Home > Trip Reports > April 4, 2015, Chinook Pass

April 4, 2015, Chinook Pass

4/4/15
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
9921
19
Posted by silaswild on 4/4/15 9:00am
Blue skies, light breeze, and 4-8" fresh soft powder was found today on north and east slopes of Naches Peak.  South slopes had very little coverage.  Plenty of untracked lines for the 50-100 visitors today.
On the other side of the highway (PCT north parking below Yakima Peak) I found the same.  East aspects had supportable suncrust on them by the time we made it back over the ridge at 4PM.  North aspects still cold and fluffy.

I also found a dynafit tongue for a TLT Mountain.  Let me know if you're missing one!

author=silaswild link=topic=34040.msg140519#msg140519 date=1428192025]
Blue skies, light breeze, and 4-8" fresh soft powder was found today on north and east slopes of Naches Peak.  South slopes had very little coverage.  Plenty of untracked lines for the 50-100 visitors today.

Our touring group got up to Chinook Pass around 9 am. We scrapped our original plan to try and attack the Sheep Lake Couloir due to very minimal coverage on southern facing slopes (not sure why we thought that might work). We had no idea how you would even begin the approach from Chinook Pass let alone even if we could expect snow after what would have likely been 1,000+ feet of hiking dirt and rocks.

We instead decided to lap the northern facing slopes off Naches Peak. Starting out from the parking lot at 9:30 am we toured in light base layers. Lots of sun screen was a must... and I did not abide by that must. I'm paying for it tonight. The snow starts right at the parking lots and no hiking was required. The snow right from the get go was surprisingly soft with a very thin, weak crust layer about 6" below.

When we got to the base of Naches it was apparent Friday would have been a lonely day based on the amount of tracks we saw. Today, Saturday, was the opposite. We saw about 50+ different people out touring near Naches Peak. Northern aspects were great for making turns in soft, light snow... something we've grown to know very little of this season.

Skin tracks were heavily traveled. As the day went on snow began to melt and freeze in the skin tracks making them slick. There were a lot of blowouts on the skin trail, damn splitboarders. Side hilling became challenging as the day went on and setting a solid edge was key.

Coverage all around is low, but we had next to no base damage on our gear, even after 5 laps with filled with airs and power turns. Throughout the day clouds kept trying to hold, but the sun seemed to burn it all off before visibility could become a problem.

On the drive home we encountered some rain shortly after passing Crystal Mountain Resort.

Strava GPS

[img width=800">https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8774/17036287161_87666f5343_c.jpg" />

[img width=800">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7691/17037126515_2d7b2fa962_c.jpg" />

[img width=800">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7671/16849599240_5f204fb27f_c.jpg" />

"There were a lot of blowouts on the skin trail, damn splitboarders."

???


"There were a lot of blowouts on the skin trail, damn splitboarders."

Damn people who don't know how to make an efficient skin track and other people who aren't willing to set a new one. Wait......lets blame the Splitboarders.

Miss you Boot!!!

Shepard Lake Couloir had great coverage when I rode it in December.

Thanks for the report, Silas. Glad the goods kept/improved for everyone Saturday.

I was one of the lone ones up there Friday and lost my grey neck gaiter somewhere on the ridge of the N bowl. Anyone grab it?

ps brianbrian get some ski crampons

Indeed, t'was a great day in the sunshine.  South slopes are really cooked. A southward sojurn for solitude got us away from the crowds, but snow was thin indeed, and perhaps not recommended. The PCT was skinnable on the way back, but it'll go real quick. Keep it shady.

Greatest instability observed took the form of sluffing on steeper slopes; it's 5" of dust on crust. Didn't find any meaningful windslab, and despite the sunshine, the loose-wet cycle never started. Snow stayed plastered on the trees all day.

A hint of sarcasm? Our group was 4 splitboarders and 1 skier. If I was actually to place blame on the skin trail... which is lame to do anyway, it was because of beginners and the melting/freezing. It made it quite slick for how many were traveling on it. I saw splitboarders and skiers alike falling on the skin trail at all different points... blowout, sliding backwards.. can't side step. I do have ski crampons too ;), but thanks for the advice.

Overall yesterday was an amazing day to have fun in the snow. People's spirits were high and any effort was worth the rewards.

One thing I didn't mention... in heavily shaded areas, the crust layers seemed to be much thicker below the surface and much harder to break through. This could produce some small slabs/slides imo.

Thanks Dustin Kingman for the pic!

