Cascade Pass Region - 4/14/2001

[mrefranklin]

Greetings folks!

What a weekend that just passed! I hope that you all had pleasant Easters while preparing your taxes. I just wanted to give y'all an update on the Cascade Pass region.

Currently, the Cascade River Road goes up to somewhere past milepost 21 before becoming so snowed over that we could not proceed. Basically, you're going to have hike in for about a mile or so to get to the parking lot and trail pass.

My buddy, Jeff, and I ascended through the trees on a beeline towards the lower Sahale Arm. Throughout the day, Avalanches of varying sizes continued to pummel J-burg and some of the other peaks like Triplets and Mix-up. I would not consider hiking the valley below the cirque at this point. Mucho activity and weak layers are making it more dangerous than I would want to risk. The valley floor is totally scarred with recent avalanche activity.

Jeff and were traversing at about 5400-5500 feet to try and start up the Sahale Arm when we came to a cliff band that we would have had to traverse under. After watching two smallish slides come off of it in ten minutes, we decided to be prudent and ski a chute into the valley and back to the car. Neither of us were interested in testing what were pretty obvious signs from on high...

With a little consolidation for safety, the Sahale Arm climb will be in good shape. Perhaps, if we had actually followed the trail up, instead of ascending the trees, it would have been better as well. Either way, it was gorgeous day to be in the backcountry. We didn't see a soul the whole day.

I'd definitely like to get back into the area within the next couple of weeks. With a little warm weather, the road should melt out and give us a few weeks of great backcountry boarding and skiing before climbing season is fully upon us.

 

[John_Hollett]

You guys passed me at the Eldorado Trailhead in the morning. After a few hours experiencing "The Challenge of the North Cascades" I called it quits and drove up to MP 21. I followed your tracks (one skin/one snowshoe) up to where you went into the trees beyond the Cascade Pass parking lot. I continued in the open for another 150' and decided to call it good due to the unconsolidated snow. I could hear you guys talking above me as various slide chunks came much too close. Having spent almost every weekend this year in the Cascades, the snowpack I/we encountered at Cascade Pass was the worst I've seen this year.

[none_dup1]

By worst, do you mean most dangerous or simply the most difficult to wade through. Or both?

[mrefranklin]

Hey there, Mr. Hollett,

Yep, I saw your track on the way out - I just never saw you except while we were driving up the road.

While we were hiking in that clumped up mess, I thought I heard a voice below as well - must have been you again. I never saw anybody all day, though.

Well, there's going to be another month or more of rideable snow up there. Perhaps we'll bump into you next time under more favorable snow conditions. Sorry about any of the random sluff piles. We were in the trees to try and limit that kind of crap from happening. I certainly hate having stuff kicked down on me from above.