Washington Ski Touring: Stevens Pass Backcountry Ski Tours

At first glance the terrain along US hwy. 2 does not jump out as being great for ski touring; the valley walls appear steep, the vegetation appears dense, and access is complicated. We have spent the past 9 winters becoming intimately familiar with the available ski terrain located east of Stevens Pass and have found spots that consistently provide good snow, long, open runs, and some magnificent summit possibilities. It takes a good deal of time to learn how the terrain links into good skiing, but once mastered, the area consistently produces 3000 to 7000 foot days without needing to lap a single run. With each of the following tours we have tried every possible approach and started from every conceivable parking spot. These tours have been refined to provide enjoyable half-day to full-day backcountry ski tours.

Most runs in the area max out at around 1800' feet, but there are very notable exceptions such as the 4000' foot descent from the Swath, and the runs available deeper in the Chiwuakum Range and in the Rock-Mastiff-Howard region. In this area a guide can provide an individual or a couple with a nice day of skiing with minimal driving, or can provide a group of skiers with all the information needed to maximize your time in the backcountry. For groups of 5 or 6 skiers we can offer a full day of touring for a cost similar to spending a day at a ski area.

When touring along hwy. 2 we usually have the area entirely to ourselves and we can nearly always find good, untracked powder. These trips can done be as day tours from the Seattle or Wenatchee areas, or can be combined with an overnight in Leavenworth that makes for a nice weekend.

The following are a list of some of the tours we guide. Most of these tours have several variations and we are constantly coming up with new tours if you have something else in mind.

Beginning Level Tours:

Lichtenberg Mountain Ski Tours: Lichtenberg (5725') is located on the north side of US Hwy. 2 a few miles to the east of Stevens Pass. These tours originate in the overflow lot for Stevens Pass on the south side of Hwy. 2. (Note: do not park at the Yodelin housing development, or your vehicle will be towed). This area works well for 1/2 and full day tours. The more obvious good lines are the 1800' central couloir that runs directly toward the highway, or the equally large west face that runs down into the valley leading to Lake Valhalla. There are also some great hidden couloirs on the North side of Lichtenberg, as well as tours that can work over to Lake Valhalla and onto the peaks surrounding Lake Valhalla. One of our favorite tours climbs Mount McCausland (5747') and then descends into the Rapid River drainage.

Arrowhead Mountain Ski Tours: One peak down valley from Jim Hill, Arrowhead Mountain (6030') provides a nice half to full day tour. Logging roads allow us to avoid the vegetation caused by a lower start, and provide a nice shot into a variety of NW through NE aspects leading to the summit of Arrowhead Mountain, which offers fantastic views of the Rock, Howard, Mastiff tour, as well as good views of the couloirs on Big Chiwaukum, the Swauth, and other peaks at the South end of the Chiwaukum Range.

Ski Tours Accessed from Stevens Pass Ski Area: The Northwest Mountain School holds a permit that allows us to ski on USFS lands just outside the Stevens Pass Ski area. There are a wide variety of tours accessible by riding the chairs at Stevens and then heading into the slack country adjacent to the ski area. On these days you are responsible for purchasing your own lift ticket to Stevens Pass. We use various lifts at Stevens Pass to speed up what is essentially a day spent out of bounds. Most tours still require some hiking or skinning up. This is listed under beginning tours because it requires less uphill walking than other tours. The downhill difficulty can be adjusted to about any level of skier, including advanced.

Intermediate Level Tours:

Jove and Union Peak Ski Tours: These full-day ski tours originate from the Smithbrook parking area, which is located on the North side of US Hwy.2, roughly opposite the Stevens Pass Nordic Center. We generally conduct full-day tours in this area, with logical destinations including Jove Peak (5,925'), Union Peak (5696'), and Lake Janus.

