Trip Date: March 19, 2011
Nason–Smith Ski Traverse: Nason Creek to Lichtenberg Pass to Smith Brook
Nason Creek Valley
Lake Valhalla
Lichtenberg Pass
Smith Brook Meadow
Trip Report Summary
Region: North-Central Washington Cascades
Sub-Region: Upper Wenatchee Mountains
Area: Henry M. Jackson Wilderness
Starting Point: PCT-Northbound Trailhead at Stevens Pass on Highway 2 (Elev. 4000 feet)
Way Points: Stevens Pass Railroad Grade & Nason Creek & Lake Valhalla & Lichtenberg Pass & Smith Brook Meadow & Smith Brook Road (ski tour)
High Point: Lichtenberg Pass (Elev. 5100 feet)
Ending Point: Smith Brook Roadhead on Highway 2 (Elev. 3200 feet)
Approximate Stats: 10 miles traveled; 1400 feet gained; 2200 feet lost; 7.5 hours elapsed.
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Full Trip Report
I was joined on yesterday’s Nason–Smith Ski Traverse by Fay, Doug, Mark, Rebecca, Jenny, and Eileen. This classic backcountry ski traverse—going up Nason Creek Valley, over Lichtenberg Pass, and down Smith Brook Road—has become an annual springtime event for me. It never fails to offer up interesting and challenging conditions.
- Skinning through the forest
Our weather turned out to be surprisingly sunny and mild, with none of the forecasted precip. Not surprisingly, the fresh snow was plentiful: Stevens Pass reported 7 inches of new snow overnight, and probably close to 1.5 feet had fallen over the past week. Nobody complained about the tough trail-breaking through this beautifully wintry landscape. Given the sunshine and mild temps, however, we experienced some of the worst under-foot snowballing (aka “death cookies”) I’ve seen in a long time!
- Traversing toward Lichtenberg Mountain
Snow stability was pretty good. The majority of slide activity was on sunny southern or southwestern aspects where snow slabs were peeling off the cliffs of Lichtenberg Mtn and triggering wet sloughs below. A test pit on a southwestern aspect just below Lake Valhalla (at 4700 feet) revealed 21 inches of uniform powder over a barely discernible crust. In a shovel shear test, the powder sheared cleanly along this crust with moderate effort.
On the sunny crux slope just below Lichtenberg Pass (at 5000 feet), we observed 8 to 12 inches of wet powder over a well-defined crust, with very weak interface bonding. This caused some concern about triggering wet-slab slides, but we were able to find a safe zig-zag route up to the pass.
Lichtenberg Pass provided a warm and windless spot for a late lunch, with impressive views over to the snow-plastered western facade of Lichtenberg Mtn.
- Lichtenberg Mountain from near pass
- Ski track across Lake Valhalla
Skiing down the eastern side of the pass after lunch was, as always, variable and interesting; there were alternating zones of smooth powder and difficult crust.
- Doug skiing below Lichtenberg Pass
At one point, we stopped to admire some ski tracks cutting through a narrow chute below Lichtenwasser Lake. Later, we discovered these enviable tracks to be the handiwork of a slightly earlier tour group that included our friends John Morrow and Kevin Koski. As Maxwell Smart would say, “we missed them by THAT MUCH!!”
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 Telemark Ski Touring Gear
>>> Backcountry Ski & Snowshoe Pack
>>> Wintertime Comfort Accessories
Route Map & Profile
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Photo Gallery
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