With easy access from Stevens Pass ski resort Skyline Ridge is the first place to go. With a lot of Backcountry options on all aspects it’s a quick place to get into the snow. Wanting to take advantage of a storm overnight Ben, Scott, Kololo and I decided to head that way. Our plan was to get up there early so we would have enough time to lap the area.

Breaking Trail up Skyline Ridge

From the moment we got out of the car we knew it was going to be a great day. Looking at the snow on the trees we could tell the area was loaded in fresh snow. We had arrived early in the day and were the first people heading up the road. It’s a rare experience to be breaking trail but here we were in ankle deep snow.

Since it was still early in the season we were looking at riding the South facing slopes. With wide open forest and numerous gullies it offers numerous variations with every run. Each one of us could have our own line without going far from each other. Best of all there is a road at the base so we could skin back up with ease.

The moment we made our way off the road the snow amount doubled in depth. Between the trees and what was under our feet we knew it would be a great day. Happy that we would only have to break trail once we worked with the contours of the slope.

Arriving at our Transition Point

Before long we were on the top of Skyline Ridge and looking towards our lines. There were numerous gullies all of which were untracked. Knowing all of them would be good we went for the furthest east gully. There was no need to go any further as we could save those for another lap.

Since there was a bunch of new snow we decided to ride in the trees before the gully down low. Fortunately the terrain was both steep and well anchored so we would be able to have a great run. As we transitioned we checked out what was the best entrance and mentally mapped our lines.

Snowboarding down Skyline Ridge via the South Face

Working our way through the trees the snow was bottomless. Before long the terrain started opening up and we were able to take deep turns. Plumes of snow would explode with every turn and we could barely see each other. Underneath us was almost 2000 feet of perfect riding to the road below.

With the snow being so deep we made sure to keep visibility of each other. Fortunately the snow wasn’t sloughing nor slabbing but we were careful not to cut and convex slopes. Usually it was Scott Laying in first tracks followed by both Ben and I. Since he was the local he knew the terrain like the back of his hand. I’ve learned over time always trust the locals.

Finally down lower it was time to head into the gully for a few seconds before the apron below. From top to bottom it kept getting deeper the further we went. Before long we were at the road and transitioning. With the conditions being so and a few hours before it got dark we knew we had time for another lap.

Heading Back up for a Second Lap

After breaking trail up the lower road we were soon on our old skin track. With it already broken it we made our way up in half the time as a few hours before. Since we had rode the Eastern most gully before we decided to head to the top of Skyline Ridge. Traversing our way across we made our way towards the next gully to the west.

Our Second Lap on Skyline Ridge

Transitioning on top we knew that the line below us was much more open. During our previous run we hadn’t caused anything to move but we still dropped in with caution. For the upper section of the line we stayed out of the main gut. Following the loosely spaced trees were were soon below the main convex. By now we were riding wide open slopes all the way to the road below.

Following the lower gully we hit up the sidewalls and working with the terrain. Occasionally we would find ourselves charging through the main drainage. Scott was leading the way until all of a sudden he disappeared. Though there wasn’t enough water to get wet he had fallen into a hole. After a few seconds he made his way out and we rode the final few hundred feet to the road.

Exiting to Stevens Pass

We arrived at the bottom the same time another group was skinning back up. These were the only people we had seen throughout the day. Though we could tell there were more people lapping Skyline Ridge there was more then enough space for all of us. By now it was soon going to getting dark and it was time to head back to the car.

It had been a great day getting two amazing laps of snow on Skyline Ridge. We worked with the terrain and had to clean lines from top to bottom in bottomless snow. It had been a great choice for the day after the storm. Before long we were back at the car and celebrating as the darkness absorbed the sky.

Thank you for reading this trip on Skyline Ridge. If you want to see more ski tours within the Stevens Pass Backcountry check out this link.