March 4, 2018, Colchuck Glacier
3/4/18
WA Cascades East Slopes Central
6928
20
Too much cragging and not enough touring this winter inspired me to throw myself at a proper beatdown up to Colchuck. Kyle Flick and I started skinning from Icicle Road by 5:30am. 8 Mile Rd is still completely snow covered.
We got up to the lake in variable spring weather. Broken clouds one minute. Socked in and snowing the next. We made it about halfway up the glacier before calling it good. Forgot just how brutal it was to get up there.
We skied dreamy powder unaffected by wind or sun. Some of the best turns I've gotten up there ever. Even the ski back down the trail was good with soft, forgiving snow the entire way.
The first bridge crossing is safely done au cheval over an icy Arete. If you have your eyes on the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire in the Bugaboos, you should get up to the bridge to take a couple laps.
We got up to the lake in variable spring weather. Broken clouds one minute. Socked in and snowing the next. We made it about halfway up the glacier before calling it good. Forgot just how brutal it was to get up there.
We skied dreamy powder unaffected by wind or sun. Some of the best turns I've gotten up there ever. Even the ski back down the trail was good with soft, forgiving snow the entire way.
The first bridge crossing is safely done au cheval over an icy Arete. If you have your eyes on the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire in the Bugaboos, you should get up to the bridge to take a couple laps.
Big push! In that second picture, I can still see some of those nasty boulders south of the lake...I hate them...They took all my energy last June. Were you able to keep your skis on the whole way? Really like skiing above the lake, but starting to dislike the torture of hiking there and back with ski tails catching on rocks. Still too fresh in my memory.
Oh yes.....great stuff fellas.
It looks like Dragontail is well clad for spring shenannigans. Much needed TR John, thanks, & it's always good to hear you're in different footwear!
It looks like Dragontail is well clad for spring shenannigans. Much needed TR John, thanks, & it's always good to hear you're in different footwear!
author=Jake the Brit link=topic=39814.msg160279#msg160279 date=1520265878]
Oh yes.....great stuff fellas.
It looks like Dragontail is well clad for spring shenannigans. Much needed TR John, thanks, & it's always good to hear you're in different footwear!
Thanks Jake!
As for ice in Triple Couloirs/Gerber-Sink routes, from our perspective, it looked like powder snow over rock. No ice from what we could see.
The coffee was good though!
Did you get any good eyes on the Cannon couloir? Also, how was stability overall? Looks like good coverage for an early attempt!
The CMC always seems to fill in nicely, and it looks good now. We did notice though the coverage from the road to the top of the couloir looks very thin. In the best of seasons the West slopes of Cannon feature rotten snow over barely covered snags and stumps. It looks especially heinous currently.
The Cannon approach was awful at the peak of the mid-February thaw. You could trail run two miles of the eightmile road on bare dirt and walk to 5000' on dry, southerly aspects of Cashmere. Similar coverage on Cannon at the time and hasn't gotten much better below 5k' in the burn. The only difference is that the road snow is back.
We will need a big March and April to get the Stuarts resembling the shape they were in last year in May/June. Storms near the crest have not been as generous in the Enchantment metro area.
And...the Volken book needs revised to reflect that ten years of forest succession makes that CMC approach/exit harder than previously described. Bring your folding saw!
We will need a big March and April to get the Stuarts resembling the shape they were in last year in May/June. Storms near the crest have not been as generous in the Enchantment metro area.
And...the Volken book needs revised to reflect that ten years of forest succession makes that CMC approach/exit harder than previously described. Bring your folding saw!
author=clevo link=topic=39814.msg160289#msg160289 date=1520279740]
The Cannon approach was awful at the peak of the mid-February thaw. You could trail run two miles of the eightmile road on bare dirt and walk to 5000' on dry, southerly aspects of Cashmere. Similar coverage on Cannon at the time and hasn't gotten much better below 5k' in the burn. The only difference is that the road snow is back.
We will need a big March and April to get the Stuarts resembling the shape they were in last year in May/June. Storms near the crest have not been as generous in the Enchantment metro area.
And...the Volken book needs revised to reflect that ten years of forest succession makes that CMC approach/exit harder than previously described. Bring your folding saw!
Pics were February 9th.
author=jwplotz link=topic=39814.msg160287#msg160287 date=1520276530]
The CMC always seems to fill in nicely, and it looks good now. We did notice though the coverage from the road to the top of the couloir looks very thin. In the best of seasons the West slopes of Cannon feature rotten snow over barely covered snags and stumps. It looks especially heinous currently.