Fun Day we were able to somehow avoid the areas where everyone was set on skiing and still get decent pow and nice long runs.  However the goods will not be there for long.  Great Chinook Pass opening.

I figured the sarcasm Brian; was just checking  ;).  Pretty sure Kyle did too, but never misses a chance to expound the virtues of an appropriate set skin track.  ;D  Wished the runs had been longer, but twas a fun day!
Boot

[img width=1000 height=664]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7667/16430403183_54b6b0bf39_h.jpg" />


[img width=1000 height=664]https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8772/16843147297_f3e12dd38d_h.jpg" />


[img width=1000 height=664]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7608/16862769558_816f8c941e_h.jpg" />


[img width=1000 height=664]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7598/17050559975_47e30747aa_h.jpg" />


[img width=1000 height=605]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7633/17024553246_e6fcd53d7c_h.jpg" />


[img width=1000 height=503]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7715/16430398873_e8f3dc67ec_h.jpg" />



Moonlight!

[img width=1000 height=585]https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8690/16843147767_ffb7c71db2_h.jpg" />


[img width=1000 height=614]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7591/17049091292_93e1e0bb75_h.jpg" />


[img width=1000 height=664]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7661/16843133047_1b1755e0a1_h.jpg" />

author=the_flying_v link=topic=34040.msg140531#msg140531 date=1428216741]

I was one of the lone ones up there Friday and lost my grey neck gaiter somewhere on the ridge of the N bowl. Anyone grab it?



Shoot- I grabbed it off the top of the ridge, but then left it by the Stop sign in the parking lot.

We were skiing by 9:00 and I was expecting a bit of cluster on Naches but was pleasantly surprised -- it seemed odd that about half the crowd seemed to take one, maybe two runs and then head home!  There was plenty of fluff to go around and we left at what I thought was an early 2:30 after 5 loops.

A couple notes:  an odd up track was put in right up the gut of the north side line when there was a perfectly good one climbers left - never get that. 

And the dog -- so, ok, I like them as much as anyone, but isn't Naches in the Park?  Or part of it? 

author=Chamois link=topic=34040.msg140580#msg140580 date=1428349192]
We were skiing by 9:00 and I was expecting a bit of cluster on Naches but was pleasantly surprised -- it seemed odd that about half the crowd seemed to take one, maybe two runs and then head home!   There was plenty of fluff to go around and we left at what I thought was an early 2:30 after 5 loops.

A couple notes:  an odd up track was put in right up the gut of the north side line when there was a perfectly good one climbers left - never get that. 

And the dog -- so, ok, I like them as much as anyone, but isn't Naches in the Park?  Or part of it? 


I didn't have the dog, but it's in the park with I assume based on what I've read means they're not allowed, but it is damn close to the PCT. Didn't even think of that when I saw the pooch. Seems fuzzy to me if it was allowed or not.

http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/pets.htm

author=Chamois link=topic=34040.msg140580#msg140580 date=1428349192]
an odd up track was put in right up the gut of the north side line when there was a perfectly good one climbers left - never get that. 


We followed that uptrack on our first line as it took us directly where we wanted to go with minimal exposure (but much effort). A group of tennis shoe-clad tourons found it appealing, too, and postholed it to smithereens behind us. Found a much better skintrack heading out to the bowl on the eastern flank of Naches Pk. on our second lap.

I had an eye on the dog the whole time and he never left the PCT!!  Good Pooch  :D

author=brainbrian link=topic=34040.msg140582#msg140582 date=1428351981">
I didn't have the dog, but it's in the park with I assume based on what I've read means they're not allowed, but it is damn close to the PCT. Didn't even think of that when I saw the pooch. Seems fuzzy to me if it was allowed or not.

http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/pets.htm


According to the map the boundary of the park runs along the crest. I saw the dog take a couple of runs, but never saw the dog cross to the west side. I think the dude and his dog were recreating completely legally. Presumably they could have shot guns recreationally also. No snowmos, though.

author=Chamois link=topic=34040.msg140580#msg140580 date=1428349192]

And the dog -- so, ok, I like them as much as anyone, but isn't Naches in the Park?  Or part of it? 


There are park boundary placards on seemingly every tree along the park boundary.  It's pretty obvious if you have entered the park. The pooches are legal on the rights part of Naches and Yakima.
I always leash my dog near the crest in that area so she won't roam into the park, but she may have wagged her tail over the boundary once or twice.  ;D

Reply to this TR

12512
april-4-2015-chinook-pass
silaswild
2015-04-04 16:00:25