– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures

– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog

Banner
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures
   

Tour of the Birthday – Washington Pass TR

by Lou Dawson June 11, 2014
written by Lou Dawson June 11, 2014
Louie enjoys short but sweet Slot Couloir on Birthday Tour, Washington Pass. Helmet is a Petzl Sirocco, probably lightest casque made per amount of protection. Quite nice other than the color.

Louie enjoys short but sweet Slot Couloir. Helmet is a Petzl Sirocco, said to perhaps be the lightest casque made per amount of protection combined with durability (the foam is resilient, not fragile). Quite nice other than the color, the changing of which is the subject of discussion. Paint? Cover? Accept the new style in safety coloration? OSHA approved? Review is coming.

Moving through the North Cascades backcountry can resemble jungle warfare rather than the sun-fun we want our spring skiing to be. Fortunately, you get over on the east side of the range and vegetation density reduces, along with dryer weather. To enjoy such delights a traditional ski trip I’ve had on my list takes a loop called “Birthday Tour” behind the Liberty Bell and Early Winters complex of rock spires.

We did a variation that involved skiing two nicely sized bowls, then reversing to re-acquire what seems to be the standard route and nip over a ridge through Slot Couloir. Super. Check it out.

Starting on the Birthday Tour. Lots of nice white ahead.

Starting on the Birthday Tour. Lots of nice white ahead. Long version of the trip goes over Copper Pass at center of photo. We did the pass and skied the bowl on other side, discovering that enough snow had melted to uncover what looked like a difficult route through forest (yes, you can end up bushwhacking over here on the east side as well.) So we skied the bowl south of Copper Pass, then reversed and skinned back up to the pass. After that we headed up the bowl hidden to left in photo, where we took the standard Birthday Tour route over Slot Couloir.

Traveling along Washington Pass.

Skiing the first downhill section of the route, Madison Avenue off Blue Lake Col just behind the spires.

Scenery gets evermore beautiful.

Scenery gets evermore beautiful.

Bonfires green below Early Winter Spires.

Bonfires green below Early Winter Spires and Liberty Cap.

14 comments
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
previous post
Snow Sliding and Bench Racing the G3 ION, with Brake Removal
next post
Run, or? The Story of Kílian Jornet Burgada

14 comments

Dillon June 11, 2014 - 12:06 pm

Awesome! Nicely done.

Mike Marolt June 11, 2014 - 12:28 pm

Lou, I read ws and when I don’t have time to say anything, I keep looking for a “like” tab. Not sure that would be a good thing, but I look out of habit. ha.
In any event, LIKE.

Lou Dawson June 11, 2014 - 12:41 pm

Mike, you might be looking at the mobile low bandwidth site that has all that stuff stripped away, but desktop site has been leaned out as well. To experiment with both site versions use the switcher link at bottom of page. At this time we don’t have much social sharing stuff on the desktop site either. It was just taking up too much bandwidth and not getting directly used (most of that stuff is poorly written and configured code that really clogs things up). In terms of sharing, most people have no trouble passing links around, but a LIKE button on each post would be nice I’d agree. As you can see, at this time the only “Like” option we have is the overall Facebook “Like” that most readers have already clicked. Lou

Mike Marolt June 11, 2014 - 12:52 pm

yes on desktop. found and “liked”. thx

Drew Tabke June 11, 2014 - 2:31 pm

I love seeing Cascadian content on Wildsnow, thanks guys!

ps – Its Liberty “Bell” not “Cap” (the former being one of Rainier’s three summits). And Lou is right; all the skiing on the westside involves hard-to-follow climbers trails through dense jungle.

pps – Its getting lonely on ski website message boards. Might start a support group.

Lou Dawson June 11, 2014 - 5:52 pm

Thanks Drew, rookie mistake on the cap/bell, knew that… things will pick up here in about 6 weeks, enjoy the lull (grin). We’ll probably have a bit of content from SA, and I’ve got a huge backlog of reviews. Lou

Kay June 11, 2014 - 8:32 pm

Do you know where it might be possible to find a GPS track of this route? Looks like one I’d like to add to the spring schedule, if not this year then next.

Andrew June 11, 2014 - 10:57 pm

Fred Becky called it “Green Hell” and it’s even worse trying to do it with skis on your back!

