Home > Trip Reports > Jan 8, 2016, Mt. Cashmere N. Ridge to Pt. 7088

Jan 8, 2016, Mt. Cashmere N. Ridge to Pt. 7088

1/8/16
WA Cascades East Slopes Central
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Posted by jwplotz on 1/10/16 2:35am
I have been wanting to ski this line for the past three years.  I have plenty of photos of the north ridge of Mt. Cashmere and it always looks enticingly creative way to ski a different line on the north side of Cashmere, with perhaps less risk than the NE Face, or the North Couloir.  The couloirs that come down the line were difficult to gauge with photos and Google Earth.  They either looked  nicely steep or fairly mellow, depending on the photo. 

A natural extension of this route is the couloir that shoots nearly straight down from Point 7088 for a bonus 3,000' of chute skiing. I know the locals have a name for it, but I can't remember what it is.  I called it the Heart of Darkness couloir because I by the time I started into it, 5:30pm, all light was gone.  I did know it had a rappel or two over ice, but wasn't sure where. I ended up doing two rappels off small trees.   I've studied this shot for the past couple years too, and was excited by the prospect of linking up the two routes for a monster day.

Here is an overview of the route.  Pt 7088 is the foreground, with the couloir cleaving straight down its middle.




I started two hours later than planned, 7:30am from Bridge Creek, and by the end of the day in the dark standing  on top of 7088, was very nostalgic for those two hours lost to the snooze button. 

Up Pioneer Creek, at around 5,500 feet I finally broke out of the dreary inversion, greeted with warm, spring-like sun and jaw dropping views.





The warm sun and temp made for pleasant travel, but the flip side was snow sticking to skins, alleviated somewhat by a chunk of skin wax for just such issues.  And finally, after 5 hours on the go, I found a goat companion who broke trail for me briefly.



I made the summit by 3:00pm, a much quicker time than previously, as the booting was much better. Spectacular views above the inversion persisted, in incredibly still and warm air.





But on top I noticed I still had a very long way to go over to Pt 7088, nicely highlighted in sunlight.  The large pyramid shadow is Cashmere's summit.


I clicked in just below the summit and skied over to the North Ridge, and was a bit alarmed that finally seeing it up close in person, it was quite steep with a couple do not screw up sections.  This was a bit lower down in the gully that emptied into the north basin.


The steepest bits were crusty, making for some stressful turns, but the lower gully was fantastic powder skiing.  The snow in the north basin was nicely preserved powder too.  Here's a look back, grossly foreshortened.


With waning light and tiredness a factor, I moved along as quickly as possible.  The traverse over to Pt. 7088 was a little more complicated than I had anticipated.  I climbed up to the ridge separating the Victoria drainage and the north basin and weaved around rock outcrops to get to the top of 7088's couloir in the last of civil twilight. 





Looking back at the North Ridge of Cashmere.




Unfortunately since it was dark I don't have photos of the 7088 couloir but it was great powder skiing at a consistent pitch.  I rapped twice (60m, 7mm cord) off nearby trees to overcome a couple ice bulges.

Cautionary Note:

Upon exiting, I had planned to contour northwest over Victoria Creek and further until I was plum with the bridge over Icicle Creek.  This would ensure you respect the private property that is below.

In the gloom dark of the inversion, I couldn't see the bridge from above, so I was left with traversing as much as I possibly could.  I went for quite a ways, time and distance was hard to determine in the conditions, then more or less took a guess and headed down.  With huge regret I undershot the bridge and ended up on the private property.  I then donned my skins and skinned out of there as quickly as possible.  My sincere apologies to the land owners there.  Had I been able to see the bridge, I would not have made this mistake. 

Reached Icicle road by 7:30pm and refeuled with some a hot Cup o Noodles and Tandoori Rice and stumbled the last 4 miles back to the car by 10:30pm.
Nice work Jon! Intriguing lines. That northeast side of Cashmere rarely sees much ski traffic I dont think.

Thanks Pete!  Good skiing if you can stomach the approach.

Another monster trip in the books! Multiple rapells usually let me out of a ski day! While you were on this trip I was skiing hippy dippy pow with 30 minute transitions! Seems like you have pretty well skied every side, great trip.

Outrageous solo roaming John. I think you need a pet photographer, maybe the goat....?

Thanks!  You back in America now?

If you're not a local I don't know who is. Call it whatever you like.
Inspiring trip Jon, way to give'er

Ay, I am back, but don't call, ha ha ha. Splitboard rapping sounds way too gangsta for me.
...in the dark,
on your bootlace!!
Above PRIVATE PROPERTY. Ha. 

author=Jake the Brit link=topic=35423.msg145077#msg145077 date=1452537078]
Above PRIVATE PROPERTY. Ha. 

Serious exposure  ;)

Thanks Ryan!

Here's a good photo from Steph Abegg (duh!) of Cashmere's N ridge in late spring conditions.



And a web pilfered photo of Point 7088, left couloir.


Is this roughly where you went?



How about the arrows with question marks?

I take it that the Pt 7088 couloir is a previous locally known descent.

Was wondering what sufferfest you might be working on given our good snow conditions here in Central WA. Now I know. As always, a great trip report.

author=Lowell_Skoog link=topic=35423.msg145085#msg145085 date=1452554473]
Is this roughly where you went?



How about the arrows with question marks?

I take it that the Pt 7088 couloir is a previous locally known descent.


Yes, that's exactly where I went, then the lower question mark around the front of that rock buttress, then a climb up to the ridge crest.

I've heard the 7088 couloir had been skied. Not sure who but had heard there was a rappel or two so I came prepared.  I was told the name of the couloir a couple years ago, but can't recall.

author=ADappen link=topic=35423.msg145086#msg145086 date=1452554557]
Was wondering what sufferfest you might be working on given our good snow conditions here in Central WA. Now I know. As always, a great trip report.


Thanks Andy!  I heard you and gang were mining Entiat goods.  I look forward to the TR!

Cool ski John!

Way to give the mountains all your daylight and then some.

Sweet! You finally got it done! Upper part looks nice, lower part sounds like type plotz fun.

Was doctoria the name? Or is that just something else between doctor and Victoria creeks? Not sure where I heard that.

author=alecapone link=topic=35423.msg145106#msg145106 date=1452569308]
Sweet! You finally got it done! Upper part looks nice, lower part sounds like type plotz fun.

Was doctoria the name? Or is that just something else between doctor and Victoria creeks? Not sure where I heard that.


Thanks guys.

You would have loved it Scott. Nice soft snow had one of the alder trees snapped on rappel. 

I've heard of Doctoria before too, but have always thought that shot was west of Lake Victoria. Maybe I'm wrong though...

I think Dan Z used to call it the "Myspray Couloir"

author=jwplotz link=topic=35423.msg145107#msg145107 date=1452569685]
Thanks guys.

You would have loved it Scott. Nice soft snow had one of the alder trees snapped on rappel. 

I've heard of Doctoria before too, but have always thought that shot was west of Lake Victoria. Maybe I'm wrong though...


Yeah "Doctoria" would be west of lake Victoria. Great ski from NW face of Cashmere to Lake Victoria them wrap around to the Doctoria zone then down to Icicle crk.

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