Jim Hill Mountain Ski Tours: Having now approached Jim Hill from every imaginable angle, we have settled on the Lanham Lakes approach as making the most sense. We park at the Stevens Pass Nordic Center (2950') and work our way up the Lanham Lakes trail to Lanham Lake (4143'). Above Lanham Lake we wind our way up through nicely spaced trees on an NW facing slope (this provides a fun exit), and eventually gain a saddle at around 5450 that provides access to the Henry Creek drainage. From here we have several options for gaining the summit of Jim Hill Mountain (6765'). Once on the summit, we generally ski the NE facing slopes running from the summit down into the Henry Creek drainage, or with a strong group and good stability, we might take the NW slopes leading down to Lanham Lake. An alternate exit is to ski the Henry Creek drainage all the way down to hwy. 2

The Swath Ski Tour: From the highway this run looks big, and should be treated as such. While not a very steep descent, this follows the large slide path that runs from the most southern tip of the Chiwuakum Range at 6600' all the way down to Nason Creek at around 2600', providing a 4000' descent on what can be done in a busy half-day or a casual full-day. In most seasons the easiest route follows the logging road up to a spot where you can get into the couloir proper and then pick your way up to the top, the very corner of a broad ridge that terminates at the top of the run at 6600'. This tour requires decent stability. This is one logical starting point for the Chiwaukum Range Ski Traverse.

Advanced Level Tours:

Rock Mountain Ski Tours: Park in the Gaynor slide path just east of the rock mountain trailhead. Note: do not park here in high hazard, big slides have hit this parking lot, resulting in the closure of hwy. 2. From a 2800' start we climb relatively directly to just over 5500', roughly following the summer trail up the south side of Rock Mountain (6852'). Above 5500' the terrain eases back enough to make for more comfortable touring. We generally spend the day skiing various lines on the north, south, and west flanks of Rock Mountain. When in condition, the West face of Rock Mountain can provide a nice 1800' run, or the North face of Rock Mountain can provide even longer descents.

Rock - Howard - Mastiff Ski Tour: This is one of the top three tours in the Stevens Pass area and requires decent stability to safely do. This is a full-day tour that involves over 7000' feet of elevation gain and loss. We have the route itself dialed to the point that we are routinely able to get strong intermediate skiers through the day in 8-9 hours if willing to maintain a disciplined, slow steady pace. Once we gan the summit of Rock Mountain, the day breaks into a series of descents and climbs, culminating in the spectacular 1900' run down the east face of Mastiff to Lost Lake. We will summit Rock Mountain (6852'), Howard (7083'), and Mastiff (6741') along the way. We end the day at the Meritt Lake trailhead and run a short shuttle back to the parking at the base of Rock Mountain.

Itinerary for Stevens Pass Area Ski Tours

For these trips it is best to just give the office a call or drop us an e-mail so that we can come up with a program that works for your group. As guides we always start with a preferred trip, but then are sure to have an alternate plan or two if we find that stability, the weather, group strength, etc. indicate that our first choice is not going to be suitable on any given day. The point of these tours is generally to get out and get some exercise, climb some peaks, and get in a ton of great, downhill skiing.

Meet Points for Stevens Pass Area Ski Tours

The office will confirm your meet point once you have booked a guide for a ski tour. We generally use the parking spots listed below and then either park here, or drive to a more appropriate location, such as a small turnout along US highway 2.

Stevens Pass Ski Area Parking: We often meet here for the field day portion of our AIARE level 1 Avy Courses, or for ski tours in the slack country right around Stevens Pass. The best place to park is on the North side of the road near where the groomed path leads up to Skykline Ridge. During holidays and weekends, this lot can be filled to capacity before 8:30 am, so if you plan to park here check the calendar and arrive early if it is going to be a busy day.

Yodelin Overflow Parking: This is a few miles East of Stevens Pass Ski area and is located on the south (right as you head down the pass) directly across the street from the Yodelin housing development. Make sure you park on the South side of the road as you will be towed if you park in the private parking on the North side of hwy. 2.

Stevens Pass Nordic Center Parking: The Stevens Pass Nordic Center is located about 5 miles east of Stevens Pass Ski area. If traveling from the West you will make a right turn into the ski area. If traveling from the East (Leavenworth and Wenatchee) you will need to take a left onto the short access road that takes you from the one-way lanes heading west on hwy. 2 directly through to the parking for the Stevens Pass Nordic Center.

Equipment we provide:

As part of any ski tour with the Northwest Mountain School we will provide you with an avalanche beacon, a shovel, and a probe. Just let our office know which items you need in advance of the trip and we will have the guide bring this to the trip start. We use BCA Tracker beacons, and G3 shovels and probes.

Equipment that you provide:

This is detailed in our equipment list (listed at the top right of this page). For those renting gear in the Seattle area you can contact Feathered Friends at (206) 292-2210. If coming from Leavenworth or Wenatchee, you can inquire about renting AT gear by calling Leavenworth Mountain Sports at (509) 548-7864.

Google Map Link: Stevens Pass Area Ski Touring Peaks and Parking Spots