For extremes, we have the two very different snow and climatic conditions of Stevens Pass to the west on the Cascade Crest and Blewett Pass/Mission Ridge over 40 air miles east of the crest.
The right-hand column (Avalanche Info and Telemetry) is particularly important for monitoring snow conditions. 
Some of these sites give data for multiple elevations, so also study whats going on at higher elevations. Beautiful stuff! On powder days that typically means several laps inside the ski area. Farm the gentle north-facing slopes off the summit and youll end up on the open runs of the old ski area. How Can You Monitor All This? 
Cascadian farewell to WildSnow. Deep Snow, Old-Growth Trees and Classic Northwest Descents. Totally Deep Podcast: Hats off (and some clothes off too) with Jack Kuenzle on Episode 100! This lesser-known area can stay good weeks after a storm and has a completely different feel to skiing near the pass. I am so jealous of your experience that you can have. On Thursdays, the Sourass Blue Mountain Bottom Boys-a ragtag ensemble of area musicians and skiers-fire up live bluegrass. Maybe it just needs a lot more snow. Get Snow Reports from Ski Areas Worldwide with Gaia GPS, How to Time Your Backcountry Ski Tour to Harvest Perfect Spring Corn. If you include all the terrain within this area you can see why the Stevens Pass ski tours are so vast. All rights reserved. This year the reservations system makes things a little more complicated. Head straight up the small glade behind the lodge to find the road grade.
We will be happy to help you learn backcountry skiing and snowboarding but we want to make sure you get the most out of your day. for all ages and levels in the Pacific Northwest. Start the tour at the Yodelin parking lot, 1.7 miles east of Stevens Pass on the south side of the road. Some examples: 1) 18 inches of new snow just blanketed Stevens Pass. Guests will start the day by snowmobiling to the base of the day's objective, where they will then use alpine touring gear or splitboardsto climb to the top and ski down for as many laps as the day allows. To further understand whats going on around the region and where to spend the day touring, use the telemetry sites at Stevens Pass, Mission Ridge, and Tumwater Mountain, and compare whats going on at the same general elevation (around 4,000 feet) with temperatures, wind strengths, wind directions, total snow accumulation, and new snow. If daytime temperatures have remained below freezing, the Stevens Pass backcountry could be stellar especially on north-facing slopes.
Mountaineers Books is a registered trademark of The Mountaineers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The area features steep tree skiing found off the ridge, while open glades dot the lower slopes.
1. 2022 Vail Resorts Management Company. After this little soujourn on Stevens, Lisa and I said goodbye to Louie and headed back to Colorado. From the saddle you can ski gentle glades or continue up the ridge to access steep tree lines. If you are new to backcountry riding please make sure you are familiar with your gear prior to your day out in the backcountry. I envy your vision and scenery. Join Outside+ to get Ski magazine, access to exclusive content, thousands of training plans, and more. To hit the quicker out-and-back on Yodelin Ridge, about 10 minutes east (toward the old ski area), leave your car at the Smith Brook Snowpark on the north side of the highway, and cross the road to the trailhead (look both ways-drivers scream around the blind curve). Jove? Today we tested some Mountain Equipment shells, but a water column eval was not to be.
NCMG has been offering snowmobile-accessed backcountry in Washingtonfor almost 20 years and we are excited to offer this opportunity to skiers in the Stevens Pass area. Stevens waved goodbye with a brocken spectre.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. Check it out and I hope it inspires you to check out some of these amazing areas. click here to use the app to support your local avalanche forecasters, Friends and Resupplies on a Ski Traverse of The Colorado Trail.
