Trip Date: May 25, 2009
Updated: January 2024

Chair Peak Ski Circumnavigation:  Bryant Col to Sno-Chair Pass

Pineapple Basin aka Great Scott Basin
Bryant Col
Melakwa Pass
Chair Peak Lake
Snow Lake
Sno-Chair Pass
Source Lake

Trip Report Summary

Region: Central Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Snoqualmie Range

Area: Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Starting & Ending Point: Alpental Ski Area upper parking lot at end of Alpental Road (Elev. 3250 feet)

Way Points: Source Lake Bowl & Pineapple / Great Scott Basin & Bryant Col & Melakwa Valley & Melakwa Pass & Chair Peak Lake & Snow Lake & Sno-Chair Pass & Source Lake Bowl & upper Alpental parking lot (ski tour)

High Point: Bryant Col (Elev. 5450 feet)

Approximate Stats: 7.9 miles traveled; 4050 feet gained & lost; 10.5 hours elapsed.

Related Post

>>> Chair Peak Ski Circumnavigation – June 5, 2010

Information Sources

The following links provide helpful information for planning this ski tour. Even these information sources, however, should not be taken as a substitute for having the fitness, knowledge, equipment, and clothing required for ski touring.

>>> WSDOT road reports for Interstate-90 and Snoqualmie Pass

>>> National Weather Service weather forecast for Snoqualmie Pass area

>>> Northwest Avalanche Center avalanche forecast for Snoqualmie Pass area

>>> Other easy to intermediate ski tours in the I-90 / Snoqualmie Pass corridor

Full Trip Report

The Chair Peak Circumnavigation has become a classic ski tour in the Snoqualmie Pass area, and was something I’d been wanting to do ever since I heard about it a couple years ago.  Now I realize that it’s not just a local classic but is destined to be a Northwest classic.  I was joined by Beth, Fay, Jenny, and Eileen on this bluebird Memorial Day trip.

We started from the upper Alpental parking lot and skinned up-valley to Source Lake Bowl, then zigzagged up to Pineapple (Great Scott) Basin below The Snoqualmie Tooth.

From there, we traversed northward on a 4800-foot bench until reaching a steep chute, which we then booted up.

A rising rightward ski traverse under the cliffs of Bryant Peak ended with another boot ascent to 5450-foot Bryant Col–the topographic high point of our tour.

The uppermost 6 inches of snow on these upper slopes was very wet and highly prone to sloughing off below our skis, so we found booting to be a safer transit mode in the steeper areas. Indeed, this soft layer has been so prevalent throughout the Cascades all weekend, it could rightfully become infamous as the “Memorial Day Mush of 2009”!

From Bryant Col, we skied down a broad couloir toward Melakwa Lake until able to start a northward traverse (at about 4900 feet) toward Melakwa Pass.

This began well, but the mile-long sideslope gradually grew steeper and unstable, prompting concerns about an unplanned slide & ride into a tree or rock.  As a nod to caution, we angled down to the gentle basin floor.  An easy climb took us to Melakwa Pass, which splits the massive ramparts of Kaleetan Peak and Chair Peak.

This being the midpoint of our tour, we felt justified in taking a long boots-off break in the warm sun.  Views were spectacular in all directions, but the sight of Fay’s bare feet and relaxed posture on a mountain trip may have been even more remarkable!

From Melakwa Pass, we skied due north down a moderately-angled couloir to tiny Chair Peak Lake.  This couloir served up a of luscious soft-kernel corn over a firm base—quite likely the best snow I’ve had all season!

A jog around the left side of a little knoll closely west of the lake outlet took us to another series of east-facing slopes with ski conditions that ranged from challenging to excellent.  Surprisingly, there were no other ski tracks on any of these slopes.

We paused on a bench overlooking beautiful Snow Lake.

To our dismay, the entire center of the lake and much of the lakeshore sparkled with open water.  This dashed our hopes of safely making a fast and easy glide across the lake surface;  instead, we were faced with either a tedious contour around the northern shoreline or an upsy-downsy traverse along the northern ridge.  After much debate, we chose the shoreline option.  Although this proved to be more scenic than tedious, there were a few tense moments when we had to traverse steep slopes closely above the haunting ice-blue water.  A slip here would certainly end with a frigid splash!

The outlet stream loomed ahead as a potential obstacle.  We were very relieved to find a wide footlog (part of the summer trail) at the crossing point, but the opposite side required a boot ascent of a short, steep bank that spanned an ominous mini-moat.

Once across, the terrain became much more benign. However, most of us were demoted to boot-packers for the next 1/2 mile due to an afternoon onset of skin-glue failure (apparently caused by forest gunk on the snow surface).

A visit from Mr. Duct Tape saved the day, and we were all able to skin up to Sno-Chair Pass, where we de-skinned for the last time.  A fast descent to Source Lake and a glide back to Alpental finished out this stellar backcountry skiing adventure.

Equipment Comments

For this ski tour, I used my backcountry telemark touring setup, which comprises telemark skis with a fishscale base, along with plastic telemark boots and full-length climbing skins. Alpine touring (AT, or randonnee) skis and boots can also be used, of course. Having a backpack that readily carries skis was critical for all of us. I should also mention that none of us had an ice axe, but we all wished that we did.

For more information regarding the various equipment that I used on this particular trip and that I typically use on this type of trip, see my gear discussions and reviews on the following pages:

>>> Backcountry Telemark Ski Touring Gear

>>> Backcountry Ski & Snowshoe Packs

>>> Wintertime Comfort Accessories

Route Map & Profile

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Photo Gallery

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