Trip Report
Backcountry Ski/Snowboard - Radio Mountain
Low snow coverage and crust made challenging skiing -- but we had a good workout
Randy Oakley
- Sat, Dec 30, 2017
- Backcountry Ski/Snowboard - Olallie/Radio Mountain
- Olallie/Radio Mountain
- Skiing/Snowboarding
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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Snow depth was 43 inches as reported by http://data.nwac.us/OSOSNO -- based on coverage observed in lower forest and in regrowth areas above -- I'd recommend 60 inches on the OSOSNO gauge for this trip in the future.
Coverage in the forest from the Silver Fir base was barely sufficient for skinning up (Snoqualmie snow depth was 43 inches as reported by http://data.nwac.us/OSOSNO )
Skiing down through the forest from the radio tower was semi-supportive crust with a couple inches of high density snow on top. The clearcut areas skied a little better in the swath where trees aren't regrowing -- however in the regrowth areas the "Christmas trees" are getting pretty big and thick -- so the last two hundred feet down to the "Ripsaw" XC trail was a bit of a puzzle hunt for openings in the trees. One of the team members partially fell into a creek (skis wet, but not clothing) and needed help getting out of the hole. We skinned up "Ripsaw" to the warming hut and then skied down the "White Rabbit" XC trail and then the "Outback" downhill run to return to Silver Fir base.