Skyline Lake Snowshoe Trail

January 19, 2014

Today Jackie went snowshoeing at Steven’s Pass with friends Jamie and Jason. They stopped at REI on the way up for rental snowshoes. We then head to Steven’s Pass to snowshoe up Skyline Lake Trail on the north side of the ski resort. The entire summit parking lots were full when we arrived around 12:30pm. We parked in a lower parking lot and caught the shuttle back up to the summit.

Jamie and Jason ready to start snowshoeing at the trailhead. 

Looking back down the trail 

Trees on the mountainside 

There was a woman snowshoeing down the mountain in a tank top. I was so hot at that point from climbing that I think she may have had the right idea.

Stevens Pass Ski Resort from the Skyline Lake Trail

Jamie and Jason on a break on the trail 

We climbed over 1100 feet over 1.5 miles! In snowshoes! But the view was completing worth it!

Jason getting close to the top 

Skyline Lake (iced over underneath the snow where there are no trees)

Jason says, “I wanna climb that!”

“Hell, why not” says Jamie. That is why he married her apparently.

Walking across water…frozen lake covered in snow that is 

Looking back at Skyline Lake 

Cascade Mountains to the north of the Skyline Ridge 

Looking south at Cascades 

Steven’s Pass Ski Resort from Skyline Ridge 

The snow formations on the rocks like Dr. Suess’s Whoville. 

View south from Skyline Ridge peak where we stopped 

View north from Skyline Ridge peak where we stopped 

Snowshoe break to have a bite to eat on top of the mountain 

Jason has success to the peak! 

Tibetian flags near the top 

It was much easier going back down the mountain.

At one point I told Jason he better take the sliding path down the mountain instead of going down a steep area with snowshoes on. He took it. See that little orange dot at the bottom. I was quick to follow. 

The dusk light hitting the mountain at the parking lot as we head home 

Ski Stevens Pass

March 4, 2012

Sunday morning we were out for the house by 8am prepared to be going down the slopes in under 3 hours. Bound for skiing at Stevens Pass.

Parking lot at Stevens Pass, under 2 hours from our house.

We rented skis, boots and poles. We used my corporate GGLO passes I bought months ago to save $20 a person on lift tickets.

I made Joe promise to stick to the green easy slopes so I didn’t wretch my knee like I did a few weeks ago. We proceeded to the Daisy Chair lift to head down Easy Street.

The view from the top of the slope from the Daisy Chair lift.

Stevens Pass slopes.

Daisy Chair lift on Easy Street.

The bottom of the green slopes near the lodge.

We took a few different easy green slopes down, with Tyn Creek being a little steeper than the others, but it was well manicured so that there was a flat area at the bottom of the slopes.
Wolfpack on the ski slopes.

After 6 or so runs we took a break for lunch at the lodge. We decided to do our first blue run after eating so we could ski a longer run. We took the Hogsback Express chairlift up and took the easiest blue route down, the Rock ‘n Blue. We both had some difficulties staying in control going down. One of my skis fell of twice. I was just glad they came off easily this time before my knee was turned all around. There were points of the slope that were 45 degrees. Very unlike blues in West Virginia.

We went back to do the greens some more.
That’s my husband.

Jackie riding the chair lift.

Mountaintop.

Black diamond slopes and double black diamond slopes! We stayed far away from those.

After getting our groove back after lunch we gave the Rock ‘n Blue another try, this timing noting the flatter areas of the route from the ski lift. We came down the slope like wannabe pros. No bumps or bruises.
Here’s Joe imitating one of our favorite skiing moments of the past, Brandon Hill riding down on the back of his ski’s yelling ‘OH $h!t!’

He then proceeded to fall over in the soft snow.

Joe and I have never seen such great snow conditions. No ice, great powder, upper 30s, minimal wind and partly cloudy blue skies. We love living so close to the slopes that we can decide which days to go ski.

Joe and I have never seen such great snow conditions. No ice, great powder, upper 30s, minimal wind and partly cloudy blue skies. We love living so close to the slopes that we can decide which days to go ski.

Driving home down Highway 2.