April 6-7 Mount Stuart - Ulrich's Couloir
4/15/07
WA Cascades East Slopes Central
3252
4
Mount Stuart - Ulrich's Couloir
~Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughter'd saints, whose
bones
Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold;
Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pure of old
When all our fathers worshipp'd stocks and stones
Forget not.
-John Milton
More photos here
My two good friends Troy and Hannah needed to go skiing. They just didnt know it yet. It was my job to convince them. First I dangled the carrot and then I went in for the kill. First plan of attack: the call. I open with, Lets go skiing, the weather is perfect and you dont have anything better to do. While, of course, they counterattack with an excuse, my personal specialty, Well, I want to go rock climbing. This is where I pull out the carrot, Ulrichs Couloir is going to be perfect and it is going to be 80 degrees! There isnt that much road and we can take two days to climb Stuart. Plus, it will be too nice for rock climbing. This is an easy ski perfect for you! I hear silence for a few moments before hearing, Okay, Ill go. And, just like that Ive tricked them. Remember, its for their own good because they needed to go skiing. It was imperative for their long-term health. Didnt you know skiing is healthy for the soul?
Another good friend of mine; Mount Stuart wasnt going to play any tricks. I shouted to him in the middle of the night, The weather 'is going to be good and the snow 'is going to be great. Isnt that right, Mr. Stuart sir? No funny business! He agreed and I left with Hannah early Friday morning, meeting Troy at the Teanaway Cutoff just out of the city of Cle Elum.
My excitement led me too far up the road. It is always, always, ALWAYS a bad idea. Once I committed, I had to continue. I scolded myself but it did no good. Hannah reached for the 'Oh Shit handle, long since torn from the ceiling. Her look of horror as I floored the accelerator and shot over a bridge, explained it all. This was crazy. There was snow nearly to the bridge rails! If it wasnt for hard snow I wouldve never made it. I was stoked!
There were 3 miles of road to Beverly Creek, and another mile beyond there to the end of the road. The climbing up past Bean Creek was very pleasant. I could get used to these wide open-forested eastern Washington slopes. This is so much better than the North Cascades!
Troy then thought it was a good idea to climb up to the wrong pass. I yelled, Troy thats the wrong pass! But he didnt hear me. No matter, we had all day, so I took photos and enjoyed it. We eventually traversed from the wrong pass and climbed up to the correct one. We were happy to see more open trees and a long downward traverse to camp, and Im telling you, the weather was incredible. Several times on the traverse down, we would just stop and simply marvel. It was difficult to loose altitude into the dark valley, but we were tired and needed to make camp next to Turnpike Creek.
That night was pleasant. Troy and Hannah bivied while I slept in my small summer tent (I had faith!). Clouds sauntered in over the night and in the morning none of us were in a hurry. Breaks in the clouds did offer hope and convinced us our efforts would bear fruit. We further convinced ourselves that the wonderful sun like the day before would make the snow too soft. So, like fools we said, Go away sun. We dont want you. But, like a faithful dog, it would return and we would be thankful.
To get to Ulrichs you have to traverse a long way. Looking directly up at Cascadian, we asked ourselves, Why dont we just climb Cascadian and ski Ulrichs. I know that Hannah and I were both thinking of suggesting it, but it was Troy who did. The climb up went fast. We booted all the way to the false summit, only taking two breaks along the way. Snow and blue sky intermediately graced us working like a thermostat. It wasnt until we were climbing steeper slopes over toward the true summit that the sun made a longer showing. We were thrilled. Here we were, just before the top with a unbelievable ski descent ahead, and heres the sun to send us off. Fantastic!
Lets go get your couloir on guys! Troy and Hannah hiked back to the top and skied down to me. I had been waiting lower, and found the wonderfully tilted slope I had seen so many times before and yearned to ski waiting for me. I bounced turn after turn and hollered like a fool until I was just above the gut of Ulrichs Couloir. I set up the camera for Troy and had him take photos of me before catching him lower and taking the camera back.
This couloir was great and the snow perfectly softened. I really liked the rocky walls and how you jumped in and out of narrow sections to wide open. I skied down to a dead end couloir and was forced to climb back up and traverse. We down climbed a few feet before getting back on snow. These turns were great and I again skied myself to a dead end. This time I climbed back out and traversed back toward camp. It was a long way, but fast snow and just enough vertical helped us coast all the way there.
We hurried to sort gear. None of us were looking forward to the hike back up to the pass. It turned out to be quite a pleasant hike, much like the day before. Several times when we had gotten higher up and could look back and see Mount Stuart, Im sure we were all feeling the same thing satisfied.
We stormed down from the pass all the way to the road. From there we put on wax that didnt seem to help anyone but Hannah. I passed her by where the road flattened and eventually met up with my brother who had climb up Earl Peak that day. He was bummed that he couldnt get the day before off, but said he had fun. He also said, I was bored waiting for you guys, so I was hiking back up the road. All of a sudden a Cougar is coming toward me! I backed up and started my back! (laughing) At least he wasnt hungry.
Finally we were back at our cars. It was dark. On my hood were chains. My brother had parked further down. Shaking his head he pointed, I brought the chains. What the hell were you thinking driving this far? The snow was soft and I knew I was in for a challenge. Hannah decided to walk the rest of the way rather than ride with me. I put on my seat belt, chains, and fired up the car. Lets get it on! I floored it and didnt let up. You could see between the bridge pavement and the top of the snow. It was waste high and I was smiling.
I reached safety and waited for Hannah, Troy and Josh. We were all tired as we had each had a long day, but thats good! Ski mountaineering should be about work and effort. Thats how you earn the payoffs. Even when the effort entails a grimace, we all had smiles. This trip was perfectly balanced. Not too steep, long or burly and it had all the classic characteristics any ski mountaineer looks for: big peak great scenery nice line. My advice, check up on your friends. Make sure that they are getting their weekly requirements of skiing in. Its up to you to keep their souls healthy. If you must, dangle a carrot in front of them. Tell them the weather is going to be perfect. Tell them the powder is going to be deep. Tell them and theyll appreciate it. I know Hannah and Troy did.
Thanks for coming guys!!! ;D
Looks like you made a fine choice based on the weather last weekend. That pic Troy got of you is sschweet!
author=David_Coleman link=topic=6873.msg27609#msg27609 date=1176738013">
Looks like you made a fine choice based on the weather last weekend. That pic Troy got of you is sschweet!
Ha. I'm glad he got it. I put the camera on continuous so he wouldn't miss it. Those were some great turns.
Thanks for the shot Troy: Jason Skiing
I don't know the creeks, but it sounds like you were reporting that the Teanaway Road is reasonably clear to about 4 miles before the end of the road. Or am I misreading you?
author=telemack link=topic=6873.msg27614#msg27614 date=1176743475]
I don't know the creeks, but it sounds like you were reporting that the Teanaway Road is reasonably clear to about 4 miles before the end of the road. Or am I misreading you?
Well...sorta. I used the Berverly Creek approach to Stuart. It was 3 miles up teanaway road to there and another 1 or so up that road. Follow a nice valley for another 3 miles then drop two and you are at the base of stuart.
Here is a nice topo on Sam's site: http://alpineslider.com/cascadiantopo.JPG
Going to the end of the road (for the Longs Pass approach) would be a long way right now...about 9 miles or so.
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