Hello,

We are a couple of French skiers from the Alps and we plan to spend 3 weeks in the Cascade to make Backcountry skiing. For the moment nothing has been booked, we are at the very beginning of the trip planing. The date will be something like from the 7 to the 29 of May.

First I have a few general questions :
- Is this period is adapted to ski the volcanoes? (Judging from the trip reports that I have found I guess yes)
- Usually what kind of weather do you have in this period?
- What kind of snow did you usually ski in May? I think that you have corn snow in sunny orientation but is it possible to found powder in North?
- At which ekevation do you usually ski? A lot of starts seem to be located at low elevation.
- What about the current snow conditions? Do you have a lot of snow and could we except a nice spring season? (In the French Alps we have a very bad season)


For the moment we have 2 main ideas fof the trip :
- Landing in San Francisco and leaving in Seattle and skiing from South to North. For examlple lassen peak, Mt Shasta, around crater lake or Thielsen,... until mt Rainier.
- Landing and leaving in Seattle and making a loop. For example Mt St Helene, Mt Hood, Mt Adams, Rainier, Baker, Shuksan...

For you what is the Better plan? What are the better summits for skiing quality? We are open for all goog advices!

A lot of questions I know. Thanks in advance for your help and I apologise for my poor English...

- Is this period is adapted to ski the volcanoes? (Judging from the trip reports that I have found I guess yes)

May is considered THE month to ski the volcanoes.

- Usually what kind of weather do you have in this period?

In May you have a 50-50 chance of having good weather. The Cascades are like the New Zealand alps - wet on one side, dry on the other. If the weather on the volcanoes is bad, you can often drive to the east side of the mountains to the Enchantments and Stuart Range and enjoy good weather. Moderate to hard ski descents have been done on Stuart, Argonaut, Colchuck, and Dragontail.

- What kind of snow did you usually ski in May? I think that you have corn snow in sunny orientation but is it possible to found powder in North?

The snow in may is typically wet, particularly in the afternoon, freezing hard overnight and maybe corn sometime in between. Not usually powder.

- At which ekevation do you usually ski? A lot of starts seem to be located at low elevation.

It depends upon the mountain. On Rainier you will put your skis on in the parking lot. The Cascades are not a high elevation range like the Alps, they start low in deep forest and you may have to hike a ways to get to snow.

- What about the current snow conditions? Do you have a lot of snow and could we except a nice spring season? (In the French Alps we have a very bad season)

This is one of the wettest winters on record in Seattle, although warmer than usual. Snow pack is a bit above average. I think it will be an ok spring, especially on the higher elevation peaks.

The Cascades become steeper the farther north you drive, so if you want to ski steep stuff, fly into Seattle and ski Rainier, Mt. Baker, Mt Adams (skip St Helens), Mt Hood. Shuksan is a hard mountain to ski, the summit pyramid is very conditions dependent, but is right next door to Mt Baker so you can take a look and judge for yourself.

East of the crest Mt Stuart has good couloirs on the north and south sides and Colchuck has couloirs on the north side

Thanks a lot for your answers!

A lot of good news in your messages! We have bought two guidebook to prepare our trip : backcountry ski & snowboard routes (the mountaineers books edition). The green one for oregon & the orange one for Washington.

I will submit you soon some ideas for the trip.

New question : for the moment we don't know if we will rent a car or a camping car. Generally is it possible to sleep in a camping car near the starting points of the routes ?

Mykeee wrote:
New question : for the moment we don't know if we will rent a car or a camping car. Generally is it possible to sleep in a camping car near the starting points of the routes ?

Generally, yes. You can sleep at most of the trailheads, I do it all the time. I roll the sleeping bag out in the dirt or sleep in the back of my Subaru wagon. The one caveat is Mt. Rainier. The Park rangers don't want you camping at trailheads and there are some over-zealous law enforcement rangers out there who will be very happy to roust you in the middle of the night, give you a ticket, and send you on your way. The good news is there are plenty of car campgrounds within and outside the park you can take advantage.

Check out this weather forecast. Things look good for the snowpack. http://snowbrains.com/miracle-march-is- ... idiculous/

there are plenty of camping places (ones where you dont have to pay anything) near the routes you are seeking for. Use your common sense and this trip will be very cheap. I have been to many places in the world with a car, including the alps, and i find the America West the most friendly place for car camping. it doesnt matter if you sleep in the car or pop up the tent (although the tent is a bit more conspicuous).

your trip is going to be fun. all it boils down is weather. the pacific northwest is one fickle beast.

Have fun!!!

Kevin

Thanks for your answers!

Good news for March weather forecast! In the french alps we are finally crossing a nice wet and cold disturbance!

For the moment we have not decided what option we will pursue :
- Driving S to N from SF to Seatlle
- Making a loop from Seattle

In both cases the driving time between each spots seems similar. With option 1 it's possible to ski Mt Shasta and in the 3 sisters area. With option 2 we can easily go to Mt Baker area (with 3 weeks timing might be to short to go to this area with option 1).
What are your recommandations? For you which spots are unavoidable?

Either loop would be fun. I live in Seattle and have gotten down to California including Shasta a few times. The area is beautiful, but the farther north you head the steeper terrain is and perhaps more snow as Mt. Baker has the highest recorded snow fall on earth.

Hi,

Flight has been booked : Seattle/Seattle from the 7 to the 28 of May. We have rent a RV from the 9, so first summit the 10 (Mt Hood?).

Do you have any (good) news about the snow pack?

Backcountry ski reports here: http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_sn ... oard=200.0

No doubt your Oregon guide book tells of backcountry ski opportunities in the Three Sisters Wilderness area. It is a beautiful area with ample snow this year. Just south of the Three Sisters is Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort where I ski regularly. The Mt Bachelor ski conditions report would give you a good idea of the conditions in the Three Sisters which are about 1,000 feet taller. http://www.mtbachelor.com/conditions-report/
You should recognize that while some of the Northern Washington areas like Mt. Baker have quite a bit more snow, they have the snow mainly because they have more stormy weather. Mt. Bachelor Resort expects to operate until May 29 this year in recognition of the ample snow in the area.

You mentioned that you plan to visit Mt. Hood and I recalled Sylvain Saudan's descent from the summit. In looking for details, I came across a website that might be helpful to you. http://www.skimountaineer.com/CascadeSk ... deSki.html