May 12, 2018, Mt Ellinor, Olympics
5/12/18
WA Olympics
2204
3
Looking for a quick ski on the way from Portland to visit family up North, I decided to check out Mt. Ellinor. The road was driveable to within a couple hundred feet from the upper trailhead (probably fully clear by now). After crossing that road snow, it was pleasant dry hiking from the trailhead for about a mile or so, before getting into snow just below treeline. The south chute is well tracked but it was nice to have crampons on anyway. Really scenic on the summit - the Olympics are a special place.
I looked around for an alternate descent but wasn't quite confident enough that a couple of other chutes I peered into would go all the way, so ended up skiing back down the winter ascent route. Waiting in spots to avoid sluffing snow onto uphill climbers, and side-slipping a couple of choke points beside a well-trenched bobsled track, I found myself thinking for the first time ever that maybe glissading is preferable to skiing on that route (I know, blasphemy!) I bet it would be pretty sweet to ski on a winter day with stable powder, though.
I looked around for an alternate descent but wasn't quite confident enough that a couple of other chutes I peered into would go all the way, so ended up skiing back down the winter ascent route. Waiting in spots to avoid sluffing snow onto uphill climbers, and side-slipping a couple of choke points beside a well-trenched bobsled track, I found myself thinking for the first time ever that maybe glissading is preferable to skiing on that route (I know, blasphemy!) I bet it would be pretty sweet to ski on a winter day with stable powder, though.
Nice, it's a quick shot, but a fun one. BTW you can ski down from summit skiers right of trail up, and then traverse left to get back to trail when the trees begin in earnest. And there is decent tree skiing skiers left of the trail at that point, and you end up on the road approaching the upper TH. There are ways through the 'clear cut' at that point which gets you closer to the lower TH, but coverage was spotty and wasn't so fun when I did it a year ago.
I am sure others have better beta than that, but my 2 cents
I am sure others have better beta than that, but my 2 cents
With more time you can ski down the backside (West) for a huge run, starting just north of the summit. You can also ski down the gully to the north of the winter ascent route, with a traverse skiers right to get back to the approach.
Thanks - figured there must be some better ways down. A full day to ski the backside and maybe explore Mt. Washington seems like it would be great.
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