non-exposed tours US2/I90 area?

[NuClimber07]

Hi folks just looking for some ideas here. Had planned on going to Muir snowfield this weekend but it's looking stormy so I'd like to find something with minimal exposure (avy and wind) thanks

[Jim]

Kendal ridge across from the Summit on 90 is a short tour. You can yo-yo the clearcut and tour to the upper basin through the trees. The trail to Windy Pass from Hyak is pretty straight-forward and you can do the clearcut above Ollalie Meadows. You could venture into the lower bowl of Siver Peak but I would stay away from the upper slopes. Likely high avy conditions so choose your slopes wisely.

[letsroll]

This would be good info for myself as well. Looking for things to do between x-mas and new years. Colchuck area might be a bit avi savi so I-90 was next bet.

 

[Weekend_Climberz]

My favorite area is Yodelin, which is the first overflow parking area east of Stevens Pass, going eastbound on US2. Just hike up behind the building there and you'll hit an obvious old road cut. You switchback a bit, but the goal is to head southeast around the mountain to where the old ski runs used to be. The tree skiing there is phenominal and if you stay in those trees, you can pretty much ski it in all conditions. Just watch out while crossing open slopes, but you can avoid most of those anyway.

[plexus]

Kendal ridge across from the Summit on 90 is a short tour. You can yo-yo the clearcut and tour to the upper basin through the trees.

 

I second that. Did that when I was out visiting a couple weeks ago and had a great time in there.

[ilookeddown]

I think you are referring to Kendall Stump. It is the clear cut you can see from the freeway. It can be a fairly safe tour short tour but I have still seen slabs release toward the top.

 

Kendall Ridge is very avalanche prone and you would have to travel through a few terrain traps in Commonwealth Basin before heading up to the base of the ridge. There is some great skiing on both the east and west sides if conditions are good.

 

I know it sucks but my suggestion would be to stay in bounds until things settle out a bit.

 

[wolfs]

Manage your terrain. I have ski cut or remote triggered slabs on both Kendall Stump and Yodelin on micro terrain that was a little steeper than the general surrounding pitches in the past, when conditions were "Considerable" or even "Moderate" per the wide forecast. These on slopes that didn't run any more than 100 vf. Yet the resulting slide was still impressive enough that it could have busted a leg even if not bury, cuz the snow was pretty heavy and cohesive.

 

The general NWAC theme right now is that slabs of 3+ feet are possible. That's a big slab for snow as heavy as we usually get.

 

So ... watch it at either place, if you go.

[lancegranite]

Driving down the pass last night I spotted a large fracture in the Moonlight bowl area above the Yodelin cabins.

The crown looked to be 3-4 feet and 200 yards wide.

 

[Jim]

Yikes! I think I'll be riding chairs or skate-skiing this weekend.

[AlpineK]

Ski areas would be the safe but packed option this weekend. That's both good and bad at the same time.

[korup]

NWAC report for this weekend looks pretty damn grim. A good time for the lifts, or some XC skating, IMHO.

[Hugh Conway]

Driving down the pass last night I spotted a large fracture in the Moonlight bowl area above the Yodelin cabins.The crown looked to be 3-4 feet and 200 yards wide.

 

Wasn't there a big slide in 1971 at Yodelin that killed several people and resulted in the closing of the ski area?

[AlpineK]

I believe that avy happened across the street from the ski area at some of the cabins. I don't think it was the final death of the ski area, but it sure didn't help things out.

[mattp]

That is my impression, Mr. Feck, but who knows? Does Hugh have some new information for us?

 

Anyway, the climb up the old ski runs from Yodelin does not seem real threatening but one could access the same high and relatively open tree skiing that was referenced above from the road-head about two miles east. Sometimes you can park a car or two right where this logging road meets the highway, but you may have to park at the Smith Brook parking area, another half mile east.

 

This is a good area to find safe skiing during avalanche hazards. There are old clearcuts growing up with brush and big trees with sparse undergrowth. The runs are not real long, and you don't get much in the way of views, but it is a good place for some fun on a stormy day.

 

 

[MisterMo]

I believe that avy happened across the street from the ski area at some of the cabins. I don't think it was the final death of the ski area, but it sure didn't help things out.

 

Correct. The slide took out one of the buildings on the north side of the highway. There were death(s) but I don't remember how many. With tree growth over the years there is now only one active slide path on that hillside whereas the whole thing was once pretty barren.

 

Tye-Mill at Stevens and High Campbell at Crystal Mountain are the original Yodelin lifts. Discoveries made when we rebuilt Tye Mill in 1999 led us to believe that the lift was erected somehere else prior to Yodelin but nobody seems to know where.

 

Lots of good turns to be had anywhere between Yodelin and Big Chief Mountain for sure............

[MisterMo]

Link Here

with pictures of the avalanche.

[AlpineK]

Thanks for the pics.