May 7-8, 2018, Cascadian Couloir - Mt. Stuart

Climbed and skied the Cascadian on May 7-8

Road driveable up to 2 miles past Beverly Creek campground, which left us with a leisurely stroll/skin in boots up to the Esmeralda trail head. Continuous snow from Esmeralda TH. Camped and accessed via Longs Pass. Recent warmth has shedded most of the large cornices overhanging Longs Pass making for an easy entry and descent into the hole.

We chose to camp at longs pass rather than camp in the dingey woods which permitted some fun day skiing around Longs and made for a superb evening vista! I liked this method as we also didn't have to haul a bunch of camping crap out of the hole on the ex-fill the next day. I guess the gamble of doing this is finding a crossing over Ingalls creek in good time, the next morning.....

I just want to say that for my first time skiing this line, it really is a superbly quintessential cascadian experience. A beautiful line on a big Washington peak with the right amount of adventure to ski ratio that includes a fun approach with trail walking, skinning and booting. Excellent camping opportunities and wonderful sweeping views of so many familiar peaks. It really represents everything that is awesome about this region of the world.

we pushed off from camp at 4am in the knowledge that warm temperatures and the lack of a freeze would yield better descent conditions earlier in the day. Found a suitable log crossing over the Ingalls at around 5000ft, approximately 1 mile up stream of the toe of the cascadian. Finding the open fields of the cascadian at 4800ft was easy enough. From there its 4K on the cascadian stair master to the false summit. I thought that there was still plenty of snow in the couloir for a continuous descent, however I am always surprised by how fast melt out happens east of the crest, so its hard to say how much longer it will last. 1 to 3 weeks???..maybe less????

We reached the open snow fields above 7200ft at 9 something and found the snow still frozen, where we switched to skins and ski crampons from 7200ft to 9K. I felt like our timing for optimal descent conditions was right on as the sun gradually began to soften the snow on our ascent. We had time to stall a little and enjoy a hobbits second breakfast in the warm sun before banging out the last bit to the false summit.

I am intrigued why the guide book suggests making the slog to the true summit for a full descent of the cascadian as the line between the summit and the true summit hardly seems like an exhilirating ski line, offering little more than a tippy tappy traverse?? to me it makes sense if your descending Ulrichs, but not for the cascadian?
I guess for the climber/skier it's worth it, but maybe not for the skier/climber? In any case, increasing wind, banking cirrus cloud and alto cumulus popping up in that familiar sky studded miniature sheep shaped quilt pattern, out of nowhere made our transition point an easy decision as visibility above 9k steadily decreased.

we descended at around 10.30am with good snow conditions. some slough management needed as conditions softened on the way down. Never ceases to amazing me how fast 4K of skiing can wizz by. back at the toe before we knew it, for the fun retreat to longs pass to pack up the tent and enjoy some well deserved and needed espresso!

felt like a long slog back to the car, but just in time before the evening downpour began!

more pictures soon..