June 30-July 1 Summer Olympics
7/15/07
WA Olympics
3583
6
The Olympics still have a lot of ridge drops precipitously 2000 ft to a lovely valley. The cliffs hold snow in a series of steep chutes varying from 30- 50 degrees and are visible from the San Juan islands. The first chute was about a mile from camp, about half on snow and half dry hiking. My plan was to ski the western most chute to the valley floor where it joined the meadow shared by all the other chutes, cross the valley, and climb out the chute coming in from the east end of the ridge. On Saturday we tested the western, steeper chute and it had skied beautifully; soft snow on top a well consolidated base with small runnels and no major sluffing. But it was engulfed in cloud, making it impossible to see how it went to the valley floor and we had heard a large rock fall just prior to skiing. We retreated to and then climbed out to our campsite.
We broke camp and hiked the 4 miles back to the car, concluding one of my most highly sought after tours. Some pictures.
looking up the western chute 1,000 ft down from entry
Looking down from same spot. The tiny dots at the end of the snow apron are my partners.
Sidnie and Chris skiing the eastern chute.
We broke camp and hiked the 4 miles back to the car, concluding one of my most highly sought after tours. Some pictures.
 High overcast and filtered sun and the snow had firmed up overnight. We set sail for the first chute at 9:00 am and arrived about 45 minutes later to find perfect conditions. This chute was huge with a sustained 40 degree pitch for 1400 ft moderating to 30 degrees for the last 400 ft. The rock fall had littered the lower section with boulders. About halfway down there was a scree bridge crossing the chute requiring a short carry before skiing the second half. We skied as far as possible and then walked a few hundred yards across the valley to join the snow linking the eastern chute. After a 2,000 ft boot we reached the top of the eastern chute which had a more moderate 35 degree slope angle. We skied this chute down 1,000 ft, climbed back out our boot track, and walked the dry trail 1 mile back to were it hit snow in Badger valley, where we <a href=)
looking up the western chute 1,000 ft down from entry
Looking down from same spot. The tiny dots at the end of the snow apron are my partners.
Sidnie and Chris skiing the eastern chute.
That looks like some really nice snow.
Thanks Michael for doing all the scouting on your previous trips to this area. The chute was a marvellous ski and yes SKYKILO the snow was really good. :D
It was very special to reach this flat green meadow at the base of the chutes that is probably very rarely visited by humans. There are big boulders everywhere and evidence of huge avalanches that must sweep these faces on a regular basis during the winter. We found one boulder about the size of a small car that was perched on a neck of snow. It had fallen earlier in the season when the snow was higher and then the snow had melted around it leaving it perched.
Between the two chutes we skied there are a couple more that are over 1800 ft long and even steeper, ( Skykilo territory!)
These chutes dropping of the Elk Mountain ridge are like the Sunrise chutes on steroids, plus you can see the San Juan's and Vancouver island as you ski down. Truly memorable.
I'm also very proud of my son Stewie for undertaking such a rigorous tour and dropping into uncharted territory with such confidence. Thanks Michael and Sid for such a great weekend.
Can you post a link to some more pictures?
It was very special to reach this flat green meadow at the base of the chutes that is probably very rarely visited by humans. There are big boulders everywhere and evidence of huge avalanches that must sweep these faces on a regular basis during the winter. We found one boulder about the size of a small car that was perched on a neck of snow. It had fallen earlier in the season when the snow was higher and then the snow had melted around it leaving it perched.
Between the two chutes we skied there are a couple more that are over 1800 ft long and even steeper, ( Skykilo territory!)
These chutes dropping of the Elk Mountain ridge are like the Sunrise chutes on steroids, plus you can see the San Juan's and Vancouver island as you ski down. Truly memorable.
I'm also very proud of my son Stewie for undertaking such a rigorous tour and dropping into uncharted territory with such confidence. Thanks Michael and Sid for such a great weekend.
Can you post a link to some more pictures?
Chris, here is a link to the rest of my photos. Elk Mountain
I am sure Stewart is the first 15 year old human to visit that basin. Thanks for taking so many great pictures and going with me on a "hairbrain" tour.
I am sure Stewart is the first 15 year old human to visit that basin. Thanks for taking so many great pictures and going with me on a "hairbrain" tour.
Looks like a neat place!
Driving home from Shi Shi Beach yesterday, I was ogling your north-facing stashes from east of Port Angeles. They looked very healthy and tasty, definitely worthy of a visit one of these days. How does that fatty early July stash compare to a normal year?
Sky,
This year is a bit exceptional. The Olympics received more than their usual share of snow, the spring was cold and overcast, and there was a lot of south-southwest wind which deposited more snow on north facing slopes. The south slopes were very thin and melted out earlier than usual. The three big chutes hold snow most years when the road to Waterhole opens. But the steeper, chutes in the cliff bands are usually melted out by mid-june and earlier they avalanche all the time. We speculated that there must have been a glacier in the east chute in the not to distant past because of the moraine like appearance of the terrain and the 20 ft deep "drifts" near the top.
This year is a bit exceptional. The Olympics received more than their usual share of snow, the spring was cold and overcast, and there was a lot of south-southwest wind which deposited more snow on north facing slopes. The south slopes were very thin and melted out earlier than usual. The three big chutes hold snow most years when the road to Waterhole opens. But the steeper, chutes in the cliff bands are usually melted out by mid-june and earlier they avalanche all the time. We speculated that there must have been a glacier in the east chute in the not to distant past because of the moraine like appearance of the terrain and the 20 ft deep "drifts" near the top.
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