Beginner Tours for Light Gear

I moved to Seattle from the midwest and had a cross country ski background. I wanted to keep doing that on the forest roads, but the idea of tele sounded like fun too. I ended up getting a set of Madshus Epoch skis (68mm underfoot), Scarpa T4 2 buckle boots, and Voile 3 pin/hardwire with release (I was afraid of destroying my knees while I was figuring out how to downhill ski). So I've basically got a heavy cross country/light tele rig. I've had some fun trips like Amabilis Mountain around Snoqualmie pass, but I'm interested in branching out from forest roads into some mellow backcountry touring. I know a lot of you folks are into getting way more rad than that, but I'd like to find a few low angle, low risk slopes to practice on, without coughing up $80 to go to a resort.

I'm also wondering if I should think about getting fatter skis, or just harden up and learn how to tele on what I have.

Lastly, anyone in a similar situation please hit me up!

Cheers!

You've probably heard this before, but Hyak (Summit West) at Snoqualmie is a good place to practice when the resort is not open, which is generally Mon-Thur. You can tromp up the hill and down the back side, staying on the groomed or venturing off to the side for some off-piste.

Keep you eye on the yardsale page on this site as there are some really decent deals on used equipment.

Ollalie Meadows, above and between the Snoqualmie trail system. It is nowhere very steep or exciting but it is large. Continuing from there, going west "around the corner" to Silver Peak basin has some great low angle glades for the first km or so and then steepens. There is usually a set of tracks. I have been up there on true skinny skis for entertainment.

Hex Mountain could be good:  I-90 east to exit 80 through Roslyn toward Salmon La Sac:
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=12815.0
Kendall Peak Lakes Snoq Pass Exit 51, Forest Service Visitor Center/Summit West Parking Lot
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=23310.0
Like dkoelle said:
Silver
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=27425.0

Stevens Hwy:
Smithbrook Road Lichtenvasser Lake/Lichtenberg and McCausland mtn
www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboardi...ex.php?topic=28053.0
www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8019390

Blewett Pass Hwy 97 has a nice snowmobile free system of marked routes and trails:
ellensburgskiclub.yolasite.com/tronsen-meadows.php
parks.state.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/78

If you decide you want to climb up to make turns down, that gear will hinder you in the end.  Depends on what you really want to do in the winter wilds.  Many of us have been in your shoes deciding what gear suits us best for what we want to do.

All that has been mentioned is good. Then there is the MT Tahoma trail system in Ashford and mellow tours at MT rainier.
Its a good thing to have partners as well. And a must is a Avalanche awareness course. A lot of us have found ski partners in classes.
Finally some us not only started on the gear you mention, moved on to heavier gear but kept that lighter gear and use it as well.

Great, thanks so much for the ideas!

In terms of fatter skis: I've used everything from Fischer 99s to Karhu XCD Gt to Fishcer Outtabounds to Salomon X-Adventure to Madshus Voss to Karhu Pinnacles and Karhu Guides with either 3 pin or NNN-BC or SNS-BC. But what I really like, and use for XC Ski Patrol on MTTA, are Voile Vector BCs (waxless pattern, 121-96-110) with Dynafit Speed bindings and TLT6 boots. Just did a 6-mile RT on the Westside Road of Mt. Rainier NP. Can kick and glide pretty well and handle anything from groomed to boot tracke/snowshoe/tracked/ski tracked crust, ice, good snow etc. Can lock the heel down or not. On mellow slopes no need to lock the heel. Climb well, glide well. Ski down groomed, firm, deep , muck etc. Great way to go. Another option is the Rossignol BC125.

I come from central NY state with a XC/BC background. I hear what your saying. The XC trails at Summit are a great entry point for what your talking about. I like to go up and over Hyak towards Mt Catharine or take the Silver Fir lift up and over to the backside to poke about.

The Nordic Pass tour might be of interest.

Park at the summit central Silver Fir area. Climb past the lift lines to the south and hang a left on to the East / Central crossover trail. Maybe 1/4 mile up this there is a flat section, just as it starts to climb look for blue diamonds on the uphill side. Follow the diamonds through the forest , you'll cross the Central / East crossover / power lines at some point and then climb to Hyak Lake. Climb south from Hyak lake and cross a groom XC trail, then head west into the vast powerline swath head WSW across swath , near another groomed XC trail there will be a frozen pond (flat area) climb north of pond and re-enter forest , finding blue diamonds again. Following blue diamonds W and then WSW around Frog lakes (shown on USGS maps) ( don't try to visit Frog Lakes there is some funky terrain right around the lakes) then follow blue diamond SW to Nordic Pass.. From Nordic pass if you descend west , you'll cross another groomed XC trail, possibly find a warming hut and findvthe vast expanse of "Windy Acres" below Silver Peak with lots of low angle clearcuts

I would start by picking up the cross country ski book(s) and the backcountry ski books. We really are lucky in that the outdoor writing here is excellent (we are lucky because The Mountaineers is an excellent publisher and they are headquartered here). The books aren't perfect for what you are looking for, but they are still a great source of information. The cross country ski books (Kirkendall/Spring) cover a wide range of trips. Not that many are really backcountry, but plenty are. Likewise, most of the backcountry ski book trips are very steep, but there are some mellow trips.

My favorite areas are Artist Point and Paradise. Artist Point is spectacular, and a fairly easy (if a bit short) tour. But there are lots of nooks and crannies that can be explored. The Paradise area has a huge range of terrain that can be skied. Some very difficult, a lot of it not. Both are a bit of a drive from Seattle, so Kendall is pretty much the go to place if you want a short drive. Once you get past the road (and close to the lakes) there are a lot of places to explore. It makes for a long day (just getting to the lakes can be a chore depending on conditions) but still very rewarding.

Oh, and if you can stand the snowmobiles, Park Butte is outstanding. I usually go there when the snow level has dropped and they are banned (but there is enough to ski on). Another nice Spring tour is at Sunrise (Mount Rainier) right when the open it up. You have to carry your skis in places, but I've skied over to Skyscraper Pass.

Hurricane Ridge is farther away, but still doable in a day. The summer road is simple and has many obvious short (and longer) drops off different sides.
Obstruction Point Road has good slopes going the opposite direction.
The main issue is that if there is heavy snow the road won't always open, and you won't know 'til 9 am.
Go a day AFTER a storm....
Seabury Blair's guidebook has good Olympics tours listed---out of print.
The Climber's Guide to the Olympic Mountains most recent edition has a section listing some BC tours.

Tronson Meadows and forest service road 800 near Blewett pass are great spots with some opportunities for turns.

Also I don't have either handy but I recall the older backcountry ski book by Seabury Blair Jr and maybe also the one by Rainer Burgdorfer being biased towards mellower tours.

Lots of "nordic" trip ideas and info here:  www.justgetout.net/Wenatchee/pages/page/?pgid=100

More challenging tours here: www.justgetout.net/Wenatchee/pages/page/?pgid=100