Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass

[gearbot]

Hello All,

Yesterday I tried to ski a route fromMartin Volken's book "Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass" called Snow Lake Divide.

I know I am not an excellent skier,but I could not get up the second pass (col at Point 4,958), it was too steep at the top.

Having to back track the whole route yesterday night, has made me so pissed-off,I am about to ripe this tour out of the book.

Has anyone else tried this tour?Impress / Comments

Also the decent back to the Alpental Road did not look like much fun because it was in thick treescompared to skiing the nice open bowl above Source Lake.

G.B.

[slothrop]

I was up at Source Lake yesterday stumbling like an idiot, trying to figure out how to tele for the first time. I guess it didn't help that the snow in the bowl turned to chunky concrete by the end of the day. Despite a few icy sections, the run back to the parking lot was actually a lot of fun, even for someone who can't link a pair of turns. It was very mellow, down among the trees on a ski track, and there were a few nice spots where you could go off the trail for a bit into some undisturbed powder. I was just happy to be out in the mountains on such a beautiful day

[gearbot]

Just bring this post back to the topto see if there is any information out there.

Thanks.

[Alex]

when I and umpteen bazillion other parties went to Chair Sat, the snow was consistent crust/firm in the am all the way to vale below the routes, where the snow abruptly turned to lighter deeper powder. This must be the elevation at which it didnt rain recently, and it sure made a big difference.

If you had trouble going up the firm snow, you might want to try out some different skins, or take your skis off completely and hike it. There was no need for floatation that weekend. Or wait til later in the day when it softens up.

I saw only one non-climbing skiier get up high enough for the powder the entire day, so I would suggest:

1) get as high above source lake as possible. The bowl under the Tooth, the N facing slopes below Chair NF, or the bowl below E Face chair all seemed like good ski conditions to me. You can get to Snow Lake Divide many different ways, some of them a little more cicuitous but lower angle than others

2) with the recent precip av danger likely to be extreme now

[ 03-05-2002: Message edited by: Alex ]

[sverdina]

I encountered the same problem trying to get over the ridge. It was next to impossible to hike (forget skinning) up to the col as the final 20ft or so are too steep in all the fresh pow. I was swimming up to my arm pits when I finally gave up. Ended up returning the way I came. Shitty.

[philfort]

Martin Volken vs. Seabury Blair = very different.

[AlpineK]

quote:

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Originally posted by gearbot:

Hello All,

Yesterday I tried to ski a route fromMartin Volken's book "Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass" called Snow Lake Divide.

I know I am not an excellent skier,but I could not get up the second pass (col at Point 4,958), it was too steep at the top.

Having to back track the whole route yesterday night, has made me so pissed-off,I am about to ripe this tour out of the book.

Has anyone else tried this tour?Impress / Comments

Also the decent back to the Alpental Road did not look like much fun because it was in thick treescompared to skiing the nice open bowl above Source Lake.

G.B.

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Sometimes you have to take your skis off and hike. Sometimes you have to ski through trees.

What is it you want done? I don't understand.

[mikeadam]

You tried to skin in on a day when there was a hard crust layer under the new snow giving you no purchase for your skins. Like others have said you just have to boot it and kick steps. I too am a little confused about your comments...

[gearbot]

Hello All,

Thank you for your comments.

My goal of the original post was to get information from other people who have tried the "Snow Lake Divide" Tour described on pages 74-76 in "Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass" by Martin Volken.

From the replies, I believe “sverdina”, is the only one who has actually tried this tour, with the same results, “Shitty”.

For those of you who do not have the book (and after this tour I can not recommend buying the book), I can describe the route: you ski up to Source Lake, then up to Snow Lake Divide, down to Snow Lake, from Snow Lake you ski back towards Alpental but on the back side of the ridge, in about 1 mile (you theoretically) go over a col. (Point 4,958) and then back down the front side of the ridge to Apental.

The only problem is getting to the col., like “sverdine” said, the last 20-ft is steep. We might have made it if we took off the skies and boot kick up the slope, but this tour has a level of 1 to 2 (on a scale of 5). I would not expect on a low-level tour, taking off the ski and walking would be necessary.

Have anyone else tried this route? Has anyone completed it (beside Mr. Volken)?

Has anyone else tried other tours from this book? I am interested, if I should burn the book or give it a second chance,

G.B.

[AlpineK]

Buddy,

I may not have done the tour, but I've been to Snow Lake a lot I've also been all over the south side of Mt. Snoqualmie. I've also used Martin's guide on a couple trips, and I liked it.

So maybe you don't know how to skin, or maybe the conditions were too icy. You obviously are scared of skiing through trees.

The guide isn't going to tell you what the conditions are like on a given day. The guide doesn't know what level skier you are, and the guide isn't going to hold you hand.

My advice is to suck it up and quit whining. Either practice and become a better skier, or sell the guide, your skis, and take up another sport like ice dancing.

I bet you would make a great ice dancer.

[ 03-14-2002: Message edited by: AlpineK ]

[W]

I wasn't there, but I still don't understand this at all:

you did most of the tour, then turned around and backtracked the WHOLE THING because you couldn't skin up 20 feet of snow?

You then state that you "might have made it" if you had simply taken off your skis and booted up the slope, but you didn't try to do that because you "weren't expecting to have to"? I don't get it! with the alternative being having to backtrack the whole route, you didn't even attempt to climb up 20 feet of snow? Was it vertical or something? If it was in any way climbable on foot or on ski, I don't understand how this is Martin Volken's fault or why you have a beef with this book. A 20 foot section of climbing doesn't sound to me like it elevates the climb to a "high-level";

But again, I wasn't there, and I haven't done the tour, and that's why I'm asking.

[mattp]

I agree with W. Try taking off your skis, and kicking up the slope with one ski in each hand, turned upside down so the bindings claw at the snow. After all, it's not real Cascade backcountry skiing if you don't do the doggie crawl somewhere along the way.

[mikeadam]

I've done that tour a few times this year including a few days before you went up there. You just gotta take what comes your way and adjust your technique to compensate. I don't really know what else to offer....kick steps...

[AlpineK]

Ice dancing is your future.

[Norm]

quote:

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Originally posted by AlpineK:

Sometimes you have to take your skis off and hike. Sometimes you have to ski through trees.

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Damn dude that's downright profound

[russ]

quote:

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Originally posted by gearbot:

Hello All,...For those of you who do not have the book (and after this tour I can not recommend buying the book),......

Have anyone else tried this route? Has anyone completed it (beside Mr. Volken)?.....

Has anyone else tried other tours from this book? I am interested, if I should burn the book or give it a second chance,....G.B.

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gearbot - a guidebook is just that - a guide. You may have noticed conditions change in the mountains - one day a particular section is a piece of cake - another day it's a bitch. Try learning from it instead of blaming the author.

Yes, I've used the guide and I think it's excellent. Why? because it gives me ideas I haven't thought of since I don't know the area as well as M.V. Btw, we skied one of the tours in the book this past weekend with the author of another Wa backcountry ski guide - he thought M.V's book was superb as well.

Definitely don't burn it - I'm sure someone will take it off your hands for the right price.