intermediate AT trips

[Blakej]

What are some good first time/first season AT tours. I was thinking of making St Helens my first any route recommendation or other options you to suggest.

[iain]

mount hood - illumination saddle

middle sister - hayden glacier (dodging crevasses later in summer)

south sister - south (could be a bit much, can be icy, depends on skiing skill)

mount adams - south

tumalo butte

[mattp]

St. H is a good one. With whatever it is (5,000 feet?) of vertical drop, expect that there will be some poor skiing conditions for at least a thousand feet somewhere along the way.

 

Washington Pass has some good outings, too. The S. Face of Cutthroat is good (I noted last week that you can scope it from the highway and you'll want to check to be sure the lower rocks are covered).

 

Also, the bowl west of the Early Winter Spires/Liberty Bell is good, though brushy in the lower part. For an exciting photo-finish, kick steps up the little peaklet south of S. Early Winter Spire.

 

At Baker ski area, the ridge out past Table Mountain has all kinds of good skiing and relatively easy access.

 

At Rainier Park, the Tattosh range is excellent. Head for the Pinnacle/Castle peak saddle.

 

At Snoqualmie Pass, Granite Mountain is excellent but watch for serious avalanche hazard that can linger even when it looks like the snow is largely gone. I once triggered a "hard slab" on a cross-loaded slope up there even though there were rocks and grass showing through much of the surface. The Chair Peak bowl is easier to get to.

[swaterfall]

Just did the Worm Flows route on Helens last Sat. It's perfect right now for the intermediate ATer.

[Blakej]

Thanks, I actually fell for the idea of AT as I snowshoed down from the ridge just east of pinnical and castle (as per mattp). Please feed me more. I have too much time off and new skis that need a salty look before next winter.

[Blakej]

Forgot to ask can you give a brief description of access to worm flows and route. All I have right now is the old becky guide which doesn't offer much on helens. I'm sure with the right idea I can manage my way up safely. Oh yea I'm I right in the assumption that it is best for spring sking to take place just after the sun breaks for best snow condition and avy condition or at late evening when its cooling down?

[cracked]

Just go to the snopark sledhead area, choose a trail that goes in the correct general direction, and head towards the mountain, and you'll be fine.

[Thrashador]

If you park at Marble Mountain you want the Swift Creek Trail.

[mattp]

For Mount Saint Helens, just go to the sno park and head

for the mountain. Keep track of where you're going so you can find your way back if the visibility craps out and just so you don't end up in the wrong drainage gully and have to climb over some lava ridges to get back to the parking lot.

 

Morning is often a good time for good conditions on hardpack spring corn, though if it was a cold night you'll have to wait a bit for it to soften if you start too early on a small ski run and get up there quickly.

 

When the surface starts to re-freeze, as in a NE slope that goes into shade in the afternoon or when a cloud blows over, it can make for very tricky conditions.

[Dave_Schuldt]

Rock Mountain just east of Stevens Pass. You hike up a to a ridge then skin up to a heather bowl.