Trip Date: February 28, 2020
Keechelus Ridge Ski Loop: Noble Creek Overlook to Resort Creek Overlook
Cabin Creek Ski Area
Noble Creek Overlook
Keechelus Tower Knoll
Keechelus Pass
Resort Creek Overlook
Resort Creek Pond
Trip Report Summary
Region: Central Washington Cascades
Sub-Region: Keechelus Mountains
Area: Okanogan – Wenatchee National Forest
Starting & Ending Point: Cabin Creek Ski Trailhead on Interstate-90 at Exit 63 (Elev. 2460 feet)
Way Points: Swamp Lake Flats & Lake Kachess Road #49 crossing & Keechelus Ridge Roadhead #4934 & Road #118 junction & Noble Creek Overlook & Road #122/#124 junction & Road #126/#128 junction & Keechelus Tower Knoll & Keechelus Pass & Resort Creek Overlook & Resort Creek Pond & Resort Creek culvert & Price Creek & Noble Creek & North Fork Swamp Creek & Lake Kachess Road #49 (ski tour via Road 4826—Road 4934—Road 122—Road 126—Road 4934—Road 4832); Cabin Creek Road #4826 junction (road walk via Road 49); Swamp Lake Flats & Cabin Creek Ski Trailhead (ski tour via Road 4826)
High Point: Keechelus Tower Knoll (Elev. 4960+ feet)
Sidetrip: South Fork Swamp Creek & WSDOT Exit 62 Storage Yard (road walk via Road 49); Swamp Lake Flats (ski thrash)
Approximate Stats (excluding sidetrip): 21.0 miles traveled; 3000 feet gained & lost; 8.3 hours elapsed.
Approximate Stats (including sidetrip): 22.5 miles traveled; 3050 feet gained & lost; 9.6 hours elapsed.
Related Posts
>>> Keechelus Ridge Ski Loop – detailed route description
>>> Keechelus Peak Ski Ascent + Keechelus Tower Knoll – December 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 moderate ski tours in the I-90 / Snoqualmie Pass corridor
Full Trip Report
On a sunny Friday, Yoko joined me for a big ski-touring loop over Keechelus Ridge. This area is overrun with snowmobiles on weekends, so a midweek date is always advisable. Medium-weight Nordic touring gear was very well suited for our hybrid loop, which involves both groomed and ungroomed roads, with a small dash of off-road terrain thrown in.
We started from the Cabin Creek Ski Trailhead at Exit 63 and skied out the freshly groomed road/trail to Kachess Lake Road. After scurrying across the pavement, we put climbing skins on our skis and made a long ascent of Upper Keechelus Ridge Road #4934 (ungroomed). When we reached the four-way junction with Price Creek Road #124 and Tower Road #122 (3.3 hours + 2000 feet from TH), we turned right on the latter road (groomed) and proceeded up to 4960-foot Keechelus Tower Knoll, arriving shortly after noon (4.1 hours + 2650 feet from TH).
Having been to this knoll many times in recent years, I was more than a little surprised to see that the huge radio tower is now gone! Apparently, it was removed last summer, along with all ancillary structures. We stopped for lunch on the edge of the knoll, which provides an excellent view of the rugged Snoqualmie Mountains stretching from Chickamin Peak to Mt. Daniel.
After lunch, we began descending northward to Keechelus Pass on a combination of roads and open slopes. Snowmobilers had crisscrossed this area hundreds of times in recent weeks, leaving almost no untracked snow.
At Keechelus Pass, we turned left and zoomed down Keechelus Ridge Road #4934 (groomed but rough) to Resort Creek Pond, then made a hard left and headed southward on Resort Creek Road #4832. This lower road had gotten relatively little snowmobile traffic, so we enjoyed good kick-and-glide conditions.
After several miles, we encountered a pair of skiers coming toward us. When I explained that we were heading for Cabin Creek Sno-Park, one of the skiers enthusiastically stated that we could make a faster return by cutting through the WSDOT storage yard adjacent to I-90 at Exit 62. We thanked him for the hot tip and continued on our way.
Upon reaching Kachess Lake Road, we doffed our skis and walked ¾ mile down to the WSDOT storage yard, then donned skis and charged into the Swamp Lake flats. A frustrating half-hour later found us wandering in circles amidst a rat’s maze of snow humps and open-water channels. Beware the well-intentioned advice of friendly strangers!
We returned to Kachess Lake Road and walked ¾ mile back to Road #4832, then walked an additional 1 mile to the Cabin Creek Road junction, thereby closing our loop. Our “short cut” had cost us 2 miles and 1.3 hours, but now we were back on track. From the junction, it was an easy 1½ miles of kicking and gliding back to our starting point (9.6 hours + 22.5 miles + 3050 feet total loop).
Equipment Comments
For more information regarding the various equipment that I used for this particular trip and that I typically use for this type of trip, see my gear reviews on the following pages:
>>> Backcountry Nordic Ski Touring Gear
>>> Backcountry Ski & Snowshoe Packs
>>> Wintertime Comfort Accessories
Route Maps
Photo Gallery
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