Gardner, Oval, Courtney, Star Peaks?

Does anyone know the conditions for skiing out of the Twisp area right now?  I am thinking of trying to ski Gardner and North Gardner, or a peak or two out of the Buttermilk Creek trailhead (such as Oval or Courtney).  If the approaches will be better later, say next month, or if the approaches are just too much for two average skiers, then we'll aim for Silver Star.  (Here's a TR on CC on Oval:  www.cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads...7cde14b3ce56617157a9 .) 

That whole area is new to me, so any suggestions or beta would be appreciated.

Gardner might be best to ski from the north rather than the south. Gardner Glacier is one of the best runs in the state, 3,000 vf at a steady steep pitch, from almost 9,000 feet, and is only rarely skiied. Go in from Cedar Creek, get on the ridge bordering Huckleberry Creek, traverse at about 5600 feet (read the map carefully) to get into Huckleberry Creek and climb it to the spectacular alpine area at the base of the glacier (visible from the road). It's steep enough and wind loaded enough to be potentially dangerous. That's why the heliskiers don't go there often. Norh Gardner is also accessible from that spot.

Oval is a good ski from either the south or the north but is not so epic as Gardner. Steve Hindman and I did a very nice 3 day trip some years ago from Hoodoo Pass to the east, over Oval, down the chute (debris filled) on its north, to Duffy Lk, to Scaffold Peak, and then down to the Buttermilk road. There is a trail, shown on the Green Trails map, to Scaffold Meadow, which could be used for access to the north side.

One more superb ski out of Twisp River is Reynolds Peak. This is very much like Silver Star, a day trip of 5,000 vf with a beautiful top 2500 feet.

One more superb ski out of Twisp River is Reynolds Peak.  This is very much like Silver Star, a day trip of 5,000 vf with a beautiful top 2500 feet.

SB,  about when do you expect to be able to drive to Reynolds Creek TH?  Would you recommend the northeast bowl between the true summit and the NW peak or the E slope below the true summit?  Is it really a bit of technical rock to go from the saddle between the summits up the short west ridge to 8512'?  It would be nice to get to the high point and still get a great ski run in, without carrying any extra gear. 
Darn, I would love to get up your way sometime soon!
Thank You,
John

I think right now would be a good time to go to Reynolds. I no longer live in the Methow, so I don't know just what conditions and access are like at this moment. Only once or twice did I get to ski the lower portion of the Reynolds Creek trail out to the trailhead. It's very nice trail skiing if you can get it, but usually by the time the road melted out enough to get near, the lower trail was melted out as well. The run I'm talking about is the NE facing one. I have never actually done the last few feet from the top of the skiing to the top of the peak. To get to the beautiful upper run you leave the trail at around 5,000 feet and boot up through a short, steep, narrow constriction to more open slopes beyond.

To clarify: you can see the Gardner Glacier (also called the Gardner Glacier Couloir) from the Lost River Rd in Mazama.

I've climbed Reynolds twice on ski trips. Both times we climbed a north facing couloir to the east ridge of the south (highest) peak. Above the couloir there is a half-pitch of class-4ish climbing. The rest is class 3. We carried a light rope to belay the harder bit. I think we rappeled the pitch, but my notes aren't clear on that.

Thanks to sb, John_Morrow, and Lowell_Skoog for the beta.  We got onto Silver Star, turning around at the col, and marvelled at the beautiful turns made by the group who came down behind us.  I have not downloaded the photos, but with the near white-out conditions up high they will mostly show the inside of a cloud.  Nonetheless, it is beautiful country up there, and I'll be back.