Cross-country Ski - Stampede Pass

Trip

Cross-country Ski - Stampede Pass

A demanding N3 ski trip in which we will explore the trail to Stampede Pass from Crystal Springs Snopark: 9.5 miles, 1,200 ft gain

  • Tue, Jan 16, 2018
  • Seattle Skiing Committee
  • Cross-country Skiing
  • Adults
  • N3 Nordic Intermediate Ski
  • Challenging
  • Mileage: 10.0 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 1,300 ft

Meet at 8:45 am North Bend Safeway parking lot close to the tall Safeway/O'Reilly Auto Parts/Chase Bank sign in the parking lot. It's close to I-90 exit 31.

Directions to meeting place will be emailed to all participants as soon as registration closes.

THIS ACTIVITY IS PART OF THE MOUNTAINEERS WINTER TRAILS MONTH 2018: visit www.mountaineers.org/WinterTrails2018 

PLEASE DON'T REGISTER UNTIL YOU HAVE REVIEWED THE NOTES BELOW, YOU ARE SURE YOU ARE AVAILABLE AND THE MEETING TIME AND LOCATION WORK FOR YOU.

If you are hoping for a ride you will have a better chance if you set your profile to "Open" and provide carpool information such as the area you live in and locations you can reach by transit to meet a driver.

 BY REGISTERING THIS LEADER CONSIDERS YOU MADE A COMMITMENT TO THE TRIP. It's only good form to cancel in the event of an injury, illness or an emergency. Even if there are people on the wait list it's often difficult to move them up close to the trip date. THANK YOU!

We will explore the trail to Stampede Pass from the Crystal Springs Snopark, exit 62 off I-90. The route is mainly uphill after we cross the Iron Horse/John Wayne trail and we will descend by the same route. The elevation gain is approximately 1,300 ft.

Very little of our trail will be groomed for Nordic skiing and if present at all tracks will be cut on the first part of our route. The trail is normally groomed for snowmobiles but may not have been done so since the weekend before. The number of snowmobiles we encounter is likely to be small as this is a midweek trip. We will probably have lunch at Lizard Lake, just beyond Stampede Pass. 

Please note: This is a demanding, 10-mile N3 level round trip, so you will need to have good herringbone climbing skills and wedge including wedge turns for the way down. Also, the descent can be quite tricky if the trial is icy and rutty, especially for those using classic track skis without metal edges and normal Nordic track ski boots. The conditions we will find on the day are often difficult to predict in advance. When found difficult on past trips, some have opted to take off their skis and walked part of the way on the steeper sections. That's fine but it can be tiring. Nordic Classic no-wax skis or backcountry skis recommended. Please consult the leader if you wish to use other types of ski.

If you are uncertain of your ability and stamina to manage this type of trip please consult the leader.

You may carpool from our meeting place in North Bend, meeting at 8:30 am or meet us at the Crystal Springs Snopark an hour later.

All vehicles taken to the trailhead will require WA Snopark Passes. Passes need to be purchased in advance: contact the leader for more information. Taking everyone who signs up will be dependent on enough drivers with suitable vehicles for winter snow conditions volunteering. Full directions to both locations and other trip information will be provided several days prior to our trip. 

 Contact Chris Ensor, Trip Leader with any questions: ctrails@comcast.net

 

 

Route/Place

Stampede Pass


Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

Trip Reports