The Flett Glacier Headwall is one of my favorite summer spot for me for ski touring. It’s a long distance to access the headwall from Mowich Lake in summer let alone in winter. With the weather looking so nice, however, I thought this would be the day to go for it. If the conditions lined up I would go for over Mount Pleasant and into Spray Park before riding the Flett Glacier Headwall.
A Little Bit of info About the Flett Glacier Headwall
The Flett Glacier headwall is located on the north side of Observation Rock in Mount Rainier National Park. The hike starts from Mowich Lake off the Carbon River Road and can be accessed via the Spray Park Trail or through Knapsack Pass. Starting at 8,300 feet it drops into Spray Park and turns can be had all year long.
The Long Tour Ahead
With over 24 miles and 8000 vert of ski touring I knew it was going to be a long day. Consequently I planned for an early start, sleeping as close to the Mowich Lake trailhead as possible. I was able to drive up to a locked gate four and a half miles below Mowich. Since I was sleeping in the front seat of my Subaru it was an uncomfortable night but soon I was asleep.
Heading up and Over Knapsack Pass
Despite my careful planning, however, the goodness of my car lulled me into slumber until about 7 am. After the first mile of road hiking it generally became continuous skinning. Occasional I would hit a firm spot, which warranted the use of crampons. While coverage looked great up high the lower slopes were looking bare. Generally it was starting to look a lot like May on Fay Peak and the surrounding areas. For this reason I was excited to gain elevation and snowboard the Flett Glacier Headwall
Once arriving at Spray Park, I was amazed at how quickly the skinning out to Flett Glacier went by. I had made it out to the Flett Glacier in less than an hour. The headwall proper was an hour or so later. Soon I was on the summit and taking in magnificent views of the Mowich Glacier, the Burroughs, and Curtis Ridge. Soon it was time for my descent of the Flett Glacier Headwall.
Snowboarding the Flett Glacier Headwall
Before dropping into the Headwall I checked out the line and it looked good. I was a bit hesitant being solo but soon enough I felt comfortable dropping in. Riding down the upper slopes I was finding smooth yet firm conditions with variable powder on the headwall proper. Afterwards conditions quickly became blower powder in the gullies below. It was nice to ride over 3000 vert to the base of Hessong Rock without a single carryover in contrast to summer. Before heading back towards Mount Pleasant. I took one final view of my tracks on the Headwall. Soon it was time to get moving as clouds were coming in.
The route had gone much faster than I expected. With extra time I opted to return via Mount Pleasant to Knapsack, and then make a summit bid of Fay. Once arriving at the base the weather had other plans. For this reason I chose safety over ski lines and soon was making my way towards the car. Afterwords I was happy with my decision as the weather swallowed up the summit of the mountain.
Keeping my head down I arrived at Mowich Lake and took a short break, drinking some water and eating a snack. before moving on.Finally I was walking down the road and making my way back to the gate. Although I was exhausted from a long day I was happy that I chose to head out to the Flett Glacier. Soon I arrived back at the car with ample time before sunset.
In Conclusion
Throughout my short visit to Mt. Rainier’s North Side I relished in the solitude of solo climbing. I couldn’t help but consider how sparsely populated the area surely must be in comparison to Rainier’s southern half. Compared to heading to the area in summer it was quite the distance but the travel was easy and the views were hard to beat. In summary it was a great ski tour of the Flett Glacier Headwall in Mount Rainier National Park.
Thank you for reading this trip to the Flett Glacier Headwall. If you want to see more ski tours within Mount Rainier Backcountry check out this link