June 12, 2007, Naches Peak

Another sunny day before the forecasted rains return.  As I drove past Cayuse Pass, I could see a dusting of fresh snow in the trees and along the rocky slopes.  I parked at Chinook Pass and was surprised that there weren't any skiers around.  The temperature was above freezing, sunny with a slight breeze.  I took a high skin ascent towards the NE slopes of Naches.  About 1" of new snow was atop a soft surface.  With my wide Atomic Kalais, I was penetrating about 1-2" on the ascent. I climbed to the top of the NE Face just below the rocky summit.  The snowpack seemed very similar to what I experienced on June 8th.  I hung out on the top for an hour waiting for some low hanging clouds to reveal the snow coverage at Sunrise.  The upper face is about 38 degrees and 3" peeled off as I ski cut it and "hissed" downward.  I was hoping for a nice firm and even surface after the "hisser" but the surface was very irregular and trenched. I descended and wrapped skier left along my uptrack, past Chinook Pass and descended one of the treed lanes to the highway.  The snow on this aspect was pleasantly firm and enjoyable.  I did not carry the camera but the snow pack is very similar to the photos I posted on June 8.