The Big Chiwaukum Couloir is one of those lines you can see on a clear day at Stevens Pass Ski resort. Being the high point of the Chiwaukum range the line can’t help but grab your attention. Scott McAlister and I put together a plan to in which we would make it out there via a traverse. We would go fast and light with an early morning approach so we could make the most out of the day before exiting around sunset. While the tour was going to be long it would be worth it for the views alone. Snowboarding down the Big Chiwaukum Couloir was going to be a nice bonus.
Ski Touring into the Chiwaukum Mountains
It all started under a star-filled sky as we drove down Highway 2 onto the Eastern Side of the Cascades. With only the lights of our headlamps to guide us, Scott and I followed a lightly traveled summer trail towards into the base of the Chiwaukum Range. We had left the car at 2:30 a.m. in order to have the most time in the sun possible. After countless hours of following the trail we finally reached the alpine under a clear blue sky. Off in the distance we could see the silhouette of the the Big Chiwaukum. We had made quite a bit of ground already but it was still early in the morning.
Our choice of route was easy and straight-forward as we did a low traverse across multiple large basins. Finally we were at the base of our objective and looking up the west face. The closer we got the better we could make out our options as there were two couloirs to choose from. In the end we decided to climb the couloir to the left and once on the summit of the Big Chiwaukum would ride the one to the right,
While skinning to the lower apron of our line we were taken aback by the views of Stevens Pass. This was a new vantage point for me and there was great skiing in every direction. We could see from the Monte Cristo Range to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It was a stunning day and we were glad to have started early.
Climbing the Northwest Couloir of the Big Chiwaukum
Once we made it to the couloir it quickly became apparent that skinning was inefficient. Knowing we would gain ground much faster bootpacking we started kicking steps up the gut. Scott took the lead making his way up one step at a time. There was well over a foot of well-consolidated powder with the sun illuminating the peak above us.
The climbing seemed to be endless when we gazed up towards the col. Though we could see it in the distance we never seemed to gain ground. It was when we looked back that we finally realized how much ground we had covered. Underneath us was almost 2000 vert of fall line powder with two boot tracks heading up.
Though we were initially afraid of not being able to access the col we were happy to see that there wasn’t a cornice on top. Soon enough we were putting in the last steps up the final pitch. What at first seemed to be a near vertical wall was in all actuality a mellow ramp of snow bounded by rock walls and covered in rhyme ice.
Arriving on the Summit of the Big Chiwaukum
Once on top, we found ourselves surrounded by the Chiwaukum Mountains. There were vast alpine bowls as far as the eye could see without anyone around. We could only imagine the endless opportunities for ski lines among the terrain before our eyes. In front of us was a massive expanse of peaks and valleys sculpted by ancient glaciers and the fragments of rock they’d left behind.
Traversing across the wide-open and mellow slopes to the summit of the Big Chiwaukum we got a better view of our couloir. While it wasn’t as steep as the one we’d climbed, it looked to be a longer line. After a bit of battling back and forth about what line to ride we decided to go for the second one. From what we could tell it was holding a bit better snow and looked like it would be a funner run for two tracks.
Snowboarding the Big Chiwaukum Couloir
Scott dropped in first, and to both of our surprise, conditions were perfect from top to the bottom. We rode down with just enough powder to not feel firm conditions underneath but also not enough to worry about sluffs or slabs. I watched as Scott made turn after turn down the 2000 Big Chiwaukum Couloir before dropping in myself.
I couldn’t help but get stoked as I rode down the wide-open chute surrounded by massive rock walls. I hadn’t expected the snow to be as good as it was, and soon, what had taken 9 hours to ascend had been descended in less than 3 minutes. After reaching Scott, we both exchanged comments on the terrain around the Big Chiwaukum. Our two tracks were embedded in the slopes temporarily, but the turns would remain in our minds forever.
After a quick traverse, we went back to skinning up a mellow west-facing slopes. Our next objective was Deadhorse Pass which would allow us access back into the Chiwaukum Mountains. Within an hour we were standing at the pass looking out among endless lakes, and untouched wide open bowls for as far as the eye could see. Jason Hummel and I had been in the area previously but we had just scratched the surface.
Heading Up and Over Deadhorse Pass
From Deadhorse Pass we started snowboarding down to the northeast. Our general route for the rest of the day was to the north. Knowing we could either do a high traverse or just ride to the valley our choice was obvious. We would snowboard all the way down before grabbing some water and climbing again.
After riding into the valley we were happy to find open streams of water. It would save us a lot of time compared to melting water as we drank as much as we could. It had already been a long day so far so we decided to rest in the sun for a bit. We were preparing for some of the steepest skinning of the day. To the north was our final uphill pitch in the Chiwaukum Mountains before reaching the car now situated 4,500 feet below us.
Our Final Ascent in the Chiwaukum Mountains
Once we had refueled it was time to get back to skinning and completed the traverse. Many of the slopes along the way were scarred with older wet slides as we had just had an avalanche cycle a few days earlier. As the sun began to drop in the sky the snow under our feet quickly began to firm up.
Working with the slopes we tried to stay in the sun as long as possible. By now anything in the shade was solid ice and a challenge to climb in. We still had some steep sections to climb but we were within an hour of our final descent.
With a long traverse and carefully put in switchbacks we made our way to the high plateau. What was once covered in rocks and littered with the occasional water hole, was now 10 feet of snow. While we had been traveling on steeper slopes all day, we anticipated mellow terrain until our final descent. We were finally less then a mile away from the Swath and our exit.
Snowboarding Back to the Car
Our exit route was nothing less than perfect. We had traversed over 7 miles just to get into alpine but this was a direct route down. Our descent was 4,500 feet of fall line skiing soon arriving at the car, with the top being 2000 feet of untracked powder. The rest of our descent was 2500’ of summer logging roads. Before long, we were celebrating our achievements with well deserved dry clothes, as well as some brand new sun burns.
The entire trip was around 20 miles and a little under 10,000 feet. I highly recommend this tour as the scenery is simply breathtaking in this remote region of Washington State.
Thank you for reading this trip on the Big Chiwaukum Couloir. If you want to see more ski tours within the Stevens Pass Backcountry check out this link.