In fact before you even leave home, matching the conditions of the day to an appropriate trip can make all the difference in whether the avalanche risk before youcan be easily managed or whether youre playing Russian Roulette with loaded slopes. When it snows hard and you are looking to get out as fast as possible this is the place to be. And while safety should be the overriding factor in where you decide to ski, on those days when the entire region has rather uniform hazards (not unusual) the telemetry data can help you see where the skiing will be best, what aspects you might want to ski (or avoid), and the elevation you might want to ski (or avoid). Downhill skiing or snowboarding skills are the most important skills to have for this program. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure, Sno-Park Parking Permit (required in OR + WA 11.01 thru 04.30). There are no resources for this route/place. Its about building relationships with the outdoors and each other. Finally the Icicle and Entiat canyons are tweener snowpacks. Each year he would have a new zone that was his interest of the year. All Rights Reserved. As a very general rule when the hazard is rated 2 (moderate) or 3 (considerable), smart tour selection and terrain usage (sticking to forests and ridges, choosing aspects registering lower hazard, choosing elevation levels with lower hazard, etc.) 176S. Log in and send us
Road grades crisscross the area and allow for easy route finding and mellow skin tracks. Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding With over 240 square miles of permitted terrain to choose from we can definitely find you the best snow and the coolest lines. Glad you had a good job, but quit posting photos of sun in Washington. This probably translates into very slow travel conditions and significant avalanche hazard around the Cascade Crest. Its about more than standing on the mountain top. A variety of terrain makes Yodelin fun for both beginners and experts. Really great photo though, with the distant mountains in the background. THE GOODS: Because of its proximity to the ski area, Skyline Ridge is a popular but worthy spot for yo-yoing: From the maintenance road behind the electric substation in the corner of the lot, it takes a half-hour to 45 minutes to gain the ridge. It does not exist. There are no activities scheduled at this location. to confirm the field trip and any permitting regulations. Out of Bounds Skiing Explore the terrain surrounding the ski area with a local guide. These photos look awesome. Lou thanks for the great trip reports. First sun since October. However, if daytime temperatures have been warm, the slopes around Stevens may be gloppy or even crusty. In the matrix that displays, the right-hand column (Ski Area Weather) lets you access a weeklong forecast for backcountry destinations around the region. 2 from NCMG on Vimeo. Get special offers, resort updates and snow alerts. Best wishes for the new year. All NCMG staff are trained and supervised by owners Larry Goldie and Jeff Ward, who are IFMGA licensed Mountain Guides and Instructors/Examiners for the American Mountain Guides Association. Outdoor Project may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers. In fact, were thinking we might get to report on some rather disruptive gear along with rather good pastries, so stick around. Get hand-picked trail guide posts, events and more delivered to your inbox specifically with you in mind. The telemetry site at the bottom of our column WA State-All Mtn Weather Sites is especially valuable for letting you monitor the regionit gives you links to graphs for each weather site that is much easier to analyze. Ive done a lot of ski trips in my life. NCMG offers threetypes of backcountry experiences at Stevens Pass. The result is a deep and dry snowpack that lasts well into May. The thinner snows and sunnier skies of the Blewett Pass area. What boots did you end up using for your BC / WA trip?
are you sure those were in the Cascades? If you're spending time skiing in the area for a weekend, consider staying at our, Green Trails Alpine Lakes West (Stevens Pass) No.
The biggest issue with this area is parking as you cant expect to get a parking spot after 8 A.M. so you better be fast. We have a wide variety of offerings at Stevens Pass from huge multi-peak ski mountaineering objectives to gravity-fed powder skiing inside and outside of the ropes of the ski area. Ive also included some ski tours off of Mountain Loops Highway for additional options. 1 from NCMG on Vimeo. Pre-Trip Briefing - Pt. If your request is not time sensitive, please email us at seasonpass@vailresorts.com. Location: 86 miles northeast of Seattle Pass Elevation: 4,061 feet Vertical drop: Up to 1,500 feet Minimum Time Needed: 2 hours Method: Out-and-backTHE SCENE: Cradled deep in the Cascade Mountains off Highway 2, Stevens Pass offers a surprising variety of powder fixes-from full-day summit tours to concentrated drive-up sessions. Spend a fair amount of time learning how to read and interpret these reports. I have to say thanks to him for forcing me to get out of the Crystal Mountain bubble. Once the snow starts to get tracked out inside the ski area you will head outside the boundary ropes to explore new terrain. This area is relatively quiet during the winter but once the low elevation trails melt out this area sees quite a bit of traffic. This includes side trips, extensions This is the first area to get tracked out as you can be on top of your line in under two hours. On almost any given winter or spring day, the diversity of ski countries found here in Central Washington allow you to 1)lower your avalanche exposure and 2)find enjoyable snow conditions.
