December 6, 2006, Silver Creek, Wenatchee NF
12/6/06
WA Cascades East Slopes Central
3482
4
It didn't seem like the conditions would be that great for turns, so I opted for a tour to my default destination for such conditions, Silver Creek, near Easton. Parked on the FS road (don't know the number, but it's the one that runs along the east shore of Kachess Lake) just off the I-90 frontage road and XC skied the 1.5 miles to the Silver Creek trailhead. The roads were nicely packed by snomos and fast, and the fishscales provided just enough traction to move quickly. Put on skins at the trailhead and followed the trail up the 1200 foot climb to the lip of the hanging valley of Silver Creek. Snow coverage was the best I've seen on the lower trail, 18-24 inches. There was a layer of low clouds in the Yakima valley, but I got above that around 3400 feet, just below the lip of the valley.
There was about 4 feet of snow at the lip, fairly icy under the trees and a breakable crust over cold loose snow in glades. I skinned up the valley a little, but that was really slow so I pulled the skins. Much better - reasonable climbing up the little hills and long fast glides on their far sides. I suspected that conditions wouldn't change much over the ~4 miles to the valley head, so I decided to try something new by crossing the creek and climbing up the ridge on the east side of the valley. The crossing was easy after finding a place with low snow banks on each side (the creek was running very low).
The valley bottom is extensive on the east side of the creek and dominated by old-growth forest, with a few glades. This made finding my chosen route up the ridge tricky (I still don't use GPS). I worked my way over to the east edge of the valley floor and contoured until I thought I had found the small drainage I wanted, then started up. Things didn't look right (comparing to map) so I traversed north to the next small drainage and climbed up. This began to not look right either, but then I got some views and figured out where I was. It turned out that my first choice had been the correct one, but it also looked like I could keep ascending and get to the intended place on the ridge. Around 4600 feet I got into sunny glades where the snow had actually softened, which was welcome because I still had to ski back down. I took a short lunch break and soaked up the rays, then finished climbing, stopping on a little bump around 5000 feet which stuck out to the west of the main ridge, about 1 mile north of Thomas Mountain.
I skied back down the route I had originally intended to ascend, which was much better than going down the way I had come up because it wasn't as steep, packed with small trees, or frozen. In the first 500 feet there were actually a lot of glades with sun-softened snow in which I could make turns, then the snow became more frozen and the skiing became more of the survival type (I hadn't brought cables, so I was skiing on just 3 pins). I was able to use the last few hundred feet to glide quickly across the frozen snow to the Silver Creek crossing, and the return to the lip of the hanging valley was similarly fast.
Skinning up the trail I had had my doubts about being able to ski back down it very far, but the conditions turned out to be quite good for doing so and I made it to 2900 feet before changing to walking. This was pretty tedious with the depth of snow and the crust on top, but lots of deer had shown that it was possible. Once back at the trailhead I put on the skis and had an enjoyable glide to the main road, then, because some snomos had churned up some ice powder during the day, good skating and double poling back to the car.
A couple of photos: first is around 3000 feet on the trail on the way up to the lip of the hanging valley, second is of the ~5000 bump with Thomas Mountain in the distance
There was about 4 feet of snow at the lip, fairly icy under the trees and a breakable crust over cold loose snow in glades. I skinned up the valley a little, but that was really slow so I pulled the skins. Much better - reasonable climbing up the little hills and long fast glides on their far sides. I suspected that conditions wouldn't change much over the ~4 miles to the valley head, so I decided to try something new by crossing the creek and climbing up the ridge on the east side of the valley. The crossing was easy after finding a place with low snow banks on each side (the creek was running very low).
The valley bottom is extensive on the east side of the creek and dominated by old-growth forest, with a few glades. This made finding my chosen route up the ridge tricky (I still don't use GPS). I worked my way over to the east edge of the valley floor and contoured until I thought I had found the small drainage I wanted, then started up. Things didn't look right (comparing to map) so I traversed north to the next small drainage and climbed up. This began to not look right either, but then I got some views and figured out where I was. It turned out that my first choice had been the correct one, but it also looked like I could keep ascending and get to the intended place on the ridge. Around 4600 feet I got into sunny glades where the snow had actually softened, which was welcome because I still had to ski back down. I took a short lunch break and soaked up the rays, then finished climbing, stopping on a little bump around 5000 feet which stuck out to the west of the main ridge, about 1 mile north of Thomas Mountain.
I skied back down the route I had originally intended to ascend, which was much better than going down the way I had come up because it wasn't as steep, packed with small trees, or frozen. In the first 500 feet there were actually a lot of glades with sun-softened snow in which I could make turns, then the snow became more frozen and the skiing became more of the survival type (I hadn't brought cables, so I was skiing on just 3 pins). I was able to use the last few hundred feet to glide quickly across the frozen snow to the Silver Creek crossing, and the return to the lip of the hanging valley was similarly fast.
Skinning up the trail I had had my doubts about being able to ski back down it very far, but the conditions turned out to be quite good for doing so and I made it to 2900 feet before changing to walking. This was pretty tedious with the depth of snow and the crust on top, but lots of deer had shown that it was possible. Once back at the trailhead I put on the skis and had an enjoyable glide to the main road, then, because some snomos had churned up some ice powder during the day, good skating and double poling back to the car.
A couple of photos: first is around 3000 feet on the trail on the way up to the lip of the hanging valley, second is of the ~5000 bump with Thomas Mountain in the distance
Very cool. I've mountain biked up there a few times, and it's one of my favorite rides ever, as far as stuff that's less than a 90 minute drive but still a semi-epic ride. The route is called "Kachess Ridge" but it's kind of a misnomer, cuz you're in the Silver Creek valley for most of it (well most of the downhill part, the uphill is on logging roads).
Anyway, some day I simply gotta take the skis up there...
8)
Anyway, some day I simply gotta take the skis up there...
8)
That must be a fun ride all the way down the valley - it's a beautiful forest. So do you get into the head of Silver Creek from French Cabin Basin via the trail shown on the map? Silver Creek makes for a nice spring trip, when you can drive to the trailhead and the trail is bare for most of the climb up to the lip.
Charles, I was beginning to get worried! Glad to see you are continuing to get out there, as usual, no matter what the weather or the conditions. :) By the way, John Morrow and I were just over at Second Ascent checking out their selection of joke tele boots. We did not have quite enough nerve to ask what they had by this name however. :D
Larry
Larry
author=Charles link=topic=5722.msg23921#msg23921 date=1165692163">
That must be a fun ride all the way down the valley - it's a beautiful forest. So do you get into the head of Silver Creek from French Cabin Basin via the trail shown on the map?
Yeah exactly... I never knew it was called that though; had to check the topo. You go up the gravel roads that switchback up from the lake, then you go down a steep trail into FCB, then climb up out of it, then thru a saddle, then it's all downhill from there; about 5 miles thru beautiful meadows and a few fun creek crossings, and then the last 2 miles are crazy steep downhill… Here's some pics from one of the rides I've done up there (just in case anyone's getting bored of skiing/snow pictures.. )
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