (we didn't rope up, but other parties did). We skied from the summit at 1pm and found perfect corn. We skied all the way back to camp with only a few short carries and a short uphill section.
Beautiful area and really fun ski despite the long approach.
White Pass:
Short (and in retrospect avoidable) Heather Skiing below the NE ridge of White Mtn:
The Cool Glacier:
Summit Ski:
The long hike out:
The next day we climbed the peak, we were in a whiteout below 8000 feet, but sunny and beautiful above. The Cool Glacier is in great shape with few easily avoidable cracks (we didn't rope up, but other parties did). We skied from the summit at 1pm and found perfect corn. We skied all the way back to camp with only a few short carries and a short uphill section.
Beautiful area and really fun ski despite the long approach.
White Pass:
Short (and in retrospect avoidable) Heather Skiing below the NE ridge of White Mtn:
The Cool Glacier:
Summit Ski:
The long hike out:
Thanks for the report. Where did you start your hike to White Pass?
based on the last photo, they started on the sauk river road
Some very familiar-looking terrain!
Here's the route in more detail:
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=28932.0
Impressive that you had good snow right off the summit!
(We had horrible glop there on that non-glaciated section for the first half, though the second half was pretty good just before we crossed the dry lateral moraine to rejoin the glacier.)
Here's the route in more detail:
http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=28932.0
Impressive that you had good snow right off the summit!
(We had horrible glop there on that non-glaciated section for the first half, though the second half was pretty good just before we crossed the dry lateral moraine to rejoin the glacier.)
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