July 24-25, 2016, Spider Meadow Chiwawa

I got invited to ski the Lyman Glacier on Chiwawa with two Leavenworth skiers who are more ambitious than me. They wanted to day trip on Monday. I took the easier path and walked in on Sunday for a relaxing bivy at the base of Spider Glacier. I was happy that I chose to walk in that afternoon because on the trail I met Jens Holsten walking toward the car with skis on his back. He had just skied the Lyman Glacier where I was headed. That was a fun chat. I woke up to a great sunrise and a deer party. I also woke up to mouse poop on top of a small stuff sack next to me and also inside my bivy sack!? Around 8:30 I saw my partners crossing Phelps Creek at the head of Spider Meadow and that was the official start to my day.

Austyn and Maria crossing Phelps Creek:


We skinned up Spider Glacier and had a great ski toward the upper Lyman Lakes.

Views from Spider Gap


Skiing toward Lyman Lakes






Contemplating the Lyman Glacier


We skinned the lower bit and transitioned to crampons and axe for the steeper upper part


It isn't heavily crevassed, bur there were some cracks that we made note of on the way up


From the top there was one little rock band separating the upper snow from the rest. Without hesitation, Maria traversed the rock on her snowboard! My kind of mountain traveler. None of us took our skis or board off for these little obstacles. It warms my heart to see others cross rocks.


And then the skiing.. It was great. Perfect corn. Carefree and fast skiing for the upper two thirds.

The top pitch. Just steep enough. It was fabulous.




The middle was fast and care-free




This is the bumpy part that Austyn and Maria didn't seem to mind. (My little summer skis bounce around on this stuff).


We skied all the way to the upper Lyman Lake where a giant iceberg had separated from the glacier and (since morning) floated halfway down lake. I got water. Others jumped in.



Current condition of Lyman Glacier


We walked uphill til we met snow and then skinned back to Spider Gap where we transitioned again and got to ski back to my camp where we were the entertainment




It was a great day in the mountains. Maria set a blistering pace toward the car, inspired by the beer she had stashed in "beer creek", and were were back at the trail head before 7PM.