Slot Couloir 17
12/15/06
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3174
3
MW8 is still without Power, so I will report out on the Slot Couloir for him. He should have a few good photos from the trip when he gets back online. We met early, 5am in N. Bend; it was an odd drive with no lights past Bellevue.
The sign at the top of the pass read 14 degrees. There was a nice skin track going into the trees and then crossing back out into the phantom above the waterfall, so nice that we didnt feel right about putting our snowshoes in it. We prefer the more direct treed ridge anyway. Travel was pretty easy with maybe 4 to 6 inches of really light nice new snow on top of what had been reported prior. We broke tree line around 8 or so and the alpenglow was amazing, dark clouds as a background to a tangerine colored Chair Peak should make for some great photos, for MW8, I forgot my camera, again.
The upper slopes were really sculpted and beaten by the wind, more N and NW facing, wind packed quite hard and icy crusts in places that we had to kick steps in. We glanced into the Not Slot first but it was rocky about the mid-section; a guy could ski it he had too, but why with the Slot Couloir right next door.
A glance into the Slot Couloir showed no recent tracks. We had a small concern that there could be some wind loading issues, I put some hard ski cuts on the first two roll-overs and it was solid, packed tight, but very fun to turn in, this snow would not go anywhere. We felt pretty good about the conditions and set our minds to really enjoying the place. There were some powder turns in the more protected sections, and the lower trees skiers right of where the couloir fans held some great light snow. We booted back out of the bowl by 10:30.
The top treed glades of SnoQ were about as good it gets with the cold light snow. We traversed out and sampled the middle section of the Phantom. The snow had a slight crust in the sun exposed aspects but nothing to really dim the fun or trap a turn. Skiers left on the phantom, where it received less exposure was still light and nice. Since it was dark when we hiked up neither of us had a good look at the falls so we skied back down the first crux section in the trees, from there we looked back at the headwall and saw that it was in great shape, so we skipped the second crux section of the trees and skied the lower falls and back to the car by eleven.
The sign at the top of the pass read 14 degrees. There was a nice skin track going into the trees and then crossing back out into the phantom above the waterfall, so nice that we didnt feel right about putting our snowshoes in it. We prefer the more direct treed ridge anyway. Travel was pretty easy with maybe 4 to 6 inches of really light nice new snow on top of what had been reported prior. We broke tree line around 8 or so and the alpenglow was amazing, dark clouds as a background to a tangerine colored Chair Peak should make for some great photos, for MW8, I forgot my camera, again.
The upper slopes were really sculpted and beaten by the wind, more N and NW facing, wind packed quite hard and icy crusts in places that we had to kick steps in. We glanced into the Not Slot first but it was rocky about the mid-section; a guy could ski it he had too, but why with the Slot Couloir right next door.
A glance into the Slot Couloir showed no recent tracks. We had a small concern that there could be some wind loading issues, I put some hard ski cuts on the first two roll-overs and it was solid, packed tight, but very fun to turn in, this snow would not go anywhere. We felt pretty good about the conditions and set our minds to really enjoying the place. There were some powder turns in the more protected sections, and the lower trees skiers right of where the couloir fans held some great light snow. We booted back out of the bowl by 10:30.
The top treed glades of SnoQ were about as good it gets with the cold light snow. We traversed out and sampled the middle section of the Phantom. The snow had a slight crust in the sun exposed aspects but nothing to really dim the fun or trap a turn. Skiers left on the phantom, where it received less exposure was still light and nice. Since it was dark when we hiked up neither of us had a good look at the falls so we skied back down the first crux section in the trees, from there we looked back at the headwall and saw that it was in great shape, so we skipped the second crux section of the trees and skied the lower falls and back to the car by eleven.
nice work! good to hear that the graupel wasn't everywhere up at the pass.
I was heading up just as Ron and friend came down. Yes Pete there was groupel there, mainly around 5500'. That, along with some slippery ice crust might make for a dicey bond later in the week with what is coming. De-ski required to climb most of the last 600 to summit. Had to do some judicious sideslipping on ice into the slot but lots of great powder left by Ron--thanks. Only top few inches of surface sluff moved on steeper aspects. Did get some of that suncrust in lower Phantom but quite manageable. My new Spirit 3's certainly more powerful than the old Lasers when encountering the crust. Looked at layers in the big pit the guys from the 16th dug. Good bond to the old crust about 20" down. Had to yank to get it to slide. The waterfall was a bit scraped but mixed with enough soft stuff to be manageable. Clouds and sharp angled sun gave colorful views at summit with no wind. Fine day!
Hey NickD, I do recall seeing a solo skiier on the way down the Phantom now. I am guessing you noticed the graupel as you got in the upper reaches of the Phantom; I don't recall seeing where that skin track finally cut back for the summit. I'm glad the Slot was still in shape for you. We try to remain in good standing with the Powder Preservation League.
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