Home > Trip Reports > January 7, 2017, Mtn Loop Exploration

January 7, 2017, Mtn Loop Exploration

1/7/17
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Posted by ski_photomatt on 1/8/17 6:23am
Friday night we made plans to ski near the pass.  Looking at the telemetry Saturday morning however wasn't promising.  2F at the pass with 40+ mph winds.  Hum.  Except€¦ what's this?  It's a sane 23 at Baker.  It was pretty clear that we needed to avoid the easterlies.  At the P&R, we had a brief discussion and Benny said he was in for an "adventure tour."  You know, the type where you might slog for 5+ miles to check out a line and never make a turn all day.  Or when everything aligns and it's the most memorable day of the year.  Or somewhere in between.

Skis on feet at the crack of 9AM, we made good time down the snow covered road.  Made a left, up another old road and finally on the trail.  We eventually found the line and while it wasn't protected powder, it did go through. I wouldn't want to be there on a warmer day and even with the cold temperatures still felt exposed as it will catch anything and everything that sheds off that side of the mountain.

Eventually we made our way into a pretty hanging basin with nice snow and up to the summit ridge for a view.  Up there we finally found the wind and time was running out so we pulled the plug.

Benny is a recovering ski racer from the Northeast so he had no problem ripping it with style.  I took it a little slower trying to soak in the distinctly Cascadian route.

We decided to call it the "Luke Chute" after our favorite early 90's actor, Luke Perry, and since skiing it seems about as sensible as watching 90210.


Nice!
Will you per chance disclose the location?

I have peered up this chute several times with dreams of skiing it. Nice work!

Sweet!  Good work.  Looks like your adventure tour "plan" worked out.  Is this on Wilmans?

Nice Dick pics!  I tried skiing this in the spring and got cut off by a waterfall near the top of the Luke...then had the privilege of skiing rock covered snow all the way back to the PC trail.  It definitely gets filled up from the basin above!

Thanks everyone! This wasn't Williams, JPH has it. JPH, it was partially your old TR that inspired this trip (and a summer hike when I first noticed it).

Good to see that it actually goes all the way in the right conditions!

Looks like a mini Slot, MLH style.

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january-7-2017-mtn-loop-exploration
ski_photomatt
2017-01-08 14:23:15