Stevens Pass and Highway 2 Ski Tours Archives - Page 2 of 3

Chocolate Glacier Headwall on Glacier Peak

Looking at the Chocolate Glacier on Glacier Peak in Washington State

It all started with a forecast. If predicted correctly we would finally get three days of sunshine and a shot at getting in the alpine. The plan came together quickly to ride Glacier Peak via the Chocolate Glacier Headwall. Unlike other Cascade volcanoes Glacier Peak is surrounded by some of the most rugged and remote peaks in the lower 48. It has become by far my favorite peak. I had been to this area two times before. Once three years ago on a quest to climb the five Washington volcanoes. The next time it would be via the Dakobeds which was a 60-mile seven day traverse. This time, we would go in via Thunder Basin, a route pioneered by Ryan and Monica years earlier.

Looking at Goode Mountain and the Northeast Butress that we snowboarded

Any mountaineer who has intimate knowledge of the Cascades knows of at least one mountain that invokes fear. A mountain full of near-vertical faces, glaciers covered in seracs, crevasses and schrunds and an abundance of cliffs everywhere. For every dream of majestic open slopes, there is a nightmare hiding in the shadows. To me Goode Mountain was that nightmare.

Our route snowboarding the Mary Green Glacier on Bonanza Peak

Bonanza Peak is the biggest non volcanic mountain within the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Located near the head of Railroad Creek it’s main access is via Holden Village. It has two main drainage’s which are both to the East and to the North and is located in Glacier Peak Wilderness. Although it is a massive and complex mountain with potential on every aspect the area is relatively quiet. We had arrived in Holden Village in Mid April with the plans to ride both Bonanza Peak and Mount Fernow. Being that we had rode Fernow two days previously or attention had switched to the highest peak around.

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.

An ariel view of Cardinal Peak by John Scurlock

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.

Snowboarding down while looking west towards Glacier Peak from the summit of Seven Fingered Jack

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.

Spire Col in Glacier Peak Wilderness Washington

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.

With weather conditions looking dismal throughout the Cascades Scott and I decided to head up to Rock Mountain on Stevens Pass. Situated barely east of the cascade crest, the forecast in this region seemed the most promising. Once arriving at the trail we found it to be straight to the point. Exactly 99 switchbacks over a 5000 vertical foot gain led us directly towards the alpine. Within 2 hours we were skinning through snow-covered trees from Stevens Pass’s power-line, clear-cut and road-littered terrain below.

Looking at Sherpa Peak in Alpine Lakes Wilderness

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.

It’s not unusual to have the occasional spring storm here in the Cascades, but the past few weeks have been ridiculous. With cloudy skies and a few inches of fresh snow Scott (Ale Capone) and I opted to head into an area he was familiar with. The determining factor of the terrain we chose was that it had to be treed slopes for potential whiteout conditions. Our options for the immediate Stevens Pass area were Heather Ridge, Lichtenburg, Union and Jove Mountains. We opted to do all of them.

Chocolate Glacier Headwall on Glacier Peak

Goode Mountain: The King on the North Cascades

Bonanza Peak the Crown of the North Cascades

The Black Hole Couloir on Bandit Peak

Cardinal Peak at the Head of the Chelan Mountains

Seven Fingered Jack: Deep in the Entiats

Spire Col in Glacier Peak Wilderness

Rock Mountain and May Powder on Stevens Pass

Sherpa Glacier Snowboard trip on Mount Stuart

A Comprehensive Tour of the Stevens Pass Corridor