Home > Trip Reports > Feb 9, 2008, Anthony Lakes area, Angell Peak

Feb 9, 2008, Anthony Lakes area, Angell Peak

2/9/08
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Posted by Ian on 2/11/08 7:25am
Got on the road from Walla Walla long before sun-up to drive south. Several hours later we pulled into the parking lot for Ski Anthony Lakes. Had a full car, 3 were heading to the ski lift, 2 of us were heading off to the backcountry.

The plan was to climb up from Anthony lake to Hoffer Lakes then continue up and ski Angell basin. We had aborted a trip here two weeks ago because of worries of avi danger.  There were high gusting winds creating an up to six inch wind slab. Decided that with our complete lack of experience we didn't want to stay out there with the snow and wind increasing.

This time everything went much better. Beautiful powder low down, hip deep if you stepped off your skies. Broke a skin track up to the Angell basin without a trace of any previous tracks. By this point the cloud cover had burned off and it was a bluebird day. We decided to climb up to the eastern ridge of the basin and continue up to Angell peak as that looked promising from the topo maps and what we could see from the bottom. Unfortunately the ridge ended up being a nasty pile of granite boulders so that didn't work out, but it did give us some great views of the next drainage. With that plan not working we dug a pit and then decided to cross the face and climb up the southern ridge to the peak. Finally got up to the peak from the west and we were ready to ski.

Grabbed a bit to eat, it was 2 pm by this point, and then dug a pit on the north facing aspect we wanted to ski. Not a bit moved in the compression test so we were good to go. As we were taking our break we saw a pair (one on a splitboard, one on skis) make some nice turns down the west facing side of lees peak. Our ride down was pretty crusty for the first 300 vf but after that it lightened up. We decided that it was time to continue down, although it looked like we could have gotten some fluffier turns on a different aspect.

All in all a successful day, my first backcountry foray to get many real turns in, in fact. Gorgeous area, you just can't buy this stuff. I'm headed out for some more turns this weekend. This trip was the first of hopefully many to come.
(sorry for the lack of photos, can't get everything right the first time...)
Ian, Welcome to the group. Good to see a TR for Anthony Lakes.  Jill and I will be lift skiing there next Friday with a Shell 2 for 1 coupon.  I haven't skied there in a couple of years but remember the wonderful atmosphere at the area.

Are they still offering single ride cat skiing ?

Zap

author=Ian link=topic=9149.msg36858#msg36858 date=1202772313]
There were high gusting winds creating an up to six inch wind slab. Decided that with our complete lack of experience we didn't want to stay out there with the snow and wind increasing...dug a pit on the north facing aspect we wanted to ski. Not a bit moved in the compression test so we were good to go.


Welcome to the TAY Team.  If you did what you wrote you have some avy-savvy.  But SHHH!  NE Oregon is a great, big, remote secret (a colleague of mine is always raving about Anthony Lakes) and you don't want a buncha 206-ers like me poaching it.    ;)

Ian,

Great trip report.  Anthony Lakes is awesome.  I skied the BC their a couple of years ago on a peak just across from the XC ski area.  It was steep with good tree skiing.  I can't remember the name of the peak, but it's an easy glide in from the parking area. 

Zap,

I'm not sure about the cat skiing, but I'm pretty sure they have a single ride life ticket to give you access to the bc on their backside. If you find out about the single cat ride this weekend I'd be interested in hearing.

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feb-9-2008-anthony-lakes-area-angell-peak
Ian
2008-02-11 15:25:13