2. Pacia. You and your guide can decide which of these three options are best given the conditions and your goals for the day. Find time to do the activities you love with the people you love. Along with exploring Stevens trade routes, today also involved testing a few items from Mountain Equipment. The Mountaineers teaches skills and leads outdoor activities The definition of shralping is never clear, but throwing Cascadian powder around does perhaps qualify. 2021Outdoor Project. updates, images, or resources. Come to Colorado soon for more of those blue skies. Another shot with DPS skis! When you find a tour meeting all these qualities, print the route info and the topographic map.
and peak combinations. Skiing on Cannon Mountain up the Icicle Canyon. Hopefully we will catch up with you in Colorado some time soon. Sign up for Outside+ today. We wish you equally wonderful adventures in 2013. The short approach combines with great tree skiing to make Yodelin one of the best backcountry options in the area on storm days. Youre good to go. This terrain includes some amazing open bowls and tree skiing on Big Chief, steep chutes on Cowboy Mountain, orif conditions allow, a run down Tunnel Creek. You can find anything from steep couloirs to some of the best tree skiing if you can find a parking spot. Learn more about the steps were taking for the 2021-22 season below. Or, for a full day tour, continue half a mile west from the saddle to the summit of Big Chief Mountain. Hope you all have a safe and prosperous New Year! This might be a good tweener day up Icicle Canyon where the 6 to 7 inches of new snow on Eightmile Peak or Cannon Mountain may be the right mix of lower slide hazard but higher snow quality. When driving up to Stevens Pass its hard to think that there are areas to ski tour. Leave Seattle by 7 a.m., and by 9 youll be cherry-picking untracked chutes, bowls, and gladed slopes.THE DRIVE: From Seattle, drive north on I-5 to Everett, and then east on Highway 2 for 65 miles to Stevens Pass. I am sorry I missed seeing you both this time around. 3. Ive been very fortunate to have great touring partners who called this area home. From hiking to mountain biking, a summer well spent awaits. WenatcheeOutdoors has several tools to help you quickly monitor weather and snow conditions around the region. With so much powder, I ended up on the DPS most days. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites.
After 15 days of perfect pow, great friends and turns with Louie, it will be a while before Lou stops grinning. These trips do involve a bit of booting to get to the best runs but can be accomplished without specialized backcountry ski bindings or splitboards. The east-facing gladed slopes that drop off the right side range from mellow to moderate-perfect for all levels. Camp at Lake Wenatchee State Park (parks.wa.gov), 20 miles east of Stevens Pass on Highway 2. From the lake, climb back eastward to the ridge crest and ski down to your car.Short on time? The BlewettPass/Mission Ridge environs, meanwhile, log around 160 inches of snow per year, receive copious amounts of sun, and have colder temperatures (often 10 degrees colder). Until you really know your stuff, when the hazard hits 4 (high) or 5(extreme), opt to downhill ski or Nordic ski on a groomed trail system.
All Rights Reserved. Blower Pow Is Not the Only Reason to Visit This Japanese Village, How I Learned to Shut Up, Stop Worrying, and Just Ski the Damn Rocks, How Double Backflips and Human Waste Affect a Ski Expedition. A sordid history of logging and some variably successful development (including two ski resorts: Stevens Pass, which is up and running, and Yodelin, now defunct) means theres an abundance of clear-cuts and access roads-a blight on the landscape to be sure, but a blessing for skiers seeking easy skin-ups and open backcountry slopes. Hey Lou are those the Wailer 99s??? Its much more like skiing in Colorado than Washington. Stuart. From here, you can head east up the ridge toward the summit and ski the fall line slopes directly below the saddle through an old clear cut. Stevens Pass is home to some of the deepest snow and best tree skiing in the Pacific Northwest and is located only one and a half hours from downtown Seattle. Happy New Year! At Vail Resorts, we have a unique responsibility to protectthe environment and futureof the sport we love while supporting our communities. People will still need to climb for their turns but the snowmobiles allow us to access terrain deeper in the mountains. It can also make all the difference in whether youre slogging through storms with almost no visibility versus skiing sunshine, or whether youre skiing slopes coated with a few inches of powder versus busting through breakable crust.
