May 6, 2006, Silverstar
5/6/06
WA Cascades East Slopes North
4747
6
The weather forecasts led Eric and I to the east side, with a partly cloudy forecast. We camped at the colonial creek campsite on friday night - which was mostly closed, so we just crashed next to the car. We got up early, and started at silverstar creek around 6 am. The skin through the woods was all rock hard, but skinning was pretty easy. Routefinding was straight forward along the creek up to the moraine. The snow was still pretty solid, so we decided to boot up the steepish finger (the one west of the horn, as burgdofer describes). We soon disovered a breakable crust, but thought the slope was too steep to skin up. After a torturous boot up the finger, a mixture of ice chunks and breakable crust, a long break was in order. Things did not look to be softening up (so much for partly cloudy), and the weather started deteriorating. The summit was only 1500vf away, but the fun factor had plummeted and there was a case of cheap mexican beer waiting for us in the car, so we turned around and headed down. Things were pretty horrible (frozen wet slides & semi-breakable crust) down to around 6k, where conditions started to improve. We had a few hundred feet of descent turns before we hit the woods. The trip back to the car was uneventful, and the beer was fantastic. Hopefully the sun will actually come out next weekend!
We were there on the 6th also. I think we encountered you halfway down the loosely treed run above the 5K flat, and I was pumping one of y'all for conditions information. Things above 6500 had not warmed much after you left - barely breakable crust that was no fun to climb or traverse when it got steep. We only made it as far as a high point on the moraine that overlooked the least steep of the couloirs leading to the glacier proper, and then decided that although we probably could have cramponed up, it would have been pointless because there was no way it was going to be enjoyably skiable any time that day. Instead we took a lap in that tree run from 6000 down, which really was the only enjoyable skiing to be found there.
I wonder whether the party of four we saw that was intending to camp Sat night had an enjoyable evening, or managed to get very much higher Sunday. That would not have been my choice for how to spend the night. Driving home, getting Mexi in Sedro, and sleeping inside a windproof house at near sea level was our evening plan.
BTW this may be common knowledge, but the Burgdorfer guide is full of crap recommending going up the West side of Silverstar Creek. We ascended this way and it was a waste of time, either ascending or descending E of the creek is quite obviously more sensible.
I wonder whether the party of four we saw that was intending to camp Sat night had an enjoyable evening, or managed to get very much higher Sunday. That would not have been my choice for how to spend the night. Driving home, getting Mexi in Sedro, and sleeping inside a windproof house at near sea level was our evening plan.
BTW this may be common knowledge, but the Burgdorfer guide is full of crap recommending going up the West side of Silverstar Creek. We ascended this way and it was a waste of time, either ascending or descending E of the creek is quite obviously more sensible.
We were the 2 snowboarders. We also turned around by the moraine for the same reasons; seemed pretty clear that things weren't going to soften up at all. Still a great day to be out, though. Thanks for the beer!
Thanks for the tip, Wolfs. I'm hoping it make it out to the pass this weekend or next week. I'd heard some reports that the approach was kind of a bear, but I'll try the east side of the creek and see how it goes.
There's actually a climber's path on the east side (at least for a ways), and if you're on snow and can't see the path, the woods are pretty easily navigable, but we've always crossed back over to the west side just a bit before getting out into the first big open area where you cross a flat for a bit. Not sure of elevation of the crossing. We once intersected a group hitting the open area at the same time as us, who had used the west side and had departed the trailhead about an hour before us. They seemed to move at a similar pace for the rest of the climb, so that gives some sense of how much slower the west side is...
I was up there 2 weeks before, and we stayed east of the creek and had no problems whatsover...it was very direct. On the way up we ~ hugged the creek a bit, and stayed in the trees - pretty much a straight shot. On the way back we ventured a little further east, higher on the slope which enabled a series of ~ 4 survival traverses through the trees followed by ~ 200vf fun direct descents in open areas. While I haven't tried the west side, I can't imagine it being any easier, and looks like it would expose you to more avvy danger (the western slopes look a good bit steeper with cliffs, etc.)
i would have to consider myself somewhat of a silver star approach "expert" since i have tried both sides of the creek in various combinations and conditions over the years!
there is a path of least resistance which is about the same earlier when snow covered and also later when the snow melts out down low (where there is now is a well established boot track).
mr. knowitall the great me recommends:
climbers left side of silver star creek (east side) for about 1/2 hour. the creek is well below you, untill things level out for a short bit and there is a small talus slope/clearing on your left. from this flat area you can steer right a bit to find easy access to the creek itself.
follow the stream directly from here, both banks steepen and you are in a kind of gorge. travel is best along the stream itself for awhile. you can ski right on the snow covered creek or shift sides pretty easily along this strech, but then you come to a true gorge with a cliff on the left, a small (hopefully) snowcovered waterfall in the middle and steep bank on the right. ski up the right side of the waterfall (short and not too steep unless melted out). if this is open water, it is easier to bypass on the left bank but this is very steep and kinda a pain a la butt, but it goes. many folks avoid this gorge/waterfall since it looks like a difficult impasse, but you usally can go right the heck up it without trouble!
after that, the stream is easy to follow and the terrain flattens out a bit. after 10-15 mins or so, i choose the right (west) bank for the final almost flat forrest to the clearing but you can wind around with the stream if ya like (angleing slightly right is a bit more direct).
this is also a nice way to ski home.
hope you will enjoy!
(:skip
there is a path of least resistance which is about the same earlier when snow covered and also later when the snow melts out down low (where there is now is a well established boot track).
mr. knowitall the great me recommends:
climbers left side of silver star creek (east side) for about 1/2 hour. the creek is well below you, untill things level out for a short bit and there is a small talus slope/clearing on your left. from this flat area you can steer right a bit to find easy access to the creek itself.
follow the stream directly from here, both banks steepen and you are in a kind of gorge. travel is best along the stream itself for awhile. you can ski right on the snow covered creek or shift sides pretty easily along this strech, but then you come to a true gorge with a cliff on the left, a small (hopefully) snowcovered waterfall in the middle and steep bank on the right. ski up the right side of the waterfall (short and not too steep unless melted out). if this is open water, it is easier to bypass on the left bank but this is very steep and kinda a pain a la butt, but it goes. many folks avoid this gorge/waterfall since it looks like a difficult impasse, but you usally can go right the heck up it without trouble!
after that, the stream is easy to follow and the terrain flattens out a bit. after 10-15 mins or so, i choose the right (west) bank for the final almost flat forrest to the clearing but you can wind around with the stream if ya like (angleing slightly right is a bit more direct).
this is also a nice way to ski home.
hope you will enjoy!
(:skip
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