Questions About Scope Of Ski Terrain

Hello Everyone. Hope the 4th of July has been fun. I've attached a rather abstract image of the terrain around Pinnacle/Castle. How much of this terrain is skiied? I know Pinnacle/Castle saddle is a popular tour. Does the drainage south of the saddle see much ski activity? What about the large bowl to the left of Pinnacle? Are there any areas that you tend to avoid? Thanks in advance for any responses.

Abstract, indeed! Perhaps ron j will post his uber-map (minus the best stashes, of course) as a better base for discussion? To avoid repeats of past confusions, I like to refer the col between Castle & Pinnacle as 'the saddle', and the traditional easiest/safest route to the ridgetop E of Castle as "Castle Shoulder' Most of the obvious northside lines between Unicorn and Denman Peak are skiied pretty commonly. There have been numerous fine Tatoosh TRs this season.

In winter, the N & E aspects of the Tatoosh (and the E side of the Muir Snowfield) are historically the most active area for slab avalanches around Paradise. Two particular places I avoid, based on decades of observation: 1) Where the summer trail to Pinnacle-Plummer saddle leaves the thick trees, slides are frequent from the slabby rock on Pinnacle above. 2) The portion of Sunbeam Cirque west of Foss Pk. Great coverage has allowed skiing it's attractive lines this year, but in a normal season, there is a persistent low cliff band that leaves the slopes above 'unsupported' and subject to relatively frequent large slides. Note the huge treeless runout nearly to the road.

The drainage to the south of the central Tatoosh is Butter Ck. Although it's common for groups to do laps on this side, I suspect few descend more than a thousand vertical feet. Several of the larger ravines lead eventually to moderately extensive bedrock slabs. The safest complete descent is probably on the east side beneath Foss Pk. It would be about 8 miles, including a mile of uphill at the end, to reach the major sled sno-park on Skate Ck Rd, 5 miles E of Packwood.