September 1, 2013, Ice Lakes

Here is where the idea came from:

8-30-13 - Photos on NWhikers looking down from the east shoulder of Maude toward Ice Lakes
http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/download.php?id=998c189f4fc39f8e2d030092dcbdbcac&p=896977

8-22-13
http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/download.php?id=80f5ef8163b46bb335b22b0c414b643b&p=895232

So this trip was primarily a Mt. Maude summit trip, but in addition (since I was going anyway)...

Some people take fishing poles.

I left Wenatchee around 11:30am on Saturday.  The walk to Leroy Basin was dry and surprisingly lonely, considering the overflow parking condition at the trail-head.


I hit the south shoulder of Maude around 5:30pm and just as expected... snow!


View from the shoulder


Not as much as I had hoped for, but you know I switched to boots and enjoyed the heck out of what was there!

Limited snow, and the gentle south shoulder of Mt. Maude


After a short (SHORT) ski, I stashed my overnight gear and walked up the gentle south shoulder to the top of Mt. Maude.  My first time there and worth the effort for the views, and for the glimpse of the haunting/taunting north face ski.  (I think I could handle it).

I walked back down to my gear and enjoyed three short evening runs above Upper Ice Lake, before finding a nice flat rock on which to camp.

A view of tomorrow's first turns


In the morning (Peter Rabbit - it's September 1) I had a fun after breakfast run just above my camp spot:

breakfast run


On the way back to Leroy Basin, there is this great gash of a landslide which is still filled with snow.  Even though this gash is only 250' of turns, even though this gash is West facing and has seen no sun yet today, even though this gash is a minefield of rocks and sticks, it was worth a half hour to change footwear and make some more turns!

view from the top of the gash


oh yeah!


I skipped the top 50 feet because of this:


After this ski, I had coffee and a snack next to the most pleasant stream above Leroy Basin.

snack spot


Leroy Basin - population center


The walk out was uneventful and I passed just a handful of people on the trail.  Car by noon and home in time to watch the antique car rally past my driveway on the Mission Ridge access road.  I skied a grand total of 1000'.  This was a fun trip, but not one I would try to talk anyone into doing.  The miles walked per feet skied ratio is pretty poor :) 


Parting shot: 

from my 6 year old son. "to keep me safe in the mountains"