Home > Trip Reports > Jan 4, 2014, Sloan N ridge

Jan 4, 2014, Sloan N ridge

1/4/14
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Posted by Kenji on 1/5/14 8:48am
Ever since David and I skied Bedal, East slopes of Sloan has been on our ski map. I've approached from the East side decades ago, but the river crossing has been always questionable.  This time we toured up to the Bedal-Sloan ridge from the West.  Presently Mtn Loop is open all the way around, and FS4096 is drivable to the Bedal Creek TH. 

Hiked a while, then left the trail around 3500' on skis.  The route was simple and straight forward, but involved some "technical" bush-whacking especially with skis on, and then a band of alder brush tried to block us half-way up the basin.  Once we reached the saddle, it was already 2pm.  We had only an hour left before heading down to avoid negotiating the brush w/ headlamps, just enough to get up higher on the ridge then to turn around.

The East basin was filled w/ the recent powder about 1' on firm rain crust, then we knew there was even bigger Sloan glacier ripe for skiing. After soaking w/ the gorgeous scenery, the time was up for us to head down leaving all that ski terrain for next time. We managed to avoid the alder and the messy forest doing fine ski-swhacking and reached the trail right at the sunset.  We'll certainly be back when days are longer.  More pics here
awesome.  looking forward to loong days and deeper snow :-)

Can't leave this pic out  ;D

Thanks for doing the TR Kenji. That last picture is classic!
David

Wow!  Nice pics, as usual.



that slide alder picture sort of reminds me of Bev Doolittle ;-)

Rad! 
So did you get any turns in on the north side or did you stop at the saddle?  It'd a great basin, but I figured the snowpack was still too thin.  Good to know it's in enough.

you didn't happen to gps your tracks on the way down did you?  :)

also i'm assuming you went up the road marked 4081 as i see it on google maps?  and then on up the bedal creek basin?

side question:  do you know if nf 23 white chuck road was ever repaired? (or nf 49?)

-jayme

savegondor:
see this TR for whitechuck road update: http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7997806

it's basically gated and decommissioned a few miles in.

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jan-4-2014-sloan-n-ridge
Kenji
2014-01-05 16:48:25