Trip Date: March 20, 2015
WSTC SPRING SKI OUTING: MANNING PARK RESORT
Blackwall Peak Ski Tour & Day Climb
Cascade Overlook fka Valley View Lookout
Blackwall Saddle
Blackwall Peak (6768 ft)
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 & Cascade Overlook & Blackwall Saddle (ski tour via Blackwall Road)
Summit: Blackwall Peak (snow climb via Northeast Chute)
Approximate Stats: 17.6 miles traveled; 3000 feet gained & lost; 5.2 hours up; 2.6 hours down.
Related Post
>>> Cascade Overlook & Blackwall Knoll Ski Tour – March 26, 2016
Full Trip Report
While staying at Manning Park Resort with Washington Ski Touring Club, Eileen and I took a day trip up Blackwall Peak. We started at the lower gate just off Highway 3 and strided up the Blackwall Road on cross-country/backcountry hybrid skis. The road was nicely groomed up to Cascade Overlook (4.8 miles + 1600 feet from gate).
From Cascade Overlook, it was nearly 4 more miles of ungroomed road up to Blackwall Saddle near Alpine Meadows (4.6 hours + 8.6 miles + 2550 feet from gate). Blackwall Peak is clearly visible above the meadows and easily identified by a distinctive, tall, slender tower on its summit. “What the heck is that thing?” we wondered.
We skied up through the forest toward the summit until the gradient got too steep for skiing. We then ditched our skis and booted up a steep snow chute on the peak’s northeastern side. This took us pretty much directly to the summit (5.2 hours + 2950 feet from gate). Now standing beside the curious tower, we realized that it is a slender cone, approximately 35 feet high by 8 or 10 feet in diameter. But we still couldn’t imagine the purpose!
To descend, we carefully booted back down the snow chute to our skis and then enjoyed a long, pleasant glide back down to the lower gate near Highway 3 (2.6 hours + 50 feet from summit).
The next day, I asked the resort manager about the strange black cone on Blackwall Peak. He explained that it is a lightning detector. By sensing changes in electrical potential during a lightning storm, it can send real-time information to the local monitoring agency. Ah hah!
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
From Blackwall Saddle, the climb of Blackwall Peak can be accomplished in the same ski boots when snow conditions in the chute are reasonably soft. We were able to use our inverted ski poles as makeshift ice axes for extra stability. However, we would have been more comfortable having actual mountain boots and ice axes if the snow chute had been firm or crusty.
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