Blackwall Knoll Ski Tour

Cascade Overlook fka Valley View Lookout
Blackwall Saddle
Alpine Meadows
Blackwall Knoll

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Full Trip Report
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Trip Report Summary

Region: Canadian Cascades (British Columbia)

Sub-Region: Tulameen Mountains

Area: Manning Provincial Park

Starting & Ending Point: Blackwall Road lower gate off Highway 3 (Elev. 3900 feet)

Way Points: Pinewoods Creek Culvert & Cascade Overlook & Blackwall Saddle & Alpine Meadows & Blackwall Knoll (ski tour via Blackwall Road)

High Point: Blackwall Knoll (Elev. 6600+ feet)

Sidetrip: Lone Man Ridge (ski tour)

Approximate Stats (excluding sidetrip): 18.5 miles traveled; 2800 feet gained & lost; 5.7 hours up; 1.7 hours down.

Approximate Stats (including sidetrip): 19.5 miles traveled; 3100 feet gained & lost; 6.3 hours up; 2.5 hours down.

Blackwall Road Ski Tour & Blackwall Peak Ascent – March 20, 2015

Full Trip Report

While spending a long weekend at Manning Park Resort in British Columbia, our large group of WSTC members took a ski tour up to Cascade Overlook. This fine viewpoint is reached by means of Blackwall Road, which leaves Highway 3 just across from the resort. The road had been nicely groomed from the lower gate on up, so we made good time getting to the overlook (2.3 hours + 4.8 miles + 1600 feet from highway). We all ate lunch with a sweeping view of the nearby Upper Skagit Mountains and the distant Pasayten Mountains.

After lunch, James, Doug, Eileen, and I continued northward up the road toward Blackwall Peak. Although the road had not been groomed past Cascade Overlook, the skiing was pleasant, with several inches of fresh snow covering a firm crust.

James and Eileen On Upper Blackwall Road

We reached Blackwall Saddle and, shortly beyond, Alpine Meadows in mid-afternoon. Eileen and I took a quick sidetrip up to 6600-foot Blackwall Knoll (5.7 hours + 9.3 miles + 2750 feet from lower gate) to check out the view and the radio tower.

Ptarmigan Peak To Monument Peak Pano From Blackwall Knoll

James was planning to do an overnight loop over to Fat Dog Creek, so Eileen and I accompanied him another ½ mile to a deep notch in Lone Man Ridge (6.3 hours from lower gate).

We bade James goodbye and then returned to Alpine Meadows, where we reconnected with Blackwall Road. From there, it was a fun kick-and-glide back to Cascade Overlook and then down to the road gate adjacent to Highway 3 (1.7 hours from Alpine Meadows). This is always a fun ski tour, and we were fortunate to have great weather all day.

Equipment Comments

Throughout the winter, Blackwall Road is groomed up to Cascade Overlook on a fairly regular basis, and it is occasionally groomed up to Blackwall Saddle or Alpine Meadows. When the road is well-groomed, the ski tour can be readily done on standard cross-country ski gear. When the road is ungroomed or poorly groomed, however, such lightweight gear will seem less than adequate. Having been up and down this road multiple times in recent years, I’ve experienced the full gamut of snow conditions.

My preferred all-purpose cross-country ski has a full metal edge, a fishscale base, and a width between 60mm and 65mm. This type of ski will fit in the grooves of a groomed ski track but is also capable of handling everything from hard crust to deep powder. I mate these skis with NNN-BC boots and bindings, which provide more control and robustness. In addition, I carry short “kicker skins” for skiing uphill on icy snow. I also use an adjustable ski pole, which can be shortened for the ascent and lengthened for the descent.

For more information regarding the various ski equipment and accessories that Eileen and I used for this particular trip and that we typically use for other trips of this type, see my gear reviews on the following pages:

>>> XC/BC Hybrid Nordic Ski Touring Gear

>>> Backcountry Ski & Snowshoe Packs

>>> Wintertime Comfort Accessories