June 2, 2018, Silver Peak
6/2/18
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3235
4
We were able to drive a few hundred yards short of Windy Pass, but high-clearance vehicles were getting closer by the afternoon. We took the road route (after reading Silas's report that the direct route didn't really go). There were a few carries on the road, longest was about 150 yards, most much shorter. Route-finding from the top of the road into the basin was fine (just one carry in the woods). We didn't see any continuous runs off the back side down toward the lake, but the front side of the ridge skied nicely.
Having missed the prime time window for Silver due to a few trips to other states for non-skiing fun, I decided to join my friend Skip yesterday to see how bad those road carries had gotten. We did a few laps in the NW basin lobe, where I favored the steeps on skiers left. I tried to get Skip to go take a look at the run off the wooded knoll down what I think some call the waterfall line or some such, but he wasn't keen on having to boot out if we found it didn't go, which made some sense I suppose (we weren't able to see it from below when we left the car late morning, but by late afternoon it had cleared and though we couldn't see the entire line, what we could see sure looked continuous fwiw). No matter - we had fun and though the snow got grabby down lower and was dirty with pollen, none of the pollen wanted to stick to my bases. I think it's been there on the snow for a little while, through some rain etc which always seems to defang it a bit. We saw a few folks coming in for late afternoon runs toward the end of our time there.
Indeed it's a more festive locale than it used to be, much like many venues in our region. I think the Seattle Times noted in a recent article that FS data shows a 7x increase in usage at popular trailheads over a timer period in which our regional population merely doubled... And on top of that, social media tends to point a fire hose of users at relatively few better posted spots such as this one (I recall Silver going from quiet to festive after a few key reports on this forum some years back for instance - and on one of the newly busy days I decided to ask folks coming in as we went out why they chose this tour for the day - the answer was nearly always "read a trip report...).
Indeed it's a more festive locale than it used to be, much like many venues in our region. I think the Seattle Times noted in a recent article that FS data shows a 7x increase in usage at popular trailheads over a timer period in which our regional population merely doubled... And on top of that, social media tends to point a fire hose of users at relatively few better posted spots such as this one (I recall Silver going from quiet to festive after a few key reports on this forum some years back for instance - and on one of the newly busy days I decided to ask folks coming in as we went out why they chose this tour for the day - the answer was nearly always "read a trip report...).
Beats doing yard work. But odd that my post on the 22 cars up there was removed(?)
The direct descent route was already narrower than 160cm at its choke point when I rode it 10 days ago. I think you made the right decision to descend back down the north bowl. Plus, it's a real PITA getting out of the creek drainage and thru the teenage trees in the regrowing clear-cut.
Glad to hear the pollen wasn't as sticky. Hoping to be able to drive all the way to Windy Pass soon... I'll trade a carry here and there for a more direct approach and easier exit via the road network.
Glad to hear the pollen wasn't as sticky. Hoping to be able to drive all the way to Windy Pass soon... I'll trade a carry here and there for a more direct approach and easier exit via the road network.
It was on Monday 6/4 that Jim and I were up there. We were willing to drive a few hundred feet or so beyond the PCT hiking trail head at Windy pass, one Subaru was able to go a few hundred feet further.
The snow on the road through the clear cut and on the what we call "the upper headwall" (the steep section below the saddle) is melting VERY fast.
Rocks and holes are already appearing on most of the "upper headwall" to the saddle. It will not be skiable for long.
here are a few photos from the venture
https://www.flickr.com/photos/11723786@N06/albums/72157695984635121
The snow on the road through the clear cut and on the what we call "the upper headwall" (the steep section below the saddle) is melting VERY fast.
Rocks and holes are already appearing on most of the "upper headwall" to the saddle. It will not be skiable for long.
here are a few photos from the venture
https://www.flickr.com/photos/11723786@N06/albums/72157695984635121
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