Snowboarding lower down on the East face of Pickhandle Peak

The Stormtrooper is the face just to the east of Dogleg Peak in Silver Basin. Being of a similar aspect it’s a nice north facing bowl that holds snow longer than most places around. With a solid skin track it is a great place to take multiple laps and easily mitigate avalanche exposure. With that in mind Darren, Bryan and I decided to go link it with the west face of Pickhandle Peak. It was our hopes that is was the last of the untracked slopes near Crystal Mountain.

Heading Out Towards Bear Gap

Being with a crew who was all using snowshoes we rode the Crystal Mountain lifts over to the base of Silver basin. Once getting our gear together it was time for a low traverse over to Bear Gap. Once there we made our way up the mellow western ridge kicking in our snowshoes towards the summit of Pickhandle Peak.

Using the snowshoes to get up Bear Gap in the Crystal Mountain Backcountry
Using the snowshoes to get up Bear Gap in the Crystal Mountain Backcountry

Riding the West Face of Pickhandle Peak

Once we made it to the top of the peak we switched over to descent mode with the intention of riding the West face of Pickhandle Peak. From what we could see the snow looked both smooth and soft and it was a nice open line.

Taking our first run down the West face of Pickhandle Peak
Taking our first run down the West face of Pickhandle Peak

Riding down into the basin we were happy to find great snow in the wide open slopes. We had expected it to be cooked by the sun but this wasn’t the case. It was a great first lap to start our trip.

Snowboarding lower down on the East face of Pickhandle Peak
Snowboarding lower down on the East face of Pickhandle Peak

Making our way Towards the Stormtrooper

After transitioning we made our way up to Bear Gap. The route towards Stormtrooper was straight forward as we followed the ridge to the west carefully skirting under the cliff. Before long we were on the upper ridge and taking in the view of the north facing slopes in Silver Basin.

Making our way over to the Storm Trooper in Silver Basin
Making our way over to the Storm Trooper in Silver Basin

Making our way up the ridge we finally arrived at summit of the Stormtrooper. There was a massive cornice up top so we made sure to stay a bit away as we soaked in the views of the Crystal Mountain backcountry. Trooped for one final ascent back to the ski resort.

Standing on the top of the Storm Trooper just behind a cornice
Standing on the top of the Storm Trooper just behind a cornice

Riding the Stormtrooper Back to Crystal Mountain

Finally it was time for our last run of the day as we put our snowshoes on our packs and transitioned for a powder run. One at a time we dropped off of the Stormtrooper to the north facing slopes below.

Snowboarding into the North face of the Storm Trooper with Silver Basin in the Background
Snowboarding into the North face of the Storm Trooper with Silver Basin in the Background

With the slopes being wide open and in the shade it was still powder conditions even though it hadn’t snowed for days. A turn at a time we made our way towards the ski resort. Knowing there were a few flat spots we made sure to get as much fall line as possible.

Making the best out of shaded North facing Slopes in the Crystal Mountain Backcountry
Making the best out of shaded North facing slopes

Once lower on the line we made it into the main gully. We could have traversed up high to stay out of this terrain but we knew it would have good snow. Fortunately the line was filled in and we were able to ride to the flats below. After a 20 minute hike back to the ski resort.

getting some air time in the lower gully on our exit
getting some air time in the lower gully on our exit

It was still relatively early in my backcountry days and it was a great day getting out with friends. We had found really good snow when it was all tracked out at the resort.

Thank you for reading this trip out to Pickhandle Peak and the Stormtrooper. If you want to see more ski tours within Crystal Mountain Backcountry check out this link.