Swimming Deer & Josephine Lakes via Tunnel Creek?

Has anyone ever tried a circle route in the Stevens area that involves "the other backside", specifically by dropping down either Cowboy or the powerlines to the north fork of Tunnel Ck, ascending it to the saddle near Swimming Deer, contouring to Josephine, then exiting to Mill Valley via the approx PCT route as in Kirkendall? If so any tips & tricks?

It looks viable on a map and from what I remember from looking at it from above. However, I also know that the other fork of Tunnel (the one with the summer trail that goes to Hope & Mig) is not a good ski touring valley; steep sidehill and very V shaped at bottom without a good bench for travel.

Interesting you should mention that, I'm thinking of following the PCT, then past Swimming Deer and on to Lake Surprise. Not in one day however. Tunnel doesn't look that  interesting, another possibility is to ski all the high points around Josephine and the Whitepine drainage.

greg

For future reference, here's a thread about a very-low-probability / very-high-consequence hazard of this route:

"Heli bombing near Steven's Pass"