The Nisqually Chute is a great alternative to the Muir Snowfield as possibly the best accessed steep line in the Cascades Within two hours of leaving Paradise Visitor Center in Mount Rainier National Park you can be dropping in. Wanting to find some good corn snow in April we decided to drive up and have a look after climbing up to the Muir Snowfield. It would be a 6,400 foot line is one of the more scenic area around.

A Little Bit of Info About the Nisqually Chute

The Nisqually Chute is a southwest gully that runs off the Muir Snowfield in Mount Rainier National Park. It is accessed from Paradise Visitor Center and it is a popular spot for skiers. Starting at 8,300 feet it terminates at 6,600 feet in the Nisqually Glacier Basin. When driving up the Paradise Road it is in clear view from the Nisqually Bridge. While it can be skied in powder conditions it is much safer to ride in corn as it has the potential for big avalanches.

Heading up the Muir Snowfield

It was a late start on Sunday as we started driving towards Mount Rainier. We decided to park down at the Nisqually bridge before hitch hiking up to Paradise which took us five minutes to get a ride.. By 11:30 we were skinning up the mountain wrapping around the lower slopes before scoping out our potential ski descent.

The clouds were coming in and out as we started making our way up. Once on the ridge we had a clear view of the Tatoosh Range in the distance. In the center of the photo below is Sunbeam Basin and to the right is Castle Peak. Soon we were making our way up we wondered what the weather had in store for us. With the route being completely in alpine a whiteout consequently it can be a scary experience.

The sun would come and go as we made our way higher. It seemed there was a constant flow of clouds heading our way as we raced towards the Muir Shelter. Looking back Wahpenayo Peak was basking in the sunlight.

Arriving at Camp Muir

Soon we arrived at the Muir Shelter and we were happy that the weather was holding out. For the next 30 minutes we ate some food, drank some water and took in the views. Off in the distance we could see the Eastern side of the Tatoosh Range. Before long it was time to get ready for a 6,400 foot run with hopes of riding the Nisqually Chute.

Riding down the Muir Snowfield

Taking our first turns we were happy to find that it was perfect corn. It was a scenic run as we rode with the Nisqually Icefall behind us.

After riding down about 2,000 feet it was time to start looking for the Nisqually chute. We would have to make a hard traverse and look for what seemed like a blind rollover since it dropped off so dramatically. From our vantage point it was impossible to see so we would have to go looking for it.

Riding Down the Nisqually Chute

After a hard traverse onto the western edge of the snowfield we spotted the line. It was a bit intimidating compared to the Muir Snowfield it was steep and we weren’t sure how the snow conditions were. It would be over 4,000 feet back to the car we had parked at the end of the valley. After a few minutes of scoping it out soon it was time to ride the Nisqually Chute.

Dan dropped in first and found that the snow was soft but not too wet. The conditions were nice and smooth as he rode down the steep upper section and still had 4000 feet below him.

As the terrain rolled over soon we had a clean view of the line dropping onto the Nisqually Glacier. Furthermore we were the first people putting tracks down the line and enjoying every turn.

Making his way halfway down the run Dan traversed off to the side so if I caused a wet slide he wouldn’t get caught. Once in a safe spot I dropped in and rode all the way to the base of the Nisqually Chute.

Soon the snow was much smoother on the sides as I took turns off the side wall. It felt as if the line went forever all things considered as we rode down the lower face and out to the open slopes below.

Exiting the Nisqually Chute and Riding towards the Bridge

Once on the lower Nisqually Glacier we had a clean view of Mount Rainier. From our vantage point we could see the Fuhrer Finger, the Fuhrer Thumb, The Nisqually Ice Chute and the Gib Chute. We had rode all the way from the base of the rock in the middle of the photo.

Soon we were at the lower Nisqually river was a full snowpack. Since we had seen the area in the morning we knew we could ride all the way to the bridge. By now the snow had turned to slush but as long as we kept going straight it wasn’t a problem.

Arriving at the Nisqually Bridge

Soon enough we were back at the parking lot and ready to head home. It had been a great day and a fun line. We felt like it was a good choice to ride the Nisqually chute as it seemed to be in way better conditions then the Muir Snowfield. But most of all the line is fall line

In conclusion the Nisqually chute is a great alternative to the Muir Snowfield or Paradise Glacier with over 2000 feet more vert. If you are willing to deal with the car hassle and looking for some steep it is a great line. Further more it is good to have options and this is a great option from the Paradise Visitor Center.

Thank you for reading this trip riding the Nisqually Chute. If you still want to see more ski tours within Mount Rainier Backcountry check out this link