December 31, 2006, Nordic Pass, Hyak
12/31/06
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3280
4
I parked at I-90 X54 Gold Creek sno park, and skinned up the Nordic Pass trail from the Hyak housing development up along Hyak Creek past Hyak Lake to Nordic Pass and toward Windy Pass. and skied back down through the woods and mini-glades. There's a well packed snowshoe track up that I used some of the time.
6 to 10 inches of powder in the trees getting a bit consolidated but not too much, with some hoarfrost sparlking in the sun. Temps 20 to 25 degrees but it felt warm under blue skies. SnoPark was full to overflowing with lots of familiies up for snow play on my return at 3 PM. Happy New Year!
6 to 10 inches of powder in the trees getting a bit consolidated but not too much, with some hoarfrost sparlking in the sun. Temps 20 to 25 degrees but it felt warm under blue skies. SnoPark was full to overflowing with lots of familiies up for snow play on my return at 3 PM. Happy New Year!
We found similar conditions nearby, 8" powder at altitudes between 2500' and 5000'. The day turned out beautiful after early morning fog at the pass and high clouds above. Sunset on the peaks and snow covered stubby trees was excellent! Happy New Year!
Speaking of Nordic pass. What's the best way back to HYak or grand junction from Nordic pass. The last two times I have traversed out in either direction. If you go straight down from the pass, can you just follow the drainage out to the cross country trails? I have gone over Nordic to get to Silver Mt. twice this year, and am starting to think it is too much work and I should just take the cat track from grand junction to Ollallie meadows.
Glad you had a nice trip Don!
With regards to getting back, I call the weather station, above Windy Pass, as Nordic Pass proper. If I am parked at Summit Central, I aim for Grand Junction. I initially descend the drainage, staying on skiers left left of the creek. The key move is to veer more skier' left (West) maybe 1/3-1/2 mile down from the Pass. There is sort of a dog-leg; the first 200-300 vertical down from the Pass is semi-fall line and you can get a few "turns", but then you nudge leftish and the turnable downhill is pretty much over. The blue diamonds on the trees are pretty good for making this move. You should have a definite sensation of sidehilling leftish in a gently downhill way a little, crossing a few minor creeklets, and not following creek-bottom. If you hit it, you come out about where the black diamond number 6 shows on the XC trail signs for I think the south "tip" of Rockford Loop. It's short and flat to Grand Junction. In low snow, the last bit before regaining the XC trail system can be a bit sketchy. I save Ollalie road for my ex-rental "classic" XC skis and bathroom slipper boots. The woods are more fun and scenic, if slower, and you can't get really lost.
If you do follow the drainage from Nordic, I think you risk a little typical soft-core Cascades creek/ravine action, then hit a few lakes, and eventually come out in the "Mill Creek" clearcut, parts of which are awfully flat with meandering streams and boggy areas. This might be faster to get back to Hyak in theory, but I am not sure about practice. I think we basically did this twice recently returning from Catherine, and it did improve as the snowpack got deeper.
With regards to getting back, I call the weather station, above Windy Pass, as Nordic Pass proper. If I am parked at Summit Central, I aim for Grand Junction. I initially descend the drainage, staying on skiers left left of the creek. The key move is to veer more skier' left (West) maybe 1/3-1/2 mile down from the Pass. There is sort of a dog-leg; the first 200-300 vertical down from the Pass is semi-fall line and you can get a few "turns", but then you nudge leftish and the turnable downhill is pretty much over. The blue diamonds on the trees are pretty good for making this move. You should have a definite sensation of sidehilling leftish in a gently downhill way a little, crossing a few minor creeklets, and not following creek-bottom. If you hit it, you come out about where the black diamond number 6 shows on the XC trail signs for I think the south "tip" of Rockford Loop. It's short and flat to Grand Junction. In low snow, the last bit before regaining the XC trail system can be a bit sketchy. I save Ollalie road for my ex-rental "classic" XC skis and bathroom slipper boots. The woods are more fun and scenic, if slower, and you can't get really lost.
If you do follow the drainage from Nordic, I think you risk a little typical soft-core Cascades creek/ravine action, then hit a few lakes, and eventually come out in the "Mill Creek" clearcut, parts of which are awfully flat with meandering streams and boggy areas. This might be faster to get back to Hyak in theory, but I am not sure about practice. I think we basically did this twice recently returning from Catherine, and it did improve as the snowpack got deeper.
Thanks for answering the route question, David. You made it more clear than I could. I seem to wind up trying several ways out and never the same one twice.
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