Skiing (Snoqualmie Mtn, Suprise Lake) January 12 & 13, 2002
It is a wet wet day. In the parking lot, it's about 36 degrees and "snowing". A classic Snoqualmie Pass day. We are basically soaked from the start. We climb through steep forest to the gentle west basin near the summit of Snoqualmie. Here, the snow is pretty decent - about 8 inches on top of boiler-plate. We make one run on open slopes, then head back into the woods. The line we pick quickly cliffs out, but we keep traversing left and skiing nice little open shots, along a gentle ramp between a stream and the cliffs. Probably the best way back down to Alpental I've taken from Snoqualmie, with the exception of the "Phantom" avalanche swath.
The snow quickly grows wet and sloppy the lower we get, and Silas cuts a small slope, which promptly relieves itself of its new snow, sloughing off into a suprisingly large pile at its base. Silas escapes unhurt. Near the bottom, we hit the final cliff band between us and the valley bottom. Thinking we're at "stream-direct", I suggest we climb a bit and traverse left. Ahh... NOW we're at "Stream-direct". Traverse a little more. Nope... NOW we're at stream-direct, finally. A little more traversing, and we find the easy way around the cliffs, and back to the parking lot, where we are a dripping soaking mess. It's only 2pm. Short day, but I gotta say, this side of Snoqualmie mountain is just super fun. Always a little challenging finding a good way down or up, route-finding around cliffs, picking the right little stream gorge --- good stuff. And so direct! "Approachless".
Phil skiing great snow near Suprise Lake. Click on the picture for a Windows Media video clip.
Then the line of cars ends, as our direction starts moving again. Guess not.
After a bit of driving back and forth, we find the trailhead, and head up. The trail is fairly well tromped out. There is just barely enough snow in the woods at this low elevation (2200ft) to ski up, but several stream crossings are snow-free pain-in-the-asses. One of them has a log crossing, topped with snow about 1 foot wide. Greg and I discuss whether or not to dare to ski across. I go for it, carefully, worried about pulling a Marcus and plunging 6 feet into the watery abyss. I inch across, and reach the other side, intact. Greg is hesitant, thinking it might be safer to downclimb the snow bank and walk across, but decides to go for it too. However, he quickly drops a pole into the streambed (on purpose perhaps?), and says "oh, well I guess I have to walk across anyway now", and retreats from the log.
We continue up the valley. The snow is the consistency of Joshua Tree rock. The further up valley we get, the nicer it becomes. In spots, the avalanche swaths from each side of the valley meet - no safe place to hide here! On each side, we spot several deep snowy couloirs heading up into the fog and clouds.
At some point, Greg makes the truthful comment that this tour is "very approachy". Indeed. A full three hours after heading out, we finally approach the lake, which is somewhat unseen through trees. The sun pops out of the clouds and illuminates the open forest around us in yellow light. Verrry nice.
Gladed terrain around Suprise Lake. Could that be a spot of blue sky in the distance?
The run down is incredible, with over a foot of dry powder on the firm base.
We pass our skin track and continue down below. It looks like a boulder field. Biiig boulders. Greg goes down first.
"How was it?", I call down.
The response: "Amaaaazing!"
Indeed, it turns out to be like mogul skiing on big fluffy pillows. The snow is so great, you can fly off the car-sized boulders without a care, knowing the landing will be easy and soft. Wow!
We're pretty exhausted, but we simply must head back up for another run.
After the elation of the first run, the second is not quite as ecstatic. We've already poached the best lines. Nonetheless, we comment on the incredible "skiability" of this super snow - especially on fixed-heel gear! As Greg zips through a thicket of trees, I hear him whisper "hero!". Now, I want to get some video of Greg bouncing down the pillowy "moguls". Unfortunately, the line he chooses isn't as good as the original, and the feeling is somewhat lacking. Oh well.
Greg at the tail end of the second mogul run. It was much much better than it looks. Click on the picture for a Windows Media video clip.
The ski out the long valley is a little tedious, especially once we reach the Joshua Tree snow. Then it becomes survival skiing in the narrow trail rut in the woods, sometimes zipping along wooden bridges elevating the trail above swampy areas. No room for error! Reaching the one foot wide log crossing again, I take my skis off. No way I'm crossing that w/o skins on! But I do manage to walk across on foot, becoming unstable halfway across and finishing in a run! Greg somehow manages to dig up some excuse again about why he must down climb the snow bank and walk across.
Greg gets some air. Phil's camera timing is a little off. A half second later would have been super. Oh well. Greg nailed the landing like it was nothing.
Back at the trailhead, there is some serious white-trash action goin' on. This includes a bunch of kids and parents sledding on the gentle side of a big pile of sand. The opposite (vertical) side, where we presume sanding trucks scoop out their sand, is falling apart as we watch. People are running carelessly across the top, inches away from a 40 foot plunge onto pavement.