Home > Trip Reports > April 1, 2007, Crystal Mtn to Chinook Pass

April 1, 2007, Crystal Mtn to Chinook Pass

4/1/07
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
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Posted by Lowell_Skoog on 4/1/07 1:14pm
Paul_Russell, Monika and I skied from Crystal Mtn to Chinook Pass and back today. Conditions were great for travelling. Cold temperatures overnight firmed up the base and there was an inch or so of new snow, well bonded, that buffered the crust. On low angled slopes the skiing was excellent, ballroom smooth and fast. You could hold a high traverse really well, making cross-country travel very efficient. Cool weather, light snowfall, occasional sun breaks. Low avalanche hazard. Perfect conditions for this trip!

I think the lift skiing was poor today. The ski area seemed icy as we were returning to the base.
I was wondering about the snow coverage at Chinook, Lowell.
Diod you get another shot of the PCT where it crosses over 410?

Hi Ron,

Yeah, I took some photos there. I think this one shows the snowpack best.



Notice how the "Mount Rainier National Park" sign has partially fallen off. The older inscription of "Mount Rainier" is visible carved into the log. Kinda cool.

Compare with this 1991 picture, which I posted on my trip report last year.



We saw some older tracks around Chinook Pass, but no sign of them on the route over from Crystal. I don't know where the earlier party came from.

Nice trip Lowell.  As you said, perfect conditions for traversing and much better skiing than expected on those lower angle slopes.  Was fun to make such great time across the basin to Chinook Pass and down the road.  Yes, very efficient...especially so for some billy goats  ;)

Thanks for the update on the snow totals and the pics of the Chinook summit. I have been meaning to take the trek over but haven't made it yet this year. The tracks where probably from the DOT avy crew, they stopped in here last week on there way up there to check out snow conditions.

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Lowell_Skoog
2007-04-01 20:14:55