Two weeks ago, Matt and I were fired up about the possibility of a big spring ski traverse, but the weather had different plans. A mid-May storm cycle rolled into the Cascades just before the weekend, dropping 2+ feet of snow at higher elevations, and the forecast said that things wouldn’t really clear up until Sunday. I was a bit disappointed about not being able to get out for a longer trip, but I couldn’t really complain about the possibility of skiing some mid-May powder. To further sweeten the deal, Matt was laid low by a nasty cold, which meant that I finally stood a chance of keeping up with him.
We decided to head for the Clark Glacier, on the north side of Clark Mountain, the highest summit in the Dakobed Range immediately southeast of Glacier Peak. This is an area that I had never been in in the winter before, and I was excited about the alpine terrain and the solitude. Matt and I linked up at Coles Corner on Saturday afternoon, and headed up to White River Falls.
It sprinkled a bit on us on the drive up, and the weather seemed mildly foreboding, but we headed up the White River Trail, which is pretty properly obliterated by blowdown for much of the first ~2 miles. Still, it was pleasant in the forest, with lots of blooming Trillium and massive old growth trees. We hit the Boulder Creek Trail and headed up it. After plenty more blowdown for the first ~500 vertical feet, we were pleasantly surprised to find the upper part of the trail in great shape.
Matt expertly keeping his feet dry at the soggy Boulder Creek crossing.
A carpet of Glacier Lillies along the Boulder Creek trail
We hit snow around 4,500 feet and continued a bit further before finding a nice camp spot near the creek. The weather was still fairly overcast, but we got occasional glimpses of the subsummits of Clark far above us, coated in fresh snow. As we set up camp, a squall rolled in and it started snowing on us, so we had a quick dinner and then a cozy evening in the tent, listening to the snow fall.
Pt. 8373 shrouded in clouds and fresh snow above the Boulder Creek Basin.
Matt waiting for dinner as it snows lightly
We awoke to clearing skies and some sunshine, and thew our skins on to head up the valley towards Boulder Pass. On solar aspects, the spring sun quickly turned the fresh snow to mashed potatoes, and it was slow going breaking trail through a foot+ of mush. At Boulder Pass we made a short skins-on descent to flatter terrain, then wrapped around to northern slopes and the Clark Glacier. A long gentle traverse brought us to steeper terrain around 7,400 feet, then it was cruising along the flat upper glacier to the 8,100 foot saddle immediately east of the summit. We were a bit worried about the steep south-facing slopes below the summit, but they ended up being easy going, and before long we were on the summit, looking at the incredible views of Luahna, about 3.5 hours after leaving camp.
Matt beginning the climb up towards Boulder Pass
Traversing towards the Clark Glacier, with Boulder Pass below at left.
Heading across north-facing slopes towards the margin of the Clark Glacier.
Matt looking small below Pt. 8373.
Glacier Peak and Luahna from the summit of Clark.
We took a brief break on the summit, then ripped skins for the descent before things got gloppier. The southern slopes back to the saddle were wet, but once we were back on the glacier, we had great conditions, with 1,500 feet of sustained fall line powder to the bottom of the glacier. We skinned back up to the eastern edge of the east ridge of Pt. 8373, then skied some mush before a short climb to Boulder Pass and a fun tater ski back to camp along Boulder Creek.
Matt skiing some over-baked snow off the summit of Clark, with Pt. 8373 in the background.
The money pitch - fall line power to the toe of the Clark Glacier
Matt climbing back up towards the ridge after skiing the Clark Glacier, with our up- and down-tracks in the background.
We packed up camp and loaded up our packs, then, in classic Matt-and-Galen fashion, skied as far as we could until running out of snow (and a bit further) before swapping out ski boots for trail runners and heading back into the blowdown-filled forest to the trailhead.
A tasteful bit of meadow skiing below camp.
Navigating blowdown on the White River Trail
White River Falls at the trailhead