May 9, 2008, Abiel 5365' and Silver 5605' Peaks

The upshot: timing is pretty darned important, but with any freeze tonight there should be some firm snow to be found tomorrow around Snoqualmie Pass.  Gosh darn there is ALOT of snow still.  This is a fun short traverse.  I admit to behaving a bit like a peakbagger on skis (of easy peaks) from time to time.

The approach:  At I-90 exit 47 right now one can get nowhere driving beyond the south pullout.  From here I went on foot behind the "No ATV" sign and straight up to the Iron Horse Trail through easy second growth forest, sometimes on firm snow, sometimes on dirt.  Cross over the powerline corridor (minor brush) and continue up to the Iron Horse.  About 15 minutes later I was on the Iron Horse, skis on, and went left around the bend into Humpback Creek.  At the creek, go up the west side of the creek and not the trail side.  This route will work for two more weeks as the snow at 2400 feet is at least four feet deep!
Then it was simply up the creek's west side, beyond the west shore of Annette Lake, up a broad ramp below the north face of Abiel Peak to the Silver/Abiel Peaks saddle (see pic 2).  I huffed up the southeast slope of Abiel Peak, racing the clock, noting that I had punched my fist through about an inch of freeze with mush below.  30 minutes later I was on top of Abiel at about 10:45AM.  Abiel is not a big ski destination, obviously.  But makes for a fun loop.

The skiing: I quickly stripped the skins and managed the short run on about an inch thaw of corn on the supportive crust.  But I did learn that by 11:00 AM southeast slopes were basically shot.   Then it was on to the pleasant traverse through open subalpine park slopes and up the south ridge of Silver Peak.  To my surprise, the south rib slope was staying firm with only about an inch of thaw.  Not only could I not put my fist through it, it was hard to push 4 fingers into it.  Go figure.  Good part was that the route had snow completely to the top so I would get a run directly off the summit.
At the top I waited for about 45 minutes till 12:30PM in order for the sun to hit Silver's big west slopes a bit.  Knowing, by what I found on the south slope, that I could relax a bit.  The ski was great with only an inch of penetration down the south rib and less than that on the west slopes when I turned the corner at the first available time.  For longer fall line runs one could just boot down the rocky slopes below the NW ridge of Silver or directly down from the summit.  But I wanted, more so, not too have to take off the skis and clammer over rocks.  Thus I opted for this corkscrew approach.   Much of the west side of Silver was in great shape.  A few parts had debris but there were many smooth lines.  I'd do one, traverse, do another, traverse and do another.  Snow stayed firm to 3600 feet where it promptly turned to about 6" of slurpee on a base.  Heavy but skiable, I found the glade that crosses the summer trail and took it to the bottom of Humpback Creek, crossing back to my approach route.  I made it back to the Iron Horse Trail by 1:15PM!  I am not sure one can time the bottom slopes staying firm without skiing a bit of ice at the top.  So I felt waiting on the summit was a good decision because I wanted good skiing on the long upper slopes.

I hiked the summer trail out.  It was so filled with blowdown, and brush that kept swatting the skis on my pack, that my approach from the car probably would have been better.  First day of real corn, and after a bit of remembering how to ski very firm snow, it was quite a fun day in the hills!

Picture one is ye olde' self portrait with the slopes of Silver behind.
Picture two is the fun terrain on the traverse from Abiel.
Picture three is the west slopes holding in firmly.