Mixup Peak, Slot n' Pepper Couloir + NE Couloir

Original trip report: https://engineeredforadventure.com/mixup-peak-slot-n-pepper-couloir-ne-couloir/

Background

The extended high pressure here in Washington at the start of 2025 has made for quite a confusing snowpack. The risk of snow sliding on you (in the form of an avalanche) couldn't be lower right now, but coverage isn't quite there in spots. Conditions are variable, to say the least, but it's 'open season': you can jump on just about anything, as long as you can stick the landing.

Mixup Peak is often overlooked as you walk by it. The S-Loop, the Ptarmigan Traverse, Magic Mountain...I've walked by it a number of times and never stopped to say hi. It has two beautiful ski lines on it, on either side of Cascade Pass. On the west side of the pass, there's a directly north facing line first documented by Phil Fortier dubbed 'Slot n Pepper'. You stare right at it from Sahale. On the east side of the pass, there's a beautiful, plumb NE facing couloir that I haven't seen named. We'll just call it the NE Couloir. It's ~1000' then dumps out to an apron, but there's another mini couloir you can take down to the valley floor for a 2400' vertical drop. Both are worthy of a visit.

Trip Report

With January-levels of coverage, I wasn't sure if Slot n' Pepper or the NE Couloir would go continuously but I'd go and have a look. I turned on some tunes and tuned out.

Conditions were pretty ideal for solo, steep skiing. Protected high norths were a mix of firm board and chalk. Booting was easy (enough) and stability was rock solid (literally in places haha). I set off up Slot n' Pepper, waiting for some rock choke or ice step to turn me around. Well, never found it. It's narrow in spots but never too narrow for your skis to fit.

I knew Slot n' Pepper was steep and consistent but it kind of overshot my expectations! It's pretty dang steep at the top. The top-out is neat, you reach a nice ridge where you can look over at Formidable. There's a cornice you have to push through and some sugary shit snow near the top. I topped out, snapped a photo of Formidable, and walked down 5' or so below the sugar shit to click into my skis.

The first few turns at the top are real, especially in firm. Toes locked, ready to rock. The line was lovely, plumb with steep rock walls...everything a couloir should be. It felt great to practice the jump turns in a stunning place alone.

I had time for more fun and games. I transitioned, listening to Manny and Thomas still on CJ, and headed back up towards Mixup NE. In my head Mixup NE was chiller than Slot n' Pepper. From afar it looks plumb but never overly steep. The slope angle shading is hard to tell with deep rock walls. I skinned up to the shoulder high above Cascade Pass, quickly ski traversed over to the base of Mixup NE, and found more good chalk. One more 1000' booter to do. Turns out setting your own booters all day is kinda tiring haha.

As I ascended, my expectations were again getting overshot. Mixup NE was pretty sustained, pretty steep...pretty real. I was psyched. This line I'd walked past a number of times was telling me told ya so. Again, as I climbed I was expecting to find a rock pinch or ice step indicative of early season lack of coverage. And while I didn't find either of those, there was one section where the width of the couloir was barely more than my ski pole. Hmmm...this is going to be interesting on the way down.

Just like Slot n' Pepper, the top-out of Mixup NE is lovely. There's a great nook on the south side where you can lounge and look out at Formidable. I snacked, ripped my skins, and prepped for a more interesting ski down than I thought.

For the second time today, I was over-impressed by the pitch and position. Mixup NE was deep, dark, constrained, and dank. I made turns from the top down to the rock pinch, around 100' below the top.

Hmmm...what to do. If I was Vivian I'd scrape down this with tips and tails suspended on rock. Or maybe I'd do the technique where you walk down with skis on, sinking your tails into the snow. Wait a minute, I'm not him.

I chose to take my skis off for a short downclimb. Ego step to the side.

Skis back, on, the couloir was lovely chalk-board. I took it down to valley bottom with the extendo-mini couloir below the main couloir. I transitioned for the short skin back up to Cascade Pass, catching sunset on Eldorado Peak. A fast and quick ski back to my shoes and I made my car by dark.