With a high avalanche forecast we decided to go ski touring Kendall Stumps on Snoqualmie Pass. The reason behind this was that it was at a lower elevation and had trees to safely ski. It was also a new backcountry spot for us and we would be able to explore. It would be a great day in the snow even though most slopes were unsafe to ride with a high avalanche forecast.

Finding a Place to Ski Tour on a High Avalanche Day

After riding the resorts day after day I was itching to do a backcountry tour. With the Avalanche danger high above 5’000 feet there wasn’t much options of places to go. Knowing that classic lines in the area were not safe we counted our options. In the end we decided to check out the tree anchored slopes on Kendall Stumps near Snoqualmie Pass.

 

Breaking trail was a challenge with all the new snow. It had been snowing hard for more than a week and traveling was slow as we broke trail up. Our options were limited to staying in the trees as anything open could slide.

 

When we finally made it to the top of the area we it would be smart to dig a pit. Digging down we would be able to see how the snow had bonded and potentially it would give us an idea of the stability. With the winds being so strong it would also provide a bit of shelter as we dug a full profile. There was over 7 feet of snow before we reached the ground.

 

Doing a Rutschblock test the upper foot of snow failed miserably. Though we had expected this it just confirmed our beliefs and all things considered we were happy to be out. There would still be good snow to ride but we would have to be careful about both the terrain and potential exposure.

Riding down Kendall Stumps

We then proceeded to track out the trees below us. We felt the angle of the slope wasn’t steep enough to slide and the trees anchored the area. It wouldn’t be the longest runs but the snow would make it a fun day.

 

Dropping in the snow was bottomless and there was enough space to ride fluidly. While we weren’t expecting much it had turned out to be a great day. The snow was deep and unconsolidated. Every turn would kick snow into the air and we were swimming in a world of white.

 

After two laps in the area we were having problems with the skin track getting buried. For our last descent we decided to ride to the car. We would have to wait for the snow to settle before riding anything big but we had made the most of a high avalanche forecast.

 

Back at the car we attempted to get the snow out of every corner of our layers. From Goggles to touring gear all our gear was caked in new snow. It had been a super fun day in limited visibility and although most terrain was way to sketchy we had two laps in bottomless powder.

Thank you for reading this trip out to Kendall Stumps. If you want to see more ski tours within the Snoqualmie Pass Backcountry check out this link.