Yeah, we tried last April. Seems like a poor idea right now, even though it was always going to be suffering.
Photo of the au cheval on Pigeon Spire, in case my reference to it was confusing:
I'm seeing some CMC beta for the first time in years so please pardon the thread heist. I remember turning left at Mountaineer TH parking and a gated logging road led cross-hill to the ridge end we used to climb up. Once, there was drifted snow over the gate and tracks showing a successful drive right to roads end...Opel Manta Rally with a ski rack sitting there. So I believe I saw a major wash or a slide years back that took out a big chunk of that hillside making that walk-in traverse pretty ugly. Has the old stand-by become too difficult and wondering if better to ascend Mountaineer a bit, hook uphill, and back left through a burn to get to the cirque entrance? I've gone direct to the top this way but haven't validated anything to achieve the colouir. Any beta you're willing to share is much appreciated!
author=rippy link=topic=39814.msg160323#msg160323 date=1520386496]
I'm seeing some CMC beta for the first time in years so please pardon the thread heist. I remember turning left at Mountaineer TH parking and a gated logging road led cross-hill to the ridge end we used to climb up. Once, there was drifted snow over the gate and tracks showing a successful drive right to roads end...Opel Manta Rally with a ski rack sitting there. So I believe I saw a major wash or a slide years back that took out a big chunk of that hillside making that walk-in traverse pretty ugly. Has the old stand-by become too difficult and wondering if better to ascend Mountaineer a bit, hook uphill, and back left through a burn to get to the cirque entrance? I've gone direct to the top this way but haven't validated anything to achieve the colouir. Any beta you're willing to share is much appreciated!
That Old Logging Road is so overgrown it's impossible to get through almost. The washout that you talk about makes things incredibly difficult as well. If I were going to do the cannon mountain couloir, I would without a doubt go straight up rat Creek drainage, then head straight up to the Ridge Crest above Cannon Mountain couloir. Rat Creek is a lot less heinous, more direct. Exit out as you would normally down Mountaineers Creek and walk back to your car. Or hitchhike.
I'll vouch for the eightmile creek route up cannon. we split it a couple years ago, crossing the creek at 3100ft with fairly minimal bs. either that or my selective memory has fooled me again.
Thanks for sharing the photos. Happy to see the conditions out there right now.
Thanks for sharing the photos. Happy to see the conditions out there right now.
Thanks for the trip report! How much snow was on 8-mile road on the way up? Think it'll survive the coming rain?
Nice one John! Love the pic of the au cheval on Pigeon. Have to try to get out to the Bugs someday.
As for the CMC, it has the worst skiing to approach effort ratio of any objective I've ever attempted. It's such a short run, for the amount of thrashing required to get there. But looking at it from the Bridge Creek Campground is a siren song that no ski mountaineer can resist. You've been warned!
As for the CMC, it has the worst skiing to approach effort ratio of any objective I've ever attempted. It's such a short run, for the amount of thrashing required to get there. But looking at it from the Bridge Creek Campground is a siren song that no ski mountaineer can resist. You've been warned!
author=Good2Go link=topic=39814.msg160362#msg160362 date=1520541970]
the worst skiing to approach effort ratio of any objective. It's such a short run, for the amount of thrashing required
The story of Leavenworth Backcountry skiing in a nutshell! Unless you have a sled.
I'm shocked you haven't been to the Bugaboos yet! I would have thought you had been there multiple times by now!
It's too hard to leave the backyard alpine in the prime season when I still have so much unfinished business.
BTW - It's just about Stuart season. Hit me with your phone # via PM if you're still interested in joining for a lap.
BTW - It's just about Stuart season. Hit me with your phone # via PM if you're still interested in joining for a lap.
Thanks for sharing !....long gone is the straight-forward approach that made the colouir a reasonable objective. Glad I tapped it several times when the getting was good. It is hard to view it and not want a shot skiing it. From experience, It isn't in good ski shape a lot of times in spring and when it smooths out, the pack is getting shallower and some rocks come into play.
John, great to see a post from you, seems like it's been awhile. I'll have to twist your tail though, stopping before the col, what's up with that???
Pigeon spire pic is fantastic.
Pigeon spire pic is fantastic.
Looks like a hand traverse...🤪
Nice work, John! I'm impressed but where were you last season?!? 😉
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