Washington Pass Skiing

Washington Pass Skiing

Approaching Washington Pass

Nov 21, 2021

After finishing Ba Peak Saturday I towed my snowmobile up to Mazama and slept at the Silverstar Sno Park. Highway had just been closed Nov 10 for the winter, but as long as there is enough snow it’s open to snowmobiles. NOHRSC was showing a predicted snow depth of 8-12 inches on the road at the sno park, so I figured it should be enough to ride up and get some skiing in near the pass. The snow was supposed to be even deeper up higher.

At Washington Pass

I kind of wanted to scout out  my planned winter approach up Swamp creek for some winter objectives. Generally highway 20 gets impassable around Liberty Bell by mid winter when avalanches cover the road, but early season I figured it would still be passable from the Silverstar all the way 17 miles to swamp creek.

I got up around sunrise and was still the only one in the sno park. I got my snowmobile ready but for some reason it wouldn’t start. I guess I’d kind of forgotten the whole procedure to start it since I hadn’t ridden it since late April. Eventually I remembered I had to flip the choke to position 3 since it was starting cold, and it started right up.

Looking toward Black Peak from Swamp Creek

I got to the gate across the road and saw one other set of snowmobile tracks, perhaps from Saturday. The snow was only an inch or two deep. I was just barely able to squeeze the sled under the gate, but it scraped the plastic front and bent the flexible handle in the middle. I think if the gate were a half inch shorter my sled wouldn’t have made it.

On the other side I cruised up the road, past a tree that had been sawed out, and eventually the snow deepened more after a mile or so. It was fun riding in the fresh powder and breaking above the undercast up at Liberty Bell. I cruised over Washington Pass, past Bridge Creek, over Rainy pass, then down the other side. The other tracks ended and I was laying fresh tracks the rest of the way to Swamp Creek.

Skiing to Lake Anne

I pulled over there and the snow was only about 2 inches deep again. I put my skis on and started bushwhacking up Swamp Creek, but once I got in the trees the snow was too thin and I had to carry the skis. I bushwhacked up a few miles and eventually got to ski a bit. But I soon hit a creek that wasn’t yet frozen and would difficult to cross. I figured that was enough scouting so turned around and returned to the sled.

I loaded up and road back to Rainy Pass, then pulled over into the trailhead lot. I looked like there were some ski tracks up the trail from Saturday, so I pulled over and decided to get some more skiing in. The snow was much deeper there so I figured I’d actually get some skiing in.

Riding out

I skinned up a few miles to Lake Anne and stopped to admire the view. It was getting late so I had a fun ski back down to the snowmobile, then rode back out. There were a few people hiking up near the sno park and I saw some fat bike tracks a few miles up, but other than that I didn’t see anyone else up there all day. I think this was perhaps the least crowded weekend for highway 20 all year. When the road is open people drive it, and when it is deeply snowed over people snowmobile up it. When it has just been closed but is mostly pavement people bike it. But when it is only thinly snow covered I guess basically nobody ventures all the way up to Washington Pass or Rainy Pass.

© 2021, egilbert@alum.mit.edu. All rights reserved.