Feb 10, 2018, White Salmon Environs

Big day in the White Salmon Cirque.

Alex and I left the parking lot at 0515, and made slow/terrible progress down to the bottom of the drainage, then fast progress up to the NW Couloir. Semi-supportable crust had us both worried that conditions would suck everywhere.

At 0830 we dug a pit around 5600 feet and didn't find anything scary, but was inconsistent between the ETC and CT, so we progressed with booting up to reevaluate higher. We found very inconstant snow conditions, lots of avy debris, dust on crust, deep pow, you name it we found it.

At 0945, near 6400 feet we thought the variable conditions would make it too hard to green light the descent, so we ripped skins and descended. The ski down and out was actually really, really good (with just a few really nasty section).

We then thought we'd head up and scout the North Face a neither of us had been there. The snow conditions outside of the avy debris was outstanding.

We poked around, getting great views of Price Lake and that entire side of the mountain. Not sure about the actual route, and what looked like shitty ski conditions, we turned around at 1120 and descended back the way we came - with good conditions.

We chatted with a group of three who were working their second lap of that area - nice talking guys.

Then we continued down to the White Salmon and at 1200 we start up to see how the conditions might be up high. We made it up to around 6900 feet, brewed for the second time, and at 320pm we ripped skins and skied the far skiers right section of the upper slope - it was excellent!

we made it back to the climb back to the ski area at 420pm, easy booting conditions.  Back to the parking lot at 515pm, no headlamps required.

14.5 miles
8100 vert
12 hrs c2c

AMAZING CONDITIONS

Should be just as good on Sunday, we were going to ski both days, but were to beat to ski so we opted to head back to Everett / Seattle.

(PHOTOS TO FOLLOW)