skied Eldorado Peak in North Cascades National Park. Though we knew a
big approach to snowline awaited us, we couldn't resist the
opportunity to grab a ski of this gigantic mountain during two rare,
beautiful days in early November of this promised wet and cold La Nina year.
The excitement started in the parking lot - as I was about to sit down
in the outhouse in the parking lot, a catastrophic crashing sound had
me running back into the parking lot with my pants around my ankles.
Liz and Pat had seen it all and were still screaming in their awe - a
200' tall Douglas Fir had just come crashing down on the other side of
the river, obliterating 100 feet of the trail we would be taking in a
paltry 20 minutes. And so it was that we started up what would
eventually be 6,700' of climbing to the summit, with adrenaline
already pumping.
We hiked through the woods, then through interminable talus fields,
and finally to snowline and timberline simultaneously. After a lunch
of sushi we stashed our shoes and headed into the snow for a couple
challenging hours of crossing snow-covered boulders, heather, and
slabs until there was enough snow to skin. Finally on the Eldorado
Glacier, travel became exponentially easier, and soon we were bedding
down at around 7,400' on the glacier to enjoy a special sunset with
hot food under a spectacularly starry night.
Sunrise came eventually and as we walked calmly up the east ridge of
this magnificent mountain, the views of most of the major mountains in
the state continued to unfold around us. The classic knife-edge summit
ridge lived up to its rep and we found tightrope stances to click into
our skis (and Liz into her board). The turns were effortless and we
dropped down the rolls of the Inspiration Glacier in dripping arcs,
recollecting our camping gear at the base of the east ridge. A couple
more thousand feet of skiing was below our tips and the eventual end
of our ski descent. We recollected, ate the rest of the food, and
plunged the remaining 3,500' to the car in the bottom of the valley,
which we found thankfully not obliterated by an ancient
wind-fallen old growth tree.
Eldo and its east ridge as seen from Sahale during a trip last winter.
After an approach like that, skinning will make you feel as light as a shadow.
Nap time.
Crossing the Forbidden Glacier at dawn.
The sun coming up behind Forbidden Peak with Moraine Lake below.
Final slopes before....
The knife edge...
Summit ridge.
The black hole known as Marble Creek.
Pat gets after it right off the tippy top.
And approves of the harvest.
Liz shredded it too, with Glacier Peak in the back, and Rainier even more back.
Yeee-Haaww!
About to wrap from the Inspiration Glacier back around to the Eldorado Glacier, Mt. Logan looms behind.
Back across the glacier with our tracks visible on the summit slopes.
The party was winding down.
The car is so close (horizontally speaking).
A last look back up to the 8,800' summit from damn near sea level (200') in Marblemount.
