Home > Trip Reports > June 1, Sawtooths - Bigelow area

June 1, Sawtooths - Bigelow area

6/1/14
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Posted by mikerolfs on 6/1/14 3:10pm
video: https://vimeo.com/97189322

Sunday early, Chester, Matias, Coron and I left the Crater Lake trail-head hoping for snow on Bigelow.  The early views were not super encouraging:

You can drive quite high (4500 +/-) but we didn't hit snow until above 6000

Moxie pondering first snow


There was good snow from below the lower Crater Lake.  We skinned through sparse larch forests to the ridge at around 8000'


The new views at the ridge were amazing.  Oval and Star peaks look like great skiing right now:






We shouldered our skis for the walk up to point 8356 and then followed the ridge to the south where we expected to find a skiable patch.


Which we did find, and thoroughly enjoyed:








30% chance of rain, again turned out to be great weather.  This time we did get some showers.  One of which lasted long enough to trick us into putting on our shells.  Mostly it was sunshine and smiles:



We were able to ski out about half the way, down to roughly 6000'.


The trail was mostly pleasant below this; 






The trail is intermittently wet/snowy below 6000' and the soil has some clay in it.  This makes for slippery mud, and I fell once on the walk out.  Crux of the day.. wet clay-mud trail.  Moxie was a superstar, never making a sound.  She napped most of the way back to Chelan after keeping up all day.


A great day in the mountains thanks to Coron who suggested this trip last weekend when I didn't have enough time for a proper day adventure.  Thanks Coron, was a great day!

edited to add this link:  https://vimeo.com/97189322
Looks like you're having too much fun on your trips Mike!

Nice tour guys!  In the interest of maintaining the integrity of adventure of this area, I recommend you use this map for all future tours.


author=jwplotz link=topic=31827.msg133780#msg133780 date=1401738119]
Nice tour guys!  In the interest of maintaining the integrity of adventure of this area, I recommend you use this map for all future tours.





I am laughing very hard at this jwplotz!

Mike... Cool adventure and area.  Wish I could have joined.  If I weren't heading out of town this coming weekend I would invite you over to the Olympics.  Things are very good out here for another two weeks or so. 

Your dog definitely gets around! Looks like a fun trip

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mikerolfs
2014-06-01 22:10:43