Taking advantage of the rare bluebird pow day (okay 2 inches) Dan and myself did a nice scenic tour around the areas south of Crystal Mountain ski resort searching for powder in Morse Creek. We rode down SE facing slopes (sucked) W facing (even worse) S facing (o.k.) and North facing (nice deep pow if it didn’t slide). The views were great and there was minimal stability concerns.
Climbing up Silver Basin towards Morse Creek
We left early in the morning before the lifts were running. Before long we were making our way up Silver Basin heading towards the North/South Col. With it being blue skies we were enjoying the views of the surrounding peak. With a little bit of powder on top of firm conditions we hoped to find powder in Morse Creek.
Once we made it up to the Col in Silver Basin we took in the views. Everything around us looked descent but it was hard to say how it would ride. Before long it was time to take our first lap into Crystal Lakes Basin.
Dan rode in first and we were surprised how good the snow really ways. After those first few turns we were sure that we would find some good lines to ride. If it was this good on west facing slopes we were now sure that the north facing slopes should ride great.
Heading Towards Morse Creek
Once in Crystal Lakes Basin we made our way over to a low col that would grant us access to Morse Creek Basin. Since we were just below the saddle we decided to bootpack up.
Looking towards Sourdough Gap we could tell that it was holding powder in Morse Creek Basin. We decided the best bet would be to hike over the col and ride a bowl further east.
Once in Sheep Lake Basin we were excited and taking in the stunning views of Sheep Lake Couloir. We were able to traverse most of the way there as the south facing slopes were firm. It just wasn’t worth riding down to the lake.
Once on the ridge we took a look around to find the spot we thought would have the best snow. After transitioning we were ready to make our best turns of the day.
Finding Powder in Morse Creek
Everything looked good and we had the zone to ourselves. Soon enough we dropped in and were putting in track toward Placer Lake.
We were able to find some great powder in Morse Creek as it got deeper the further we made our way down. While every other place was still in the sun we were enjoying the cool shade.
The snow was much better than we had expected and we took one last view of our line. We transitioned on the shores of Placer Lake before our final climb up to Dogleg Peak.
After a final hour climb we were riding powder down the north side of Dogleg Peak all the way back to the resort. Though we weren’t expecting much it had turned out to be a great day.
Thank you for reading this trip. If you want to see more ski tours within Crystal Mountain Backcountry check out this link.