November 27, 2005, Skyline Ridge
11/27/05
WA Stevens Pass
2594
2
Lots of powder and good coverage over 4000 feet in the Stevens Pass area.
Ryan, Hayes, Andra and I found over a foot of light fluff on top of the crust yesterday at Skyline Ridge. We toured up over the saddle north of Skyline Lake and skiied about 1000 feet down through the trees off the back side. The boulder fields in the north bowls still need a few feet of snow, but the steep tree skiing below and east of the upper bowl was almost as good as it gets - just a touch of the crust under the powder every few turns.
A pit Ryan dug on a northeast aspect at 5000 feet revealed about 16 inches of unconsilidated snow lying on a weak layer about an inch above the crust. The bond was not that great, but there was no evidence of the wind slab we expected based on Saturday's NWAC report. This weak layer is definitely something to watch as more snow falls. It did keep us out of the steep gulleys and terrain traps.
Ryan, Hayes, Andra and I found over a foot of light fluff on top of the crust yesterday at Skyline Ridge. We toured up over the saddle north of Skyline Lake and skiied about 1000 feet down through the trees off the back side. The boulder fields in the north bowls still need a few feet of snow, but the steep tree skiing below and east of the upper bowl was almost as good as it gets - just a touch of the crust under the powder every few turns.
A pit Ryan dug on a northeast aspect at 5000 feet revealed about 16 inches of unconsilidated snow lying on a weak layer about an inch above the crust. The bond was not that great, but there was no evidence of the wind slab we expected based on Saturday's NWAC report. This weak layer is definitely something to watch as more snow falls. It did keep us out of the steep gulleys and terrain traps.
Do you know if you were skiing on Tye Peak? I think it's the slope you're talking about - roughly across the valley that you descended into through the boulder field. The face has small spread-out trees with scrub brush sticking up through the snow in early season. Was the brush pretty much covered by now?
Is Tye Peak the peak west of the saddle due north of Skyline Lake? Or is it also known as Peak 5476? I don't see it on a map I'm looking at. The best trees we skiied were on a 25-30 degree north facing slope, still on the south side of the drainage, about 400 vf below the saddle. The slope mellowed out after about 300 more vf and the drainage lead to another boulder field at about 4000 feet. I would not call the trees small and spread-out, but good lines were easily found. We did not climb up the other side after descending from the saddle. The bushes were covered for the most part down to about 4000 feet, and the skiing was great. It sounds like the slopes you mention are across the valley from what we skiied?
I'm still getting familiar with the various runs up off that ridge. Seems every tour I do there ends up different. I think this one pretty much followed the black line in Burgdorfer's book.
I'm still getting familiar with the various runs up off that ridge. Seems every tour I do there ends up different. I think this one pretty much followed the black line in Burgdorfer's book.
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