Your day will start before the lifts start spinning so you and your guide can go over the necessary safety briefing, including how to use your beacon, shovel, and probe and how to get the most out of skiing with a guide. updates, images, or resources.
NCMG operates under Special Use Permits with the Okanogan-Wenatchee, and Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forests, and is an equal opportunity outdoor recreation service provider. These guys make some of our favorite stuff, and this year it all gets even better. Log in and send us @2020 - All Rights Reserved. Even with the open boundary policy at adjacent Stevens Pass resort, the areas numerous backcountry bowls and chutes are rarely crowded. Ill be at Hilda Hut in the Selkirks in a couple of weeks and I hope we have snow as good as you found. Please contact us for more details. f you are scheduling this as a non-course related activity, please limit your group size to 12 people. Just expect a few hours and a whole lot of sufferfest to get to them. It was always a pleasure to head out with Scott McAlister. Its probably time for me to replace my Scarpa Lasers. Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. While it is helpful to have a Level 1 avalanche course under your belt, each tour will begin with an avalanche safety briefing and practice session for all of our guests. From Rock Mountain to the west to Seven Fingered Jack to the east. Since you are on a Mobile Phone I have the trips listed above the Images.Sorry about the headache and a full version can be seen on desktop, Kyes Peak via the Pride GlacierCircumnavigation of Columbia Peak. Tax ID: 27-3009280. We have been skiing in this zone for decades and know where to find the best lines. In this photo Louie is enjoying a pair of Kamchatka Salopette, meaning full side-zip bibs that are nice and minimalist. Its about nourishment and learning. While looking at these forecasts, you may also double click on the Google map inside these forecast and get a forecast thats tailored to a more specialized region, like Mt. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more.
Great photos! Full summer hours of operation are Thursdays-Sundays, 10am to 6pm. Once the lifts start spinning you will hop on the chair and head to where the best snow is. 3) Theres been a foot of snow at Stevens Pass and only 2 inches of new snow at Mission Ridge (not unusual). Many areas were impassable, I came home to look at photos of the usual descentsthe runs pictured in guide books and online are currently inundated with new growth trees to the point where I couldn't even skin through them. Avalanche hazard may be high at the crest while the skiff of new snow at Mission may be disappointing. We believe good things come from people spending time outside. His movement is directed across the center of the frame rather than away from it. From the Monte Cristo Range to the South to Glacier Peak to the East. Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada. This is a great way to warm up the legs before heading into the backcountry. Find the most up to date information regarding operating hours for various services. Randonnee Ski Touring AT ski gear What is Hip? Sleep at the Cascadia Inn in Skykomish, 16 miles west of Stevens Pass (from $75; 360-677-2030). Log in and send us The conversion must be complete! This post by Andy Dappen was originally published on 11/22/09.
**Note: At the side of the the online guidebooks, a search box helps users narrow down the selections.
The significantly colder north-facing slopes around Blewett Pass or Mission Ridge, will probably offer much better powder skiing conditions. Six to eight hundred feet of vert later, youll drop down to an old logging road that leads back to where you started. The snow looks great. Designed and developed by 3Sherpas. Not seeing a title that fits your trip? The Mountaineers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Woody took good care of us and it was especially nice to see the new line from Mountain Equipment. Stevens Pass averages over 470 inches of snow per year. This whole region From Cardinal Peak in the Chelans to Goode out of Stehekin is a wild area. Oh, theyre good skis no doubt. Perched on the crest of the range at 4,061 feet, the pass is a geographical anomaly, benefiting from both heavy snowfall out of the west (450 inches most years) and cold air flows from the east. Click on the different links for Stevens Pass, Blewett Pass, and Mission Ridge. Sorry about the headache and a full version can be seen on desktop. The Stevens Pass Bike Park will be opening on July 28 for Bike Park Pass Holders and open on July 29 for the general public! We remain committed to doing everything we can to help keep you safe this season, so you can focus on having a great time on the mountain. For inquiries specific to resort offerings such as lessons or general questions please reach out to the resort directly: As an Epic Pass holder, you get 20% off food, lodging, lessons, rentals, and more. Click all photos to enlarge. Traverse of the Stevens Pass BackcountryHeather RidgeSkyline Ridge. Pre-Trip Briefing - Pt.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lou.dawson.writer. Helping people explore, conserve, learn about, and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. From scenic chairlift rides, guided hikes, disc golf and hiking we have a range of activities to suit all ages, whether you are planning a quick stop over on your way over the pass, or planning a day fun of adventure in the heart of the Cascades. For more vert, continue skinning two miles west to the summit above Skyline Lake, where you can drop into steep south-facing bowls that yield a thousand vertical feet of nicely spaced old-growth pines.