Lou Dawson 2 June 12, 2014 - 8:38 am

Kay, I used this to get some GPS waypoints, view the map on your computer then use your browser to “view source,” then copy/paste the waypoints.

http://www.everytrail.com/guide/the-birthday-tour/map

Note that they show the route going northerly at the last leg after Slot Couloir then dropping down to the valley above the Hairpin. That only works with plenty of snow cover. Once the snow starts to go, as it does this time of year, it’s probably better to drop a short distance below Slot Couloir then climb a few hundred feet southerly up over a shoulder, which gets you on skiable terrain without cliffs. There might be a way to sneak through the route shown on map, but that’s beyond my purview as a non-local (grin).

Kay June 12, 2014 - 9:29 pm

Thanks Lou, that’s really helpful.

See June 13, 2014 - 8:56 am

EPP, dual density EPS (Kali bike helmets), Koroyd (Smith and Poc helmets (and Head skis))… it looks like we may finally be seeing some innovation in helmet design (and I hear orange is the new black).

Lou Dawson June 13, 2014 - 9:18 am

I 100% believe helmets can be somewhat easily improved, and we’ll see some small improvements, but until the actual industry standards for ski helmets are changed I doubt we’ll see it taken as far as it could/should go. That’s sad. Kudos to companies who at least try to push ahead a bit.

Pieter June 18, 2014 - 7:28 am

There is nothing wrong with ‘ORANGE’

😉

Pieter
(from The Netherlands)

Mark Worley June 19, 2014 - 9:45 am

Stunning as always, those high Cascades. Great trip. Sirocco is absurdly light, and a touch ugly. Dunno if the ugly part matters much, of course.

Comments are closed.

Recent Comments

  • Manasseh on Simple and Dependable — Black Diamond Helio 145 Binding Review
  • Peter m on Simple and Dependable — Black Diamond Helio 145 Binding Review
  • Jon Paulding on Simple and Dependable — Black Diamond Helio 145 Binding Review
  • Kevin S on The No-Beacon Day — Using Terrain to Minimize Avalanche Exposure
  • Scott R on Simple and Dependable — Black Diamond Helio 145 Binding Review

Gear Reviews

  • Versatile and Sustainable — WNDR Vital 100 Ski Review

    January 14, 2021
  • Meidjo 3.0 Binding Review – Backcountry Telemark Evolves

    January 12, 2021
  • Tele Tech First Look — Voile Ultra Vector BC, 22 Designs Lynx, Scarpa TX Pro

    January 5, 2021

Trip Reports

  • Finding Early Turns on Rainier’s Muir Snowfield

    November 14, 2020
  • Treading Lightly Through Close-to-Home Mountains

    October 6, 2020
  • Snoqualmie Classic — Chair Peak Circumnavigation

    May 26, 2020

Totally Deep Podcast

  • Risky Business — Zahan Billimoria on Solving for Z

    December 14, 2020
  • Totally Deep Podcast 81 — CAIC Director Ethan Greene

    December 9, 2020
  • Unraveling the Mysteries of Avalanche Education — Totally Deep Podcast 80

    November 16, 2020

Tips & Tricks

  • 10 Essential Mistakes for the Backcountry Ski Touring Beginner

    December 2, 2020
  • Buying Used Gear Guide Part II — Poles, Avy Gear, Packs

    November 25, 2020
  • Save Your Ski Day — Emergency Car Kit Essentials

    November 24, 2020

Ski Touring Stories

  • Giving Myself the Gift of Backcountry

    January 15, 2021
  • Six Who Dared — Elk Mountains Traverse & Richard Compton Tribute

    January 7, 2021
  • Risky Business — Zahan Billimoria on Solving for Z

    December 14, 2020

Newsletter Sign-Up

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • About Lou Dawson
  • Authors Page
  • About
  • Contact
  • Copyright & Legal
  • Website Security

@2020 - All Rights Reserved. Designed and Developed by WildSnow


Back To Top

Read alsox

Six Who Dared — Elk Mountains...

January 7, 2021

Finding Early Turns on Rainier’s Muir...

November 14, 2020

Treading Lightly Through Close-to-Home Mountains

October 6, 2020