The Bryant Peak Couloir is one of the better easy access lines in the Alpental Backcountry. Being south facing it is an aesthetic line that can be accessed from both the ski lifts and the backcountry. With it being mid winter we decided to head out to the Chair Peak area in hopes of finding good snow. With a question of stability on east facing slopes we decided to turn back. Since Bryant Peak was on the way to the car park we decided to take a bonus run of the Bryant Peak Couloir.

Ski touring up to Snow Lake Col

With a low freezing level and good snow around Alpental it was time to explore the surrounding area. Over the past week the snow had plastered all of the Cascades but the tail end had come in cold. Knowing this it was a rare situation where there would be snow all the way to the bottom of the Alpental Parking lot. Knowing this we decided to head up to Snoqualmie Pass and see if we could find something good to ride.

Heading up the Alpental Valley to Figure out What we Wanted to Ski

Breaking trail up the Alpental valley we were both excited and concerned. The forecast was calling for clear skies but all we could see was clouds lingering on Snoqualmie Mountain. A step at a time we made our way towards Snow Lake breaking trail in over a foot of new snow.

A switchback at a time we stuck to the trees making a safe route up to the low col. From what we could see the Pineapple Pass area was thick in clouds. We kept wondering what the weather would be like up high. The last thing we wanted was to drop into an alpine line with no visibility.

Making our way up the head of the Alpental Valley it was discouraging that we had gambled with weather. We were fortunate to have trees to cling to if a cloud did drop down but we were not there to ski the Snow Lake trees.

As we crested the col it seems the weather had changed for the better. We started coming up with options of thing to do and spots to descend. After a bit of chatting we deciding to hike towards the base of Chair Peak. Knowing the last hump was too steep to skin we put our boards on our packs and started climbing in the sunshine.

Arriving Below Chair Peak in the Sun

Looking back we could now see Snoqualmie Mountain and the Slot Couloir area. We were wondering if this was just a small weather window of if the sun had come to stay.

As we made our way up the last step to the Base of Chair Peak we had a stunning view. The mountain just seemed to rise dramatically for 1,000 feet from the ridge. It wasn’t our intention to climb it but possibly we could ride down to Snow Lake.

From our perspective we had two options. We could either ride to the east and drop down to snow lake or head back west towards Alpental. Over the past week the winds had been strong from the west. This meant the Snow Lake area was wind loaded which made us nervous. While the route would be straight foreword there was no denying that it was a massive avalanche slope.

Deciding to go With Plan B to Ride the Bryant Peak Couloir

In the end we decided riding back down to the Alpental Valley was the right call. Even before we were transitioning the clouds were already coming in again. We were in a race against time as any moment the clouds could swallow us up. Soon enough we were riding down into the valley heading for plan B. Instead we would go check out the Bryant Peak Couloir. If it was in a whiteout at least we would have rocks on the side to reference on our descent.

Once in the valley we started making our way towards the top of the Bryant Peak Couloir. Instead of climbing directly up it we would wrap around as it would allow us to skin. Knowing that climbing up the line would be bootpacking in waist deep snow we made our way up a switchback at a time.

Dropping into the Bryant Peak Couloir

On the top the weather had turned for the worse. We were happy with our decision as the line was straight forward and filled with snow. Dropping in we were happy to find bottomless powder with every turn. We had not originally planned to ride it but it was a perfect plan B.

Top to bottom it was great snow as we would kick up snow. By now everything below us was whiteout condition but gravity kept us going down. We were in a world of white from both the snow and the clouds but also laying first tracks in the Bryant Peak couloir.

Once we made it into the apron the snow was even deeper. All I could see was Ben’s yellow coat and the faint lines of his tracks. We had scored in conditions and made the most out of the day.

Riding all the way into the Alpental Valley we kept our speed up. The last thing we wanted was to get stuck in the flats below. Having rode the Alpental backcountry many times before I knew that it could suck for a snowboard.

Heading Back to the Car After Riding the Bryant Peak Couloir in Bottomless Powder

With speed we were able to make it most of the way back to the car. A few small boot packs on the Alpental Traverse and we were arriving in the upper parking lot. It was a gamble heading out with such a small weather window and we had lost on the hopes of clear skies. That being said riding the Bryant Peak Couloir in bottomless powder was well worth the drive up alone.

Thank you for reading this trip out to the Bryant Peak Couloir. If you want to see more ski tours within the Snoqualmie Pass Backcountry check out this link.