January 7, 2012, Bullion Basin

Mike and I had a nice day touring around Bullion Basin on January 7th. We crossed paths with four or five groups over the course of the day, which felt about right for a weekend in this terrain. Bullion sees a fair amount of traffic but rarely feels crowded, and most groups were moving efficiently and sticking to their own lines.

We did one lap into the Basin, then another off Crown Point before exiting via Pickhandle Basin. It made for a varied day with enough different terrain to keep things interesting without covering too much ground. The route through Pickhandle on the way out is a mellow finish to what can be a leg-burning loop depending on how much you pile on in the Basin.

Skiing above 6,000ft was great. The surface was supportable and consistent, with good density in the recent snow that made for satisfying turns on the steeper pitches. Below that elevation, a slight crust had formed, but it wasn't a deal-breaker. The skiing was still nice once you adjusted your technique and accepted the occasional chatter. January crusts in this zone are common and rarely as bad as they look from the uptrack.

We found a small isolated pocket of roughly two inches of wind slab on the east side of Crown Point. It was well-defined and easy to identify, but it was a useful reminder to stay observant even on a day that otherwise read as stable. The slab didn't propagate when we probed it, and we routed around it without issue. No other stability concerns across the rest of the terrain we covered.

Overall a solid January day in a reliable zone. Bullion Basin is consistently one of the better Crystal Mountain area touring options when the road is open and conditions cooperate.

I've been writing about hiking, skiing, and outdoor destinations around Washington State at beexploring.com, including trip planning resources for destinations across the Cascades. Check NWAC ahead of any Crystal Mountain area tour for the West Slopes South forecast.