May 4-5, 2007, Red Mtn. - Cle Elum valley

After 2 weeks going to Mt. McCausland I was Smith Brooked out. The ski in and out on the road gets rather boring. And the road conditions up the Teanaway were not yet quite suitable for another trip there, so this week I decided to try the spring skiing on Red Mtn. in the Cle Elum valley. I've looked across at the wonderful east and southeast facing slopes at the top of Red Mtn. for years and yet have never skied them. Because they get the very first morning sun, which comes as early as 5:20 am now, you have to get up their early to get that perfect snow that is so much fun to ski, and for me that means a ski camping trip. Gee, that does sound like a good excuse now that I think of it.

I followed the usual winter route that John Morrow has described in his TRs for Red Mtn., parking at a convenient pullout just beyond the first creek crossing on Rd 46. That first bit through the forest to the bottom of the clear-cut was a pain in the rear. It's thick with brush that kept snagging my pack and skis, but then once through it, the first part of the clear-cut was just as bad. The ground was almost completely covered with ankle twisting logging slash. Going through this area made me think about different concepts of property rights; to what degree does ownership of land give one the right to do anything one wants with the land? In particular, I began to think more about the Native American beliefs about land ownership and its responsibilities.

After wading through the logging debris for a bit I intersected one of the spur roads which made things easier. At 3200 feet I could put the skis on and at 3800 feet where I camped there was perhaps 2 feet of snow.

The clouds cleared off overnight and the temp got down to 26 degrees resulting in an excellent freeze. I started up the rib leading to Point 5703 at 7 am using the ski crampons; it would have been quite unpleasant without them. It's amazing how they can turn a difficult conditions into a piece of cake. Once near the top of the rib at ~5400 feet I guess  I should have dropped back down 300 or 400 feet, gone around some rocky outcrops and then up to Point 5703, but, ah, em, OK, I was feeling lazy. My excuse was that I didn't want to miss the timing on an absolutely perfect smooth as silk, 33 degree plus slope.

Here's a pic from near the high point on the rib looking over the one just to the north leading to point 5722 (another ascent route). Bears Breast, Hinman and Daniel are in the distance. Doesn't that slope off Hinman look nice!?

Larry