We figured it was best to ski down as far as we could and then hike back up whatever was necessary. The ski was a lot of fun, even with our heavy packs, but the hike up was a pain. We took off our skis near a raging stream below Ives Peak. A wooded ridge to the north looked like it might have some good camps. There were some good camps near the base of the ridge but we continued up. I ran into some vertical choss and ended up pulling some low 5th class with a heavy pack (skis, boots, etc). Troy and the Hummels stayed farther west and we met up at the top of the ridge. There wasn't much in the way of campsites but we managed to find a few flat spots. A fire and great views were among the benefits.
We cooked a big dinner and rested our backs. Josh and I got restless so we decided to climb and ski Old Snowy. It was around 7pm when we left camp. The summit was roughly an hour away. It ended up taking us 40 minutes. The views were incredible. We considered running over to Ives but it was getting late and we wanted to ski.
We were somewhat disappointed not being able to find the summit register. I've since heard that some vandals are trying to get rid of them. I took a few photos and we set off. We skied some excellent slopes on thickened corn.
Josh looking back. Heading to Old Snowy for a late night ski.
Josh on the summit of Old Snowy.
Cranking some turns at sunset.
Troy and Jason had kept the fire going back at camp. We warmed ourselves and played some cards before heading to bed. The wind blew most of the night but we were comfortably sheltered behind some trees.
Our second camp just before sunset.
We awoke to a beautiful sunrise, packed our gear and set forth towards Old Snowy. It took us 45 minutes to reach with our heavy packs. We were grateful because we knew it was all downhill from there. It was still early so we decided to run over to Ives and make it three peaks in three days. We left our big packs on the summit of Old Snowy and headed across the crest with tennis shoes and ski poles. A fair amount of scrambling and a bit of 4th class led us to the summit. Couldn't find the summit register. We took a few photos before heading back.
Heading south from the summit of Ives.
Our little jaunt to Ives took a little over an hour. We switched over to ski boots on the summit of Old Snowy. Two climbers came up from Snowgrass Flats and we exchanged greetings before heading down. The snow was excellent as usual and we all managed to get in some good turns before the snow petered out. We packed our skis and boots once again and hiked about a mile of scree before dropping into the meadows. We managed to cross the creek using a dead tree. It was a little too flexible so our feet got wet as it sunk near the middle.
Back on the summit of Old Snowy for the third time this trip.
Jason turning on familiar terrain.
Josh nearing the end of the snow.
We met a few campers in the meadows. They were curious as to what we had skied. We took a few minutes to explain and continued down. The trail was easy to follow but it seemed to take longer than usual. We were greeted by a 20 mile shuttle and three hour drive back to Seattle.
Our route provided a great three-day traverse but it was a little tiring. Next time I'll probably forgo the skis and hike along the crest.