March 15, 2007, Snoqualmie Slot Addiction
3/15/07
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2871
2
Paul and I were fortunate to link up on the partners wanted forum late week to ski the Slot Couloir early Saturday morning. Paul had done it a couple of weeks before and was hooked. I am now hooked--this is the coolest ski descent I've done anywhere around Snoqualmie and so easy to get to. The photos aren't the greatest, and I'm having trouble posting them, but the skiing was good. Maybe someone else has some good shots to post.
We started setting tracks at 7:30 am -- and found good skinning, wet snow, and a reasonably easy way around the waterfall. Heavy snow lasted for only the first 1,000 feet or so. About 500' above the waterfall we started to hit what seemed to be nearly a foot of new snow on top of the slush/crust that is our snowpack. About half way up, the old layers underneath were harder, but the snow on top kept getting lighter and was just the right depth so you didn't hit bottom.
About 3/4 of the way to the top we finally started getting caught by others headed for the Slot. We quickly stepped aside to allow a couple of guys to set the last 700' of trail to the Slot entrance. After we educated them that they climbed past the entrance, they didn't offer the courtesy of a reach around (i.e. first tracks down the Slot), but instead quickly dropped in ahead of us. We probably would have let them go first anyway, but we laughed about how they just disappeared.
Entrance was creamy and soft--not the ice I'd read about many times. New snow sluffed down, but overall conditions felt very stable on the way up and down. Incredible experience, but it wasn't wilderness. There were no less than 15 descents on Saturday while we were there all within about an hour.
The climb out was fun and well tracked since we hit a 2nd run on the fan below the Slot.
Skiing down the face was quite good nearly to the waterfall. Waterfall is skiable, but getting very sketchy. Pick your line carefully. Paul had to drop a 10'er because he went too far right--wish I had a photo of that!
We started setting tracks at 7:30 am -- and found good skinning, wet snow, and a reasonably easy way around the waterfall. Heavy snow lasted for only the first 1,000 feet or so. About 500' above the waterfall we started to hit what seemed to be nearly a foot of new snow on top of the slush/crust that is our snowpack. About half way up, the old layers underneath were harder, but the snow on top kept getting lighter and was just the right depth so you didn't hit bottom.
About 3/4 of the way to the top we finally started getting caught by others headed for the Slot. We quickly stepped aside to allow a couple of guys to set the last 700' of trail to the Slot entrance. After we educated them that they climbed past the entrance, they didn't offer the courtesy of a reach around (i.e. first tracks down the Slot), but instead quickly dropped in ahead of us. We probably would have let them go first anyway, but we laughed about how they just disappeared.
Entrance was creamy and soft--not the ice I'd read about many times. New snow sluffed down, but overall conditions felt very stable on the way up and down. Incredible experience, but it wasn't wilderness. There were no less than 15 descents on Saturday while we were there all within about an hour.
The climb out was fun and well tracked since we hit a 2nd run on the fan below the Slot.
Skiing down the face was quite good nearly to the waterfall. Waterfall is skiable, but getting very sketchy. Pick your line carefully. Paul had to drop a 10'er because he went too far right--wish I had a photo of that!
A few photos at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24314292@N03/sets/72157604130551635/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24314292@N03/sets/72157604130551635/
Very nice photos with the large cliffs in the background.
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