April 30 Mt. Elinor, N.Face Chute and environs
4/15/07
3063
2
Splitboard Graham and I climbed up to the summit and dropped into the N.Face chute and descended all the way to the valley bottom for a great 2000 feet of turns. The chute begins basically right at the summit and drops into the valley beneath Mt. Washington. Instead of stopping at the first bench to begin the long agonizingly steep ascent back to elinor, we decided to keep going to the bottom of the valley ending up right above an unamed lake. While our high from the splendid descent was still in full force we turned to the south to find an amazingly enticing bowl at the head of the drainage. Skinned up to the head of the valley and top of the bowl for another 1000 feet of perfect corn under a jawdropping backdrop of the inner Olympics. Stone, skok., cruiser, anderson, pershing, inner constance, brothers, they were all there. This spot is not named and have no idea what to call it. Totally awesome and remote. Olympic BC skiing is a new draw, more wild and free. The only way to see the spot is to ski off the N. Face of elinor until you can see all the way south around the west face of the summit area, and there lies the bowl, very Great Scott like. N Face chute is great, long and steep. Notmuch debris either. Plenty of snow. E. Face Washington up next(after rainier of course!). Skinned up to the base of N Face chute and then aimed for a chute on the east face of elinor to allow us access back to the summit bowl. Skinned to the base of this chute to where it was too steep for skins and began the long an scary bootpack up to the ridge. Gained the ridge and dropped back into the summit bowl and down the chute skiers left of the main chute. Really splendid turns all the way back to the summer trail jnction. This basin is sick, only if your prepared for a long and steep exit. Suggest crampons, ice ax, and possibly running belay with screws if conditions require. 24 in. pickets would have been nice for us, steep and exposed mon! See yall at rainier this weekend :) :)
There you go Andy! Good beta on the N. chute; I admired it 1-1/2 months ago. I'll PM you next time I do Ellie.
Great report. Good to see more skiing in my backyard.
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