Cayuse Pass and Henskin Bowl May 16

WSDOT waited until noon to open the road to Cayuse Pass today, so I made a quick trip up to the bowl above Henskin Lakes.  Stopped at the gully that leads to the ridge top. Early start so the snow was solid on the way up, no rollers or sluffs.  Lots of signs of point release avys - both small and big on the King and all south facing slopes in sight.  A small pit on the northwest facing slope that I was on, had 8 in of near corn, with a solid corn layer below that - new snow over old snow.  The top layer was warming by 11 am (sun above the valley clouds) and lots of rollers kicked off turns on the way down. You can ski to within 100 yards of the lodge.

At exactly noon they opened the road up to Cayuse Pass.  They could have easily open the road two weeks ago.  The normal snow walls along the road to Chinook Pass are melted out, south facing slopes below the road are bare!.  Crews were there working so no walking the road either.  Rather than dropping down to Chinook Creek and climbing back up that way, I went into the gap due west of Cayuse Pass with the thought of a quick loop tour thru Sheepskull gap.  Again lots of avy sign and the snow was getting softer, so I skied back out the way I climbed up.  Decent skiing but lots of rocks melting out so some surprising gaps/min-crevasses.

The road to Tipsoo Lake appears bare, couldn't see the archway, but they are supposed to open the road to Chinook next Friday.  Lots of avy sign in the west bowl of Naches, but the snow cover looks good for circumnavigating Naches next weekend.