What to say but so very much terrain up Surprise Creek! Armed with only a Green Trails Map and 500 foot visibility we luckily picked our way past the Little Plug and Sparkplug Lakes to the summit.
This isn't really a project I am working on but it is fun to ski the "Backcourt 100 Peaks" that are skiable from the summit.
Surprise Creek
Sketch! Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA
Beautiful valley
Start climbing
Upward
IMG_1462
Take over Jake
Great stuff for later
Neat gullies
Still climbing
Below Little Plug Lk
Little Plug basin
Spark Plug Lake! Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA
To the top. Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA
A short view window
Final ridge
Sparkplug Mountain
Top third: 6300' to 5300': great light powder, a bit firm from wind at times.
Beautiful open basin down to the big lake. Tough flat light, but a neat ski back to the Plug lakes.
IMG_1501
Go Jake
Flat light turns
Nice run
To the lake
Lake and Little Plug Mtn
Rockin' Good Time
Pretty
Run to Little Plug Lake
Middle Third 5300' to 4300': incredible 12" plus of fine powder! Even in the flat light. Down a cool series of broad gullies.
Lounge chairin'
Into the gully
Still goes
Dropping in
Can't see, but still good!
Goes and goes
And goes
Bottom third 4300' to 3600': a bit heavier but quite turnable! Short traverse to the top of the last big slope down to Surprise Creek.
Quick Traverse
Final line
Nice and long
The end
Forest gnar
Trail ski: exciting in the snowshoe track all the way to the summer Trailhead parking lot.
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
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“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.”
― MLK Jr.
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Been looking at that for a few years. Sweet!
