Some lines haunt your dreams, so aesthetic so isolated, so perfect. Deep in the Northeast Cascades there is a small peak among the giants refereed to as Bandit. Whats impressive about Bandit is its 3500 foot continuous chute on the NW side. It is one of the nicest lines in all of the Cascades and it’s called the Black Hole Couloir.
Crater Mountain is situated just east of Ross Lake and dead center in the North Cascades. This area which is found in the Hozameen Range. The top of Crater Mountain holds two separate summits which until recently housed a fire look. From the high point this area has some best views of the North Cascades. With names like the Picket Range, Jack Mountain and Goode Mountain surrounding its landscape one can see why little attention is paid to this peak from a skiing perspective.
Robinson Mountain in the Okanogan Range is rugged but beautiful backcountry ski. While only five hours away from Seattle this area provides massive rugged mountain. The area is sitting in some of the most isolated wilderness within Washington. With a topographical map and an old climbers trail I was nervous. I was running solo into … Read more
Abernathy peak can be found right outside of Winthrop on the Eastern Border of the North Cascades. On the very edge of the Washington Cascades this dynamic range rises to over 8,500 feet. Finding mellow and aggressive lines being abundant from the summit Abernathy, this zone was the perfect place to go for a ski … Read more
Cardinal Peak is the high point of the Chelan Mountains and an isolated area within the North Cascades. Bordered on the west with the Entiat Range and to the East by Lake Chelan it’s a scenic area without many people. The closest town is the ferry accessed Holden Village but it is mainly accessed via the Entiat River Road with a turnoff on the north fork.
Seven Fingered Jack is one of the biggest peaks in Washington State. It stands proud at the head of the Entiat Range rising just above 9,000 feet. With 3 peaks within the area rising above 9,000 feet it provides one of the most scenic views in the Cascade Mountains. For these reasons we decided it was time to head up Leroy Basin and ride something out there.
With the melting out of the Entiat River road we were able to drive the 20 mile stretch of road to an old mining settlement called Trinity. Trinity was a huge exporter of Copper only to fall apart in 1938, when all the miners left for the mines in Holden. Both Scott and myself decided to head that direction as see if we could ride on one of the 9000 footers.
The Spire Col area has a reputation for being one of the most isolated areas within the Cascades and as we found out, it lives up to the reputation. I was fortunate to be invited on a Hummel family outing with not only the Hummel twins but also there younger brother Jessy to explore this rarely ventured area.
The Sherpa Glacier Couloir on Mount Stuart is an awesome ski tour. Located on the eastern side of the North Cascades it is both big and in a cold area. With the long approach it is far from the masses but well worth the effort. The steep north facing slope holds powder longer then most of the surrounding mountains . If there is good snow anywhere in the Cascades it is almost always going to be on the Sherpa Glacier.
While most of the winter in the Cascades had been a drought spring seemed to have make up for it. Rain was ravaging the lowlands but it was coming down as snow in the mountains. With stable weather and the possibility of over 2 ft of fresh on the E side of the Crest we had a plan. Scott and I decided to check out the Sherpa Glacier and its north facing slopes of Mount Stuart.
