Ptarmigan Traverse in May?

When is the PT best attempted? Some friends are coming out and looking for an adventure, and this has been on my tick list for awhile. We're looking at the last week in May right now. When does Cascade River Rd typically open, my guess is later than that? This season seems to be about as snowy, maybe a bit less, than last. Anyone remember when it opened last year?

Also, does anyone know how the Suiattle River Road fared through the floods?

Typically, you should be able to drive at least to the Eldorado lot by much earlier than May (the past few winters, it's been good all winter, but this year we seem have a decent low elevation snowpack). It won't be open much beyond that for a long time, since the bridge across the river washed away.

Suiattle is closed at MP 12.5 due to a washout (and snow). What's Downey Creek at ... 20 something?
Maybe a creative bike shuttle could work.

The bailey traverse may be a better bet for you. The Ptarmigan would be pretty committing right now, especially if you took an alternate route other than coming out the suiattle. As for the best time of year, it depends if you are skiing.

...or the Isolation Traverse, climb up by Eldorado, ski out by Diablo..

hoping to do that one this spring.


re- the Ptarmigan....i'll voice what is probably an unpopular opinion in this forum
after hiking the PT last July, I removed 'must ski Ptarimgan Traverse' from my to-do list....its a lot of steepish sidehilling above even steeper terrain and unless you are planning to add time into your schedule to climb and ski some of the adjacent peaks (like Dome), I thought it was actually far more pleasant to just hike the darn thing and keep the pack and footwear light.

We would be skiing.

What is the Bailey Traverse?

Do a search. I know that lowell has done it. Maybe he'll post. It is in the olympic national park. Also what would be good is the Nooksack traverse. This goes up the white salmon, down the nooksack glacier, over icy and ruth mountains and out. With 3 days and good weather, it would be fun. The isolation is good too.

The Ptarmigan has fine skiing. if you take a little time to exploit the opportunities. Typical of a traverse, there is a fair amount of traversing, which in that spectacular part of the North Cascades means skiing on the bench between steeper lower and higher slopes. Instead of going out the Suiattle, do the longer version which exits to Lyman Lake and Lake Chelan. Ski Dome Peak along the way. The trouble in May is finding a week of good weather, but it's no worse a problem than in June. It is not easy to exit the Ptarmigan (or most N. Cascade traverses, nor the Bailey Range) mid way. I would suggest as a troubled weather alternative, not the Bailey range (which has as bad weather as the Ptarmigan) but a loop trip in the Pasayten Wilderness of the eastern Cascades. There are many possibilities. The terrain is excellent for ski trips. Look at trips centered on Cathedral Lakes and Remmel Peak, or centered on the high ridge of Mts Lago, Carru, and Osceola. The latter can be combined with ascents of Robinson Mtn and Monument Pk, two high and seldom visited skiable summits. This year there should be plenty of snow in the Pasayten in May.

..... .but a loop trip in the Pasayten Wilderness of the eastern Cascades.   There are many possibilities.  The terrain is excellent for ski trips.  Look at trips centered on Cathedral Lakes and Remmel Peak, or centered on the high ridge of Mts Lago, Carru, and Osceola.  The latter can be combined with ascents of Robinson Mtn and Monument Pk, two high and seldom visited skiable summits.  This year there should be plenty of snow in the Pasayten in May.

I'll second the Cathedral Lakes area idea.  I've been in in mid April and it a great tour although not as some much a ski mountaineering trip as a long backcountry ski tour.

I would think the Lago, Carru, and Osceola area would be a more commited trip with steeper skiing than Cathedral.

ronco

I should add that there's barely a inch of avalanche safe terrain on the Ptarmigan so if there's substantial new snow, or a sharp warming with unsettled snow about, you can't travel.

You guys are a great resource, thanks!

I had pieced together (on paper) a route from Cascade to Rainy Pass last year. Turns our Lowell and Carl did it (almost exactly as I traced it) in reverse back in '96. The Mt Logan High Route. It looks like longer, more continuous ski runs than the PT, and there are a few more bailout trails along the way (Park Creek Pass, Bridge Creek, etc). Of course, that depends on the NC highway being open by the end of May. If we get a Memorial Day like last season, that looks like a rockin tour.

Hi Jeremy,

Sorry for my slow response. I've been out of town on a hut skiing trip. Your e-mail asked whether I prefer the skiing on the Logan High Route or the Ptarmigan Traverse. I hope you won't mind a long-winded answer. I'm responding in both e-mail and turns-all-year.

If you're interested in high-level glaciated traverses in the North Cascades, like the classic routes of the Alps, the Cascade Pass-Eldorado Peak area is the center of the universe. There are several shorter routes in the area like the Forbidden Tour, Inspiration Icecap (Eldorado to Primus), Triad High Route (Eldorado to Sibley Pass), and Backbone Ridge Traverse (Eldorado to Monogram Lake).

These shorter routes can be considered warm-ups for the three longer traverses that emanate from the region like a three-armed starfish. They are the Ptarmigan Traverse (south to Dome), Isolation Traverse (north to Snowfield), and Logan High Route (east to Rainy Pass).

Each of these trips has equally good skiing and scenery. Choosing my favorite is really difficult. My suggestion is to pick one of them based on conditions or personal preference, and if you enjoy yourself, put them all on your list.

Because of the Suiattle Road washout, the basic Ptarmigan Traverse is not practical this year. The Extended Ptarmigan Traverse would be better. However, it is the longest of the three routes. The Isolation Traverse is shortest, followed by the Logan High Route, with the Extended Ptarmigan the longest. Historical notes about these routes can be found here:

www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/subjects/C...tml#cascade-eldorado
www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/subjects/P...l#ptarmigan-traverse
www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/subjects/R-info.html#rainy-logan

Although I haven't done any high routes in the Alps, I think these North Cascades traverses are more strenuous than many of the European routes because there are no huts. Historically, the best time to do any of these trips is between mid-May and mid-June. The best weather is usually later, but the snowpack is melting continuously, so optimal timing can be challenging. In some years we never get a good spring weather/snowpack window for these trips.

As a backup plan, the advice Steve Barnett gave on turns-all-year is excellent. I haven't done much in the Pasayten Wilderness, but there is huge potential there and a lot of grand trips have been done. I have some bare-bones information about the region here.

www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/subjects/P...#pasayten-wilderness

Matt Firth of Twisp is probably the most knowledgeable and active skier of long Pasayten routes. I can put you in touch with him if you like.

Talked to the NPS on January 24th about damage to the Cascade River Road from the November storm. They said:

The Cascade River Road got washed out at milepost 21.5 at the N. fork Cascade River bridge. Apparently the river changed course near the bridge and washed out the road. The washout makes now for a difficult ford on foot. Boston Creek also washed out a section of road. The NPS plans on having the road repaired at the end of summer '07; until then it will be gated at Eldorado TH.

I'd give them a call and seem if there is updated information.

--Scott