Victoria's Secret

Aww yea our back yard holds some good ones....the un named peak next to Cashmere is called the Black Pyramid. Lots to ski on Cashmere, and in fact it was almost home to a world destination ski area, complete with condos up and down the icicle, WHEW glad we dodged that bullet. Also, not sure how long you have been skiin in the range, but this is a fairly average snowpack down low for most of the 20 years ive been skiing here. Glad you had a good one up there! thats a special place...

@ajscott the only times I had visited skiing in the range were March to early April, and I think the lower elevations melt out earlier on the eastside than at Snoqualmie, where the snowpack reaches its fattest at the beginning of April, so that is why my perception was skewed.

Crazy they almost put a huge ski area on Cashmere! Sounds like Silver Star up in the Methow. Was it the same time period? They never would have had enough room for condos and lodging in the Icicle, and probably water issues also in the summer, so glad it didn't make sense environmentally and they went with Whistler, which is in a much better spot. Also not sure how they would have managed the thin snowpack down low.

Indeed, it is a special place! Crazy how close it is to folk in the Wenatchee Valley, so close yet so far...

Oh yea, come mid-late feb the sun is high enough to start melting out the lower elevations, in deep winter snow lingers around longer even in Leavenworth vs the next town over Peshastin. And the Icicle is just cold! Its interesting what makes a good ski season in the stuart range, its similar to the Argentiere basin in Cham the steeper lines come into shape with the wet spring snow. I think some of the steep lines dont accumulate much snow when its coming down cold but then benefit from some of the warmer storms that roll through. 

From what I have heard it was the same investors that were looking up on silverstar that ultimately decided on Whistler for the location, I have heard all that second hand...but thats how the story goes! 

I need a good day up in the range, ya got me stoked!

I’m not aware of proposals for a ski area on Silverstar. The one proposed for the Methow Valley was on Sandy Butte, a bit farther east. There were also proposals for Liberty Bell basin, Cutthroat Pass and Hart’s Pass. The Mt Cashmere proposal was backed by several folks including Bill Stark, who with his wife Peg was known for naming many of the features in the Enchantments. Here are a couple references:

http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/subjects/S-info.html#ski-areas-proposed

http://www.alpenglow.org/ski-history/notes/book/usfs-1970.html

Thanks for sharing that information Lowell!