Feb 1-3, 2008- Scottish Lakes High Camp
2/15/08
WA Stevens Pass
2827
3
Second trip in to this cozy set of cabins in the Chiwaukum Mountains. Getting up Stevens Pass was utter torture, but why whine 'cuz we know the reason for the slow going....
Run names are from the SLHC trail networks and maps.
Friday: Most folks get a 4-wheel ride, then a sno-mo lift, 8 miles in. I wanted to ski max. days, so we skied the 2nd half, which ended up being somewhat endless road skinning by headlamp. Pole and hand tests showed the merest layer at about 6", and 1-1/2-2 feet of light fresh. The cabins have wood stoves, gas cookstoves, oil and gas lanterns, mattresses, pillows, and all utensils. Also sauna, hot tub, composting toilets. Life was good and became better.
Saturday: the snow was far too bounteous for long tours (knee-deep trail breaking) or steep turns anywhere high or exposed. Short shots being the protocol, some of us took a few runs down Wild Bill Hill, which gave good speed once cut up. In the PM 5 of us toured out to Picnic Point; low-angle public-service breaking. Just before cocktail hour I went up Wild Bill again and found turnable fresh at Echo Point. The snow became a bit more dense as the day passed and gave better flotation.
Sunday: spouse Lisa met me atop Wild Bill as I was skiing Echo Point again, and she had a sweet set of first tracks. I took another lap before we loaded all our gear out of the cabin for the haul down, then 6 or us did a 2000' run from High Camp to the auto pick-up spot. Mostly flattish
for the snow quantity, but several dips gave enough gravity for linking turns. We ended up in Big Rock Bowl for a great finish angling back to the road.
Snow & avy conditions were too out there for long or steep tours, but SLHC is a great setting and oodles of snow. Quite the location, with lots of big turns accessible from the cabins. Good BC hut facilities, which are in short supply in the Cascades. Maybe Jori from the NWAC or her buddies can add some details from the pit they dug Sunday at about 3500' on a N aspect.
Run names are from the SLHC trail networks and maps.
Friday: Most folks get a 4-wheel ride, then a sno-mo lift, 8 miles in. I wanted to ski max. days, so we skied the 2nd half, which ended up being somewhat endless road skinning by headlamp. Pole and hand tests showed the merest layer at about 6", and 1-1/2-2 feet of light fresh. The cabins have wood stoves, gas cookstoves, oil and gas lanterns, mattresses, pillows, and all utensils. Also sauna, hot tub, composting toilets. Life was good and became better.
Saturday: the snow was far too bounteous for long tours (knee-deep trail breaking) or steep turns anywhere high or exposed. Short shots being the protocol, some of us took a few runs down Wild Bill Hill, which gave good speed once cut up. In the PM 5 of us toured out to Picnic Point; low-angle public-service breaking. Just before cocktail hour I went up Wild Bill again and found turnable fresh at Echo Point. The snow became a bit more dense as the day passed and gave better flotation.
Sunday: spouse Lisa met me atop Wild Bill as I was skiing Echo Point again, and she had a sweet set of first tracks. I took another lap before we loaded all our gear out of the cabin for the haul down, then 6 or us did a 2000' run from High Camp to the auto pick-up spot. Mostly flattish
for the snow quantity, but several dips gave enough gravity for linking turns. We ended up in Big Rock Bowl for a great finish angling back to the road.
Snow & avy conditions were too out there for long or steep tours, but SLHC is a great setting and oodles of snow. Quite the location, with lots of big turns accessible from the cabins. Good BC hut facilities, which are in short supply in the Cascades. Maybe Jori from the NWAC or her buddies can add some details from the pit they dug Sunday at about 3500' on a N aspect.
Mack, great to run into you up at High Camp this weekend - and yes, that sure was incredible snow we found! Cynthia and I dug a quick pit on a north-facing slope, probably about 35 degrees, and what we found was in the yellow zone – and therefore we minimized our risk by cautiously choosing our terrain. There was a layer of light snow from previous 2-3 days that was about 18" deep, and it slid off with a fairly light shovel tap. The next layer was buried down several more feet, and it took a firm shovel whack to get it to budge loose. But when it did budge, Cyn was able to pick up the entire column in one slab.
We avoided rollovers and terrain traps, but that still left us with several laps on Last Chance and Big Rock Bowl, both steep enough to get us some speed and many turns floating thru the light powder. Even caught a trip back up to the top with one of the SLHC snomachines/sleds, so we could do it all again!
We avoided rollovers and terrain traps, but that still left us with several laps on Last Chance and Big Rock Bowl, both steep enough to get us some speed and many turns floating thru the light powder. Even caught a trip back up to the top with one of the SLHC snomachines/sleds, so we could do it all again!
Cheater! (I thought of that too. ;) )
Good info there; what did you think of the steep slope above your pit? We considered going along the ridge E of Big Rock to get there but it was more work and most of the party were not strong skiers or avy-savvy.
If you have the same weekend next year maybe we'll see ya!
Good info there; what did you think of the steep slope above your pit? We considered going along the ridge E of Big Rock to get there but it was more work and most of the party were not strong skiers or avy-savvy.
If you have the same weekend next year maybe we'll see ya!
Mack, that ridge to the east is the one we skied on the second lap. Met up with another group (mom & dad tele skiing, and at least one kid tele'ing really well!), and dad was familiar with that slope. We followed their lead avoiding a rollover off the top, and skiing down the east ridge edge, into the well-spaced trees (that drop down to the road). Nothing budged, no whumping. Same aspect as our pit, so that isn't surprising.
Yup, signed up for same week next year, so we'll connect again then.
Yup, signed up for same week next year, so we'll connect again then.
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