From Highway 2 on the east side you can find yourself on a ferry heading towards North Cascades National Park. Winter Sports Hiking/Trail Running/Backpacking Mountain Biking Climbing, Mountain, Sport and Ice Water Activities. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); All Human Powered Sports! On the page below the trips are put up starting from the west and heading to the east. Get to planning your trip and enjoy the most time on the mountain! If you are scheduling a course field trip. Log in and send us Have You Climbed Any of Americas 14 Friendliest Summits? The Cascades are extremely magnificent to ski on. In contrast the access to the Chiwaukum Range and Nason Ridge is accessible all year. We promise not to annoy you, but if you wish, you may unsubscribe at any time. Its a great way to start off the New Year. Note: one problem with this link is that after clicking the telemetry site you want to see, youll need to scroll down to find the actual graphs. you can take at this route/place. Knowing something about the general avalanche hazard in the surrounding mountains, the amount of new snow, the wind conditions, and the oncoming weather for the day ahead are all important in deciding upon the best place to ski. The first look at these scenes takes my breath away. These are some of my favorite Stevens Pass ski tours with colder temperatures on the east side and two 9000 foot peaks in Leroy Basin. Head to Yodelin, where, thanks to past logging and abandoned ski runs, youll find plenty of open slopes and well-spaced glades. Perfect day. Being between both Stevens Pass and Highway 20 this area can fit into both pages. NCMG 2021. From this one site you can see weeklong graphs of whats taken place at Stevens (On the Pacific Crest) , at Tumwater Mountain (20 miles west of the crest) and at Mission Ridge (40 miles west of the crest). We can accommodate your day to your level of fitness, but the more you prepare, the more you will enjoy your day. Sketchy weather? Instead, the sky looked like Colorado but the ground looked like a glacier. According to many maps Stevens Pass is the beginning of the North Cascades. Its about protecting what sustains us. This area is characterized by more snowy weather than sunny weather, relatively warm winter temperatures (most winter days range between 25 and 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and a classic maritime snowpack where winter avalanches are most likely to occur on the day following a storm. Unbelievably beautiful photographs! Home to groomed resort skiing and access to some fantastic backcountry ski routes. We were in that neighborhood as well. Skiing down theses slopes must be a thrill. New gear, resort reviews, athlete interviews, and more. This is where things start to get wild with a lifetime of mountains surrounding you. Saw you at the Safeway in Leavenworth yesterday, celebrity sighting! Lisa. The access can be challenging heading up the White River Road into Glacier Peak Wilderness and up to Trinity. The Mountain Loop Highway gives you access to everything. Union? As for Uncle Uli himself, well, hes sort of a Snuffleupagus type: No one knows if he actually exists, but rumor has it that he stops in to spin an occasional yarn. Louie backcountry skiing Stevens Pass. (Literally dozens of drive-through espresso huts on the way up make early departure bearable.) Looking for help regarding your season pass, Epic Pass, or online account? We kept wanting to include the undercast in our photos. After getting a sense of the expected weather, open up the Winter Reports matrix (also in the Condition Reports area). Snowmobile-AssistedBackcountry -We have several zones to choose from when using snowmobiles.
Since you are on a Mobile Phone I have the trips listed above the Images. Skiing the fall line spits you out slightly east of your skin track, so traverse back west to meet back up for another lap.
After 1,500 vertical feet, youll hit the highway-the parking lot is about a mile back to the right, depending on where you pop out. When looking at these graphs, the safest region to ski is often obvious.
Access your exclusive Epic Pass holder savings, including 20% off food, lodging, lessons, rentals, and more with Epic Mountain Rewards.
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