With high avalanche danger on the Cascade crest from last week’s storm flow, Charlie, Elizabeth, Lulu and I decided to seize a nice weather window over the weekend for an overnight ski tour on the East Side. With nice temperatures and less new snow to contend with, we planned to hike and ski in to Colchuck Lake in the Enchantments and then summit Dragontail or Colchuck Peak the following day.
About to switch over to skins after a couple miles of hiking.
The approach required some technical skinning up a narrow hiking trail with sometimes marginal cover. Heavier overnight packs multiplied the effort required, but after a couple hours, we leveled off at the outlet of Colchuck Lake.
Camp set up complete, Colchuck Glacier rising above the lake.
Perhaps winter camping is a misnomer when it’s almost mid-May, but the weather and conditions provided the best of spring… deep snow cover and great peak access without frigid mid-winter temperatures. Camp set-up went quickly, with only one piece of gear forgotten (a cooking pot!). Luckily we’d decided to each bring a stove, so with a little more patience all were fed. The day stayed light until nearly 9, and with a little extra insulation we spent most of the evening relaxing under the towering rock faces of Dragontail and Colchuck Peaks.
Skinning across the lake in the morning, Dragontail on the left and Colchuck on the right.
Day broke with blue skies and sunshine high on the peaks early the next morning. After some oatmeal and hot beverages to warm the core, we left our camp and set off skinning across Colchuck Lake for Colchuck Glacier. A hard freeze overnight made for firm climbing up to the col, but light packers and ski crampons made for smooth climbing. The lake fell away back behind us with each step, and anticipation of stunning views back into the Cascades drove us upward.
Gaining ground up to the Col.
Reaching Colchuck Col 2500′ later, we found both the amazing views and cold, gusty winds. Even with the warm sun, it didn’t appear that the snow up high would soften. Having found mostly breakable crust on the climb up, we compared notes on what we’d heard from other parties and elected to climb the bootpack up to Colchuck Peak.
View from the top, Mt Stuart in the foreground.
The remaining climb went quickly, easy steps without any real scrambling required. By the time we reached the top, the winds had slightly subsided, letting us enjoy the summit views for a little longer.
Charlie threading through the rocks off Colchuck Peak.
Lulu carves the crust back down Colchuck Glacier to the lake below.
Rolling back off the upper bench, we found a few pockets of softer snow, but breakable crust would be the dominant condition of the day. It was clear that the snow wouldn’t soften until well out of the wind down low, but that was fine. If the skiing was marginal, the surroundings were anything but.
Elizabeth crosses the lake with the day's peak and chute behind her.
Back on the lake, we refueled and broke down camp in the sunshine. We all savored the relaxation for a few extra minutes, knowing that all that remained now was the long exit with heavy packs. Weighed down by all the gear, the ski out from the lake to the hiking trail was an exercise in controlled descending. Eventually the consistent snow ran out, and we hefted skis on our backs as well for the final push to the car. Kicking off our boots, we relished in the freedom of flip flops and enjoyed a delicious milkshake in town on the way back to Seattle. Fine way to end a fine weekend.
-Graham Gephart