October 23, 2018, Chair Peak

YES! Love it! I bet you were the only one with skis on your back, too :)

Hate to ask you to give too much information here....

What side are you approaching this from? Looking to round out 72 and 5 hours of driving for mediocrity isn't feeling particularly interesting (although we'll do it if need be). Feel free to PM if that's the more appropriate venue. Greatly appreciated sir.

Cheers

Thanks!  I was definitely the only one with skis - you get semi-celebrity status on that trail.

Happy to share info!

Snow Lake TH from Alpental - stay left at the fork and hike into Source Lake basin.  The trail does a switch back and heads back towards the divide overlooking Snow Lake (I guess this was the old Snow Lake trail).  Keep going until you see a large talus field starting next to the trail.  Go straight up on the left side until you see some cairns maybe 1/2 way to 2/3 up the field on your left.  There is a faint trail that traverses left through the trees.  The patch is right next to the "Thumbtack" rock feature - close to the start of the NE Buttress route on Chair Peak.

Enjoy!

Appreciate the intel! We'll see what sort of bad ideas we can come up with along the way. Only negative to this route is that it doesn't involve skinoeing. Know anyone who wants to pack a boat in for us?!?!?

Better snow "quality", shorter drive, and 3 times as many turns as the Bagley Lake Postage Stamp at Hwy 542's end! Congrats...

Probably easier than hiking up to Gunn Peak basin with skis.

Ha!  Yes!

But not nearly as cool as experiencing a Beckey 3rd class gully.

Welp, once again thanks for the intel. Appears that several other groups got the notice as well. We counted 10 on skis all together, I was absolutely shocked. Then again, everyone we talked to said they got off track on the way up, whilst we followed your directions in and nailed it both ways. Not as bad as we'd anticipated.

Arrived with 1/2 the snow field shaded, which was then exchanged for the other 1/2 shaded. Rock hard to bullet proof, with minor whisperings that with another 3 hours of sun it might have softened up. We had fun.

Good one to have in the back pocket. Best part was the 3 hours of saved drive time for trash skiing down with our closest 600 acquaintances to the south. But seriously, much appreciated sir.

Welcome!  Wow - 10 skiers! 

I hope not to have to come back to this next October - but if I do, I'll wait till the last Saturday and bring beer and snacks and host a TAY party.

If it comes to it, we'll see you there. That being said, hopefully we're back to old habits of fresh come late October.