PNW Conditions

Smoke free, and ready for some snow

Snow Levels came down to 4k last night... first dusting of the season



Harvest is still in full effect down in the desert.. lots of pears yet to be harvested

Nice!

👍

I really missed the Cascades last year!  I’m really itching to get back to Baker, but Crystal is always a treat and Alpental has been on my list.  Bring it on!

Perhaps it will be a good year to visit Stevens...

There was snow up on Stevens on June 26.



I have to get back in the winter.

I have some old ski bum buddies that ski Stevens regularly and they say it’s a super sick mountain. They are total rippers that love technical steep skiing.

Nepa, you ever get out in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness backcountry?  The Alpine Lakes High Camp (formerly Scottish Lakes) looks pretty cool....

JTG4eva! wrote

Nepa, you ever get out in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness backcountry? The Alpine Lakes High Camp (formerly Scottish Lakes) looks pretty cool....

I've never skied Scottish Lakes specifically but have skied up into the ALW several times. The Stuart Range provides some of the best backcountry skiing on this side of the Mountains.

Yeah, lots of good looking peaks out there.  Most of them seem like long objectives from the trailheads.  Starting from Alpine Lakes High Camp you are already several miles in.  The Chiwaukum Range is right out the back door, with Big Chiwaukum (8,100ft) and Snowgrass Mountain (7,600ft) a relatively easy 6 or 8 mile out and back r/t objective.  

Keeping it afforable....The Ridge coming in at #4 on this list...

50 of the best ski resorts to visit this winter in the US and Canada, ranked from most expensive to least

Snow at the passes this morning, but barely cold enough.  The guns are in place and ready to fire at Mission.  It's looking better, but still not much to get excited about in the PNW

Looking West towards the ski area from the East side of the loop trail.  Although it appears to be snowing up high, it's still quite warm down at river level for November.

 

Where do they get the water for snowmaking?  If it's from the lake, that's one hell of a long pipe.  There must be some limits on what they can draw, either daily or over a season.

D.B. Cooper wrote

Where do they get the water for snowmaking?  If it's from the lake, that's one hell of a long pipe.  There must be some limits on what they can draw, either daily or over a season.

  Yes indeed.  It would 12 miles of pipe pushing water up 6 thousand vertical feet.  

Technically, it's a river, but if you take into account that the Columbia is riddled with Hydrodams, the photo above could be construed as a lake.  

The water for the snowmaking system at Mission comes from a dedicated reservoir in the upper basin.  




Although there have been some small enhancements over the past few years our system is minuscule by comparison to most.    Just enough fire power to blow a sweet T2B WROD.  Coverage is only 66 of the 1,200 inbound acres.  The entire system is powered by 2 aging mobile generators.  There is a proposal for expanding coverage to the entire chair 3 pod which is currently under review by the forest service.    

Our first cycle is on the horizon.... Early week, it's looking like it will be cold enough in the desert (snow levels over here will be around 4k ), but it will be a toss up further West. As the week progresses, a few more systems will move across the range as the snow levels descend to about 2k.

Thanks to the largest snowmaking system in WA, Mission ridge opened yesterday... I suspect we'll see more openings by early December.

Cool piece on the Birdman... he actually had a part in last year's Warren Miller feature

Love that!  Gonna ski Stevens.  Been wanting to for 20 years!

I’ve done Crystal and Baker and, while Baker is calling me back, most of my research this fall has been central WA out the I90 corridor.  The Snowqualmie Pass area has so many great backcountry options, and Alpental requires a visit.  Then you have the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, with tons of great peaks, right next door to Stevens.  

There are some cool off beat options up near Leavenworth and Stevens.  The Alpine Lakes High Camp has rustic cabins 8 miles deep into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.  Tour out your back door.  Cascade Powder Guides offers Cat skiing, but they also have a Yurt right at the base of their own peak/cirque.  Either of those, with a day at Stevens......

JTG4eva! wrote

I’ve done Crystal and Baker and, while Baker is calling me back, most of my research this fall has been central WA out the I90 corridor.  The Snowqualmie Pass area has so many great backcountry options, and Alpental requires a visit.  Then you have the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, with tons of great peaks, right next door to Stevens.  

There are some cool off beat options up near Leavenworth and Stevens.  The Alpine Lakes High Camp has rustic cabins 8 miles deep into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.  Tour out your back door.  Cascade Powder Guides offers Cat skiing, but they also have a Yurt right at the base of their own peak/cirque.  Either of those, with a day at Stevens......

Dude... over the past 3 seasons you've become more of an authority on the PNW than myself!!

Scotty, and all, if you come to the area, I'll have a room ready for you at my place.  I'm 4 miles from Mission, and about 90 minutes from Stevens and Snoqual... a tad bit further to White Pass (but well worth the extra half hour)

Thx for Beta JTG.  Like the sound of them cabins

Thx for offer NEPA!  It’s been too long since I’ve traveled west so hoping to make something happen!

Still waiting for something exciting to happen over here... the last cycle produced more ice than snow.  I've seen sporadic reports of good turns on Rainier, but that seems to be pretty hit-or-miss.  The long-range isn't looking positive.  It's time to start praying...